The AGM – BCS Looks to the FutureAround 60 BCS members attended this year’s AGM and saw Derek Cooper step down as Chairman after 10 years in the role. Derek leaves a very large gap to fill and several committee members have stepped up to take on part of the responsibilities he covered. Paul Spears and Graham Waite will be acting as co-chairmen. Paul came to live in Buntingford some 20 years ago, before moving to Aspenden “for a quieter life”. He has been a member of the BCS committee for some years and is chairman of Aspenden Parish Council. Graham, a resident of Snells Mead, became an active BARD member in protest at the first Wheatley proposal for the land south of Hare Street Road. He subsequently joined the Civic Society committee and was elected to the Town Council. Joyce Jackson and Janet Murrells continue as Secretary and Treasurer respectively; Chris Eagle remains Membership Secretary (membership@buntingfordcivic.org.uk). Ken Durrant has taken on the task of delivering the Journal to retail outlets each month, and Richard Prince will be taking over as BCS representative on the traffic action group TAG. Carol Noble, minute secretary at BCS meetings, is now a fully fledged committee member. The presentation for the evening was once again by East Herts District Councillor Mike Carver, supported by members of his team working on the East Herts Draft District Plan. There was some acknowledgement that the absence of a Plan has left Buntingford particularly vulnerable to developers, but it was also clear that the task of preparing the Plan has involved far more work than anyone anticipated. EHDC is actually further along in the process than many authorities – of all the neighbouring districts with whom EHDC has a ’duty to cooperate’, it is the first and so far only one to move into the statutory consultation period. There is still time to send comments on the Draft Plan to EHDC: the closing date is 22nd May. Copies of the Draft Plan can be viewed online or at the Manor House. Chapters that deal specifically with Buntingford are 6 and 13 to 24. |
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