MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE CHELSEA SOCIETY
HELD AT CHELSEA OLD TOWN HALL ON 14th NOVEMBER 2022 AT 6PM
The Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea, Cllr. David Lindsay, opened the meeting. He commended the voluntary societies in the Borough and thanked people for giving up time and money to assist both large and small charities thus strengthening the community.
The President – John Simpson CBE spoke of his visit to Ukraine 3 weeks ago to report for the BBC.
He described the situation ‘as an extraordinary modern type of war.” In Kiev one wouldn’t know there was a war on except when the occasional missile hit the city. By contrast the war in the South and East of the country is an old-fashioned war similar to Stalingrad.
However, some big missiles hit Kiev when he was there, with most of the damage done by drones that Iran has supplied.
There was an attack near his hotel – one of the worst things he has seen in many wars. The victim was a woman who was a child-cancer specialist – She was driving to the hospital when a drone destroyed her car. An utterly pointless death.
He interviewed President Zelensky and found him a charming and highly intelligent man. He has the qualities of an actor and writes remarkable speeches but is not a military expert. He is the Voice of Ukraine under attack, similar to Winston Churchill.
Ukraine is a country which has over the last 30 years shifted towards the European Union and feels like a European country.
2021 Minutes: The meeting approved the minutes of the 2021 AGM, which had been published in the Annual Report.
Elections to the Council: Fleur de Villiers and Amalia Cebreiro were re-elected, and Ian Henderson was elected.
Photography competition The Chairman presented prizes to the joint winners, Zakaria Ghazal, and Hayley Glover, whose work was displayed in the hall.
Accounts: The Treasurer, Christopher Lenon, presented the accounts for the financial year ended 30th June 2022, which were adopted.
Chairman’s report: Dr. James Thompson, presented his Chairmans Report 2022 – the Society’s 95th year.
The Member of Parliament, the Rt. Hon. Greg Hands thanked the Chelsea Society for its work, and addressed the meeting on:
- His campaign together with the Society and others to save the local buses
- The Parliamentary boundary review
- The future of Chelsea Football Club
Councillor Cem Kemahli, lead member for Planning at RBKC, thanked the Society for its work and addressed the meeting on:
- Planning,
- waste collection and jet-washing of streets
- Planting 400 new trees
- Enforcement against anti-social behaviour
- Progress on reviewing the Local Plan
- Improvements to Chelsea Green and Dovehouse Green,
The GLA Member, Cllr. Tony Devenish, thanked the Society for its work, and addressed the meeting on:
- Planning,
- Crime,
- Transport
Questions were asked by Members on the following issues:
1 The future of the Marks & Spencer building on the Kings Road
2. Rented bicycles being left on pavements and in the middle of streets
- Solar panels on listed buildings
- The state of Dovehouse Green during the Queen’s Jubilee, and plastic flowers on the Kings Road
- Getting a police station back in Chelsea.
