Chairman’s Report 2021
2020 was a year of which few of us will have fond memories. It was a year of great upheaval to normal routines and for many people much sadness at the loss of friends and loved ones.
The Covid-19 pandemic curtailed many of the usual TDRA activities during 2020 including publication and distribution of Newsletters and “The Resident” and we were unable to hold the AGM or to host the regular coffee morning in October.
The 2021 Annual General Meeting in May is being conducted online using “Zoom” rather than a live meeting. Let us hope that as we progress to 2022, with an ever increasing proportion of the population having the benefit of vaccination, we are gradually able to resume our normal lives.
However, the committee has not been completely idle during these past two years! We have continued to participate in the Neighbourhood Planning initiative, comment on planning applications and follow up on requests from members for our support. Members of the committee have also continued to be active in the promotion of a cinema for Tenterden and in the recreation ground focus group.
As TDRA further embraces the electronic age, the Newsletter will in future be despatched electronically by email to all members for whom we hold an email address. For those members without access to email a paper copy will be sent by 2nd class post. If you have yet to let us know your email address let me assure you it is not too late – you can do it as soon as you finish reading this, if not sooner!
Despite the periods of lockdown, various town projects have been slowly moving forward and are expected to progress to the implementation stage in the near future:
- A planning application has recently been submitted to ABC for the redevelopment of the Recreation Ground to include a youth hub building, skateboard/bmx park, new tennis and netball courts and multi-use games area (MUGA).
- The planning application for improvements to the Town Hall has been temporarily withdrawn pending sorting out some issues regarding its listed status but is expected to move towards implementation later in the year.
- A new site for the cinema is being sought after the feasibility study for the development at the Pebbles showed that the plans for the site were too costly at some £3.5 million.
The town has been waiting a long time for some of these projects so while I welcome the progress I feel that there is more that could, and should, be done by TTC to support a cinema development in the town which was overwhelmingly supported by residents in the various surveys conducted by or for TTC.
This AGM represents the finale of my 5-year stint as TDRA Chairman. I had hoped for a smooth handover to an incoming new Chairman, but as I write no nominations have been received. I hope that one (or more) of you will step up to offer yourself to join the committee or suggest to one of your friends that they should consider making the leap. Your town needs you!
Finally, I would like to thank committee members for all of their hard work over the years and I hope that the next year is a happier one for everyone.
Alan Bates, Chairman
