Business Plan Ver 3

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Business Plan: : : :

Project to Replace the Project to Replace the Project to Replace the Project to Replace the Rattlesden Village Rattlesden Village Rattlesden Village Rattlesden Village

Community and Community and Community and Community and Sports PavillionSports PavillionSports PavillionSports Pavillion

V3.0 September 2007

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Change Control Log

Date Person Item

Community Council Executive

Neil Cole

Mark Van Der Ree

Paul O’Reilly

Paul Marshall

Sam Sharma

Steven Bennett-Day

Martin Evans

Ally Gooderham

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Table of Contents

Part 1 – A New Vision.................................................................................................................................. 5

1.1 What are we trying to achieve?........................................................................................................ 5

1.2 Going Green – Aiming for an Environmentally Responsible Building....................................... 7

1.3 The Parish of Rattlesden: a ‘Can Do’ Village! ................................................................................. 8

1.4 Rattlesden Community Council.....................................................................................................14

1.5 A history of sports facility provision in Rattlesden ....................................................................27

1.6 Rattlesden Football Club.................................................................................................................30

1.7 Consultation Overview: Involving all sections of the Community............................................33

Part 2 – The Present ..................................................................................................................................36

2.1 The Project in Overview and Success Factors .............................................................................36

2.2 Project Team Structure ...................................................................................................................38

2.3 A Partnership Approach .................................................................................................................46

2.4 Risk Management ............................................................................................................................48

2.5 Wider Implications of the Project within the Parish of Rattlesden ..........................................52

Part 3 – The Future ....................................................................................................................................55

3.1 Facility Users in our Community ..................................................................................................55

3.3 Our Plans for Harnessing the Potential of the new Facility and its Upkeep............................56

Part 4 – The Practicalities.........................................................................................................................64

4.1 Relating the Plan to Wider Local Objectives ................................................................................64

4.2 Community Council Policy Overview: ..........................................................................................72

4.3 Financial Overview..........................................................................................................................82

Part 5 – Appendices ...................................................................................................................................83

Plans ........................................................................................................................................................83

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Above – Aerial views of the village of Rattlesden. The playing field is circled in red.

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Part 1 Part 1 Part 1 Part 1 –––– A New VisionA New VisionA New VisionA New Vision

1.1 What are we trying to achieve?

This Business Plan has been formulated by Rattlesden Community Council to detail plans for the

funding, construction and on going management of a new community and sports pavilion to

replace the existing structure on the playing field at Birds Green, Rattlesden.

Rattlesden, a busy and vibrant rural community comprised of both ‘born and bred’ residents and those who

have moved here more recently, suffers from a lack of a central sports and social facility suitable for use by

all sections of the community. The Pavillion Replacement Fund has been the key focus for the Council in

recent years.

The Community Council has been organising fund raising events for the benefit of the community for the

past 3 years. The sections below explain what has been achieved to date, what is planned for the near

future and to express our gratitude for all the help, in time and donations, that our sponsors have provided.

In our project to replace the community and sports pavilion, we are trying to

achieve two things:

1. To try and stop existing sports, recreational and community activities being

moved away from the village by a lack of decent facilities,

2. To try and foster and increase uptake of active lifestyles by members of the

community, as well as providing a much needed building for use by all sections of

the community (the point being thst this will be far more than just a sports

facility).

We anticipate that the cost of rebuilding the pavilion will be £XXXXXX. The Community Council has already

generated the sum of £40000 via various funding initiatives, representing a contribution of over 25%.

The Community Council cannot over-emphasise how important the provision of modern, safe and inclusive

sports, recreation and community facilities are to our village. For example, a significant number of young

people live in the village, and with the increasing price of housing, the decline in rural employment and the

need to travel by car in order to enjoy recreational facilities, they are already becoming subject to

significant disadvantages. The Football Club and other bodies who would benefit from sports provision

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would offer local, accessible recreational activities to this group amongst others, as well as providing a

focus for the wider community.

Another example is that it is common for people in the village to book village halls in other locations when

a function is planned – Woolpit Village Hall for example – because of the lack of facilities in Rattlesden.

Once again this leads to unnecessary car journeys and a feeling that the village community is in danger of

becoming fragmented.

The sports field has the unique attributes of being flat, free from flooding, with no road traffic anywhere

near the field and building. The River Rat, flowing along the northern edge of the field, acts as a natural

safety boundary from the road.

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1.2 Going Green – Aiming for an Environmentally Responsible Building

With the possibility of providing the village with a completely new building, Rattlesden Community Council

believes that this is also an excellent opportunity to embrace the current debate concerning environmental

responsibility, which is greatly affected by the building of new structures.

Our view, in line with our environmental policy and the stated aims of the Rattlesden Village Design

Statement, is that we should recognise the following definition:

“To embrace the practice of increasing the efficiency of buildings and their use of energy, water,

and materials, and reducing building impacts on human health and the environment, through

better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal — the complete building

life cycle”.

This is all very admirable no doubt, but how do we see this affecting our project?

1) We want to provide a building that is made of natural materials from sustainable sources wherever

possible (in line with the Rattlesden Village Design Statement, see Section 2.5)

2) We want to provide a building that uses energy efficiently, so that it is affordable to its users, but also

creates less pollution in the form of CO2 and other pollutants.

3) We want the building to fit in with the rest of the village, which is known for its natural beauty and its

historic buildings. The conservation area is currently despoiled by the existing, decrepit building.

To this end we have decided not simply to pay lip service to the concept of a ‘Green Building’, but to place

it as a central part of the overall project such that we create a facility that is sustainable as well as usable.

We are currently investigating the possibility, subject to planning consent, of including various innovative

features into the design of the building, including:

• Sustainably sourced building materials

• Energy Efficiency and soundproofing measures such as extra insulation and high

performance glazing

• Alternative energy sources such as solar power/ wind power

• High efficiency water heater/boiler

• Rainwater collection for watering

• Grey water recycling/composting

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1.3 The Parish of Rattlesden: a ‘Can Do’ Village!

Rattlesden is a Parish of roughly 18401 people living in 771 households, situated 6 miles south-

west of Stowmarket in Mid-Suffolk District.

Physical:

Rattlesden village lies in a sweeping valley between the market towns of Bury St Edmunds and

Stowmarket. Rattlesden is also bisected by the locally known River Rat, a rivulet feeding the river Gipping.

There is a strong community spirit within

the village which is evident in the church,

chapel, two pubs, and numerous

organisations. The post office and village shop

which is run by volunteers after the original

village shop had closed down some time ago,

is an example of the dedication and

enthusiasm of village residents. The shop was recently voted the best in East Anglia by the Countryside

Alliance annual awards scheme.

The judges stated: “We loved the ‘Community’ aspect of this shop – it is non-profit-making, run by a

large team of volunteers who aim to supply whatever their customers want and need! They stock

local, freshly baked bread and cakes and local cream, bacon and ham as well as all the staple

items the villagers might need to avoid their having to travel to the town. The volunteers also keep

an eye out to make sure the elderly occupants of the nearby sheltered housing development are

well. The Post Office is open five half days a week and all the staff go out of their way to be helpful.

This shop really does give a much needed service to the community.”

Rattlesden is home to a Primary School with a roll of some 90

pupils ranging from 4 to 9 years of age, and one of the key

aims of the Pavillion Replacement project will be to help the

school provide sporting facilities for its’ pupils, of which there

are currently none.

1 Census 2001

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Rattlesden was designated a Conservation Area in 1975. The aim of this is to ensure that any alterations or

innovations are in keeping. This not only affects building, but trees and open spaces too, and even street

furniture or commercial premises.

At present, the area is essentially the heart of the

village, reaching from Orwell Cottage on the

Stowmarket Road, over the Sports field, to Birds

Green, up the hill to Glebe House, round St

Nicholas’ Close and a ¼ mile or so along the

Felsham Road, the school up to Old Mill House and

over the top to Rattlesden Hall.

As can be seen from this description, it does not

mean that new style buildings are prohibited, but rather that their visual impact on the area is carefully

assessed before planning permission is given.

Demographic:

The district as a whole is characterised by its’ rural location, with 20% of the population being under 16

years2, 60% being between 16 and 65 years, and 20 % being 65 or over.

The Parish is ranked 15th in the Mid Suffolk DC

Table of Economic Need, also appearing in the list

of Parishes with the poorest access to certain key

facilities.

This index has been revised in 2004 by the then

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) to

include a range of other indicators of social need;

Rattlesden is then 35th in the District.

In terms of defining the Parish, some key indicators

are shown below:

Household Income (2005) - £36124.12

Unemployment by Age Bands (May 2007)

2 Mid Suffolk DC Regeneration Strategy 2002

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Unemployment by Age Band - May 2007

33.3 33.3

00

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

May-07 May-07 May-07

Unemployment by Age 20-39(%)

Unemployment by Age 40-59(%)

Unemployment by Age 60+(%)

And of all people, by profession, (People aged 16-74: Economically active) :

198

22 31

241

37

107

29 34

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Self -

emplo

yed

Unem

ploye

d

Full-t

ime s

tude

nt

Retire

d

Stude

nt

Look

ing a

fter h

ome/

fam

ily

Perm

anen

tly si

ck/d

isable

d

Other

Series1

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Population by Gender (May 2007)

913

927

905

910

915

920

925

930

Population Male Population Female

Series1

And broken down by age group:

5% 3%3%6%1%2%2%3%

3%

21%26%

7%

11%6% 1%0%

People aged 0 - 4

People aged 5 - 7

People aged 8 - 9

People aged 10 - 14

People aged 15

People aged 16 - 17

People aged 18 - 19

People aged 20 - 24

People aged 25 - 29

People aged 30 - 44

People aged 45 - 59

People aged 60 - 64

People aged 65 - 74

People aged 75 - 84 People aged 0 - 4 91 People aged 5 - 7 58 People aged 8 - 9 47 People aged 10 - 14 102 People aged 15 20 People aged 16 - 17 45 People aged 18 - 19 34 People aged 20 - 24 64 People aged 25 - 29 52 People aged 30 - 44 383 People aged 45 - 59 487 People aged 60 - 64 127

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People aged 65 - 74 194 People aged 75 - 84 106 People aged 85 - 89 21 People aged 90 & over 9

Deprivation Indicators:

Household Income (£) 36124.12 Disability Allowance Claimants (No.) 45 Disability Allowance Claimants (Rate) 2.4 Incapacity Benefit Claimants (No.) 30 Incapacity Benefit Claimants (%) 2.5 Income Support Claimants (No.) 20 Income Support Claimants (%) 1.9

Tenure (All Households):

293

297

3

91

8 4338

Owns outright

Owns with a mortgage orloan

Shared ownership*

Council (local authority)

HousingAssociation/RegisteredSocial Landlord**Private landlord or lettingagency

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Transport: (All Households) – Number of cars per household

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

0 1 2 3 4 or more

Series1

Health Indicators:

General health ***: people who health was : Good 1371

General health ***: people who health was : Fairly good 361

General health ***: people who health was : Not good 108

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1.4 Rattlesden Community Council

The Rattlesden Community Council was established in 1972 to act as trustee and manager the village

recreation ground and pavilion.

