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National Trust sees off members' revolt

Governance | Ian Allsop | 5 Nov 2008

The National Trust has successfully seen off a members’ revolt over plans to develop housing on one of its Welsh estates.

Members rejected two resolutions at the charity’s AGM last weekend, which had called for plans to build houses on the outskirts of the Erddig estate at Rhostyllen, near Wrexham, to be halted.

Around 35,000 National Trust members voted in each of the two ballots, rejecting the resolutions put forward by opponents of the proposal by a ratio of nearly two to one.

The Trust pointed out that when it was given the Erddig estate in 1973 the land at Rhostyllen was specifically identified in the deed of gift as part of the endowment which could be sold to provide funds for the upkeep and maintenance of the part of the estate to be preserved by the Trust.

In 1996 Wrexham Council’s planning process identified that the Rhostyllen land was the best place to meet housing need in the area. The Trust commenced public consultation on proposals to develop this land in 1999 and held several public meetings in Rhostyllen to seek local views and opinions. A public inquiry into the development plans for Wrexham confirmed the allocation in 2002.

‘Will benefit community and nation’

The Trust said that all of the proceeds of the sale of the land will go towards the long-term conservation of the Erddig estate, “for the benefit of the local community and the nation”. It cites many benefits to the whole of the Rhostyllen community from the proposed development including 55 affordable houses, a new community hall, tea-rooms and a children’s garden and fixed equipment play area.

Iwan Huws, the National Trust’s director for Wales, said: “While the proposals have received strong support from parts of the local community, there have also been strong objections from others. We appreciate that development of this nature will rarely be universally welcomed, and fully respect the right of people to express their views in this way. We are pleased that our members have had the opportunity to consider and debate the proposals in this way.”

The resolutions, to bring an immediate halt the development and ‘remove’ Trust staffed involved in the project, were rejected by 22,158 votes to 14,382 and 24,957 votes to 10,158 respectively. Members were able to vote at the AGM event itself and in advance of the event, through online and paper ballots. Members also voted overwhelmingly that sustainability be central to all of the Trust’s decisions.

‘Unfair’ discretionary voting

But votes in favour of the development included more than 8,000 discretionary votes cast in a block by Sir William Proby, the Trust’s chair, on behalf of non-voting members. Campaigners against the development called this unfair.

The Trust’s communications chief Andrew McLaughlin responded by saying that the decision by members to award their discretionary vote to the chairman shows that they have confidence that he will make the best decision in the Trust’s best interests. “It is a positive decision to allocate their vote in this way and should be seen as such,” he said.

Secondly, he added, the show of hands in the hall for both Erddig resolutions was overwhelmingly to reject the resolutions. “This supports the chairman's decision to use the discretionary vote in this way and also that, having heard the complexities of the issue, the membership is clearly behind the move to reject the resolutions.”

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