Extraordinary General Meeting

Friday 11th July, 19:00

KWD Upper Pavilion

Minutes

Present: Tim Graham (TG), Pat Ost (PO), Simon Sparkes (SS), Shelley Pike (SP), Mark Blackham (MB), Yeng Ping-Ng (YPN), Tim Sparkes (TS), Freddie Van Gerwen (FVG), Kelly Nolan (KN), Mike Horton (MHo), Michelle Hares (MHa), Stuart Hares (SHa), Matthew Keeling (MK), Nigel Butt (NBu), Colin Voutt (CV), Andy Rogers (ARo), Aimee Tilley (ATi), Nick Rose (NR), Allan Curnow (ACu), Sally Curnow (SCu), Lilly Curnow (LCu), Hannah Browster (HB), Mark Cox (MCo), Natasha Miller (NM), Trevor Prentice (TP), F.H.J Moules (FHJM), Chris Gribben (CGr), Natalie Retalick (NRe), Tanya Read (TRe), Jo Parish (JPa), Penny Bromley (PBr), Grant Sable (GSa), Sue Mullet (SMu), Jo Lewis (JLe), Jon Kai Fleming (JKF), Sam Jenkinson (SJe), Matthew Rogers (MRo), Will Huntley (WHu), Rob Prentice (RPr).

Apologies: Brian Thomas (BT), John Worgan, Don Norton, Peter King, Tim Sammler, Dave Rushgrove, Mel Carosi, Gordon Opie, Sean Sutton, Andy Higgs, Phil Edmonds (PE), Dudley Bartlett (DB), Kirstie Morrison (KM), Glen Wright (GW).

1. Introduction From Chairman and apologies

The Chairman welcomed all members present to the meeting especially to a special guest, Vice President, John Moules, and opened proceedings at 19:20.

2. The Proposed Move from Lansdown Tennis Club to Kingswood Upper Pavilion

The Chairman began by thanking MB and his team for their hard work in his negotiations with Jane Vines at Kingswood Commercial to make the scheme a realistic option for City of Bath Hockey Club (CoBHC).

TG then outlined the proposed development at the Kingswood Upper Fields to group. The development would effectively comprise of three main parties. Firstly Kingswood School (KWD), under the auspices of Kingswood Commercial would be the main party who take into the development the current pavilion and 60 acres of land. Secondly Chris Lane of Chris Lane Leisure who, in exchange for the use of the land, will develop a state of the art leisure facility, including indoor and outdoor tennis courts, indoor pool, changing facilities, bars, function rooms, gymnasiums and all the other paraphernalia associative with a modern multi sport development. In addition to the leisure complex the site will include many football pitches, rugby pitches, Cricket square and two fully lit astro-turf hockey pitches. Finally the development includes the partner clubs, who at this stage are CoBHC, Bath Rugby Juniors, Bath Splashers, St Thomas' Cricket Club and hopefully Bath Arsenal Football Club. These partner clubs take into the development their lobbying power with the council with their extensive membership and prove to the planning authorities that the development is for public and private use.

How will this affect City of Bath Hockey Club?

CoBHC will continue to rent pitches from Kingswood School, who remain owners of the three astro-turf surfaces. Included in this rental will be free use of the new changing rooms in the leisure centre. On top of this, Chris Lane Leisure will build a "Spike Bar" which will be free to use by the partner clubs. This bar will initially be very basic but can be improved by the founding members at their own cost. This will give CoBHC a permanent base from which to work from and call home, something that they have not had for a very long time. It would also mean that the Club will save approximately £2000-£2500 per annum on associate membership fees to the Lansdown Tennis Club (LTC). It was noted by the Chairman that at our previous years functions that the bar manager at LTC had been receptive to sharing profits over the bar but that the LTC committee had firmly ruled out such initiatives. By being involved with this project from the beginning would mean that we have much more say in the running of the facility.

Additionally, if we were ever able to raise enough funds, that we would be allowed to build our own pitch at the site with KWD effectively giving us the lease on the land for free.

The Proposal

The proposal, firstly as a club, is to support and be involved in the development along side the other partner clubs outlined above, and secondly to move to the KWD Upper Pavilion from the start of the coming winter season.

TG informed the members present that at the last Committee meeting that this move was unanimously supported by the Committee but it was decided to give the membership as a whole the chance to have a say in the future of the Club.

Questions

FVG asked if we had any guarantee or legally binding contract between all parties to ensure that what is proposed actually materialises. TG responded by saying that at this stage we were working on promises and good faith. MB added that once plans started to materialise that we would enter into legal contracts with all parties with the assistance of the likes of PO. MB also added that he had received a letter from Chris Lane Leisure assuring the CoBHC that he intended to build the "Spike Bar" and that this facility would remain free to partner clubs.

CV and CGr asked who would be using the facility. TG informed them that currently the partner clubs were as above but that CoBHC would, as it stands, be the sole users of the facility on Saturdays.

MHa mentioned that she thought that Bath Civil Defence Hockey Club might be interested in joining the scheme and using the facility.

JKF asked what would be the consequences of the planning not being granted. TG said that the plans would probably take 18 months to 2 years to be passed and that until then we will use the current pavilion. If planning were rejected then the usual appeal process would be followed.

CGr recounted the earlier mention that LTC were not flexible about bar takings and asked if this would be different at the new development. TG informed the members that again we would not be taking any of the profits from the bar. However, the prices are substantially cheaper than those at LTC and the drinks available would be provided depending on our taste. At special events it is anticipated that KWD would be more flexible regarding profit sharing initiatives.

MHo asked if the pavilion and the proposed "Spike Bar" would be used for Club social events. TG told him that the building, and indeed the whole site would be available at no charge for social events.

Letter From The President

TG read out a letter from the President.

The letter stated the President whole-heartedly supported the development and the proposed move to the KWD Pavilion.

The Vote

The Chairman then put the proposal to the vote.

The vote was all in favour with no members against and no abstentions.

Therefore, from the beginning of the next winter season, the KWD upper Pavilion will become the permanent home to City of Bath Hockey Club. MB would complete his document of support for KWD and inform KWD Commercial of the result of the EGM. <ACTION MB>

The Chairman thanked all the members for a great turnout and closed the meeting at 19:30.