Chairman's Report for the 1st AGM


I am delighted to give this AGM Report as Chairman on behalf of Tintern Angiddy Project Ltd, which was incorporated on the 7th September 2006 as a Community Project and Company Limited by Guarantee.

Since then I and the other 3 directors have worked collectively and unanimously in the effort to achieve a community owned micro hydro electric scheme that will be financially rewarding and sustainable for the community of Tintern for many years to come. Our first phase and arduous task for the past 18 months, which is now nearing completion, has been the preliminary ground work and feasibility studies to prove that this hydro scheme would be financially viable and have no negative impact on the community or its residents and the local environment and ultimately to gain planning approval.

We have left no stone unturned in acquiring this information. In some cases TAP has exceeded normal levels of research to provide Tintern community, local authorities and other public bodies with the confidence that TAP is a well structured and an accountable community venture..

All TAP directors have made it their responsibility to personally meet with local residents, land owners, local authority officers in the effort to understand and meet statutory requirements or local concerns. TAP has also commissioned specialists to produce in depth reports and although the following information is not exhaustive this shows the level of directors' commitment towards the project

TAP has commissioned a full Environmental Survey to assess the impact of the project on the Angiddy Valley. This was undertaken by Wye Valley Surveys who have covered all aspects of flora and fauna, invertebrates with additional experts called in to help with crayfish and bryophytes.

An archaeological survey was commissioned and undertaken by Dr Neil Phillips of APAC Ltd to ascertain that nothing of archaeological interest will be damaged during installation of the hydro project. Its methodology covered the geography and topography of the area plus the historical background. Supporting evidence was given by the British Geological survey, CADW, Monmouthshire County Record Office, all within the framework of Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) Gwent, Glamorgan Archaeological Trust (GGAT), Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments Wales Aberystwyth (RCAHMW) and CADW.

TAP has also engaged a specialist company called HYDROGENERATION to liaise with the Environment Agency to obtain all the necessary EA permissions. HydroGeneration will supply complete system design and have verified TAP's own findings on the viability of the scheme, the micro hydro scheme being capable of generating 145,000 KWh per year.

The Environment Agency is the major department that scrutinises all TAP directors' reports. We have met with the local EA officer plus their bio-diversity and fisheries officers. The EA alone will be the body that determines how much water TAP will be able to use whilst maintaining the equilibrium of the Angiddy River.

Further meetings were held with Monmouthshire County Council Highways officers, Rights of Way officers, Planning Case officer and Land Asset Management officer.

Communication have been held over many months with Forestry Commission Wales. Site meetings with the local Forestry commission officer Richard Gable have enabled TAP to gain landowner's approval from their head office and meet their requests and supply an arboricultural report for the length of the pipeline.

It has not been easy acquiring some of these specialist reports and on several occasions it has been frustrating waiting for replies from public bodies before TAP was able to move on to the next area or report to address; but perseverance has prevailed.

I would like to thank Phil Powell our Technical Director who has spent many hours on the phone, or emails, or at site meeting with electrical and hydro experts, seeking the correct information for components, the right size electrical cables and water pipes and several visits to the architect to advise of improvements.

Morris Jones, our Finance Director has worked relentlessly with sourcing and grant funding. To date we have sought funding from Rainford Trust, Axis 3 Rural Development Plan for Wales, CEDS, SDF, Co-op Bank, O2, Tudor Trust, Magnoxnorth, Biffa, CADW, CFAP etc to name a few. My thanks again to Morris for paying our specialists on time and keeping us within budget.

Norman Williams, TAP's Marketing and Publicity Director has had the grand task of communication involving, in the past year, monthly reports to Tintern News and the update emails to all the members of TAP, the additional support to myself with letters to public bodies and supporting site visits. Norman has regularly maintained our water flow measurements 3 days a week for HydroGeneration and the EA. Norman has helped with all the information for the TAP website and minuted all the meetings attended by TAP Directors.

Finally I would like to thank members of TAP and residents of Tintern for their continued support for this ambitious project. All Directors have given up valuable personal time to achieve this pioneering community project and look forward to implementing phase 2 and raising sufficient funds to see this project through to completion.

Chris Rastall - Chairman for TAP Ltd

Other AGM items

Morris Jones, Finance Director, gave an update on the finances of TAP Ltd, and confirmed that sufficient funding was in place to complete the pre-project surveys.

All 4 directors of TAP Ltd were subsequently re-elected by the members present.
The AGM was concluded with a questions and answers session.