Trustees' Annual Report for the period:		
	From	Period start date	To	Period end date		
		Day
1	Month
4	Year
2015		Day
31	Month
3	Year
2016		
	
Section A                        Reference and administration details
	
Charity name 	PITSTONE PARISH CHARITY	
	
Other names charity is known by	N/A	
	
Registered charity number (if any) 	261752		
	
Charity's principal address 
	c/o The Parish Clerk, Pitstone Parish Council,	
	9 Warwick Road	
	Pitstone, Bucks	
	Postcode	LU7 9FE	
	
	Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity.  NB individuals are not trustees in their own right, the Parish Council as a corporate body is sole trustee.  There was a change to councillors in the May 2015 election.	

	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any)	
1	Steve Mattey	Member of the Charity Committee	Remains on the council and became a member of the charity committee in May 2015	Member of Parish Council	
2	Robert Saintey			Member of Parish Council	
3	Klaus Ginda		Retired from the Council in May 2015	Member of Parish Council	
4	Gill Arney	Member of the Charity Committee		Member of Parish Council	
5	Annie Stack			Member of Parish Council	
6	Dave Nicholls	Chair of the Charity Committee		Member of Parish Council	
7	Alison Hawkins		Retired from the Council in May 2015	Member of Parish Council	
8	Brian Richardson		Retired from the Council and charity committee in May 2015	Member of Parish Council	
9	Ben Blunt			Member of Parish Council	
10	Brian Brooks		Councillor from May 2014 to May 2015 	Member of Parish Council	
11	Margaret Crutchfield		Joined the Council in May 2015	Member of Parish Council	
12	Colin Starling	Member of the Charity Committee	Joined the Council and the Charity Committee in May 2015	Member of the Parish Council	
13	Kris Weber		Joined the Council in May 2015	Member of the Parish Council	
14	Joanne Groom		Joined the Council in May 2015	Member of the Parish Council	

	Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)	
	Name	Dates acted if not for whole year	
	Pitstone Parish Council, as Corporate Body, is the Sole Trustee.  Persuant to S101(1) of the 1972 Act Pitstone Parish Council resolved that the affairs of the Pitstone Parish Charity will be managed by a committee to ensure it is easier for members to fulfil their obligations to only consider what is in the best interests of the charity and not the local authority, and limiting conflicts of interest.   The members of this committee are listed above, along with other members of full council. The committee can approve any day-to-day management requirements of the land and will provide regular reports to the parish council.  All strategic issues or financial expenditure must be referred back to the full council for approval.

It is recognised that in the long term, further/replacement trustees may be required to adequately fulfil the new objectives of this charity.

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	
Type of adviser	Name	Address	
Land agent	Andrew Wright
Managing Partner
Head of Land Planning & Development	Kirkby & Diamond
57 North Twelfth Street
Milton Keynes, MK9 3BS	

	Section B              Structure, governance and management		
	
Description of the charity’s trusts	
Type of governing document    
(eg. trust deed, constitution) 	Charity Commission Sealed Scheme of 28/12/1923, and Sealed Scheme of 18/3/2004.	
How the charity is constituted 
(eg. trust, association, company)	Trust	
Trustee selection methods 
(eg. appointed by, elected by)	As the Parish Council, as Corporate Body, is Trustee, the trustees are selected via local government election every four years.  Where a casual vacancy occurs during the 4 years, a new member is co-opted.  Members of the Charity Committee are selected by lack of conflict of interest and competence/skills base.	
Additional governance issues (Optional information) 	
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:
•	policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees; 
•	the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
•	relationship with any related parties;
•	trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them. 	The secretary/clerk undertook SAVO Trustee E:Learning course during the year and is disseminating information to the trustees.	

Section C                    Objectives and activities	
	
Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document	The aim of the Pitstone Parish Charity (as defined in 2004) is for the relief of persons resident in the area of benefit who are in need, hardship or distress by:

•	Making grants of money to them, or
•	Providing or paying for goods, services or facilities for them or
•	Making grants of money to other persons or bodies who provide goods, services or facilities to those in need.

These objectives can only be undertaken once the land is sold for development and the charity has funds available to make such grants.
	
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)	
Pursuant to Section 17(5) of the Charities Act and the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 the Charity Trustee has taken due regard of the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission when exercising its duties.

