Well. After my last comment about paper wastage, this agenda
was a lot smaller; still not double-sided - apparently as an organization
we can’t afford double sided copiers.
Rather poor turnout this time. It must be the time of the year. Everyone
I meet seems very pressured at the moment.
Consultation Documents
As in so many areas of life, being proactive and ahead of the game is the answer to effectiveness. This is particularly the case with being a consultee on government reports. So if you are aware of current areas where we may be asked to comment let the Secretariat know. This was the useful thought from Sue Wilson, Chair of Environment committee who is retiring from many years of involvement with the Institute to travel and sail the world.
Planning Green Paper
Major proposals for change in Planning. The Institute’s response is on the Web Site - all 10 pages of it.
President
Upbeat reports from David Jarvis; particularly pleased with his Round Table meetings with students and the public sector. Very good attendance and discussion at both. Look on the Web site for further details. One proposal to take forward was to set up a student’s council with one rep from each accredited course to meet 3 times a year.
New Director General
Mike Wetherell , our new Director General continues with inspiring energy.
He has had to sort out our arrangements for professional indemnity insurance. With the whole market becoming quite volatile our existing insurers were proposing increasing rates by 45 – 180% and reducing the scope of cover. New arrangements have been obtained with other underwriters at a much more modest average 19%.
With the new accounts package in place, a full budget was put forward and after some discussion about odd omissions it was all accepted. It was good to see flexibility built in - the expenditure budget being based on 90% of a pessimistic figure of income. In the course of budget discussions the old chestnut about branches holding substantial reserves and not really using them came up again. It was agreed that as reserves did not seem to be being used locally it would be more useful if they were held centrally for the benefit of all. No question of losing them of course. A paper was requested of the Director General.
The arrangements for the corporate supporters club are to be revised. The existing system was getting us into problems, and was not cost effective as it was operating. The new business manager is to come up with an improved system.
Staff continue to move on at the secretariat. Although usually a problem it does also provide opportunities. A new full time education officer will be appointed now that Christine Pricket`s part time contract ends. She will of course be missed as she did a really good job in terms of educational promotion.
The saga of the grotty secretariat premises is to be brought to a conclusion. With various options are being pursued, Mike seems determined to move to somewhere more appropriate. Sadly we are fairly limited in terms of options as the buildings we own have not been a very good investment.
Remember the Green Members Handbook. Plans are a foot to produce a new one, filled with advertising so it will be at no cost to the Institute.
Next Meeting July
By focussing on meetings making decisions, yet another Council meeting is to be dispensed with. We just need to make sure that the information and discussion still flow!
Charles Clay
East Anglia Branch Representative
01832 273814 home
01733 742267 office
charles.clay@peterborough.gov.uk
ause this was not a landscape architects show. I suspect as many non landscape
architects attended as those from the profession.
Whatever the answer, and there won’t be just one it was disappointing to find that a major trade fair was set up and yet again was poorly supported. I went on the last day and in most of the areas there seemed to be more exhibitors present than visitors. The same picture was painted by exhibitors I spoke to. I was also surprised to be told that coming from Peterborough I was one of the more distant visitors.
A shame, because there were about 200 exhibitors including a lot of new stone suppliers. Most of the stands were fairly standard, but some and notably the large maquettes of the Royal Society of British Sculptors stood out. There were of course the usual crudely functional products you quickly walk past, feeling sorry for the eager eyes following you.
ENDATs organisation of the event seemed excellent. plenty of adverts, the usual individual invitations and even I hear some desperate (?)telephone invites. There was a good catalogue and the new venue in the Royal Docks was impressive.
The added attraction of having seminars available was good , but unfortunately
undermined by the non commercial seminars making commercial level charges.
Poor turn out to these events was hardly surprising. Again a shame because
there were some interesting topics and some very high level speakers.
Enough in fact for a conference on its own!
I always find it fascinating to meet the directors of companies at these events and see where they come from. Interesting cross fertilisation of ideas also emerge. For example a mycorrhiza specialist opposite a wild flower supplier stimulated an interesting debate about a new use for mycorrhiza to effectively suppress vigorous vegetation. Mycorrhiza are very good at promoting the growth of struggling seedlings. They do not however help aggressive ruderals species. It looks as if wildflowers can be given an additional boost by mycorrhiza inoculation at the expense of the ruderals. It obviously depends on the type of soil, but an interesting and useful angle for those trying to convert nutrient rich grasslands to wildflower meadows.
We should give ourselves time to take advantage of these gatherings. It will be interesting to see what ENDAT`s survey of visitors and non visitors shows: was it mistimed or are we partly responsible?
Charles Clay
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