The Community Council has formed a Project Team in order to progress the applications for funding that

we hope will enable us to replace the pavilion. The individuals in the team are listed below, with a brief

resume of themselves:

Neil Cole

(Age 42)

Married with 3 children

IT Project Manager

Moved from south east London and have lived in the village for 12 years and all children

have attended Rattlesden School

Have been a member of RCC for 6 years with specific responsibility for building the base

of the Lucky Numbers scheme.

Personal aim is to achieve the building with option for large marquee usage for large

parties, weddings etc.

Interests - dogs, gardening, golf

Mark van der

Ree

(Age 45)

I have lived in the village of Rattlesden for the past 9 years and have one daughter aged

13 who attended the local village primary school. I have been involved with the

Community Council for the past 7 years and I have previously held the post of Treasurer

for the previous 5 years until 2007 when I accepted the position of Chairman. I have

worked in the financial services and banking industry for the past 23 years. I currently

work for a major Scottish Bank in a Specialist Finance role providing finance solutions for

mid corporate businesses to assist with expansion, growth, Acquisitions, Mergers and

Management Buy-outs.

Paul O’Reilly

(Age 40)

I was raised in Tostock and moved to Rattlesden 5 years ago. I am married with a

daughter who attends the village Primary School.

I work as a Pre Sales Consultant in the IT sector, previously having been a Project

Manager for 7 years again in IT.

I am very keen to help in the efforts to replace the village pavilion, so that villagers of all

ages can enjoy the facilities more fully.

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The pavilion is, at present, used mainly by the 50 or so members of the Rattlesden Football Club. The aims

of the committee are twofold:

• to replace the dilapidated building with an appropriate new pavilion to cater for the

requirements of all villagers

• to maintain the small enclosed play area and the basketball practice area

Activities are, of necessity, designed to raise funds, and include a “200” club, firework night celebrations,

barbecues and other occasional events.

What follows is a visual representation of the current state of the building – these photographs

were taken on 12th September 2007:

Above: The Pavillion from the Sports Field.

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Above: The Sports Field, the Pavillion is on the far right of the picture.

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Above – Note the dilapidation, including a tarpaulin covering the leaking roof of the changing room area.

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Above – a corner view of the building showing again the temporary repairs to the roof.

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Above – The wall structure is damaged in several places allowing rot to affect the building.

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Above – the building from the other end, showing the decayed walls.

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Above – a rear view of the building from the eastern end.

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Above – the playing field seen from the eastern end of the building.

Also included in this section are some press clippings summing up some of our fund raising activities to

date. These are copies of articles that have appeared in the local press over the last few years.

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Overleaf are some images from these and other fundraising events held by the Community Council for the

purpose of the pavilion replacement project.

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A donation is received from the Football Club.

The Autumn Village Ball

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The Family Fun Day on the Bells Meadow

The Family Fun Day on the Bells Meadow

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1.5 A history of sports facility provision in Rattlesden

Rattlesden has a village playing field which is approximately 2.23 acres in size, obtained in 1972 for the

Rattlesden village community from a local farmer, Mr T F Owen, for use as a recreation ground.

The playing field is situated to the east of the village, and accessed via Birds Green. The building that

stands on the playing field, the existing pavilion, is a timber built, ‘Portacabin’ style building which was

obtained when the local trunk road, the A45 (now A14) was completed in 1977. It was formerly the main

site hut in the contractors’ compound at Tostock, and as such was only ever intended as a temporary

structure for the road building contract, never mind any future use.

The pavilion is now, some 30 years on, in a very poor state of repair and whilst considerable efforts have

been made by the Community Council over the years to maintain the structure, it is a losing battle and

much needed funds are being soaked up by work which is in effect ‘patching up’ a failing structure.

The existing pavilion is used on a regular basis by the Junior and Senior Football clubs, and on an ad-hoc

basis by a number of village based organizations.

The football club has suffered a decline in membership in recent years, and this is in part due to the very

poor condition of the facilities that are on offer. The number of youngsters of a suitable age is relatively

high in the village, so the potential and indeed the desire is there to expand the numbers playing football.

There used to be a cricket pitch sited where the pavilion now sits. Although this folded some years ago, a

number of villagers are keen to start a new cricket club in Rattlesden, but are again frustrated by the poor

facilities on offer.

Rattlesden has a traditional village Rugby match, which is thought to date back to Victorian times, and this

is currently played on the Bells Meadow, next to the Church. This is not a particularly safe or well-suited

location, and the playing fields would again be an ideal venue for this long-held village tradition.

Finally, as mentioned earlier, Rattlesden Primary School has no sports facilities of its’ own at all. The

school serves the villages of Rattlesden, Felsham, Gedding and Brettenham. Currently there are about 90

children on roll.

There are normally three classes and a Nursery. The Nursery takes children for two terms before they begin

school and is open in the mornings.

The school was originally built in 1873 and is of Victorian design. The HORSA block currently contains two

classrooms and the Nursery.

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The school site is very attractive and children have the benefit of a hard play area, and a small green area.

The nursery has its own play area and outdoor play equipment.

Because of the location of the school, which is built on a hill side, there are insufficient level grounds to

allow anything more than a small tarmac play area. We would see the new facilities as providing a much

needed link between School and Community.

The school has an annual (non-competitive) Sports Day, and uses the playing field for this. However,

children have to endure the rather dilapidated facilities for changing and refreshment.

Above – Rattlesden School

Jane Ash, the Headteacher at the School, states:

“A new pavillion for sports and community use would be of great benefit to the Primary School. At

present, because of our location, we have only limited facilities for events like sports days.

Although the School buildings were extended in 2005, this has meant even less ‘spare’ land at the

school.

The village sports field is therefore a very important resource for us, and at present the only

problem with it is the lack of decent changing and refreshment facilities for the children. Its

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location is ideal for us – it is secluded and far from roads and traffic, and with plenty of car

parking.

Rattlesden School fully supports the project to build a new community and sports pavilion on the

village playing field.”

Above & Below: Rattlesden School pupils at the sports field on School Sports Day.

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1.6 Rattlesden Football Club

As previously mentioned, the football club comprises a Junior club and a Senior club. With around 120

members in total, the club represents a significant focus for the local community.

Rattlesden FC

Rattlesden has a long tradition of football in the village. The team of the 1950's was particularly successful

and won the Suffolk Primary Cup. The current team was reformed in 1993 and has been a member of the

Bury and District Sunday League since then. The team now plays in division one of this league and

continues to be successful. Various accolades include reaching the final of the Suffolk Sunday Trophy in

2001, which 164 teams entered, and various league cup titles and finals. The club currently has 18

registered players who come from local villages and as far a field as Woodbridge and Halstead.

There has always been a strong social aspect within the club. The 5 Bells pub is supported regularly after

matches and by visitng teams after home games. The Brewers Arms has also been the venue for many of

the end of season presentations.

Club Member Ally Gooderham comments:

“It has always been felt that if the team were to have good facilities, more activities would take

place at the site of the pavilion, whether it be after games, fund raising events or social events. It

is also considered that for the team to continue to exist in the future, new facilities would very

much help attract more young people and new faces to the club.”

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The Rattlesden FC Juniors

This year (2006/7) the junior team finished fourth out of nine in the West Suffolk Primary School League

(Div 3). This was a good performance given that 3 under age players were regulars in the team. This year

(2007/08) Rattlesden FC has 2 sets of u10 teams playing mini soccer (i.e. not on the big pitch) regularly

on Saturday mornings in the Felixstowe and District League from September to April. In addition the club

has widened training age ranges with the Primary school, so that children from age 5-9 are now accessing

quality coaching on the playing field every Saturday morning (term time). Friendly matches for this group

are also arranged.

Altogether this means that on Saturday mornings over 45 children will be actively participating in football

on the playing field. In addition parents and supporters grow in numbers. The junior club survives on

volunteering for coaching, ground preparation and administration. The support of the Community Council

has been much appreciated by the junior club. The junior club has identified the growing need to replace

the current pavilion as year on year older age ranges of teams will develop in the village, along with

midweek training. To accommodate this growth a fit for purpose pavilion is essential. A quality venue will

attract more players, encourage more support and offer a base to expand activity.

The junior club is very keen to support fund raising efforts and play a role in its future sustainability, for

example sharing catering income from match day refreshments, and attracting training courses to the

venue.

The club promotes an equal opportunity policy and has included several young people with learning

difficulties in activities. Only a few girls have taken part to date and the club is keen to involve more girls in

the sport. To this end, it is intended that once we have suitable facilities, the club will evaluate the scope

for development of football at a junior level for both mixed and girls teams, thus including a potentially far

greater number of youngsters.

Richard Hunt, Manager of Rattlesden Junior Football Club, comments:

“I think a shared fund raising opportunity around catering on the day using a new site could be

part of the pavilion project sustainability, plus we’d use for meetings, potentially training courses,

ctee meetings etc.” “As long as I have the energy and support we’ll keep it going but much

depends on parent support. Certainly some quality facilities would be wonderful.”

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Above – Members of the Junior Football Club after a match.

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1.7 Consultation Overview: Involving all sections of the Community

The project to replace the pavilion was prompted by public requests for better facilities. This grass-roots

need was reflected in the extensive consultation exercise which has been carried out by the Community

Council. Given that Rattlesden is a village with a strong sense of community and a number of active

organizations encompassing all age ranges and social groups, the Community Council decided that initially

it would draw up a list of organizations which operate in the Village, representing the ‘visible’ stakeholders.

