Our constitution

Our constitution

For those who like small print, here it is in its entirety. Together with our management agreement, lease and management policies, it sets out our obligations, rules, permissions and expectations. The four documents are interdependent.

CONSTITUTION

6 July 2005

Bloomer's and Jenner's Fields Community Wildlife Area Management Committee

(Lingfield Wildlife Area)

This constitution revises and replaces the constitution agreed on 3 July 2003.

1. Definition

The Community Wildlife Area at Bloomer's and Jenner's Fields, Lingfield, from now on referred to as Lingfield Wildlife Area or as LWA, comprises the land shown on the attached map [similar to the map in our brochure] and wholly owned by Tandridge District Council, from now on referred to as the Council.

2. Objective

The objective has been, and remains, to create a wildlife area for the people of Lingfield and the surrounding district, for enjoyment, conservation and education. The area will be developed and maintained in perpetuity, in keeping with the character of the local countryside and giving genuine access to all, irrespective of fitness and physical condition.

3. Powers

The Management Committee for Lingfield Wildlife Area shall exercise all executive powers in maintaining and managing the land shown on the attached map, under the lease made with the Council.

4. Membership

The Management Committee shall consist of the following representatives:

Number of representatives
Lingfield Parish Council	2
Local amenity society	1
Local schools	2
Surrey Wildlife Trust	1
Tandridge District Council	1
Co-opted members (up to…)	5

Total (up to…)	12

The Management Committee shall not be judged quorate unless at least four members, including either the Chairman or Secretary, are present. All members of the Management Committee shall be appointed yearly by their respective nominating bodies.

All the appointed members of the Management Committee shall have voting rights.

The Management Committee shall have powers to co-opt local representatives as full Committee Members at its absolute discretion, up to a maximum of five other people. Such co-opted members shall have voting rights.

The Management Committee shall additionally have powers to co-opt local representatives as Associate Committee Members at its absolute discretion, up to a maximum of three other people. Associate Members shall not have voting rights.

In addition, an officer nominated by the Director of Community Services at the Council may attend any meeting but shall have no voting rights.

The Management Committee shall appoint from time to time not less than two and not more than four members of the Association to be trustees for the purpose of holding the land and other property of the Association. The trustees shall act on the lawful directions of the Management Committee and shall be entitled to be indemnified in respect of all expenses properly incurred by them as trustees. A trustee may be removed from office by the Association in general meeting and may resign his trusteeship by notice in writing to the Management Committee provided that there are at least two continuing trustees.

5. Annual General Meeting

An annual general meeting shall take place in the Parish of Lingfield during July each year.

6. Voting

Voting at all meetings shall be by a show of hands.

7. Officers

The following officers shall be appointed:

(a) Chairman

The Chairman shall preside at all meetings, in which he or she shall have a casting vote. In the absence of the Chairman, the Management Committee shall appoint a chairman for that meeting. A meeting chairman shall have the same powers for that meeting as the Chairman.

(b) Secretary

The Secretary shall ensure that the minutes at all meetings are recorded and shall be responsible for all correspondence.

The Treasurer shall be responsible for the safe-keeping of money, which he or she shall pay into a bank account opened in the name of the Management Committee, and for the preparation and submission at the annual general meeting of an audited balance sheet and income and expenditure account. Signatories and signing limits for cheques, loans and purchase orders shall be decided as necessary by the Management Committee (see, also, Article 10).

The officers shall be elected yearly at the annual general meeting. Retiring members may stand for re-election but no person shall hold the office of Chairman for more than two consecutive years. Any period of less than one year during which a person serves as acting Chairman shall not count towards the maximum period.

Officers may be drawn from all twelve members (seven appointed representatives and five co-opted) of the Management Committee.

Nominations for officers, proposed and seconded and agreed by the nominees, shall be in writing and delivered to the Secretary no fewer than seven days before the date of the annual general meeting.

8. Meetings

(i) Ordinary Meetings

The Management Committee shall meet no fewer than four times a year, four members being a quorum as defined in Article 2. All meetings shall be held in the Parish of Lingfield at no less than seven days' notice.

(ii) Extraordinary General Meetings

Such meetings shall be held on the written request of no fewer than six members of the Management Committee and at no less than seven days' notice. For an extraordinary general meeting, a quorum shall be no fewer than seven members, including the Chairman or Secretary.

9. Sub-Committee(s)

The Management Committee may appoint, for any purpose, any sub-committee judged necessary. Such sub-committee(s) shall each consist of at least three full members of the Management Committee and up to two co-opted members, who can include Associate Committee Members. The sub-committee shall be chaired by one of the full members of the Management Committee. It shall not have executive powers.

10. Finance

All money shall be maintained in the Management Committee's banking account. Payments shall be made by cheque, signed by any two of the three Management Committee officers, so long as neither of them is the payee.

The financial year for the Management Committee shall run from the 1 April to 31 March.

11. Honorary Auditor

The annual general meeting shall appoint an Honorary Auditor for each financial year.

12. Minutes

A minute book shall be kept for all meetings and copies of all minutes shall be supplied for information to the Council's Director of Community Services at the same time as they are distributed to members of the Management Committee. The minutes shall be made available for inspection by any interested member of the public on his or her giving the Secretary reasonable notice.

13. Management Agreement

No change to the management agreement between the Council and the Management Committee shall be valid unless it shall have been agreed by the Council and passed by at least seven members of the Management Committee present at a general meeting.

14. Management policies [this is new]

The Management Committee shall ensure that the land is managed in accordance with the statement of Management Policies, dated 6 July 2005, that attaches to and forms part of this Constitution.

15. Lease

No change to or renewal of the lease between the Council and the Management Committee shall be valid unless it shall have been agreed by the Council and passed by at least seven members of the Management Committee at an annual general meeting or an extraordinary general meeting called for that purpose.

16. Changes to this Constitution

No change to this Constitution shall be valid unless it shall have been agreed by the Council and passed by at least seven members of the Management Committee at an annual general meeting or an extraordinary general meeting called for that purpose.

17. Dissolution

Dissolution of the Management Committee may be effected only by a decision of at least seven members of the Management Committee at an extraordinary general meeting called for that purpose only.

Formal notice of the intent to dissolve must be given in writing to the Council and agreed by the Council before the extraordinary general meeting is held.

On dissolution, the Management Committee shall pay to Lingfield Parish Council in priority to any other distribution (apart from normal creditors for value) the amount of any unspent surplus of the funds paid to the Association by the Parish Council. The remaining assets of the Management Committee will pass to Tandridge District Council for disposal as it sees fit.

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