AGM MINUTES 2026

Introduction

In the absence of a chairman, committee members led the discussions for each section of the agenda. Shane Hargreaves welcomed the 22 members attending and began by thanking Roger Nash and Phil Houghton for their contributions to the club over many years in the roles of Chairman and Secretary respectively. He pointed out that this year;’s AGM had been brought forward in the calendar to facilitate the appointment of both a new Chairman and Secretary ahead of the annual subscriptions process following the resignations of the postholders in 2025, He then invited water managers to present a brief report on the lakes. 

Lake Reports

Ash Pit – Dwain Keeling reported that the fish had continued to demonstrate steady growth and that the water had continued to benefit from both dying and lime treatments. The installation of good drainage had shielded the lake from potential damage during the winter floods and the lake is in good fettle for the forthcoming year which is likely to see some good fish caught.   

The Bailiffs – Shane Keeling reported that angler footfall has remained light on the lake but work had been undertaken over the winter to open up many of the swims to make access easier.  It is hoped that more anglers may fish the lake and that an increase in bait being introduced would benefit the fish.

Top Lakes– Dave Keeling said that much work had been done to increase the amount of light and wind that reaches the lake and that the trees and shrubs, particularly on the spit, had been thinned or removed to achieve this. An introduction of a small number of new fish was made in December 2025, the majority of which had settled in with only one casualty reported.   

The Lagoon– Shane Hargreaves said that although the numbers of fish caught had been lower last year, the VS Fisheries stockies were making good gains with fish reported reaching the mid 20s.  Considerable work had been done to replace the fencing from the car park to peg 31 with Tornado fencing, supported by a grant from the Environment Agency through an application managed by the Angling Trust.  There were however other areas of the old perimeter fence which would need replacement in the not too distant future.  

Treasurer’s Report

Alan Jones presented a summary of the club’s financial position and outlined the major items of income and expenditure during the 2025/26 year.  At the year end, there had been a modest surplus of funds which had been carried over to the new financial year.

Questions from Members

Paul Lakritz explained that the committee had received a two-part question from a member about potential for payment of subscriptions by an interest-free credit card to spread the cost over a period of time and another possibility of using a card/Apple Pay/Google Pay etc.

The question had led the committee to undertake a thorough investigation into the viability of the club offering alternative payment methods to the current bank transfer method. After scrutinising various options such as credit card, Apple Pay and Google Pay  it was concluded that there was no alternative process which the club could offer to members which would not incur additional costs or lead to complex amendments to the website all of which would be disproportionate to the benefits.  Additionally, the committee believed the alternative payment methods required extensive training to satisfy the increased data protection and financial regulations. 

The committee did however recognise that in cases of genuine hardship, a spreading of subscription fees for members over a period of time could be considered and that this flexibility would be communicated to members following the AGM and before subscriptions became due for payment.    

Subscription Fee Review

Dwain Keeling introduced the proposed increase in subscriptions for the 2026/27 season which will be:

Single Rod: £35

Basic ticket: £125

Basic+ Ticket: £225

AAA Ticket: £425

Dwain explained that the club had operated on very small surpluses for many years with little margin to accommodate the various unexpected costs which inevitably occurred other than by ‘raiding’ money allocated in the 5 Year Plan to desirable but discretionary needs e.g. restocking or use of external contractors.  He outlined some looming significant areas of expenditure such as repairs to the track across the complex and to the aging 3km of predator fencing around the lakes; a survey of the lower skirt indicates it is coming to the end of its useful life. Following the recent replacement of a section of the Lagoon otter fence, it is clear using a Tornado style skirt will achieve security from predation with limited maintenance with a long lifespan. 

Members debated the proposed increase with some members arguing that there had been a small surplus this year, even with some exceptional costs being incurred such as the fisheries consultant’s report and that costs might be spread out and managed to try to maintain a lower subscription rate.  Others agreed with the proposition to increase fees in order to put the club’s finances on a firmer footing.   

A modest increase of £25 on each of the annual subscriptions fees, other than the Single Rod Ticket, to the rates shown above was formally proposed by Paul Harriott and seconded by Rob Thacker and supported by a majority vote of members present.

Election of Committee Positions for Chair and Secretary

Shane Keeling said that the committee had received one expression of interest for the position of chairman from Scott Rodgers and invited him to introduce himself and say a few words about his suitability for the role.

Scott outlined his long membership of the club, his successful involvement with other fisheries and his desire to contribute to the future of the club by being an active Chairman and seeking to secure its long-term wellbeing.  

Phil Houghton proposed Scott’s appointment and Paul Harriott seconded it. Members present unanimously approved his appointment.

Shane then went on to say that the committee had received a single expression of interest from Nic Cole for the role of Secretary and asked Nic to say a few words in support of his application. Nic briefly spoke about his lifelong love of angling, his extensive administrative work experience as a civil servant and his long association with the club which he now wished to deepen by being its Secretary.

Paul Hariott proposed Nic’s appointment and Rob Thacker seconded the proposal.  Members present unanimously approved his appointment.

Re-Appointment of Standing Committee Members

Prior to the AGM Phil Houghton had submitted a request that committee members standing for re-election be considered individually rather than en-bloc.  At the meeting however Phil confirmed that he was content for re-election of existing committee members to be done en-bloc and, accordingly, the water managers and treasurer were all re-elected for a further term by members following a majority vote by the members present.      

Any Other Business

Shane Keeling invited members to raise any other items or questions and Phil Houghton asked why the committee had: 1) declined to accept the fish stocks he had been rearing off-site for some years from spawn and fry removed from the top lakes and 2) why his request for financial compensation for the costs of rearing those fish had recently been rejected by the committee.

Several committee members responded to those questions to say that the fish could not be accepted back into the lakes as they would be unlicensed and from a source that would not be health checked.  In terms of compensating Phil for costs he had taken on, the committee said that there had been no discussion and or agreement between the club and Phil that any costs he had incurred in looking after the fish would be recompensed.  However, the committee undertook to review his request at its next formal meeting.      

A question was posed to investigate how a variety of potential developments would be decided on. The member was provided assurance that any future development would be agreed through a transparent consultation with members, and final decisions would be arrived at in line with the club’s constitution.