However, conscious that the consultation exercise should target as many residents as possible, and that

some residents may be unaware of or unwilling to join the targeted organizations, the Community Council

also enlisted the help of three key contacts who, it was felt, may also be able to perform their own

consultations on our behalf. These are the Parish Council, The Rattlesden Baptist Church, and the

Parochial Church Council.

It was felt that these three groups each had unique qualities and contacts within the community that could

help ensure that we represented as many villagers as possible with our final plans, rather than just

concentrating on the obvious, more sports-focused groups.

• The Parish Council is a public body whose meetings are open to all. They have members

spanning all age ranges.

• The Baptist Church and the Parochial Church Council, both with strong congregations in

Rattlesden, represent many residents who may not be active in day-to-day groups or

sporting organizations, but who would certainly be potential users of the facilities for

social occasions.

With this plan in place, consultation was initiated on a written basis, with a formal letter and details of the

proposed pavillion sent to the administrative contact within each group, and then followed up verbally by

conversations and phone calls. A copy of the original consultation letter is attached in appendix ***.

Summary of Consultation Response:

Organisation Contact Response

Mid Suffolk DC Graeme Byrne This sounds like a project we would be able to

support

Carpet Bowls Club Joyce McTague Very well designed. Deserves wide support.

Storeroom needs to be larger and main hall needs

to be at least 33m x 12m to accommodate bowls

mats.

Rattlesden CEVC Primary

School *see also comment from

current Headteacher, Jane Ash.

Peter Dewhirst A new pavilion is much needed for the village. Plans

look great. Needs an electrical supply either

externally or near door for plugging in PA etc.

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Rattlesden Parish Council Bridget Goodchild New design looks like it could meet any need that it

could have. Consider installing a hearing loop.

Thought needs to be given to acoustics perhaps by

installing insulation in the roof.

Rattlesden Baptist Church David Piper Project is a very worthy one if only to do away with

the present eye-sore. The plans and proposals

seem ideal for the situation. May have use for

future tent missions, holiday clubs, and functions

outside of the Chapel’s premises. The current

building needs replacing. That which is propoised

will be an ideal replacement. Acoustics also

mentioned.

Rattlesden Badminton Club Jenny Corbyn It looks very nice. May be able to use for table

tennis. Ideal for footballers, cricketers, fetes and

bonfire nights. Consider the bar area overlooking

the field rather than the kitchen. A new place would

be good as this one has seen better days.

Parochial Church Council Hilary Voysey A new pavilion has been a pressing need for some

time and everyone is delighted to see the excellent

progress made. The proposed plans appear to be

admirably suited to the needs of our village

organizations. We look forward to using these

greatly enhanced facilities in the future.

Afternoon Badminton Club Roger Goodchild We agree that the village is in need of a new

pavilion. Building not suitable for badminton

Mothers Union Brenda Edrich The village definitely needs a new pavilion. My only

comment is that surely a sports pavilion should

have large windows, and a window on the kitchen

side to watch the fireworks.

Rattlesden Playgroup Julie Pryke The Playgroup committee pass on their overall

enthusiasm and excitement for the Community

Council’s plans. A disabled toilet would also be of

great help if a fold away changing table could be

incorporated. Comments on parking provision,

security lighting and the possibility of enhancing the

childrens’ play area.

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The following organizations were also contacted but provided no response: Gardening Club, Senior

and Junior Football Club, Rattlesden Gliding Club, Bell Ringers, St Nicholas Church Choir, Mother

and Toddler group and Woolpit Health Centre.

2007 has seen a focusing of the efforts to get the Pavillion funded and built. Because of this, and the

necessarily protracted fundraising period, the Community Council has decided that it would be a good idea

to repeat the consultation exercise at this time. This is to be done following the approval by the Council of

this Business Plan document. We envisage that the organizations previously consulted will be contacted,

plus a number of new groups, and also individuals who are known to be keen to start new sporting, leisure

and community groups.

At the point of submission of this document, therefore, there will be an additional appendix containing the

results of this exercise.

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Part 2 Part 2 Part 2 Part 2 –––– The Presen The Presen The Presen The Presentttt

2.1 The Project in Overview and Success Factors

For many years there has been a formal fundraising operation in progress to raise money for a replacement

pavilion. At the time of writing (July 2007), £40,000 has been raised. The Community Council now has

planning permission to demolish the existing facility and build a new Pavillion on the site.

The new building is to be built on the existing footprint. It is envisaged that the building will offer:

• Modern changing rooms and shower facilities

• toilets

• Bar area

• Kitchen

• Main hall

• Disabled access and toilet facilities

• Storage

Therefore the remaining aspects of the project are to:

• Complete up-to-date consultation on the plans as per the Business Case

• Seek quotes for supply and construction of a new facility, including fixtures and fittings

• Produce detailed build plans

• Formal Tender for supply and construction partners

• Shortlist suitable potential supply and construction partners

• Proceed to selection and contract stage

• Begin construction

• Formal handover of completed facility

• Ongoing management

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In terms of a broad timescale, the Community Council is aiming for the following:

Activity Deadline Date

Complete first draft of Business Plan:

Present to Community Council for comments:

Circulate to existing and new village organizations for

comments:

Deadline for comments:

Finalise Business Plan:

Compile shortlist of potential construction/supply partners:

Apply for necessary funding:

Formal tender process initiated:

Contract negotiations:

Award contract:

Build commences:

Completion:

Success Factors

• To provide a new building for the use of the community of Rattlesden

• To see a quantifiable increase in the number of people of all ages and

backgrounds using the facilities

• To see a similar increase in membership of the sporting clubs and

social/recreational clubs who will be able to use these facilities

• To enable new activities to be staged according to local demand

• To enable the possibility of girls and possibly womens football and/or other

sports within the community

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2.2 Project Team Structure

The key resources in any project are the people involved. The Community Council believes that

a vital part of any project is a clear and usable framework that defines and guides the

participants in any project work, provides clear and unambiguous reporting lines,

communication channels and escalation paths.

For this reason, we employ two broad hierarchical concepts, each subdivided operationally. The

first is the concept of Project Governance - that is, the high-level management overview function

that allows members of our organisation to gain immediate height in their view of the project, and

to assume a 'steering' role that also implies a watching brief. The counterpart to this function is

a member of the construction partner’s management team, who will also be assigned as a project

sponsor and who will have communication channels with their customer counterpart.

Removed from the day-to-day issues in the project, the sponsors will expect reports from the

Project Manager(s) on a regular basis to show progress against key milestones and any significant

issues.

We have on our team one individual who has been Prince II Certified for 10 years, and others expert in

legal and financial management.

Depending on the size of the organisation, the Project Sponsor may be part of a Project Board, a

group of senior managers who will perform a similar role as described above.

Second is the concept of Project Management. A team who report to the Project Manager

will carry this out. The Project Manager is the individual who is charged with managing

resources, planning, and delivering the project on time, within budget and to quality standards.

Typically, the Project Manager will have a team of staff who will also have clearly defined roles in

the project.

Role Qualities Level

Project Sponsor A member of the senior management team who is central to

the steering and overseeing of the major milestones of the

project. Provides a point of contact with the construction

partner, and acts as an escalation point for internal and

external issues affecting the project. Larger

organisations may wish to establish a Project Board, to

whom the Project Sponsor and Project Manager report.

Governance

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Project Manager The key day-to-day point of management. Responsibilities

are to ensure adequate resources and activities are

conducted to meet the tasks laid down in the project plan.

Liaises with the construction partner’s Project Manager.

Reports into the Project Sponsor, and is responsible for the

Project Team.

Management

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Project Initiation Documentation

The aim of project documentation is to ensure every member of the project team is aware of

their responsibilities and the project as a whole, and to provide a toolkit for the clear

management of the project.

�� Dependencies for this phase

• The contract must be signed by all parties

• The project managers from both parties must be

nominated

� Tasks for this phase

• The relevant documents detailed below should be created.

• The scope document and project plan should be negotiated, revised where necessary

and

agreed by the project team/board and the Construction Partner.

• The project web site should be set up and usernames and initial passwords distributed.

� Deliverables from this Phase

The following will be delivered as deemed appropriate by the requirements of the sale and

also in agreement between the Construction Partner’s project manager and the

Community Council project manager.

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The Project Kick Off Meeting

The suggested format of this being as follows

10.00 Introductions

10.15 Project Scope

Appointment of Project Team / Project Board

Frequency of Meetings

The Construction Partner Team

Deliverables

11.00 Project Timetable

Outline Project Plan, Milestones / Key Dates

Acceptance Criteria

11.45 Risk Assessment

12.00 Contract Details and Payment Terms

12.45 Any other Business

13.00 Meeting Close


• The project teams from both organisations have been formed

• The project library has been set up by both parties


• To cover the following key points:

1. Agreement on staffing and function of Project Team and Project Board.

2. The frequency of Project Meetings, and Project Board Meetings.

3. Explanation of the Project Management Methodology, including the following sub-

points:

a. Scope document

b. Expenses and rates

c. The Project Plan

d. The Risk Register

e. The Project Web Site

f. Training


Page 42 of 84


also in agreement between the Construction Partner project manager and the customer

project manager.

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Project Meetings

Regular monitoring and progress chasing are essential to the Project Manager's role. The

length of the Project and its complexity determines frequency of meetings. The

suggested frequency is monthly, but with provision to change to fortnightly if

critical stages are reached. This will be in addition to informal contact via phone and e-

mail.

It should be noted that the 'hierarchy' of people and roles as described in the

introduction influences the type and frequency of meetings to be planned for. Thus,

in addition to Project meetings, a series of 'Steering Group' meetings should also be

allowed for -dependent on the duration of the project and the size of the organisation,

and also the stage at which to project is, you may wish to plan monthly steering group

meetings during busy or critical periods, and bi-monthly steering group meetings during

less busy periods. These would then be complemented by project meetings at an

appropriate frequency, ideally just before a steering group meeting.


• Project kick-off meeting has been held


• Schedule regular meetings

• Create agendas as required



also in agreement between the Construction Partner project manager and the Community

Council project manager.

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Issue Tracking and To Do Lists

Issues will arise during meetings, on consultancy and training days, which cannot be resolved there

and then. These issues are the responsibility of the consultant to enter onto the Project Web Site,

identifying a named person responsible for its resolution. The customer should be made aware

that the To Do List on the Project Web Site is the central repository for tracking issues.

The To Do list is a key part of the escalation route process:


• That the project has initiated


• As an issue is raised, enter onto the To Do list on the Project Web Site with

backup Message if required.

