Background
Truro Civic Society has said and done many different things over the fifty years of its existence. It has stimulated concern for the preservation and sensitive treatment of Truro’s exceptional heritage of buildings, structures and textures – by supporting the Truro Conservation Area Advisory Committee and the Cornwall Design Panel. Neither function continues today due to austerity-driven measures in local government.
The Society comments both on planning applications and planning policies – its latest patient achievement is the construction (or rather re-construction) of a short row of cottages in St Clement Street. Popping around the corner a quietly riverside seat can be found on the seating area in the Millpool (installed as the result of a 1980s campaign by the Society).
The Society played a prominent role in the process and designing of Lemon Quay when it ceased to be a car park. The then Chair, David Scott, was a driving force in realising the commission of a sculptural work for Lemon Quay.
During the current ‘place shaping’ exercises focused on Truro the Society is active in trying to ensure that the voices of the town are clearly heard. It has just completed a series of 16 talks over 8 weeks by leading members of the community, entitled ‘Thinkin’ Trurra’, and has sponsored a film in support of the proposal to allow the site of the former district council offices to be locally reclaimed as a mixed-use neighbourhood.
The Society is also supportive of efforts to celebrate the best of C20th architecture in Truro. The post-war community of architects was very supportive of the Society, and Truro has a small but significant body of modernist and brutalist structures – including Moorfield and High Cross car parks – which, whilst challenging traditional ideas of the ‘beautiful’, represent achievements of a period when a distinctive architectural statement – as important in its own way as that made by the C19th architects of banks and chapels which has contributed to the built heritage of our town. The Society is keen to promote the debate
The Society holds regular meetings of its ‘committee’ – which is open to all members to attend. At the moment we are focusing on the major project to collate a local list of buildings and structures which are not otherwise protected but which the community feels are of such value that they should be preserved and respected. This will eventually result in a supplementary planning policy of the Truro and Kenwyn Neighbourhood Plan, and, if all goes according to plan, as a book.
We are also exploring a presence on Facebook and shaping a programme of activities aimed at recruiting new members who care about heritage, good quality design, and ensuring that the community has a clear and intelligent voice in the debates which affect its built environment.
Constitution
CONSTITUTION FOR THE TRURO CIVIC SOCIETY
Registered No. 204788
- NAME
The name of the Society shall be the TRURO CIVIC SOCIETY (Registered with
the Civic Trust).
- OBJECTS
The objects of the Society shall be to promote and encourage the following objects
by charitable means but not otherwise: –
a) To encourage high standards of architectural design, architecture
and town planning in the City of Truro (which for the purposes of
this Constitution shall be deemed to include the City and
surrounding area).
b) To educate the public and stimulate public interest in and care for
the beauty, history, and character of the City and its surroundings.
c) To encourage the preservation, development, improvement and
beautification of features of public amenity or historic
interest.
d) To consider factors that could have an environmental impact on the
City.
e) The Society shall have no political or religious activities and shall be
non-profit making.
In furtherance of these objects but not otherwise the Society through its
Committee shall have the following powers:
- To arrange meetings, exhibitions, lectures, publications and other
forms of education and publicity, and promote schemes of a
charitable nature.
- To act as a co-ordinating body and to co-operate with the local
authorities, planning committees, other statutory authorities,
professional bodies related to the objectives above, voluntary
organisations, charities and persons having aims similar to those of
the Society.
- To raise funds and to invite and receive contributions from any
person or persons whatsoever by way of subscription, donation and
otherwise, provided that the Society shall not undertake any
permanent trading activities in raising funds for its primary
purpose.
- To acquire, by purchase or otherwise, property whether subject to
any special trust or not.
- Subject to such consents as may be required by law, to sell, let,
mortgage, dispose of or turn to account all or any of the property or
funds of the Society as shall be necessary.
- Subject to such consents as may be required by law, to borrow or
raise money for the purposes of the Society on such terms and on
such security as the Committee shall think fit, but so that the liability
of individual members of the Society shall in no case extend beyond
the amount of their respective annual subscriptions.
