Board of Trustees' reflections on AGM resolutions

Walking and cycling access to properties

Members' resolution to review the walking and cycling routes to pay-for-entry properties from nearby urban areas, and if safe and direct walking and cycling routes don't exist, to plan to create these. Potential ways to achieve this could include creating additional property entrances adjacent to existing footways and cycleways, and working with highways authorities and other landowners to create new footways and cycleways.

Board of Trustees’ response

Members voted to carry this resolution at the AGM, and the Board of Trustees is upholding that outcome.

The Board of Trustees agrees that it’s important to improve access to the places in our care by sustainable travel, such as walking and cycling. At the AGM we shared that work in this area was already underway but having members’ support is key to its continuing success, particularly when it comes to securing funding and establishing partnerships with local authorities and landowners.

Since the AGM we have conducted a digital mapping exercise that has identified that nearly 20 million people live within 5 miles of National Trust visitor properties, demonstrating the breadth of the possible audience for this initiative.

We have established working relationships with key partners including Active Travel England and Sustrans and they are helping us to identify locations where there is potential to deliver new walking and cycling links.

We now have projects at Hardwick Hall, Saltram House, Stowe and Tyntesfield, aiming to improve green travel access to these places:

• Saltram: working with Sustrans to improve wayfinding and interpretation that will link in with a project to double the size of the existing country park. The project includes new Sport England funded walking and cycling leisure trails that will benefit the local Plymouth residents
• Tyntesfield: we're in the early stages of reviewing connectivity from local walking and cycling networks to both Bristol and Nailsea
• Ickworth: we've helped the lead partner deliver a new bridleway connecting the resident population of Bury St Edmunds with the village of Horringer, avoiding a busy main road. At Horringer this links into the visitor arrival point for Ickworth
• Stowe: we're creating a multi-user trail in partnership with Sport England to improve access to the parkland whilst also creating a vital link in the Buckinghamshire Greenway, a Buckinghamshire County Council traffic-free route increasing opportunities for cycling and walking from Buckingham to Silverstone.
• Hardwick Hall: working alongside local authorities and Sustrans to provide walking and cycling connectivity for local communities to Hardwick Hall, potentially via a 40 mile loop with onward connectivity to Clumber Park.

Removal of the quick vote

Members' resolution to remove the quick vote from the AGM voting papers.

Board of Trustees’ response

Members voted not to carry this resolution at the AGM, and the Board of Trustees is upholding that outcome.

The Board of Trustees has considered that the quick vote was introduced following independent advice on standard voting arrangements used by similar large member organisations.

The Board has also taken into account that the quick vote adds to the range of voting options available to members without taking any away, and many members have chosen to use it over the last two years. This year, 41 per cent of those who voted on resolutions and 46 per cent of those who voted in Council elections used quick vote.

The Board concluded that there’s good evidence that members are making an informed choice when using this option.

Removal of Council election recommendations

Members’ resolution to rescind para 16(4) of The Charities (National Trust) Order 2005 to make elections to the Council more democratic.

Board of Trustees’ response

Members voted not to carry this resolution at the AGM, and the Board of Trustees is upholding that outcome.

The Board would like to thank Sarah Green, Senior Member of the Council, for sharing the view of the Council with members at the AGM. The Board has noted that the Council fully supported the Board's recommendation for this resolution.

The Board agrees that the National Trust should be held to the same standards of governance as other organisations across the private, public and third sectors, where the use of a nominations committee is standard practice.

The restoration of Clandon House

Members' resolution to request that the restoration of Clandon House in Surrey should include not only conservation and roofing of the firegutted shell but also, as an absolute minimum, the restoration and recreation of the Marble Hall, with the restoration of other important interiors following as funds allow.

Board of Trustees’ response

Members voted not to carry this resolution at the AGM, and the Board of Trustees is upholding that outcome.

The Board of Trustees reached this decision by reflecting on the outcome of voting and the comments shared by members at the AGM. It noted that, whatever their individual views, members held a shared belief that Clandon Park holds a special place in the nation’s heritage and that future generations should be able to learn from and enjoy it.

The Board still believes that the Trust’s current plans are the best approach to conserving and renewing Clandon Park for full public use once again.