• Any dates for resolution that have been agreed with the customer should also be

entered.

• As issues are dealt with the To Do should be completed on the Project Web Site with

any comments added to the message log as necessary.

• A copy of the outstanding To Do list is emailed to the people on the distribution list

two days before the Project meeting. The To Do list becomes a sub-item on the

agenda as long as outstanding items exist on it.


The following will be delivered as deemed appropriate by the requirements of the sale

and also in agreement between the Construction Partner project manager and the

Community Council project manager.

Issue

identified

during

project

work by

team

To Do

created and

Project

Managers

made

aware

If not resolved

either

immediately or

at next project

meeting,

sponsors

Sponsors

discuss and

resolve, pass

back to

Project

Managers for

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Change Control Management

The reason that the Scope document and the acceptance criteria are agreed early on in

the Project is to keep attention focused on the objectives.

In all cases where change to the original terms of reference is likely, a change control

notice (CCN) should be completed.


• That the project has initiated


• Discuss issue with customer project manager to establish severity

• Complete necessary documentation

• Escalate for approval as necessary



also in agreement between the Construction Partner project manager and the customer

project manager.

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2.3 A Partnership Approach

The Community Council is mindful that any funding received is either donation or public funds.

Thus we have a respoinsibility to ensure that it is invested wisely. With this in mind, we are

seeking to run the project very much on a partnership basis, following the lead of both national

and local government in the procurement and execution of construction projects. Below is a

summary of the approach, based upon the report entitled:

Rethinking Construction: The report of the Construction Task Force to the Deputy Prime Minister, John rescott, on the scope for improving the quality and efficiency of UK construction.

“Partnering involves two or more organisations working together to improve performance through agreeing

mutual objectives, devising a way for resolving any disputes and committing themselves to continuous

improvement, measuring progress and sharing the gains. The Reading Construction Forum’s best practice

guides to partnering, ‘Trusting the Team’ and ‘Seven Pillars of Partnering’ demonstrate that where

partnering is used over a series of construction projects 30% savings are common, and that a 50%

reduction in cost and an 80% reduction in time are possible in some cases.”

What the Community Council sees as the key aspects of this approach, specific to this project, are as

follows:

1. Selection of a partner experienced in the supply of a suitable building, having already run such

projects successfully in the past.

2. Developing from the outset a strong, open and honest relationship between the client

(Rattlesden Community Council), and the supplier, whereby the scope of the project is jointly

agreed and signed up to, and where a clear, effective and responsive framework exists between

the two parties for the management of issues.

3. A belief that the successful conclusion of the project is in the mutual interests of both parties

4. Realisation that the initial construction is not the end of the story – we are looking to form a

long-term relationship with the supplier in terms of ongoing maintenance and development of the

facility, in order to achieve both a safeguarding of our investment and the most cost-effective

route to future developments that may emerge.

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As the report says:

‘Long Term Relationships”:

This is not about lowest price, but ultimately about best overall value for money. Partnering implies

selection on the basis of attitude to teamworking, ability to innovate and to offer efficient solutions. We

think that it offers a much more satisfying role for most people engaged in construction;

The Whitbread Hotel Company rationalised its supply chain from 30 contractors to 5 and embarked on

long-term partnership arrangements. Working on the basis of mutual interest, a construction strategy,

objectives and improvement targets are set through negotiation between Whitbread, its partners and the

supply chain. whitbread shares its five year business plan with its partners so that they contribute

proactively to the achievement of Whitbread’s objectives whilst planning their own businesses with greater

effectiveness. Whitbread agrees fixed amounts for contractors’ profits and overheads and shares savings

from performance improvement with its partners. Competition within the supply chain focuses upon

delivering continually improving performance.

• all the players in the team sharing in success in line with the value that they add for the client.

Clients should not take all the benefits: we want to see proper incentive arrangements to enable cost

savings to be shared and all members of the team making fair and reasonable returns;

• an end to complete reliance on contracts. We realize that a contract is an important document to

safeguard us from risks. However we also recognize that effective partnering does not rest on contracts.

Contracts can add significantly to the cost of a project and often add no value for the client. If the

relationship between a constructor and employer is soundly based and the parties recognize their mutual

interdependence, then formal contract documents should gradually become obsolete. The construction

industry may find this revolutionary.

• the introduction of performance measurement and competition against clear targets for

improvement, in terms of quality, timeliness and cost, as the principal means of sustaining and bringing

discipline to the relationships between clients, project teams and their suppliers. The evidence we have

seen is that these relationships, when conducted properly, are much more demanding and rewarding than

those based on competitive tendering. There are important issues here, particularly for the pubic sector.

We realise that many of the elements of the above report are related to projects far larger in both scope

and cost that ours. However we feel that building a strong and ongoing relationship will ensure that we are

able to provide and maintain a much needed facility to the village for not only a reasonable price, but also

to the highest standard we can afford.

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2.4 Risk Management

As defined by the Office of Geovernment Commerce (OGC), Risk Management is a key strand in

any construction project. The Community Council adopts this approach, mindful of its’

responsibility to both local donors and any public funding bodies:

“Every organisation manages its risk, but not always in a way that is visible, repeatable and consistently applied to support decision making. The task of OGC's Management of Risk (M_o_R) is to enable any organisation to make cost effective use of a risk process that has a series of well defined steps. The aim is to support better decision making through a good understanding of risks and their likely impact.

M_o_R provides a generic framework for the management of risk across all parts of an organisation - strategic, programme, project and operational. It incorporates all the activities required to identify and control the exposure to any type of risk, positive or negative, which may have an impact on the achievement of your organisation's business objectives.”

We have carried out a good deal of research into the principles and the practice of Management of Risk

within our project. This includes obtaining information from such bodies as the OGC and the Royal

Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

Therefore, as part of the overall management framework to the project, the Community Council

proposes the following principles to guide our Management of Risk strategy:

Ensure the adequacy of project funding.

Certainly, all parties have a legitimate concern that there will be sufficient funds to design and construct

the project. Owners also need protection against the risk of running out of money, such as that provided by

a termination-for-convenience clause that expressly limits or precludes recovery of anticipated but

unearned profits.

Furthermore, owners need to understand, in advance, that changes and cost increases are virtually

inevitable.

Accordingly, a reasonable contingency should be incorporated into the budget to deal with inevitable

changes and unexpected omissions.

Obtain more geotechnical information.

It should go without saying that the more information a contractor has about subsurface conditions, the

more accurate the bid – and less likely will be claims for differing site conditions.

There is a decided trend toward (1) investing a little more money during project planning and design for the

purpose of obtaining more geotechnical information and (2) making all of the geotechnical information

available to contractors.

Some owners and their counsel will argue that this open disclosure will lead to claims if the geotechnical

information is wrong. This misses the basic point that if the bid was based on less- than-complete

information, that becomes the bargain.

Accordingly, if the actual underground conditions are worse than the geotechnical information provided,

the owner should pay because, if the contractor had been advised of the more severe conditions, it

certainly would have increased its bid.

Conduct constructibility reviews.

Contractors sometimes complain that the designs they are required to follow are not constructible or

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practical. If this is the case, there may be delays and additional costs incurred in coming up with

alternatives. Even if the design is constructible, the owner may have to pay more to get the same results.

By having the plans and specifications reviewed for 'constructibility' before contractors bid on them,

owners have been able to modify the designs and thereby make construction easier.

Set realistic contract performance times.

If the contract performance time is insufficient, either it will cost more to do the work or the contractor will

finish late. Either scenario is disadvantageous to the owner. Owners are avoiding these problems by

obtaining contractor advice and input on setting a realistic time to allow for construction of a given project.

Work and rework cost information.

The owner can require, as a contract obligation, that the contractor make full disclosure of its cost

estimates for all aspects of the work, i.e., procurement of materials, subcontractors, self-performed work

and even overhead and profit.

In doing so, the owner and its staff can better assure themselves that no significant mistakes have been

made in pricing the work and that allowances and alternatives are reasonable.

Introduce phased pricing.

As the design is being developed, each phase of the design can be provided to the contractor for review,

analysis and submission of progressive cost estimates. Obviously, contractors may balk at this intrusion

into their pricing domain.

However, in order to win the project, the contractor will be more likely to agree to this process, which, in

the end, will reduce the likelihood for cost-overrun claims.

Pre-plan for permits, utilities and zoning.

Given the various regulatory requirements that have to be complied with in the course of designing and

constructing a project, it is obvious that, if these requirements are not known and considered in advance,

delays will result.

To avoid this, astute owners and their engineers are now beginning to specifically identify permitting

requirements in advance of bidding and signing the contracts.

Pre-define rates, equations and procedures.

In order to eliminate many issues from the contract administration phase, smart owners will specify clear

and accurate formulae or methods to predetermine values for disputable items.

Home office overhead rates, although subject to wide variation within the industry, can be preset and a

contract provision can be included to establish a generally accepted manual for determining the equipment

rates to be used in pricing change orders.

It is equally important for the contract to contain very clear provisions with respect to how change orders

will be processed and what information should be included in a request for change orders.

The same is true for force account provisions, which would enable the contractor to be paid on a timely

basis for disputed work, pending negotiation of a change order modification.

Also give some consideration to including, as a unit price, a per diem value for extended project time. In

the event of an owner-caused delay, this value could be included in any change order carrying with it

entitlement to an extension of time.

Use experienced project personnel.

No matter how enlightened the management and allocation of risk, the project personnel (i.e., people) will

Page 50 of 84

still have to design, build and administer the project. Experience counts, particularly for big projects.

With a construction boom underway, design and construction firms are often maxed out in terms of

experienced project managers and superintendents. Notwithstanding this reality, no design firm or

contractor wants to lose a good job.

Consequently, many projects are being led and managed by inadequately trained and inexperienced

personnel, which inevitably leads to problems, claims, disputes and terminations.

No owner, who has the leverage in a mega-project to do so, should pass up the opportunity to investigate

the credentials and backgrounds of the key parties’ personnel and require, as a matter of contract, that

only experienced project managers and superintendents will run the high-profile project.

Use the contracting process as a risk avoidance measure.

The contract documents are an early opportunity to anticipate, define and deal with potential issues and

thereby avoid disputes. Essentially, the contracting process is a "what if" exercise, whereby the parties

attempt to determine what may go wrong, what issues may arise between the parties, and the best way to

resolve these challenges, in advance, by informed and enlightened risk allocation.

