Road Fund History | Constitution
For the unadopted/private roads in Badgers Mount.
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The roads within the maintenance fund are:
The current contributions to the
Badgers Mount Road Maintenance Fund:
Basic for household: £40.00
Additional payment for each regularly used vehicle: £30.00
Repairs underway in Highland Road
Picture July 2002
Chairman | David Masters davidmasters510@gmail.com |
Treasurer | Gordon Plumb (Tel 534279) |
Secretary | Dianne Wills |
THE SPEED LIMIT ON THE UNADOPTED/PRIVATE ROADS WITHIN BADGERS MOUNT IS 20MPH
NOTE
We would remind residents of the recommended
20 mph speed limit on our roads. This is because the
roads are shared with pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders etc. It is the
accepted practice that if you approach the narrower sections of
road and there is already a vehicle coming the other way, the
second vehicle waits at an appropriate passing place to allow the first
one into the section to pass. You should not expect someone’s drive beyond
their boundary to be used as a passing place.
2019 AGM Minutes (PDF)
Time has flown by since the AGM in April and since then, I am
pleased to say that monitoring of the roads has been maintained,
with no significant repairs to report, although no doubt the
upcoming months will be a test for the Committee and for all of
us.
I took over the role of Chairman at the last AGM in
succession to the role of Gordon Plumb as our Acting Chairman,
following the earlier departure of Roger King, our last Chairman
from Badgers Mount. In the last 2 years, there have been many
incoming new owners, as well as sad departures and at this stage,
I thought it worthwhile to provide an overview on the roads, since
I arrived in Badgers Mount in 1953.
In the days since my
arrival, the internal roads have been progressively transformed
from no more than cart tracks, with many deep ruts and generally
unsafe surfaces, compared to that seen today, with substantial
sub-surface foundations and metalled surfaces fit for both car and
lorries, as well as pedestrians. A far cry from the past. The
Committee since the inception of the Road Maintenance Fund in
circa 1965, has overseen a vast improvement in the roads since the
days of old. I am not suggesting that the roads, comprising
Badgers Road. Highland Road, Milton Avenue and Johnsons Avenue,
are perfect but compared to the past they are in remarkably good
condition, with the Committee always minded to upgrade where and
when needed. The early financing of the roads was down to an
agreement with owners to pay an annual sum based on their actual
road frontage and gradually over time, the Badgers Mount Road
Maintenance Fund was built up, keeping a watchful eye on our
inheritance.
Today, there are 121 owners that are eligible to be Members of the
Road Maintenance Fund, the great majority paying their dues
voluntarily. The contribution rates are reviewed each year by the
Committee, much dependant on the need for forthcoming road
maintenance. Those Fund members who voluntarily pay into the Fund,
help keep the roads in a satisfactory condition enabling all to
enjoy the benefits of the modern-day age.
It is essential
that the Fund is kept in a positive cash flow position to enable
the Committee to draw down Funds to instigate maintenance work as
and when required, without which the surfaces would fall back into
a state of disrepair and potentially a return to the dark days of
the past.
You are reminded that the rates agreed at the
2023 AGM for both 2022 and 2023 were the same as the rates last
changed in 2018 – £40.00 per dwelling plus £30.00 for each vehicle
in regular use. Residents were not asked to pay contributions for
2021 due to Covid but were asked for 2022 contributions. Those who
paid in 2021 without being asked are not asked to pay for 2022.
Some people seem to have been confused by the layout of the form
sent earlier this year and only paid part of the amount due, so a
few changes have been made which hopefully make it clearer. You
will see overleaf whether you have paid in full, in part or not
yet paid at all for the two years.
At 10th December, the
income from the contributions so far in the current accounting
year is £6400, which is wonderful but still below the level of the
pre Covid years. The Committee recognise that life is not much fun
today and potentially getting more problematical, but I do urge
those committed to Badgers Mount, and maintaining its standards to
pay their outstanding voluntary contributions. I might add that
were the roads to fall into serious disrepair with the Fund unable
to cover any emergency works the effect on property values may
suffer the consequences.
On behalf of the Committee, may I
wish all Residents of Badgers Mount a Happy Christmas and a
Healthy 2024,
David Masters.
