24/Sep/2022
At the Extrordinary General Meeting held on the 7th September members voted to go forward with the proposal to apply for charity status. The committee have prepared documents for the application and are now seeking advice on minor points prior to the submission. It is hoped that this will go forward soon and charity status will be in place before the end of the year.
16/Aug/2022
Since the last update St Francis and their architects have made considerable progress in firming up the ground plans to fullfil their requirements for design of the swales and still allow sufficient are to be made available for a railway track to our requirements.
We now need to make progress with our Society change of status to a CIO and and lease agreements with St Francis before we can move forward with planning applications.
Latest news Sunday 24/Jul/2022
Just about the last bit of the Eggborough site to be demolished.
Image taken by Tony Haigh from Snaith camera club kindly allows this to be shown.
Leeds SMEE update on track progress - 13 July 2022
Progress has been slow this year but now there is movement and I can bring you up to date on two fronts.
- St Francis group, their architects and ourselves have reached a position where the design of the swales and the position of our track have just about been resolved. It is expected that digging out of the swales will commence very soon and planned to be completed by the end of August.
- This leads on to St Francis being able to draw up an agreement document for a lease.
- Before that we have a major stage to complete in establishing a new structure (Entity) for Leeds SMEE. We are now preparing the necessary governing documentation for submission to the Charities Commission to change the Society to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). This will allow us to enter agreements with St Francis Group on the lease of the land, support our planning application and assist us in any bids we make for funding to go towards the construction of the track site. We hope to complete this by the end of August and be in a position to present this to the membership. When we have completed the governing document, the ‘Constitution’, a copy will be made available to all paid up members with more details.
- An EGM has been arranged to take place on 7th September inviting members to vote on the proposals, an option to vote by post will be made available. If approved, we will then make application to the Charities Commission.
- When and if the Leeds Society of Model and Experimental Engineers CIO is established we will dissolve existing Leeds SMEE and transfer all assets and interests to Leeds SMEE CIO. The new entity will have a number of Trustees who will have the legal responsibility to manage the CIO, carryout its purposes for the public benefit and comply with the governing document.
The commitee have finalised the plan for a new Eggborough track and have submitted it to National Grid who replied saying they have no objections to the plans. The committee are now in the progress of getting agreement from St Francis group.
Final plans submission to NG and StF
St Francis group are keen for a railway to be built on the site and said they would help in anyway they can. It is important that we complete our plans and put forward a planning applications to the local council asap.