This approach is, of course, the American way of doing things, and at least two downsides to a

comprehensive contract are typically a lengthy document and sometimes lengthy negotiations.

There are, of course, other approaches, such as project alliancing where the parties essentially contract as

if they were a single-purpose entity, sharing risks and rewards. And, in other cultures and countries,

construction agreements take on a more philosophical approach, whereby responsibilities and risks are

assigned in a more general fashion with an expectation that any issues arising during the course of the job

will be resolved in a cooperative way.

That said, and while not discounting the potential value of partnering, project alliancing and a more

philosophical approach to contracting, as an advocate representing a party facing a significant claim, it is

always comforting to be able to go to the contract and find there clear and explicit terms and conditions

that deal with the issues in question – hopefully, in the client’s favor. With such strong contractual support,

issues are usually more easily settled, without litigation or arbitration.

Furthermore, the Community Council has devised a Risk Register which will be used as part of the overall

Project Toolkit to manage and report on risk. A sample copy is included in appendix XXX.

How does this inform our Management of Risk strategy?

Our Management of Risk Strategy has been drawn up based on best practice standards, in order

that we are able to ensure that the project risks are regularly assessed and strategies can be put

in place to ensure continuity.

1. We will jointly (ourselves and the partner) assess the key risks to the project, and attach to each a score,

an owner and a mitigation strategy.

2. The reason for the formal preparation of a risk register is the underlying truth that, if the parties do not

identify the potential risks to the project, they cannot possibly plan how to prevent them occurring or

mitigate their consequences. But equally it is no use producing a plan of every conceivable risk that might

affect the project and seeking to manage all risks equally. We need to prioritise so that greater effort can

be spent in planning the prevention and mitigation of those risks considered more serious (in terms of the

likelihood of their occurrence and their impact on the project if they do occur).

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3. The preparation of the risk register will be carried out as soon as practicable in the life of this project.

We will, as part of our partnership approach, ask for the partner organisation’s advice and experience when

compiling the register. Consideration of the risks affecting the project may take place at a joint workshop

and, depending in part on the size of the project, it may assist if one of the parties or an external appointee

acts as a facilitator to encourage the contributions of all attendees.

4. Our Risk Register document, based on best practice samples, takes account of the following issues in

relation to any identified risk:-

• The likelihood of the occurrence of the risk (this can be on a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is "unlikely"

and 10 is "very likely");

• The likely impact of the occurrence of the risk (again, this can be assessed on a scale of 1 to 10

where 1 represents "very little impact" and 10 represents "potentially, very serious (or even

catastrophic) impact");

• the weighting of the potential impact may be assessed in monetary terms: for example a risk to

be categorised as having very little impact ("1" on the scale) might be estimated to have cost

consequences of less than £1,000 and the next gradation of risks ("2" on the scale) might be

assessed as being more than £1,000 but less than £2,500, and so on;

• Based on the addition or multiplication of the scores for likelihood of occurrence and likely

impact (see above), a priority rating for each risk should be established. (For example, a risk

considered very likely to occur with potentially very serious consequences might have a combined

score of 16 or above (8 + 8 or alternative combinations) if adding scores, or 70 or above (7 x 10 or

alternative combinations) if multiplying scores. Either method can be used as long as they are

applied consistently. All risks would be prioritised according to their score);

• In relation to each serious risk (agreement would need to be reached as to what score will

constitute a serious risk) there should be set out a simple action plan for the

prevention/mitigation of the relevant risk;

• Any action plan should be drawn up applying the principles of "SMART", ie actions should be

Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic and Time-bounded. An action plan that provides for

"keeping an eye on" certain risks is not sufficient. A more acceptable alternative might be "x will

carry out a check on matters y and z every Friday morning and report on his findings to a and b";

• In addition, responsibility for the management of each serious risk should be allocated to a

particular party or organisation (and preferably, to a named individual within that organisation)

– the party/organisation should be the one best able to manage the relevant risk;

• There should also be a date for the carrying out of the relevant action; and

• A statement of the objective of the relevant action (this will enable subsequent reviews of the risk

register to consider whether any further action is necessary to achieve the objective. For example,

the risk of the delay in the obtaining of necessary planning permissions may have been identified

as relevant risk. It is unlikely to be possible to completely eradicate that risk at the outset of the

project, therefore, the objective might be to achieve planning permission within 8 weeks of

submitting the application for planning permission. Progress against this target could then be

meanfully reviewed;

Linked to the above category, there may be a separate consideration of the likely outcome of the relevant

action to be taken;

Finally, consideration may need to be given to feedback/further action to be taken as a result of the

regular review of the risk register.

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2.5 Wider Implications of the Project within the Parish of Rattlesden

The Rattlesden Parish Design Statement

The Village Design Statement provides a brief guide to Rattlesden’s

history and its important features. It takes account of a lengthy

period of consultation, during which residents told us what they

valued about the village and what they felt should be protected.

Based on this information, it offers guidelines about the form that

future development should take.

[note, Rattlesden Village Design Statement is attached as an appendix to this Business Plan].

“The concept of the Rattlesden Parish Plan was mooted at a

public meeting in the Village Hall in March 2002. By July every

household had received a questionnaire and an invitation to

contribute. The questionnaires were subsequently collected

and collated. These resulted in the production of a document

which was delivered to every household in Rattlesden by

January 2003.

There were 324 households in the village and 270 replied, this represents 82% of all households.

The villagers expressed their support for the creation of a Village Design Statement; they felt that

this would give them some input into the way the village might look in the future in order for it to

maintain the character of the “green, traditional, hidden village in the valley””

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Because of the fact that the village was closely and extensively consulted on the Design Statement, we

have a duty to ensure that the Pavillion Replacement Project takes this document into account. The

‘Development’ section of the Design Statement will apply to both the existing pavilion building and any

replacement to be provided. The recommendations of villagers in this section of the document were:

Recommendation: Any development must be sympathetic with the rich diversity of existing house

designs.

Recommendation: Development further up the valley sides will detract from the rural views and spoil the

natural lines where fields blend with gardens.

Recommendation: Any new development must not encroach on the open spaces or spoil the views

between the four main areas of settlement.

Recommendation: Any plans for development should be considered for the physical size of the building

and its effect on its neighbouring property. Where multiple properties are built at the same location their

style and construction could differ to reflect the diversity and variety of the existing properties.

Recommendation: Developers and owners should be encouraged to use a diversity of attractive materials

to construct their drives and ensure that the material will not drift onto the public highway.

Recommendation: Landscape, height and diversity should be a consideration of any new build. Natural

boundaries, including hedging and shrubs should be maintained whenever possible. New boundaries

should be of low profile and use natural materials whenever possible.

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Recommendation: Windows in new developments should be of wood and the design in keeping with the

existing property in Rattlesden. Where replacement windows are required in existing houses they should be

replaced on a like-for-like basis or of a type in keeping with the existing designs.

Recommendation: Doors should be designed to show some individuality yet remain in keeping.

The Community Council recognizes and accepts the recommendations made in the design statement, and

will make every effort to ensure that the building provided conforms to the recommended design features

wherever possible.

The main point to be made in terms of the Design Statement is that the current building is clearly a very shabby, decrepit and ‘out-of-character’ building which contradicts the aims of the Design Statement, where the document refers to the valley bottom area:

Recommendation: Further development which would have an adverse visual impact would not be

welcome along the valley bottom.

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Part 3 Part 3 Part 3 Part 3 –––– The Future The Future The Future The Future

3.1 Facility Users in our Community

Existing organisations in the village are outlined in the ‘Consultation’ section of the document.

These represent a very wide and diverse set of groups which already exist to cater for the needs of

village people. However, there is a significant amount of unmet need within Rattlesden,

represented by individuals and groups who wish to start activities, but cannot do so because of a

lack of facilities.

Whilst there is an existing Village Hall within Rattlesden, it is in the centre of the village and has very

limited car parking space, and no grounds whatsoever. Additionally, it fronts directly onto Lower Road,

which can be quite a busy road during certain times of day. This adds an additional hazard to people using

the Hall, because they have to cross the road to go to and from their cars or the main pavement if they are

walking. It is also an old building, in terms of heating, lighting and energy usage.

It is important to stress that we are not seeking to ‘replace’ or compete with the Village Hall in any way.

We work closely with the Village Hall Management Committee, and the Village Hall supports a number of

community events whose needs make it a suitable venue.

We therefore believe that there is a significant ‘comfort and convenience’ factor inherent in the sports field

facility – which would be considerably enhanced if a new community building was established there. The

next section deals with the economics of how we see this developing.

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3.3 Our Plans for Harnessing the Potential of the new Facility and its

Upkeep

Some of the definite and potential new users of the facility have been noted on the previous pages.

However, without a defined ‘Marketing’ plan, the facility will not be able to realize its full potential.

Therefore, we have also drafted a plan to ensure that the facility is used by as many groups and

individuals as possible in the future.

3.3.1 Overview of Financial Projection

The Community Council believes that the pavilion project will not be viable unless we have strong and

consistent sources of income with which to maintain and indeed develop the facility. From this point of

view, the following section, split into two parts, outlines the predicted annual income and expenditure on

the pavilion, plus some further ideas for possible funding in the future. Many of the events are established

and the estimates are based on what has been possible in previous years.

Overleaf is out seven year projection – what we expect to make in that time, in comparison with what we

expect to have to spend.

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a) Predicted Income

Item Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7

Rattlesden Football Club – fees etc £500

Village fireworks night £1600

Spring Ball £800

200 Club £2000

Family Fun Day £500

Autumn Barn Dance £1200

Carol Singing £100

Regular sponsored activities (cycle rides,

etc)

£1500

Ad-hoc party/function bookings £200

Estimated Total Annual Income £8400

b) Predicted Expenditure

Item Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7

Pavillion Cleaning £500

Ongoing Maintenance Contract

(unknown at this stage so a contingency

has been inserted here)

£1500

Sports Field Grass Cutting (on contract

to Suffolk CC)

£600

Play Area (perimeter grass cutting and

general maintenance)

£330

Utilities (water, electricity and gas)

Replacement bark chippings for play

area

£100

Insurance ( Generally for the whole

facility)

£600

Estimated Total Annual Expenditure £3660

Based on the above, a surplus of around £4600 should be achievable per anum. This will be

invested and used to advance the various activities in consideration by the Community Council.

Of course the above is an estimate, but most of the income is from events that have been established and

supported for a number of years, and as such RCC have confidence that these are realistic figures.

