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Updated 19 November 2002 DE LAUNE CC MINUTES Members attending: Cliff Steele, Mike Peel, Malcolm Adams, Steve Carter-Smith, Roy Savery, Bill Miles, Micky Valentine, Ben Neville, James Peckham, Mark Ballamy, Don White, Ken Fuller, Bert Collins, Dot Fuller, John Kavanagh, Maureen Jackson, Roy Chittleborough, Brian Saxton, Daniel Rudd, Francis Rudd, Joseph Rudd, Ross Fryer, Rachel Hedley (minutes), Alaric Lester (chair), Pete Harris (honorary secretary). Apologies: Graham Clark, Peter Gunnell, Jennifer Evans, Ted Jackson, Jeremy White, Alan Mayle, John O'Brien, Mike Rice, James Lett, Bill Wright, Monty Watkins, Tom Bewsey, Tony and Val Peachey Agenda 1. To consider the proposal: The Club should relocate and use Herne Hill Velodrome as its headquarters 2. To consider the proposal: The Memorial Clubroom Trustees should dispose off the Memorial Clubroom at 93 Choumert Road, by sale of the property 3. To consider the proposal: the Memorial Clubroom Trustees should let the Memorial Clubroom at 93 Choumert Road to suitable tenants.
1. Don White proposed that item 1 should be considered after items 2 and 3, which was voted for by the members present. 2. Procedures and rules 2a) Pete Harris explained that voting in favour of item 1 would require a simple majority and no change of rules. To vote in favour of items 2 and 3 would require a rule change of the Memorial Clubroom rules and a 3/4 majority of any of those members voting. Any vote in favour would require ratification in 3 months time at a subsequent Special General Meeting. During that period there would be time to seek professional advice and fully investigate the options. For that reason, the committee was asking the meeting to vote in favour of both items 2 and 3. 3. History behind the proposals 3a) He outlined the history behind deciding to vote on disposal of the Clubroom and explained the implications of either selling or letting the property. He explained that the proposal to sell the Clubroom which was discussed at a previous meeting on 15 June 2000 fell on two counts: a counter proposal to let the Club for which more information was needed and the question of where the Club would be relocated. As a result a working party was set up to discuss the use of the Clubroom and make recommendations in the Club's interests. 3b) The Committee considers the best interests of the Club to be:
4. Current problems with using the Clubroom 4a) Pete Harris outlined the current problems with the Clubroom:
4b) Currently there are no riding juveniles, no riding juniors, no under 23 riding male members, very limited number of riding female members, only 19 British Cycling members among the Club membership. 4c) Coupled with this, there is a resurgence of interest in track riding because of the need to find safe off-road cycling activity: many of the non-track riders are active MTB riders. Club runs are taking place in Richmond Park. 4d) The committee has established that the only place active members would consider meeting is Herne Hill stadium. A committee meeting has already been held there. 5. Move to Herne Hill 5a) An essential factors for the continued well-being of the club is that we have members who wish to ride together and meet together. Herne Hill provides track and mountain bike training facilities, storage facilities, car parking. There is therefore the opportunity to combine a training and social evening during the season and so restore the club night. The cost would be £30 for an evening: if the track was used by Club members the training costs could be offset against the room hire. 6. Disposal of the Clubroom 6a) Pete outlined the three options available for disposal of the Club room There are three options
7. Process 7a) The committee and trustees have not incurred the expense of seeking professional advice yet. The Clubroom rules allow safeguards so that the Clubroom cannot be disposed of without the almost unanimous wish of the membership. There is also a three-month cooling off period. Pete Harris explained that the current proposals had been framed so as to avoid an endless process of going round in circles and defeating the will of the majority. 7b) The decision whether to let the Clubroom or sell may be done at the final SGM required by the Memorial Club Room rules. It is more likely that another meeting will be called solely for the purpose of making that decision in the light of progress. It may be that one of the options proves impractical and will not run the full course 8. Keeping the Clubroom 8a) Pete outlined the current value of the Clubroom according to an independent estate agent. It is a commercial property so is not subject to the same forces that affect the residential property market. The value of a property such as the clubroom has appreciated in value at an average of rate of 10.5% per annum, since it was built. We are advised that today it is worth £250,000. There is no guarantee that this rate of appreciation will continue in the future. It is, however, unlikely to fall below the rate of inflation. Retaining the Clubroom may represent a very attractive investment when compared with other investment opportunities. 8b) One advantage of retaining the clubroom is that it would continue to remain available to us if the club's circumstances change. 8c) The condition of the clubroom has deteriorated recently. This has been due to a number of factors