The charity is working with a neighbouring private landowner to bring the parcel of land within its ownership, and within the previously defined Pitstone Development Area, to market.  The sale will generate funds with which the Charity can fulfil its charitable objectives.  	

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information) 
	
You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about: 
•	policy on grantmaking;
•	policy programme related investment; 
•	contribution made by  volunteers. 	All members of both the Charity Committee and the Full Parish Council are volunteers.  None claim an allowance or refund of any expenditure.

Section D                      Achievements and performance	
	
Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year 
	See Section F for the previous history relating to the disposal of land assets held by the Charity.

Work continues on the sale of the land to enable fulfilment of objectives.  

•	Agreement was reached with the neighbouring land owner in 2014/15
•	The joint parcels have been advertised on the open market
•	A preferred developer has been selected and is commencing work on a planning application
•	Heads of Terms have been agreed
•	The joint landowners have appointed a legal representative.  
•	The charity hopes to make a submission to the Charity Commission in due course.

Section E                    Financial review 	
	
Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves  	At present, the Pitstone Parish Charity is financially dormant.   As ‘allotments for the labouring poor’ the charity generated little revenue and currently holds no cash.    When the new allotment site was created in 2010, there was only one remaining tenant at the old allotment site, renting just a small section of one plot.   This tenant willingly transferred to the new allotment site which had better provisions (eg water, deer alarms) and accessibility.   Since then, the old allotment site has generated nil income and remains unused land.

The Charity does not have a reserves policy as it has no reserves.  The Charity is presently heavily reliant upon grant funding from Pitstone Parish Council to meet any necessary expenditure but will become financially independent once the land sale can be concluded.

Both Kirkby & Diamond and Bidwells have been retained on a ‘payment upon completion of sale’ basis.
	
Details of any funds materially in deficit	The Charity is not in deficit.	

Further financial review details (Optional information)	
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:
•	the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising); 
•	how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity; 
•	investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted. 	Financial Affairs, Assets and Liabilities

The only cost incurred by the Parish Charity was the maintenance of a hedgerow and a footpath to a total of £112.
This bill was met by Pitstone Parish Council as a grant, for the same amount, to Pitstone Parish Charity to enable the work.

Following advice from DCK Beavers Ltd, Parish Council finance specialists, the expenses incurred on behalf of the Charity would normally be shown within the Parish Council accounts as grants to the Parish Charity to cover the necessary costs.  In April 2013 the Parish Charity opened its own bank account (zero balance) ready to receive the realised assets of the sale and this account will be utilised once in credit.

The parish council insurance specifies the trustees of this charity and their work as part of its policy.  The Parish Charity land is listed on the parish council’s asset register.

The charity has no debtors or creditors and no outstanding loans.	

Section F                     Other optional information	
	
History

As part of the 1856 Enclosure Award, the land was awarded to the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Poor of Pightlesthorne as Allotments for the Labouring Poor.   From as early as 1888, Pitstone Parish Council was administering this allotment site and on 28 December 1923 the Charity Commission approved and established a scheme for the charity to be officially administered by Pitstone Parish Council as trustees of the charity.

In 1970, when much of the large site was unused, the Charity Commission granted permission for half of the land “to be used as an addition to the Recreation Ground under revocable licence given by the council to themselves as trustees of the Recreation Ground Charity”.    This land has never since been needed as allotments and continues to be managed under licence by the Recreation Ground Charity.   The Parish Charity charge no annual rent for this land, but receive the benefit-in-kind of all costs associated with the maintenance and care of this land being met by another body.   This section of land currently houses the children’s play equipment owned by Pitstone Parish Council. 

In 2004, as the Castlemead estate was created on the old Castle Cement factory site, the allotment land was identified for potential development to help extend community facilities and join the old and new halves of the village together (along with two parcels of adjoining land in private ownership).    The proposals were adopted by Aylesbury Vale District Council and are contained within the Pitstone Development Area Comprehensive Plan of 2005.   These future plans generated three actions:

•	Work commenced to find a suitable alternative site within the village for allotments.   Mr Hawkins of Pitstone Green Farm bequeathed a section of land along Marsworth Road, in the heart of the village, to the National Trust on condition that they lease it to Pitstone Parish Council for the provision of allotments.    In 2010, the Parish Council signed a 99 year lease with National Trust for this site and the new allotments were created, funded in part by the parish council and in part by various grants.    The new site is thriving and is managed on a day-to-day basis by the Pitstone Allotment Association, whilst the Parish Council retain overall responsibility.