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c) Future Possibilities for Funding:

However, we are also keen to diversify and look at potential new sources of funding.

• We have mentioned the state of the Rattlesden Football Club already – in that there is a Junior

team, and strong desire to re-establish football at this level due to a significant number of village

children of this age. Additionally, there is a desire to ensure that this age group will include both

boys and girls within the scope of the Junior team.

• Sue Hardwick is keen to start a village Keep Fit club, and has made efforts to organize this, but

the lack of a suitable venue is a problem. [note – this has now been started – at Woolpit

Village Hall]

• Interest has also been raised in the last 12 months in the starting up of a youth club in the village,

which would include outdoor activities in summer months. Once again, no suitable venue is

available.

• The Community Council sees strong potential in further developing this kind of provision. Tennis

is another sport that may potentially be offered.

• The annual village Fete, which last took place in early July 2007, is an event which would benefit

from a new pavilion, as it offers refreshments and seating indoors.

• The Community Council’s view is that the provision of a new facility will foster the possibility to

provide new facilities within the village, based around the new Pavillion. These have been

identified so far as:

o Wedding reception venue for villagers/others

o Meeting venue with parking facilities

o Parties, youth club, art club

o School sports facility

o Keep fit club

o Music rehearsal facility (a desire to start up ‘band nights’ to showcase a number of bands

that exist in the village has been expressed, for example)

o IT facility

o Venue for fireworks night

o Mother and toddler facility

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o Venue for visits from Rattlesden Airfield US Airforce Veterans (447 Bomb Group Society)

– this is an important link between Rattlesden and the Veterans Association, who were

based at Rattlesden Airfield. Every two years, the surviving veterans visit the village and

various social events, followed by a Church service, occur. Below are some images from

the last reuinion.

o Church fete venue

o Venue for one-offs such as the very popular ‘Old Suffolk’ evening

o Family fun day venue

o Thespian society venue

o Possibly also market as a meeting/conference facility for local businesses.

Above: The Village Harvest Barn Dance, one of our regular fundraising events

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Above: The Barn Dance.

Below and Overleaf: Images from the USAF Veteran Reunion, 2007

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We also believe that the ‘pavillion’ project does not stop with the provision of a new building. We are

already actively pursuing volunteers for the furthering of the project, as a ‘Phase Two’, to provide extra

facilities and to improve existing ones, with the initial thoughts being:

• Field – The possibility of changing the orientation of the actual playing area by 90 degrees to avoid

ball damage to the new pavilion.

• Landscaping of the general area to include a ‘sponsor a tree’ scheme to aid funding. This is

envisaged to be a potential source of income but primarily a community scheme whereby people

can contribute to the planting of a tree to commemorate moving in or out of the village, birthdays,

marriages and memorials. Local nurseries are to be contacted for the supply of trees, and local

blacksmiths for the supply of tree guards. We also hope to offset some of the facility’s carbon

emissions.

• Car Park - resurface, mark out, lighting etc. This is to ensure that the existing large car park is

gradually improved and resurfaced, with lights being desirable for safety and security reasons.

• Provision of an All weather court - securely fenced Astro/all weather - marked out for tennis, 5 a

side football, 'indoor' hockey, volleyball, cricket practice, basketball.

• Play area improvements, to be discussed in detail.

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3.3.2 – Ongoing Maintenance Plans

a) Grounds - Pitches

We as a Community Council are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the grounds, these being

the pitch area, the play area, the car park and the building itself.

The mowing of the pitch area is carried out on a contract basis by Suffolk County Council, for which we pay

an annual fee for an agreed number of cuts throughout the ‘growing season’. This will continue to be the

case, and the Community Council will monitor this contract to ensure performance and value.

Our ongoing aim is to provide a good quality playing area for the use of the clubs based in the village.

Because of the fact that SCC provides this service, the Community Council does not propose to purchase

or lease any grounds maintenance equipment, as we believe the current arrangement offers good value.

b) Grounds – Edges and Play Area

This service is provided by a local contractor whom we pay around £330 per anum to keep these areas in

order during the ‘growing season’. We also make provision for replacement bark for the play area floor,

and this is at a typical cost of £100 per year. The maintenance of the bark is carried out by unpaid

volunteers.

c) Car Park

The car park is of concrete construction with concrete kerbing. Although there are plans in the future to

resurface the car park from future fundraising activities, we do not currently envisage major repairs and we

perform a visual check on the car park area on a monthly basis to establish any dangerous items.

d) New Building

The Community Council plans to convene a sub-committee to manage the maintenance of the new

building. Where possible and safe to do so, we will use volunteer help to do this maintenance. However

we recognize that to get the best value out of a new purpose-built structure, we need to enlist professional

help. Therefore the following schedule has been drafted to cover the expected tasks. We will investigate,

as an element of our Partnership approach to the supply of the new building, an ongoing maintenance

contract with the successful supplier.

(please see overleaf for details of the schedule.)

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Task Weekly basis Monthly Basis Quarterly

Basis

BiAnnual

Basis

Annual Basis

Visual

inspection of

building

exterior

Volunteer

Visual

inspection of

building

interior

Volunteer

Visual

inspection of

changing

facilities inc

sanitaryware

Volunteer

Scheduled

cleaning of

interior

Contractor

Clean & clear

rainwater

goods

Volunteer

Plumbing

check

Contractor

Heating service

Contractor

Electrical

check &

service

Contractor

Fire alarm &

extinguisher

check

Contractor

Access

facilities check

(ramps, fire

escapes etc)

Volunteer

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Part 4 Part 4 Part 4 Part 4 –––– The Practicalities The Practicalities The Practicalities The Practicalities

4.1 Relating the Plan to Wider Local Objectives

4.1.2 County

The Suffolk Strategic Partnership has undertaken the task of putting together the Community

Strategy to reflect the changing priorities and ambitions for the county over the next twenty years.

The revised Community Strategy will cover the period 2008-2028 informing the collective action

of Suffolk partners and the use of public resources. The strategy will reflect the key priorities for

strategic planning which will underpin Suffolk’s Local Area Agreement 2 (LAA2) for the period

2008-2011.

How will Rattlesden’s bid for funding for a new Sports pavilion relate to the wiser issues raised in

the Strategy?

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Objective 1 - Creating the best place to grow & learn

“The Suffolk Children’s Trust’s vision is to enable children and young people in Suffolk to

aspire to and achieve their full potential, giving them the basis for a successful life as

active members of their community.“

In Rattlesden, a significant number of children live and also attend the thriving Primary School. At

the moment, although there are some organizations that allow them to enjoy sport, leisure and

cultural activities, there is a significant feeling of frustration because the facilities available are in

such poor condition. We believe that the provision of a new pavilion will have a very major ‘kick

start’ effect on the provision of activities for Rattlesden’s young people both now and in the

future.

The Strategy outlines a number of actions and we feel that the project may have a positive bearing

on all of them:

1. Be healthy - Children, young people, their families and carers should be supported and

encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles and the emotional wellbeing of all children and young

people should be developed to ensure that their mental health needs appropriately addressed.

Young people need to be well informed about issues such as sexual health substance misuse and

have access to support, information and advice concerning these issues.

• Reducing teenage pregnancy and rates of sexually transmitted infections

amongst young people.

• Reducing levels of obesity amongst children and young people.

• Improving access to child and adolescent mental health services.

Some of the key aims of the Pavillion project are to provide facilities for younger people

(but essentially people of ALL ages) to get involved in sporting, leisure and cultural

activities, and so to maximize the chances of a healthy lifestyle.

2. Stay safe - We need to provide safe environments for children, young people and their families,

where children and young people in care are safe, have stability and achieve their full potential.

Children and young people need to be protected from crime, anti-social behaviour or bullying and

safeguarded from neglect and harm.

• Reducing the number of children killed or seriously injured on Suffolk’s roads or

in the home.

• Reducing the number of children and young people who say bullying is a

problem.

• Reducing the number of children placed on the Child Protection Register.

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The sports area is well away from the main roads in the village. It will provide organized

activities for young people, potentially some of these do not currently exist. Thus we see

the twin results of the project as giving young people a safe environment to spend time in,

and also to offer youngsters something that potentially keeps them ‘off the streets’ and

thus reduces the possibility of them getting into more troublesome activities.

3. Enjoy and achieve - We want children and young people improve their standards of

attainment, especially those who may be at risk of underachievement and reduce the numbers of

children and young people who do not attend, or are excluded from, school. Learning

opportunities for young children need to be extended and should be of high quality and they

should have access to informal learning, leisure and recreation services.

• Broadening the curriculum to increase the motivation and achievement of all

learners.

• Reducing the attainment gap for groups of children and young people who are

vulnerable to

underachievement.

• Improving access to integrated services for children, young people and their

families.

Currently, such chances are limited to the young of Rattlesden, unless they have parents

willing or able to transport them to other villages and towns, and thus making extra car

journeys. We see the Pavillion project as the start of a completely new culture within a

Village that already has a track record of ‘can-do’ community projects.

4. Make a positive contribution - Children and young people should actively engage with their

communities and with the services provided for them. They also need to be involved in decision-

making in matters that affect them. We should recognise children and young people for their

responsible behaviour, and support them in reducing offending and anti-social behaviour. They

also need to be supported in dealing with significant changes and challenges in their lives and

ensure that they are tolerant and supportive of each other, and respect differences in their

communities.

• Increasing the direct involvement of children and young people, and parents

and carers in decision-making.

• Improving support to children with additional needs, including those with a

learning difficulty or disability.

• Promoting the positive image of children and young people in Suffolk.

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Again, without a structured and aspirational culture within the village, these objectives

are unlikely to be met without people making journeys to other areas. At least one of

those activities, however, is more subtle than that. Without a focus for the groups in the

village, we will find it difficult to promote responsible behaviour and a sense of ownership

for the future generations.

5. Achieve economic wellbeing - We need to increase participation in post-16 learning and

improve attainment at this level. High quality childcare must be provided to meet the needs of

parents in work or seeking work and we need to work together to reduce the effects of poverty on

children and young people.

• Extending the breadth and choice of subjects that young people can study, to

increase participation in learning

beyond compulsory school age.

• Increasing the proportion of young people that progress to higher education.

• Increasing the availability of childcare places, especially where there is

insufficient provision.

