Annual Report Year ending 31 st August 2010

The Commons Conservators
The Chislehurst and St Paul 's Cray Commons Conservators (known locally by their working title: the Trustees of Chislehurst Commons) were set up by the Metropolitan Commons (Chislehurst and St Paul 's Cray) Supplemental Act, 1888 to protect and maintain the commons. The conservators are now a registered charity and carry out their work with funds granted by the London Borough of Bromley, generous donations from local residents, small annual grants from government-sponsored bodies and occasional grants from other organisations .

Governing document and objectives
The 1888 Act sets down the responsibilities of the Board of Conservators. These responsibilities are translated into a working strategy by the 10-year Management Plan, which currently runs from 2004 to 2014.

Location
The Trustees operate from leasehold premises situated at:

The Old Fire Station

Hawkwood Lane

Chislehurst

BR7 5PW

Organisation
The Trustees of the charity consist of a board that has 16 members.

Mr Andrew Osmond (Chairman)

Mr Colin Yardley (Vice Chairman)

Mr Ray Philo (Treasurer)

Mr Anthony Bompas Q.C.

Mrs Alexandra Burman

Mr David Calver (Appointed May 2009)

Mr Ray Gittins (Appointed May 2009).

Miss Avril Greatrex

Mrs Elizabeth Greenwood

Mr John Hayhow

Mr Peter Hedges

Miss Jan Hendey (Retired February 2009).

Mr Roy Hopper

Mr David Howard

Dr Brian Knights

Mr Tom Murray (Appointed May 2009)

Mr Tony Wells (Resigned March 2009).

Mrs Margaret Yardley

Mr Patrick Phillips serves ex officio representing the London Borough of Bromley

Staff
The Board employs three members of staff:

Mr John Goff (Clerk to the Board)

Mr Jonathan Harvie (Head Keeper)

Mr Peter Edwards (Assistant Keeper)

Board Structure and decision-making
The Board, which meets 8 times a year, has a number of committees:

Natural Environment : Directly responsible for the implementation of the Commons 10-year Management Plan and also recommends major projects to the Board.

Verge: Responsible for liaising with public utilities and those whose land adjoins the Commons, including the London Borough of Bromley, in relation to roads and verges, in order to ensure no encroachment occurs.

Fund Raising: Responsible for raising funds in order to augment the income from other sources.

Staff : Responsible for advising the board on all personnel matters .

These committees are appointed by the Board and report to it. Reports are also received from the Clerk and the Head Keeper.

Responsibility for day-to-day management resides with the Chairman of the Board, the Treasurer and the Clerk and Head Keeper.

Public Benefit Statement
The main aim of the charity is to protect and maintain the commons for public use. All the resources of the charity are used to satisfy these aims. The Commons are open to all members of the public without charge and provide much needed open space for recreation and leisure. The Commons are situated in a predominately suburban setting and are therefore an important amenity for local residents.

If the charity did not exist, the Commons would quickly become unusable in that they would be subject to fly tipping and litter and would overgrow rapidly. There is also strong evidence that encroachment from some adjoining properties would take place with the permanent loss of land.

The Trustees are satisfied that the work of the charity meets the requirements of current legislation relating to public benefit.

Trustees
Trustees are appointed to the board for a period of three years and may be appointed for subsequent three-year periods. Trustees are appointed by the London Borough of Bromley after consultation with local organisations and the Board about skill requirements. The Lord of the Manor, who holds the freehold of the Commons, appoints one trustee. Trustee induction is provided.

Financial Report
Total incoming resources for the year were £100,905, a drop of 8% compared to 2008. During the previous year a grant was received from DFRA of £11,033 and this year a grant was kindly given by Natural England for £7,170 to help with expenses under the management plan for the commons. General donations were on a par with last year at £40,773 which is very encouraging considering the poor economic conditions experienced during the year. The London Borough of Bromley continued their generous support with a grant of £47,310.

Expenditure rose by 5% in the year to a total of £110,117, giving a deficit of £10,193. The major cost increase was for general maintenance which went up by 66% to £11,418.

The total assets of the charity fell by 10% over the year to £90,672. Much of this reduction was due to the depreciation of vehicles, plant and equipment. There were no new plant purchases during the year and a depreciation charge of £9,977 was taken. Our cash balances remain almost unchanged at £72,719 but interest received dropped by 53% reflecting the general reduction in market rates.

Bankers
Barclays Bank PLC

7 High Street

Chislehurst

BR7 5AB

Plant and Equipment
Due to the purchase in recent years of both a new truck and a new tractor there was no need for any purchase during the current year. Hopefully, as a result of choosing good quality equipment, we will not need to make any major purchase for some time.

Tree Inspections
The Trustees are conscious of their responsibilities to provide as safe an environment as possible for the public who walk on the commons. To this end a programme of tree inspection continues. The Head Keeper and some of the trustees have received training and undertake an inspection regime to try and identify trees that might be dangerous. This is an inexact science and therefore care is taken to ensure that as far as reasonably possible, those trees that are adjacent to roads, well frequented paths and adjacent private properties receive the greatest attention .

