National Trust says: Welcome to the live webcast of the 113th Annual General Meeting of The National Trust.
We would really like to hear from you, so please use this opportunity to take part. Anybody may submit questions to the webchat via the form to the left. Members are invited to raise questions to the AGM, but please ensure you include your membership number.
We will try to answer as many of your questions as we can.
Thank you.
Caroline Sprott: I think it's great that the Trust has launched an appeal to save Seaton Delaval Hall in Northumberland for the nation. Can you tell me what happens if the appeal is not successful and what happens to members' and the public's donations if the appeal target is not reached?
National Trust replies: Answered by David Ronn, Director for Yorkshire & the North East during the meeting. Please forward your webchat browser to 58.10 minutes for response
Des McConaghy: The Giant's Causeway World Heritage Site is Northern Ireland's premier tourist attraction and a jewel in the Trust's crown. But the Visitor's Centre burned down over eight years ago. Is the failure to provide a replacement not due both to the NI government's inability in resolving all the local planning issues and also their apparent wish to place the maximum financial burden on the National Trust and private sector? Therefore can Members know (a) if all the local planning issues have now been officially resolved; (b) the total costs to the Trust (including all consultancy fees) for work and abortive work related to the Centre since 2000; and, (c) if there is yet a starting date for construction of the Centre?
National Trust replies: Answered by Simon Murray, Director of Operations during the meeting. Please forward your webchat browser to 1 hour 7.53 minutes for response.
Virginia Parker: Why were admission rates not included in the 2008 members Handbook? Please could this omission be remedied for 2009.
National Trust replies: Answered by Sue Wilkinson, Director of Marketing & Supporter Development during the meeting. Please forward your webchat browser to 1 hour 11.21 minutes for response.
Wick Alan: How can potential future benefactors be confident that the conditions of their bequeathals will be honoured and respected, in letter and spirit, given the proposed developments at Erdigg Country Park?
National Trust replies: The proposed development at Erdigg is entirely compatible with the donor, Philip Yorkes' wishes - as expressed very clearly in his deed of gift of the property to the Trust.
Frances Robertson: How is the National Trust working with its trade union Prospect to promote the sustainability agenda, and how has it found its experience of developing union environmental reps?
National Trust replies: We believe the National Trust and Prospect are as one on the issue of sustainability. While we don’t have environmental reps in place, we are planning to discuss with prospect representatives how we can work more closely together. We envisage a positive working relationship on this important topic.
Greg Slay: National Trust properties (built and landscape)are increasingly popular as locations for films and for television drama programmes. As the Director-General has already reminded us this morning, 'people more and more want what we offer.' Could consideration be given to adding a new symbol to the annual Handbook for Members and Visitors, from 2010 onwards, together with an annually updated listing of the names of the films and/or television drama productions that have taken place at Trust properties?
National Trust replies: We agree that members and visitors love to hear about how our properties are being used as film and TV locations. As the handbook is only produced once a year, and we’re already struggling with space constraints, it may be hard to do more than feature a few in the handbook, but certainly we’ll be using our magazine and website as much as we can to share this information.
Greg Slay: One in four of us will use mental health services at some point in our lives. An important part of looking after our mental health is be physically healthy, active and creative. As the Trust outwardly promotes the spiritual benefit of its green spaces as 'oxygen for the soul' can we be similiarly confident that the Trust is promoting the mental wellbeing of its staff and enabling its staff to further develop their skills in working with people who do experience mental distress?
National Trust replies: A good question. We know from the results of staff surveys that there are high levels of staff satisfaction in the Trust and we do what we can to ensure that staff enjoy their working lives. For example we encourage staff to participate in learning at work days, and the Great Green Leap Day in February gave staff an opportunity to take time out to ‘green up’ their lives at home. But from time to time staff do need support. We have an independent, free counselling service available to staff. We’re also piloting a stress management training programme. We run a number of programmes for staff who work with our visitors who may have a variety of needs. The challenge about those with mental distress is a good one and we’ll consider what more we can do.
Peter Bate: The Trust owns 5,000 cottages which are the homes of ordinary people.Many of these tenants face financial difficulty in the current economic climate.
Will the Trust please undertake not to drive any tenant out of their home by applying unaffordable rent increases?
National Trust replies: As with the foot and mouth disaster some years ago, when our farm tenants were potentially severely affected by this disease, the National Trust will look carefully at each cottage tenants individual circumstances if they are suffering financial hardship.
Alasdair Price: Can we have better and more wheelchair accessibility to our properties?
National Trust replies: Thank you for your question. We constantly strive to improve access to all our properties and the most current and full information on this is available through our "Access Guide" which aims to provide assistance in planning your visit. To request a copy of this publication or to seek more information on access for all, please email us at accessforall@nationaltrust.org.uk . If you have any property specific queries or suggestions, please do ring them direct and let them know. They really value hearing your feedback and will do their best to accommodate your needs.
Peter Bate: From where in its original format and its constitution does the Trust have the authority to be involved in speculative housing development?
National Trust replies: The National Trust was given wide powers under Section 4(2) of the National Trust Act 1907 to manage its land so long as it does not do so in a way inconsistent with its statutory purposes. The "full powers of ownership over their lands and property" referred to in that section would include the power to sell land (except, of course, for land which had been declared inalienable) or to develop it.
However, there appears to have been some uncertainty as to whether the National Trust could acquire and hold land purely as an investment, and this was resolved by section 4(a) of the National Trust Act 1937, which gave the National Trust the express power to do so with a view to any profits being used "for the maintenance and preservation of any other part of the Trust Property or for any particular purpose of the National Trust or for its general purposes".
Peter Bate: Is the proposed development in direct conflict with the Chairmans statement at the last AGM where he proposed that the Trust buy up greenbelt land to prevent housing development of this type?
National Trust replies: No. The Chairman did not say this - although there were inaccurate reports in the press of what he said. Whilst raising the issue of the importance of green space, and the need to protect it from inappropriate development, the Chairman in his statement made very clear that the Trust does recognise the need for some development, and that at Stamford Brook, Altrincham the Trust had been setting an example of appropriate and environmentally sensitive development.