Clearly we cannot hope to help in all of these aims, however again, both the Community

Council and the school feel that extra-curricular activities are key to producing individuals

who have a rounded outlook and increased self-confidence. The Pavillion project is

designed to facilitate these activities in the first place.

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Objective 2 – Creating Prosperity for All

“We wish to see all members of the community enjoy standards of living equal to the best in the region (the East of England Region being second only to the south east in its prosperity) and to have the benefit of all the facilities and services essential to a good quality of life: fulfilling jobs, housing to meet their needs, and accessible commercial and community services. We will foster sustainable communities that include a range of services and housing that meets local needs and whose affordability is not a constraint on the prosperity that residents enjoy. Our ambition is to encourage and support local communities to be innovative and ambitious. A high quality living and working environment is a fundamental part of ensuring a decent standard of living.”

Initially it was difficult to see how the provision of the Pavillion would influence the goals of this element of

the strategy. However on reflection, we believe that it will have a significant effect.

1. Policies and plans - Ensuring that drawing on the same base of information, the many strategies and

plans (Economic Development, Skills, Planning, Housing, Transport, other infrastructure, Regeneration)

complement each other and focus on a common set of the most suitable and effective means of enhancing

the prosperity of the county.

Through the work of County and District Councils as statutory local transport and planning authorities,

policies and plans will be developed to deliver the housing and job growth planned for Suffolk in the

Regional Spatial Strategy.

2. Co-ordinated programmes of work - Delivering joint public service, and public/private sector

initiatives, such as developing the education and skills provision to support emerging and key business

growth sectors, providing housing to meet local needs, facilitating access to work, entrepreneurship,

business start up activity, and inward investment. For example; identifying innovative ways of addressing

lower cost housing as well as affordable housing to reduce the risk of lack of housing for those on average

(or below) incomes; and co-ordinated activities to regenerate the physical, social and economic

circumstances of those parts of the county most affected by the legacy of past economic changes and

current deprivation.

3. Promotion and awareness raising - Increasing the knowledge of the existing workforce, those on

benefits and young people who will join the workforce about work opportunities and prospects, and

promoting investment opportunities. The embedding of higher education provision, primarily through UCS,

throughout the county needs to be delivered to underpin the growth of knowledge-driven sectors of the

economy, and retain or attract more people in the workforce not least young people.

4. Stimulating innovation and sharing expertise - Working in developing sectors such as energy and

environmental products and services, and potential development areas such as social enterprises. Delivery

of an action plan based on the strategy to develop the capacity and capability of social enterprises could

add substantially to the ability of the voluntary and community sector to deliver public services and break

into food and health sectors and regeneration.

5. Securing funding and investment - Infrastructure, land and property development, environmental

quality and skills, are amongst the key topics where securing additional resources for the county will be

important

We believe that by providing a modern, safe and usable facility within the village we will

be able to address access to a range of opportunities for people of all age and economic

groups within the Rattlesden area. Whilst the Pavillion may not have direct effects on the

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economic well-being of the area, it will significantly improve the quality of life of villagers

and their families, whilst promoting social interaction and cohesion.

Objective 3 - Creating the Greenest County

We have considered the ‘Green’ issue and feel that the project we are proposing will have a number of

positive impacts in direct relation to the actions outlined by the partnership, below:

1. Climate change - Suffolk organisations need to establish targets for levels of carbon reduction, and

energy they are to source from renewable sources, such as wind power and bio energy. Support to

initiatives, such as the Carbon Reduction Partnership and the football clubs “Saving Energy for the Blues”

are central to this action. Improvements to organisational sustainability with all sectors tackling initiatives

like; energy efficiency and water consumption reduction measures, excellent Breeam standards in all new

build (building research environmental assessment method consultancy), green travel planning, car share

schemes and business mileage reduction.

For waste management to move away from disposal, through reducing waste in local government, business

and the construction industry, and encouraging community based activities such as social enterprise

recycling schemes. Major events, such as the Suffolk Show, can showcase recycling to the public, and this

may lead to other initiatives, such as cleaning up the A14 trunk road corridor.

Rattlesden’s current Pavillion facility is as far from ‘energy efficient’ as you can get. The actual

structure was a temporary building in 1977 – and now three decades later it is still in use!

Apalling energy consumption, poor heat and noise insulation, and dreadful visual impact within a

noted conservation area are the qualities we currently have to endure. One of the criteria for the

new facility will be the Carbon Footprint and associated Energy Efficiency measures. We aim to

have a new facility that is built using modern construction methods, from sustainable materials

wherever possible, is cheap to run and has a positive visual impact on its surroundings.

2. Community, schools and business - Development of a web based portal and advisory service on

sustainable practice and environmental business opportunities for community and business. This will help

them on issues such as reducing energy costs and dealing with fuel poverty. Central to this should be an

easily accessible resource of hints and tips for the individual wanting to reduce their carbon footprint.

Financial support to urban and rural communities that are moving towards carbon neutrality in the 21st

Century. Developments of a green loan - grant and kite mark which will support the greenest communities,

businesses, and eco- schools. This could incorporate a carbon offsetting scheme and provide an icon for

cross cutting social, environmental and economic sustainability.

To encourage Suffolk schools to become Eco Schools. A proposed target is to increase the numbers of eco

schools to 120, by the end of March 2008.

Inclusion of all community, diversity, faith and age elements through a range of media and initiatives, such

as the arts, local media and volunteering.

The conference will celebrate the greenest businesses, communities and schools and use these to set new

standards for the future.

We at the Community Council agree in principle with these proposed actions and will work

towards creating a new facility with a minimal carbon footprint, which we would like to see used

as an example to other villages in the provision of sporting and leisure facilities.

Remember also that many villagers currently make numerous car and bus journeys to other areas

directly because the particular facility they are traveling to does not exist within Rattlesden.

Several people take their children to Woolpit Cricket Club, for example, on a regular basis because

there is not currently one within the village. There is a significant saving to be made in the

number of unnecessary car and bus journeys by providing as many facilities within Rattlesden as

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possible, plus the knock-on health benefits that these villagers will enjoy by being able to walk or

cycle to the sports field.

3. Landscape and biodiversity – A Green Infrastructure Strategy will be used as a tool for delivering

sustainable development of the Haven Gateway. The principles within this strategy will then be rolled out to

improve quality of life across the county.

Mitigate and adapt to climate change by ensuring appropriate land use across the county. Devise ways of

building and strengthening ecological networks, conserve sensitive river valley landscapes and freshwater

habitat, and manage the dynamic coastline towards a vision for its landscape, wildlife & people.

Develop some large scale, exciting landscape and biodiversity initiatives on a par with the Great Fen and

Wicken Fen vision in Cambridgeshire. Develop the opportunity for rewilding the landscape as provided

within the extensive forested areas on the coast and in the Brecks.

Ensuring Suffolk develops the highest UK uptake by its farming community of Entry Level Stewardship and

Higher Level Stewardship will help to link Suffolk’s landscape and wildlife to local food and drink

production.

This will bring benefits to agriculture and the local economy, such as the continued grazing of important

grassland habitats and support to small rural enterprise.

Supporting projects which engage local communities and business in conserving headline wildlife species

will be central to developing an iconic and sustainable identity for Suffolk.

Rattlesden is a renowned village in terms of its natural surroundings and its picturesque setting.

We are frustrated by the awful appearance of our existing pavilion, and wish to radically improve

the visual aspect as soon as possible. We are all aware that the first thing many visitors to

Rattlesden see as they enter the village is the existing Pavillion, and this no doubt detracts from

their enjoyment of the general scene.

4. Local food, drink and tourism – Encourage the formation of food distribution hubs in Suffolk. The

purpose will be to link various initiatives, such as reducing food miles, promoting the availability of good

quality local food from Suffolk livestock, sustaining traditional grazing areas and encouraging sustainable

tourism. Support by public sector organisations through procurement of food from local sources, forward

commitment to the market and financial support to sustainable tourism activities, would be hugely

beneficial.

Support to sustainable tourism initiatives will encourage greater sustainability in the modes of travel,

accommodation and activities of visitors and residents alike. Central to this is access improvement through

the rights of way network and initiatives, such as Discover Suffolk. Particular emphasis should be placed

upon communities that have minimal access to their surrounding countryside, and improved safety for

horse riders through off road routes. Innovative projects promoting and linking healthy lifestyles and the

quality of Suffolk's distinctive landscapes and green space are central to the Sustainable Community

Strategy.

We feel that a new Pavillion used to its full potential would have a significant effect on lifestyles

within the village at all ages. We also believe that we can help support local Micro Beweries by

buying drink from them for events, and local food producers (for barbecues etc) such as Swiss

Farm at Ashbocking, which was recently voted Best Butcher in East Anglia 2006.

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Objective 4 – Creating the Safest County

“Looking at safety from a crime perspective, Suffolk is already one of the safest counties in England and Wales. Much of the success in achieving this has been due to the significant working established between agencies and voluntary groups within the county. To ensure that Suffolk continues to be one of the safest counties we face a number of challenges. It is also important to ensure that there is a proportionate feeling of safety within our communities, and that fear of crime also remains low.”

1. Prevention - This needs to be constantly developed to take account of changing trends. Prevention is

about enabling people to look after themselves and when this is not possible for us to be able to take that

responsibility on their behalf.

We recognise that prevention can be more effective than response and therefore save more lives. The Fire

and Rescue Service, for example, is heavily employed and committed to Fire Safety Prevention initiatives

and is increasingly becoming involved in much wider Community Safety campaigns (leading on several

multi-agency initiatives). This work is increasing and improved outcomes can be delivered through effective

partnership arrangements.

We can build on good examples where partners are working together to ensure that older and vulnerable

people are able to reduce risks and are able to avoid being victims both of accidents and other issues

including bogus callers and rogue traders.

These and other areas need to be enhanced and developed over the next twenty years to ensure effective

community safety. We also need to secure opportunities for our young people to ensure that they are

positively engaged and have the opportunity to avoid trouble. Supporting and enabling families is key to

this.

2. Education - Education is central to development of a safer, stronger and more prosperous County.

Projects focussing on prevention, respect and citizenship will provide the basis for a Safer Suffolk over the

next twenty years.

As an example we could consider an intensified road safety educational programme built into the school

and college curriculum. This would ensure all children and students receive key road safety education and

training during their formative years, leading to life-long skills.

Similarly ensuring people are aware of fire risks is core business and should be sustained and improved to

protect those most at risk.

