Chair’s Report AGM 2017

Wynyard Residents Association

Annual Report

Finance

Donations – we have received a number of support donations this year. NFU, Teesside High School, Grindon Parish Council all gave support funds to the Summer fete which assisted the hire of toilets, purchase of Insurance and hire of a Bouncy castle. Our thanks go to these organisations.

Advertising revenue – we have continued to generate advertising revenue to support the four editions of Wynyard Matters that are produced each year.  This is a constant issue for the Association and we need all the help we can get to raise enough to cover the costs of the printing. Suffice to say that we did not cover the printing costs in 2017.  This differential is not helped by the fact that we are now delivering to 1200 households and printing costs have had to rise due to a larger print run.

Support funding – we were able to bid successfully to both Elwick and Grindon Parish Councils for support to help the initial phases of establishing a Community Centre for Wynyard. The funding secured is retained in the Parish Council accounts until we require this and will be utilised for planning applications and their associated costs.

Applications have also been made for future budgets to both Grindon and Elwick for a variety of uses including some support for the magazine.

Charity work

There has been one charity fund raising event this year undertaken by the Residents Association.

Cake and bake – the annual bake sale raised a substantial amount of cash for Daisy Chain. This event was well supported until the heavens opened and we had to admit defeat in the face of deluge. Many thanks are to be offered to the “bakers” for this event and Daisy Chain profited accordingly.

Community Events

This year there has been the Cake and Bake event, the Summer Fete and the Carol singing. In the main the community events have been focussed on raising funds for Charity, raising funds for a Community Centre for Wynyard and encouraging the community to come together. Thanks need to be expressed to Wynyard Estates Services who gave permission for the Summer fete to be held on their land and helped us to ensure that the area was presentable and safe for the event. The Co-op shop also has supported both the Summer fete and the carol singing with donations of Strawberries and cream and mince pies respectively – many thanks to them for their continued support.

The events always attract a group of loyal supporters but it would be good to try and focus on delivering some events to attract a wider range of residents next year.

Key Projects

Neighbourhood Plan

This year has seen less emphasis on the Neighbourhood plan and more on influencing the Local Plans for both Hartlepool and Stockton. The work has been around trying to make some changes to the detailed planning applications for development that we are now seeing the commencement of around the Wynyard Woods area. The main issues have been; changing the siting of the main road in the new development south of Wynyard Woods from along the border of the current properties to further into the new development. This was changed and a buffer zone is in the plans for between the new development and the old. Removing from current plans the erection of a footbridge at the east gate roundabout to connect the North to the South across the A689 and replacing this with a crossing. – still in progress. The establishment of a further roundabout to allow exit and entrance to the A689 further up the road towards Sedgefield to ease congestion as more houses are built- still in progress.

Community Centre

As a result of consultation with residents on what they would see as a priority to enhance the area we have now embarked on a project to establish a Community centre/hub for Wynyard. Wynyard Estates have agreed to donate a plot of land for this and we are currently in the process of raising cash to draw up plans for this and gain planning permission. Fund raising has started on this and a group of people have volunteered to be the Directors of a new company to take the Community Centre project forward.

Liaison with WES

WES have been helpful this year in answering queries and supporting the Summer Fete. They have also purchased for the resident’s association a notice board which will be erected outside the shops in the near future.

Wexit

In May 2019 Grindon parish Council will no longer represent Wynyard. Wynyard will have its own Parish Council, for Stockton area, and all the precept budgets will focus on Wynyard issues.

At present Elwick Parish Council represents Wynyard residents who reside in Hartlepool. The residents’ association has been in consultation with HBC to discuss how we can separate out from Elwick and establish a Wynyard (HBC) Parish Council. This will be an on-going project for the next year, however in the meantime WRA has established a closer relationship with Elwick PC and are actively working to engage with them to get resources spent and utilised on Wynyard issues.

North Wynyard

We have now established some links with Wynyard park and have discussed some issues with them that concern the residents there. This will be an on-going process during the next few years to help integrate the two sides of the community.

Future Aims

• Completion of the Neighbourhood Plan
• Community Centre
• Establishment of Parish Council for Wynyard in Hartlepool
• Further strengthening of the relationship with WES to improve “South” Wynyard
• Further strengthening of the relationship with Wynyard Park to support the development/improvement of “North” Wynyard
• Finding a Hartlepool resident to represent Wynyard on Elwick parish Council

Kit Lofthouse

Chair

December 2017