Minutes of the 51st AGM of the St Leonards Neighbourhood

Association held at 6.30pm on May 22nd 2025 at the Cover

Club, County Hall.

About 45 members of the public were present including City and County

Councillors Andy Kitchen, Lynn Wettenhall and Matthew Vizard as well as the

rector of St Leonards Matt Rowland,

Apologies were received from Susan Melzer, Maureen Lewis and Emma

Anderson.

• Matters arising from last year’s Minutes

Larkbeare House has had the gardens listed and is currently under offer for

the second time.

St Luke’s Campus is still open for redevelopment.

Other matters to be referred to later.

• Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation

Bindu Arjoon, the Chief Executive of Exeter City Council gave us an overview

of the government’s plans to reduce the number of local governing bodies

across the whole county so that bigger authorities become more effective

and efficient and each would have an elected mayor.

She pointed out that Exeter is already in a combined authority with Devon

so has got the early foundations. Exeter submitted an interim proposal in

April to become a new unitary council based on a wider geographical area

than the current city council drawing in the many building projects on our

boundaries, a plan which the city council voted for unanimously. However

Devon County Council is proposing 3 councils across all Devon, putting

Exeter in with East, North and Mid Devon as well as Torridge.

Bindu argued that Exeter, a successful city like Oxford, Cambridge and

Norwich, was very different from the rural areas. Looking ahead, she

explained that a final business case would be submitted in November and

there would probably be Government led consultation before the Minister

decided so that the changes could be made in April 2028.

Questions and comments from the floor followed about the District

boundaries, the Mallison Bridge on the quay, the loss of locally connected

councillors and the fear that population numbers will be the deciding factor.

• Chairman’s Report

Mount Radford Lawn

Nigel was pleased to report that the Deaf School has changed its plans for

the Playing Field, no longer wanting to sell it but to use it to fulfil their

charitable aims both for their own students as well as a local facility. Ben

Hunt of Parklife has been brought in, Nigel met with the Council in March

and a pre-application from the School is still ongoing. Then all will have to

wait for a response from the Council which will go back to the school’s

Board of Trustees, a slow process but at the moment a positive one.

County Hall

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SLNA’s representations

The Matford huts have now been demolished and though originally

designated a green space it has now been turned into a brown space with

plans for 21 dwellings.

Community Initiatives

The Community Garden in Cedars Road is flourishing and being well used by

neighbours. The path from Bernardo Road to Radford Road has been

cleaned up and resurfaced. Both of these improvements have been made

by local residents with some financial support from the Neighbourhood

Association.

They also help the annual Party in Melbourne Street with the road closure

and lend equipment to Rivermead Road’s party held in the Tunnel Tennis

Club.

Street Fairs

The 13th Christmas Fair usually held on the first Saturday in December was

cancelled due to the weather so instead a Summer Fair is to be held on June

21st from midday till 6pm full of craft activities, a few stalls and plenty of

music and dancing, all for the benefit of both residents and shop-keepers.

Nigel asked for people to contact him if they were willing to help as stewards

at this fair.

The Website

Nigel reminded us about the www.snla.org.uk website which contains

notices (also on our two noticeboards in Magdalen Road and Bull Meadow),advertisers from the newsletter, contact information for the shops in

Magdalen Road, walks around St Leonards described by Maureen Lewis and

a useful collection of event details renewed every 2 months by Juliette

Stephenson.

• Report by Treasurer

Craig Walker showed us the balance sheets pointing out the healthy state of

funds. He said that the SLNA Committee had decided to replace a rotting

wooden seat beside the Roberts Road Hall. And Councillor Matt Vizard

pointed out that Ward Grants can be applied for through any of our 3

councillors.

• Report on the Neighbourhood News

Norman Shiel reported that despite his fears in current straitened times new

advertisers were still applying and thus replacing others that had cancelled.

He had received a good response to his plea for articles and was particularly

grateful to Ed Legon his compositor and the 74 deliverers of 3196 bimonthly

magazines.

• Committee Members:

Nigel Fitzhugh - Chairman

Susan Melzer - Secretary

Craig Walker - Treasurer

Norman Shiel - Neighbourhood News Editor

Bridget Shiel

Cathy Moran

Emma Anderson

Juliette Stephenson

Steve Halyard

Maureen Lewis

Nigel invited others to apply to him to join the committee if they wished.

• AOBNigel remembered Catherine Adcock, wife of former treasurer John, who had

been one of the earliest members of the group which was formed in the early

1970s to protest against driving Western Way straight through Bull Meadow.

Once this campaign was successful the Neighbourhood Association was

formed.

Amber Elias also reminded us of Tracy who recently retired from the

Sandwiched Inn and who had provided a place which gave help and

sanctuary to many local people.

A question was raised about the ownership of a patch of ground at the end

of Vine Close.

The meeting closed at 8pm

LATEST ACCOUNTS to 31/12/24