3. Response - We need to be able to respond rapidly and effectively to changing trends as and when they

are identified. We need to engage communities more effectively to ensure that they know how and when

they can access our support. We also need to ensure that they are able to help us by telling us the issues

that concern them.

The challenges facing Suffolk are very diverse and there needs to be a planning process that is flexible

enough to deal with any of the risks identified. We also need to accept that there will always be new and

emerging risks. In many cases we can build on the already good work that is ongoing and rely on the close

partnership arrangements that we have developed. We need to ensure there is capacity to deal with all

threats and ensure that these are a priority for all partners.

Community Safety has already been identified within the Crime and Disorder Act under Section 17 as an

area that should be integrated and mainstreamed within all the responsible authorities. We should work

more closely to ensure that mainstreaming of community safety is achieved. We need to ensure the system

is flexible enough to facilitate different objectives and that performance and risk management is

appropriate, timely and meaningful.

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4.2 Community Council Policy Overview:

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4.2.1 Constitution

RATTLESDEN COMMUNITY COUNCIL

CONSTITUTION

Name

1. The Council shall be called “The Rattlesden Community Council”.

Objects

2 (a) To provide adequate recreational facilities, playing fields, playgrounds,

community centres and other amenities of a similar character for the benefit of the

community residing in Rattlesden and the neighbourhood in the interests of social welfare

and with the objective of advancing education, furthering health, relieving poverty, distress or

sickness or in pursuing any objects which now or hereafter may be deemed in law to be

charitable by improving the conditions of life of the persons for whom the facilities are

primarily intended.

(b) To raise by subscription or otherwise funds for furtherance of the objects of the Council.

(c) Provided always that nothing in the foregoing shall authorise or empower the Rattlesden

Community Council to participate directly or indirectly in any activity which is not charitable

according to the laws of the United Kingdom for the time being in force and the whole of the

property and funds of the Rattlesden Community Council shall at all times be used and

applied for such purposes only as are charitable in accordance with such laws.

3. The income and property of the Council shall be applied solely towards the objects of the Council

and no proportion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend,

bonus or otherwise by way of profit to the members of the Council.

Constitution

4. The Council shall consist of the following;-

(a) The Officers of the Council, viz: The Chairman, Vice – Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary to be

elected annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Council.

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(b) The Committee to be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.

(c) The number of Committee members under 1(b) shall be determined by the Officers of

the Council.

(d) The Committee may designate a person as an ‘Associate Committee Member’ to assist and

participate in Council objectives but an Associate shall not have the right of vote in

Committee matters.

(e) The Committee may co-opt any person to act in an advisory capacity.

(f) All Officers and Committee members wishing to stand may nominate themselves for re-

election at the Annual General Meeting.

(g) The Officers and Committee will meet monthly at a time and date set at the preceding

meeting.

(h) An Extra-Ordinary meeting shall be called:-

(1) By order of the Chairman, or

(2) On receipt by the Secretary of a request signed by one-third of the Committee.

(i) Any matter not covered by these rules or any question of interpretation shall be determined

by the Officers and Committee of the Council.

Annual General Meeting

5 (a) That the Annual General Meeting shall be held at least once a year for the following purposes:-

(1) Election of Officers

(2) Election of Committee

(3) Receipt of the Chairman’s report

(4) The presentation of annual accounts, and

(5) Any other business.

(b) Twenty-one days notice shall be given of the Annual General Meeting to all Officers and

members of the Committee. Such notice will contain an Agenda, proposed resolutions and

proposed amendments or changes to the Constitution.

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(c) Any proposal of resolution, proposed amendment or change to the Constitution will be lodged

in writing four weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting with the Secretary.

Conduct of Meetings

6 (a) At either a General or Annual General Meeting, decisions will be decided by a

simple majority of votes of all those Officers or Committee members present at the meeting,

and in the case of equality of votes, the Chairman shall have the casting vote.

(b) The Secretary will take the minutes of the proceedings and when agreed, shall be signed by

the Chairman as a true and accurate record of that meeting.

(c) The treasurer will provide an assessment of the financial affairs of the Council at General

Meetings and a detailed statement of accounts at the Annual General Meeting.

Accounts

7 (a) Books of Accounts as agreed by the Committee shall be kept by the Treasurer.

(b) Any Banking Account approved by the Committee shall be called “The Rattlesden Community

Council Account” and will be held at a Bank or Building Society to be approved by the

Executive Committee, into which Fund monies received on behalf of the Community Council

shall be paid by the Treasurer or other responsible official.

(c) Cheques for the payment of all accounts shall be signed by any two of the nominated

signatories.

Winding Up

8 If upon the winding up or dissolution of the Council there remains after the settlement of all its

debts and liabilities, any property, monies or other assets whatsoever they shall be given or

transferred to a charitable institution or institutions having similar objects as the Council and if

and so far as effect cannot be given to such provision then to some other charitable object.

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Adopted October 2003.

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4.2.2 Equality of Opportunity and Anti Discrimination Policy

Rattlesden Community Council aims to be an equal opportunity organisation, and has a policy for

this purpose. We believe that we have a duty to represent all the people of the village and

elsewhere who may use the facilities we manage and provide. Our commitment is that nobody

should suffer discrimination in either using or accessing our facilities, regardless of their race,

gender, nationality colour, religion or any disabilities.

This policy covers all aspects of our activities, from meetings to fundraising events and any other

activities organized by the Community Council.

This means that selection of volunteers, members and other persons associated with our

activities will be carried out in line with our stated policy on equality of opportunity.

To ensure that this policy is operating effectively (and for no other purpose) the Community

Council maintains records of members’ racial origins, gender and disability.

We expect our members to abide by the provisions of the Race Relations Act, 1976, the Sex

Discrimination Act, 1986, and the Disability Discrimination Act, 1995. In summary, therefore,

this means that discrimination is prohibited by:

• Treating any person less favourably than others because of their gender, skin colour,

marital status, racial origins, nationality or ethnic or national origin, their religion, sexual

orientation or disability.

• Expecting an individual, solely on the grounds stated above, to comply with requirements

for any reason whatsoever related to their membership, which are different from the

requirements for others.

• Victimising of any individual through the grounds stated above.

• Harrassment of any individual through the grounds stated above.

• Any other acts, or the omission of acts, which in effect disadvantage any individual on

the grounds stated above.

Rattlesden Community Council will not accept behaviour either at its meetings, at events

organized by ourselves, or at any of our facilities, which results in any person being harassed or

abused. We will ensure that, should such harassment or abuse occur, we will take any steps

reasonably open to us to combat this kind of behaviour.

In practical terms we will be vigilant in dealing with any incident reported to us or witnessed by

us, and will investigate to the best of our abilities any such incident.

We will deal in an appropriate manner with any party or individual who is found to be the

perpetrator of such an incident.

We commit ourselves to providing the facilities demanded by law for those people who wish to

use our facilities who suffer from a disability of any kind. We will also act to ensure that our

members and associates who deal with visitors are appropriately instructed and equipped to deal

with such a situation.

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The new building will comply with the Building regulations, part M, which deals with Access to

Buildings.

The Committee is responsible for the effective operation of the Community Council’s EOEP.

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4.2.3 Health & Safety Policy

It is the objective of Rattlesden Community Council that members, visitors to our facilities and

others be protected, so far as is reasonably practicable, from risks to health and safety arising

from work activities.

• This will be achieved by adopting a safety management strategy that will include the

provision of safe working systems and appropriate procedures to cater for all significant

risks.

• This policy will be supported by the issue of safety rules and general procedures. These

will each be subject to review and revision by the committee. The safety organisation and

arrangements for implementing this policy will be publicised to all members.

• The responsibility for achieving and adhering to acceptable safety standards rests not

only with the organisation but also with members, sub-contractors and suppliers of

materials to be used at work.

• Employers are required by law to publish this safety policy. It is the duty of all members

not only to read this document carefully but also to take an active interest in achieving

safety at work.

• The successful implementation of this policy is dependent upon the wholehearted co-

operation of all levels of member and the committee.

• This statement of policy will be reviewed and revised as appropriate, to take account of

changes in circumstances or in legal requirements.

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4.2.4 Environmental policy

1. Rattlesden Community Council is committed to protecting and enhancing the

environment, and to updating its practices in the light of advances in technology and new

understanding in health and environment law.

The company will strive to eliminate releases of any substances, which could

potentially degrade the atmosphere, land or water supply.

The company will minimise the volume of waste materials generated by

searching for alternative materials and/or utilising recycling processes.

The company will seek opportunities to improve energy efficiency and

conservation in all of our operations.

2. An effective environmental policy requires the full collaboration and co-operation

of all members and, therefore, everybody is asked to take note of this document and

accept personal responsibility for creating a cleaner environment.

3. It is the responsibility of the committee:-

a) to ensure compliance with all applicable environmental laws and

regulations, and to reduce environmental impact, whether required by law or not.

b) to seek process improvements, promote good pollution control practices

and to provide adequate training to the relevant persons in matters related to

materials or processes, which might be detrimental to the environment.

4. It is the responsibility of every member:

a) to co-operate with the company by following correct procedures when

dealing with substances or processes which could potentially damage the

environment.

b) to report any such hazard which cannot be controlled personally.

5. The Community Council accepts ultimate responsibility for environmental control

within Rattlesden Community Council’s activities and is responsible for review and

interpretation of environmental laws and regulations.

6. This policy and principles will be reviewed periodically in line with current best

practice.

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4.2.5 Child Protection Policy

Rattlesden Community Council is fully committed to the welfare of children, and we

recognize that a large number of children currently use our existing facilities, with this

number hopefully increasing if a new facility is provided.

• We recognize that the welfare of the child is of paramount importance.

• Any allegations or incidents reported to, or witnessed by, members of the

Community Council, will be investigated and responded to in a swift and

appropriate manner.

• We will liaise where necessary with the appropriate official bodies such as the

Police should it become necessary for this to be done.

• We will work with parents and the wider community to ensure that the safety of

the child is given the highest priority.

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4.3 Financial Overview

4.3.1 Fundraising This far

4.3.2 R.C.C Balance Sheet 06/07

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Part 5 Part 5 Part 5 Part 5 –––– Appendices Appendices Appendices Appendices

Plans

• Costings in detail

• Proj mgmt documentation

• Rattlesden Village Design Statement

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• Log of Funding Applications:

Date Funding Organisation Result (inc comments if not successful)

Documents

Business Plan Ver 3