- To do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the
attainment of the said objects.
- To work with appropriate partners to encourage participation and recognise those in civic life.
- MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall be open to all who are interested in furthering the aims of the
Society.
- SUBSCRIPTIONS
The Subscriptions shall be: –
Corporate Members £30.00
Full Members £10.00
Couples £14.00
or such other reasonable sum as the Committee shall determine from time to time,
and it shall be payable on or before December 31st.
Reviewed annually
- MEETINGS
An Annual General Meeting shall be held in or about March of each year to
receive the Committee’s report and Accounts and to elect Officers and Members
of the Committee. The Committee shall decide when ordinary meetings of the
Society shall be held and shall give at least twenty-one days’ notice of such
meetings to all members. Special General Meetings of the Society shall be held at
the request of ten per cent or more of total membership.
Eight members personally present shall constitute a quorum for a Meeting of the
Society.
- OFFICERS
Nominations for the election of Officers shall be made at or before the Annual
General Meeting. Such nominations shall be supported by a seconder and the
consent of the proposed nominee must first have been obtained. The election of
Named Officers shall be completed prior to the election of further Committee
members.
The Named Officers of the Society shall consist of: –
Chairman
Vice-Chairman
Hon. Secretary
Hon. Treasurer
Membership Secretary
All the Officers shall relinquish their office every year and shall be eligible for re-election at the Annual General Meeting.
7 COMMITTEE
The Committee shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Named Officers,
Chairs of Sub-Committees, and not more than six further members. The
Committee shall have power to co-opt further persons (who shall attend in an
advisory and non-voting capacity).
The Committee shall be responsible for conducting the affairs of the Society, and
may take decisions on its behalf. Four shall form a quorum for meetings of the
Committee.
- SUB-COMMITTEES
The Committee may constitute such sub-committees from time to time as shall be
considered necessary for such purposes as shall be thought fit. The Chairman of
each sub-committee shall be appointed by the Committee and all actions and
proceedings of each sub-committee shall be reported to and be confirmed by the
Committee as soon as possible. Sub-committees shall be subordinate to and may
be regulated or dissolved by the Committee.
- DECLARATION OF INTEREST
It shall be the duty of every member who is in any way directly or indirectly
interested financially or professionally in any item discussed at any meeting of the
Society at which he or she may be present to declare such interest and he or she
shall not discuss such item (except by invitation of the Chairman) or vote thereon.
- EXPENSES OF ADMINISTRATION
The Committee shall out of the monies received by the Society pay all proper
expenses of administration and management of the Society and shall use the
residue of such monies as it thinks fit for or towards the objects of the society.
- INVESTMENT
All monies at any time belonging to the Society and not required for immediate
application for its purposes shall be invested by the Committee in or upon such
investment, securities or property as it may think fit, subject nevertheless, where
appropriate, to such authority, approval or consent by the Charity Commissioners
as may for the time being be required by law or by the special trusts affecting any
property in the hands of the Committee.
- AMENDMENTS
The Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of members present
at an Annual or Special General Meeting, provided that at least twenty-one days’
notice of the proposed amendment has been sent to all members and provided
that nothing herein contained shall authorise any amendment permitting the
expenditure of funds of the Society on any object which is not a charitable object
at law.
- ACCOUNTS
The Committee shall comply, where appropriate, with their legal obligations
under the Charities Act 1993 (or any statutory re-enactment or modification of
that Act) with regard to:
(1) the keeping of accounting records for the Society
(2) the preparation of the annual statements for the Society
(3) an independent examination of the statements of account of the Society, and
(4) the transmission of the statements of account of the Society to the
Charity Commission.
- WINDING UP
In the event of the winding-up of the Society the available funds of the Society
shall be transferred to such one or more charitable bodies having objects similar
or reasonably similar to those hereinbefore declared as may be chosen by the
Committee and approved by the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales.
Approved and adopted at the Annual General Meeting held on 26th March 2008
