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About us

PZ3 demo #2 Fowlmere Road - Tree line avenue

The Heydon Grange Action Group is made up of residents from Heydon and many of its surrounding villages. We are pro sustainable energy, but we believe that infrastructure on such a large and industrial scale needs to be sited appropriately if the unique character of our local countryside is to be preserved.

Our Purpose

Our purpose as an action group is to provide information to other local residents about the proposals, and to ensure that the local environment and heritage of the area are protected.

Our Aims

We want to:

Our members all volunteer their time to try and ensure that the area they live in, some for many years, is protected.

PZ3 demo #2 View towards proposed site from New Road

The activities of the Action Group are presently governed by the draft constitution, set out below,
this will be put to members (as defined in paragraph 5) for ratification by 30 April 2011

STOP HEYDON GRANGE WINDFARM ACTION GROUP
(An unincorporated association)

CONSTITUTION

NAME

 

1.        The name of the association is STOP HEYDON GRANGE WINDFARM ACTION GROUP ( the "Action Group").

 

OBJECTS

2.        The general purpose of the Action Group is to provide information to residents of Heydon and surrounding villages ( the "Community") about the proposals for a wind turbine development around the site known as Heydon Grange ( the "Development"), and to oppose the Development.

 

3.        The specific aims are to:

l         maintain the natural beauty of the area

l         protect the quality of life for residents

l         protect several well known and rare views in Cambridgeshire

l         protect the unique heritage of the area, and

l         oppose this Development, the scale of which, members believe to be unsuitable to the surrounding area.

 

4.        To achieve its objects the Action Group will:

l           provide information to the Community, via circulars and a web site

l           arrange public meetings

l           organise publicity in the media and by posters and banners

l           organise petitions

l           commission professional research studies

l           prepare formal responses to planning applications

l           engage lawyers and specialists to appear for the Action Group at any tribunal

l           liaise, and share information, with organisations having similar objects

l           raise funds

MEMBERSHIP

5.        Membership of the Action Group shall be open to any person who supports the Objects of the Action Group and who donates not less than £1 to the Action Group, except that the executive committee is empowered to refuse membership to any person it reasonably suspects does not support the objects of the Action Group.

6.        Each member shall have one vote on matters voted upon in general and special meetings of members.

 

7.        Any member shall be entitled to inspect the accounts of the Action Group and the minutes of the Committee, upon written request to be made to the Secretary of the Committee.

 

COMMITTEE

8.        The members shall elect from among their number in general meeting an executive committee (the "Committee") which is charged with carrying out the Objects of the Action Group within the constraints of funds available.

 

9.        There shall be a minimum of five and a maximum of nine members of the Committee including co-opted members.

 

10.     The committee may co-opt members as long as not more than one third of the total committee are co-opted, with the exception that, if an elected member of the Committee resigns, the Committee may appoint someone in their place as a co-opted member. Co-opted members shall have the right to vote at meetings of the Committee.

 

11.     All members of the Committee shall retire from office at each AGM but may then be re-elected at that AGM.

 

11. The Committee shall appoint a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.

 

12.     No member of the Committee shall benefit from the work of the Action Group other than as any ordinary member of the Action Group might benefit, allowance being made however for out of pocket expenses approved in advance by the Chairman and Treasurer.

 

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

13     The Committee shall meet at least three times per year.

 

14     Except in urgent circumstances, the Secretary shall give reasonable notice of Committee meetings and shall provide an agenda to members at least a day in advance.

 

15     The quorum for Committee meetings shall be one half (rounded up) of the total number of members of the Committee (including co-opted members) for the time being.

 

16     Decisions shall be taken by a majority of votes of the members of the Committee present and voting. If the votes are equal the Chairman shall have a casting vote. In the absence of the Chairman, the chairman appointed for that meeting shall have a casting vote.

 

17     Accurate minutes of meetings shall be kept by the Secretary and shall be circulated to Committee members promptly after the relevant meeting.

 

EXPENDITURE CONTROL

18.     The funds of the Action Group shall be paid into a bank account operated by the Committee in the name of the Action Group.

 

19.     The funds of the Action Group may only be used to achieve the objects of the Action Group.

 

20.     Only members of the Committee may place orders or commit the Action Group to any expenditure. Orders or commitments for individual items of expenditure exceeding £500 shall be approved in advance by the Committee and be recorded in the minutes.

 

21.     Authorised signatories on the bank account are to be the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, together with any additional committee member approved by all members of the Committee.

 

22.     For cheques and payment instructions:

l                Under £100 - there shall be two signatures, having received prior approval from the Chairman or Treasurer

l                Over £500 there shall be two signatures from any of the Chairman, Treasurer or Secretary, having received prior approval by majority vote from the Committee, recorded in the minutes.

 

ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT

23.     The Committee shall ensure that a detailed record is kept of all receipts and expenditure and the Treasurer shall present to the Committee at each meeting an up to date statement of receipts and expenditure since the last committee meeting and for the year to date.

 

24.     The accounting year end shall be 31 March.

25.     The Treasurer shall prepare an Income and Expenditure statement for each twelve months ended 31 March ( or the shorter period up to 31 March 2011, prior to the adoption of this constitution) and a Balance Sheet at that date (the "Accounts"). The accounting records and the Accounts shall be examined and reported upon by a competent person who is not a member of the Action Group (the "Independent Examiner").

 

MEETINGS OF MEMBERS

26.     This Constitution shall be put to members for approval, or amendment, at an inaugural general meeting of members to be held no later than 30 April 2011.

 

27.     Thereafter an Annual General meeting shall be held in June of each year at which members will be asked to;

l                Approve the report of the Chairman on the activities of the Association in the previous year

l                Approve the Accounts and Independent Examiner’s report to the preceding 31 March

l                Elect members of the Committee.

 

28.     An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Action Group may be called by the Committee, or when one tenth of the number of the members of the Action Group for the time being or 10 members of the Action Group, whichever is less, submit to the Secretary a written requisition for a meeting. In this latter case the notice of the meeting shall be issued by the Secretary within 7 days.

 

29.     21 days notice of any general meeting shall be given to members in writing. Nominations to the Committee and drafts of any resolutions required (both to be signed by at least two members) shall be submitted to the Secretary 14 days before the meeting. The Secretary shall circulate to members the agenda, nominations and resolutions for the meeting 7 days before the meeting.

30.     Should nominations to the Committee be greater than the number of places available on the Committee, election shall be according to the most votes for each nominee by secret ballot of members present at the meeting.

 

31.     Minutes of general meetings of members shall be kept by the Secretary and be open to inspection by members.

 

32.     The quorum for any meeting of members shall be one tenth of the number of members of the Action Group or 10 members, whichever is less.

 

33.     The Constitution of the Action Group may be altered by a resolution achieving a two thirds majority of the members present and voting at a general meeting.

 

WINDING UP

34.     If the Committee decides that the Action Group should be wound up or should become dormant the Committee shall call a meeting of members. If the proposal is confirmed by a two thirds majority of those present and voting, the Committee shall distribute any surplus funds as follows:

 

l                If funds raised from general events together with direct named donations under £50 exceed total cumulative expenditure since formation of the Action Group (the "First Offset"), any resulting surplus either will be held indefinitely for use in any similar future community campaign or, if agreed otherwise by members, shall be passed to a like minded body. Funds from named donors over £50 will be returned to them.

l                In the event of a deficit after this First Offset, funds from named donors over £50 will be set against that deficit and the surplus after that returned to those named donors pro rata to their original donation.

At that meeting this Constitution will be amended or rescinded or adopted again, according to the decision of the meeting.