•	On 18 March 2004 the Charity Commission accepted an application to update and broaden the scheme away from just “allotments for the labouring poor” and the charity was renamed the Pitstone Parish Charity with the objects redefined as “for the relief of persons resident in the area of benefit who are in need, hardship or distress.”   In this guise, the charity will be able to commence charitable work for the parish once the land is brought to market and the charity has available funds.

•	In order to prepare the old allotment site for inclusion within any such development, the land first needed to be registered with Land Registry (completed on 10/8/10) and permission needed to be obtained from both the National Association of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners and then the Secretary of State to sell what had originally been appointed as Statutory Allotment Land (granted on 29/2/12 & 30/7/13).

Taylor Wimpey was granted permission to construct the remaining phases of residential development within the Castlemead estate without developing the parcels of land around the recreation ground or including any leisure provision.   Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) agreed that a commuted S106 sum could be paid by Taylor Wimpey instead.   They also stipulated that the land for the leisure development should be provided within the remaining parcels identified within the Comprehensive Plan which are located around the recreation ground (including the land owned by Pitstone Parish Charity).   AVDC now hold these funds on behalf of the parish of Pitstone, providing that the identified leisure requirements can be delivered within a set timeframe.

AVDC and Bucks County Council insist that the remaining parcels of land are brought to market as a single package, rather than individual plots, to ensure that suitable connecting highway provision and overall spatial planning can be guaranteed.

•	AVDC has been supporting the Pitstone Parish Charity and the private landowner (with the larger portion of land) to develop a Design Brief that will update the Pitstone Development Area Comprehensive Plan and can be supplied to potential which will help ensure that the sale generates ‘best value’ for the charity when sold on the open market.    
•	Pitstone Parish Charity had entered into a Joint Landowners Agreement with the private landowner to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of proceeds and costs, regardless of which parcel of land amenities are built upon.  
•	The charity had employed the services of Bidwells land agents, to undertake the associated marketing required for the joint landowners to support the sale of land.
•	The charity had secured the services of Horwood & James solicitors to advise the charity and ensure the necessary sale conditions are applied.
•	A dedicated bank account was opened for the Parish Charity to receive the funds generated by the sale of the land (zero balance).

During 2013/14:

•	The Parish Charity served notice to the Pitstone Recreation Ground Charity of their intention to revoke the licence to manage the section of land.   Until such time as a confirmed date is provided, the Recreation Ground Charity continue to meet all costs and liability connected with this section of land.
•	The Parish Charity served notice to Pitstone Parish Council of their intention to dispose of the land currently housing their play equipment and requested confirmation from the Parish Council that they would be willing to accept ownership of the land if transferred as part of the Pitstone Development Area arrangements.  The Parish Council confirmed this was acceptable.
•	The Parish Charity, supported by Bidwells and Horwood & James, submitted an outline plan to The Charity Commission relating to their proposals.   The Charity Commission advised that the entirety of the land owned by the Parish Charity should be disposed on the open market to ensure maximum benefit to the charity.

•	The Parish Charity employed the services of Kirkby & Diamond land agents to assist with resolving the issues and bringing the land to market.
•	The Parish Charity resolved on 26/9/13 to withdraw all permissions granted to Pitstone Parish Council relating to the construction of play space or skate park facilities on the parcel of land managed under licence by the Pitstone Recreation Ground Charity.

During the 2014/15 financial year:

•	Despite lengthy negotiations with the neighbouring landowner it was not possible to include the section of land previously managed under licence within the Joint Landowners Agreement for the Pitstone Development Area.
•	Therefore, the previous Joint Landowners Agreement (which had expired) was renegotiated based on the originally defined parcels of land and is now in place.
•	The draft Design Brief was brought up-to-date and finalised.  This can now be used to supplement the marketing information and be supplied to developers.   
•	The Design Brief includes details of the latest community engagement events as part of the Pitstone Neighbourhood Development Plan, which confirms the desire of the residents to see the parcel of land owned by the Parish Charity developed and will therefore help to obtain a good sale price.
•	The Charity commenced the process to identify alternative legal representation to eliminate any conflicts of advice between the Parish Council (as local authority) and the Parish Charity (since appointed).

Section G                    Declaration	
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. 

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees	
Signature(s)			Full name(s)			Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc)			Date