Notice of Annual General Meeting and Campaign Update

Dear Supporter.

May I firstly wish all our supporters a happy New Year and thank you all for your continued support throughout 2023. Enclosed with this newsletter is a campaign update which highlights the surprisingly strong, post-pandemic, recovery in passenger numbers at Stansted Airport last year.  That may not come as good news to everyone! – but let me now deal with other news.

Following the approval, at the Special General Meeting last November, of the proposal to convert Stansted Airport Watch into a Foundation, we have been working with Birketts LLP – the largest independent law firm in the East of England – to take matters forward.  Birketts have considerable expertise in this field and, in the light of their advice, we have slightly switched tack, and now intend to convert SAW into a Community Interest Company (‘CIC’) rather than a Discretionary Trust.

A CIC is a relatively new concept. It is a social enterprise which exists to benefit the community rather than private shareholders.  The activities of CICs are overseen by the CIC Regulator to whom CICs must submit an annual report and accounts, which are published, to ensure transparency.

At the end of this letter you will find the Notice of our AGM, to be held on 7 March, and you will see that the agenda includes a resolution seeking authorisation to establish the CIC.  You will see that the resolution makes clear that the CIC will have the same or very similar objectives to the current objectives of Stansted Airport Watch.

You will also see that the agenda includes the (re-)election of our officers and committee for the period to 30 September 2024.  This reflects our current expectation that it will take several months to complete the transition from Stansted Airport Watch to Stansted Airport Watch CIC.

In the meantime it will be largely business as usual.  To the best of our ability we will continue to represent the interests of the local community on airport matters.  In this regard we have recently met with Department for Transport officials regarding excessive use of night flight dispensations at Stansted – see https://stanstedairportwatch.com/press-releases/night-flights-smoke-and-mirrors/  and on the wider issue of night flights; we continue to represent local community interests through our membership of the Stansted Airport Consultative Committee; and we have also recently made representations to Uttlesford District Council, in the context of the new Local Plan, seeking safeguards with regard to future airport development.

I hope you will find our latest Campaign Update of interest – see Campaign Update February 2024 – and I hope also that you might be able to find time to attend our AGM on 7 March.

With many thanks for your ongoing support.

Yours sincerely

Brian Ross
Chairman

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of Stansted Airport Watch will take place at the Old School House Community Centre, Brewers End, Takeley CM22 6SB, on Thursday 7 March 2024 starting at 8pm. If you are planning to attend the AGM, please let us know by 1 March via email to info@stanstedairportwatch.com or by telephone (01279 870558) to ensure that we can provide sufficient seating.  Please note that parking is limited.

AGENDA

1. Apologies for absence.
2. Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of 14 June 2023.
3. Minutes of Special General Meeting of 29 November 2023.
4. Matters arising from the minutes of both meetings not on the Agenda.
5. Chairman’s Report.
6. Treasurer’s Report.
7. Approval of Accounts for year ended 30 September 2023.
8. Election of Chairman for the period to 30 September 2024.
9. Election of Deputy Chairman for the period to 30 September 2024.
10. Election of Treasurer for the period to 30 September 2024.
11. Election of Secretary for the period to 30 September 2024.
12. Election of Executive Committee for the period to 30 September 2024.
13. Special Resolution.

“The members here present hereby authorise the Stansted Airport Watch (‘SAW’) Executive Committee to proceed with the dissolution of SAW as provided for in Clause 27 of the SAW constitution; to realise any assets held by or on behalf of SAW and, after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities, to transfer the remaining net assets to a Community Interest Company (‘CIC’) to be named either the Stansted Airport Watch Foundation CIC or Stansted Airport Watch CIC, which in either case will have the same or similar objectives to the objectives of SAW.”

14. Any other business.

Conclusion of the meeting.