Highland Road - Marchants surface dressing July 2015
Early in the 1960s, following the building of some houses and bungalows in Highland Road, a few residents held a meeting to discuss the possibility of funding a scheme to lay a surface to Highland Road. The road then was nothing more than a cart track of flints and large pot holes. Footwear during the winter months was definitely gumboots with thick soles!
The meeting successfully raised a sum of money to make a start on filling pot holes with tarmacadam. Under the name Highland Association, the group called upon all residents in the road to contribute into a fund so that more work could be carried out in successive years.
However, after the worst section of Highland Road had been treated (in 1965), residents in Milton Avenue and Badgers Road were impressed and following a meeting of all residents of the three roads, the Badgers Mount Road Maintenance Fund was born. Johnsons Avenue joined the fund on the 1st January 1988.
Albert Thomas
Constitution of the Badgers Mount Road Maintenance Fund as adopted at the Annual General Meeting on 14th April 1983, with subsequent amendments made at Annual General Meetings.
NAME
1. The name of the organisation shall be “Badgers Mount Road Maintenance Fund” (hereafter referred to as “the Fund”).
AIMS
2. The aim of the Fund shall be to maintain in a reasonable condition the surfaces of unadopted roads in Badgers Mount, the majority of whose frontagers undertake to make voluntary contributions to the Fund, and where such roads have been made up to a reasonable standard prior to the fund accepting responsibility for maintenance.
MEMBERSHIP AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
3. Members shall be those occupiers (over the age of 18) of properties who have paid the subscription for the current year, or for the calendar year preceding the Annual General Meeting. If property ownership
changes during the year and the subscription has been paid, the membership stays with the property and will be transferred to the new occupier.
4. The amount of subscriptions shall be decided by the Annual General Meeting or any other specially convened General Meeting, after receiving a recommendation from the committee.
5. Residents in roads which are not maintained by the Fund but use the maintained roads to access their property may pay a reduced subscription based on the number of vehicles in regular use.
OFFICERS, COMMITTEE AND ADVISERS
6. The Fund shall be managed by a committee comprising Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and a minimum of three members. There shall be at least one committee member who resides in each of the roads maintained by the Fund.
7. The committee may appoint an adviser to provide recommendations for works to the roads. The adviser may attend committee meetings but shall not vote.
8. All officers and committee members shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting and shall be eligible for re-election. Any casual vacancies shall be filled by the committee for the period up to
the next Annual General Meeting. All officers and committee members must be members of the Fund.
9. The committee may enter into contracts on behalf of the Fund in furtherance of its aims.
MEETINGS
10. There shall be an Annual General Meeting of the members not later than 30th April. The quorum shall be eight members, who may include members of the committee.
11. A Special General Meeting may be called at any time by the committee or by the request of at least eight members submitted in writing to the secretary.
12. Only members may vote at any General Meeting, each member being entitled to one vote. In the event of equality of votes the Chair shall have a casting vote.
13. Not less than fourteen days notice of every General Meeting shall be sent to every house. Accidental omission to give notice to a member shall not invalidate the proceedings of any meeting.
14. The committee shall meet to scrutinise the annual accounts and to prepare the business for the Annual General Meeting and on other occasions as necessary.
FINANCE
15. The financial year shall be the calendar year, ending on 31st December.
16. The Treasurer shall keep proper account records and prepare annual accounts and statements for each financial year and submit them to the auditor and the Annual General Meeting.
17. The Annual General Meeting shall elect an auditor to inspect the accounts and provide a signed report for presentation at the Annual General Meeting. No member of the committee or an adviser is eligible to
be the auditor.
18. A bank account shall be kept in the name of the Fund. The committee may invest accumulated subscriptions at their discretion.
19. Three officers shall be signatories for the bank account(s), with any two required for all transactions.
20. Adequate reserves shall be maintained to allow for any emergency works to be carried out without the bank accounts going overdrawn. Overdrafts shall not be used.
INSURANCE
21. The fund shall take out an insurance policy to cover any public liability claims arising from the maintenance of the roads.
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
22. The constitution may be amended at the Annual General Meeting providing that notice of the proposed amendment(s) has been circulated to members at least ten days before the meeting.
23. The constitution and any subsequent amendments shall come into operation on the day following the Annual General Meeting at which they were approved.
[Revised March 2023]
Note
The Badgers Mount Road Maintenance Fund and the Residents' Association are separate bodies.
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