Natural Environment Committee
In February 2009 the trustees reluctantly accepted the resignation of Jan Hendey from the board. Jan served as a trustee for 14 years and latterly as the chairman of the Natural Environment Committee. She has worked tirelessly for the preservation and good management of the commons and will be sorely missed. Her colleagues on the board wish her well in her retirement.

Management Plan
The trustees continue to be guided by their 10-year Management Plan for work on the Commons. This year, key projects have been the clearance of holly and sycamore in a number of areas to allow for greater biodiversity, and maintenance of footpaths.

Rush Pond
In 2008, a reed bed was created at the entrance to Prickend Pond, the larger of the ponds on the Commons. This was done to filter out many of the contaminants that inevitably come from the adjacent roads. It also helps oxygenate the water which in turn reduces “blooming” in the summer months.

Due to the success of this project it was decided to install a similar bed at the run-in to Rush Pond this year. Much of the cost of installation was met by Natural England under their Countryside Stewardship Scheme. The trustees are most grateful for their help and support.

Chislehurst Festival
Just after our year end in August 2009 the Chislehurst Society celebrated their 75 th anniversary by organising the Chislehurst Festival. As our contribution to the festival we organised the “Chislehurst Chase”. This consisted of two events on a very hot Sunday in September. The main activity was a 10 Km run through St Paul 's Cray Common and Scadbury Park . Our MP, Bob Neil, started the race and awarded the prizes. There was an excellent turn out of over 200 runners and the all costs were more than covered by entry fees.

A shorter race was also organised for children and their parents. This was run entirely on the Commons and attracted over 100 entries. This revived use of the commons (the last Chislehurst Chase took place on horse-back in the 19 th century) will continue in future years as an excellent use of the facilities and a way to publicise the Trustees' work.

The Big Draw
On the day before the Chislehurst Chase the Big Draw was held again on the commons. The weather this year was perfect and a record number of people took part. The organisers once again very generously donated the surplus funds generated, after covering their costs, to the Trustees.

Horse Riding
For many years horse riding has been permitted on the commons along defined bridlepaths. During the year an additional bridlepath was created to make it easier and safer to use the Commons. We know that the new paths are much appreciated and we hope that riders will be responsible in only riding on defined bridle paths. This is important since riding on other parts of the Common causes damage to the footpaths as well as risking injury to walkers.

Litter and Fly-Tipping
No annual report of our charity could pass without mentioning the scourge of litter and fly tipping on the Commons. Bromley Council assist us in the removal of major items such as burnt out cars but the majority of the work in keeping the commons tidy is down to our keepers and volunteers. It is very frustrating that so much of our resources has to be given over to this task but we fear that it is a direct consequence of being in a relatively built up area. We continue to hope that future generations are persuaded that litter is an evil that should not be tolerated. We are most grateful to those who assist in litter clearance.

Friends of the Commons
The trustees are fortunate to be supported by a growing group of people , currently numbering nearly 500, who contribute financially to the costs of maintaining the Commons or who are active in working in one of our regular volunteer groups. Without the support of these members of the local community the charity could not operate. We have about 20 volunteers who regularly carry out maintenance tasks on the Commons under the supervision of the Head Keeper. During the year 2008-2009 the volunteers together worked a total of just over 1,000 hours, which is equivalent to two-thirds of a full-time post.

Friends' Reception
As in previous years the trustees held a reception for the Friends of the Commons in St Nicholas Church Hall to thank them for their support and contributions. As always, the refreshments were provided by the trustees personally, at no cost to the charity. Over 100 people present enjoyed an excellent evening.

Newsletter
The trustees aim to publish a newsletter at least once a year to keep our friends updated on current issues. This provides an excellent form of communication and encourages much needed donations as well as general support for our activities.

Risk Management
The Board reviews the risks to which the charity is exposed and has systems in place to mitigate them. Regarding financial risks, the board has a policy of having at least three months' expenditure in reserve to meet its obligations in the event of a substantial loss of income. Our staff and volunteers are informed of the risk assessments which have been conducted for the various tasks they undertake. They are not allowed to use any machinery for which they have not been properly trained. The Board has employer's liability and public liability insurance and trustees' indemnity insurance. The principal risk factors outside the Board's control are accidents to members of the public arising from falling trees or branches and trips due to exposed tree roots. We endeavour to minimise these risks by means of our tree inspection and path improvement programmes.

The Future
Despite the difficult economic situation the Board of Trustees' finances have remained sound. The decision to employ a second keeper has been vindicated and the Commons are being well maintained and improvement projects continue to be undertaken.

This progress is only possible with the continuing support of the London Borough of Bromley, the Friends of the Commons and other funding bodies such as the Chislehurst Society. We are most grateful to all who support the Trustees in their endeavours.