8d) There has also been a dilemma for both the trustees and the committee in justifying more than essential expenditure given the strong possibility of disposal of the building. The members would not thank officials if they spent £12,000 - £15,000 that could not be recouped. 8e) If we retain the building, we can expect an outlay of £15,000 on remedial work. We can expect an outlay for annual expenditure to cover gas, electricity, council tax, water, insurance, legal fees and maintenance. Total outlay for 2001 was £1,722, which was probably a little low since little was spent on maintenance. 8f) To make the clubroom attractive as a contemporary meeting place we might have to think in terms of updating the facilities: licensed bar, television, fitness training. If we wanted to upgrade the building in any way there would be further costs again 9. Selling the Clubroom 9a) If we choose to sell the property, we release the capital. 9b) There have been two offers to date. Wayne McGuire, the managing director of the firm which own the site next door, has offered £200,000. A religious organisation has offered £250,000. 9c) Once the Clubroom is sold we have a clear-cut situation with cash in the bank 9d) The option is attractive, but there are a number of issues to resolve
10. Leasing the Clubroom 10a) If a tenant can be found, it would command an annual rent of the order of 10% of the value. The estate agent has suggested £25,000. At the same time the property would continue to appreciate in value. 10b) In the current climate this is a highly attractive investment opportunity, which would give the club a rare opportunity. 10c) We would avoid having the responsibility of a large sum of money declining in value, burning a hole in our pocket, and at risk of being dissipated in various ways. 10d) A tenant could sort out all of the current problems with the building 10e) An offer is in the process of preparation, and that references are being sought. 10f) Leasing can to a certain extent be approached on a suck it and see basis. Not so with selling. 10e) There are a number of issues with this option:
11. Questions and discussion 11a) Alaric Lester (chair) said that the discussion about both proposals would be taken at the same time but the vote on each part would be taken separately. 11b) There was a question about planning regulations in relation to the Clubroom. Pete Harris said that current planning was as a place for meeting and assembly. Mark Ballamy pointed out that planning restrictions by 2004 required all public meeting places to have disabled access and toilets. 11c) Don White asked if the Clubroom was in the hands of an estate agent and whether they have sole selling rights. Pete Harris said that Andrews and Robertson had been contacted and asked for a valuation. The only way of them putting an accurate figure on the property was to market it, which they did with the agreement of the working party and committee. Don White asked if we should approach another Agent with a bigger commerical arm. Jeremy White, a member of the working party and a professional property surveyor had advised that Andrews and Robertson were the biggest commercial agent in the area which was why they had been approached. 11d) Mark Ballamy said that before the next meeting some decisions would have to be made about how the money is used in the event of either leasing or selling and suggested that a charitable trust could be set up. Pete Harris said he had briefly discussed charitable trust status with the solicitor. Because of frauds during the 1970s the Inland Revenue had tightened up the rules dramatically: it has to be a genuine charity, there can't be anything similar in the area and it would probably have to be more than just a cycling club. It may be putting an obligation on the Trustees that they can't discharge. The question would have to be resolved by more discussion with the solicitor. 11e) Don White said that new rules would have to be drawn up - not sure in what fashion the deeds and rules would need to be changed. He said there was a precedent for the Memorial Clubroom trustees to look after the money. 12. The chair moved to put the proposals to a vote. 12a) The motion that the Memorial Clubroom Trustees should dispose off the Memorial Clubroom at 93 Choumert Road, by sale of the property was put to the meeting. The meeting was in favour of the motion unanimously. 12b) The motion that the Memorial Clubroom Trustees should let the Memorial Clubroom at 93 Choumert Road to suitable tenants was put to the meeting. 11 members were in favour. 11 were against the motion. The motion was defeated. 13. Move to Herne Hill 13a) There followed a brief discussion about the proposed relocation to Herne Hill. It was pointed out that relocation would involve removal of possessions from the Clubroom. There was concern that the Club would have no proper focus for meeting. Rachel Hedley pointed out that, in effect, Herne Hill was already the focal point for the Club as any active cyclists in South London used the Saturday morning sessions in particular as a way of networking with each other. She also said that as one of our Club members is currently managing the stadium we would be able to book both the pavilion and the track on a regular basis if we wanted to. 13b) John Kavanagh said the last committee meeting had taken place there: parking was good, there is a bar there. He also said that, as regards having a base, in the past the Club had operated from a pub, church halls etc with no ill-effect. 13c) Alaric Lester pointed out that potential members see Choumert Road as the HQ when finding out about the Club from the website. They come down and find it either closed or hosting a committee meeting - he said that having a base somewhere that it is possible to promote cycling activity is particularly desirable. 13d) Cliff Steele outlined the benefits of combining a social night with track training during the season. Francis Rudd explained to those who had not been to Herne Hill recently the club atmosphere that existed there, and how VCL had used it to develop a healthy number of young riders in their club. Malcolm Adams said that the Kent RC had faced the same problem with separate meetings from their cycling activity and had organised them around their successful evening 10 series. 13e) The proposal to relocate the Club to Herne Hill was passed by a majority of 23 votes For and 1 vote Against.
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