Constitution
The SAPRA consitution was agreed at the AGM which took place on the 30th of October 2019.
- The association shall be known as the ‘St Andrews Park Residents Association’ abbreviated as ‘SAPRA’
- The association shall not be affiliated to any political or sectarian organisation
- The objective of the association shall be to protect the interests of all residents of St Andrews Park (SAP) for the greater good
- Membership of the association shall be open to any owner (aged 18 or over) of a property situated within SAP. Adult tenants are also eligible for membership, providing they have resided on the estate for more than 24 months. The annual subscription shall be decided at each Annual General Meeting and is non-refundable.
- Voting, either at meetings or via a ballot, shall be confined to one vote per property
- The affairs of the association shall be managed by Committee Officers consisting of ‘Chairman’, ‘Deputy Chairman’, ‘Treasurer’ and ‘Secretary’. These positions shall be elected at the AGM, and an officer can stay in the same position for a maximum of three consecutive terms. A three-month handover period will follow an Officer’s tenure. The remainder of the Committee shall be formed of up to 15 Committee Members. These positions are unelected. Both Officers and Members will be encouraged to represent specific roads within SAP.
- Meetings will occur on a monthly basis, unless otherwise agreed by the Committee Officers. Attendees will be
a) Committee Officers;
b) Committee Members up to a maximum of 15;
c) any other member of the association, with at least 28 days’ notice but solely in a participant observer role with no eligibility to vote. - All Committee Officers and Members must attend half of all calendarised meetings within a twelve month period. Failure to do so may result in removal from the Committee. Apologies must be sent to the Chairman and Deputy Chairman in advance of any meeting should an Officer or Member be unable to attend.
- All meeting correspondence and communications shall not be shared externally or via social media without prior consent from the Committee Officers.
- The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association shall be held in October or as soon as possible thereafter. As a minimum the AGM shall cover
a) work of the committee during the previous year;
b) summary of the financial position of the association;
c) election of Committee Officers for the following twelve-month period. - The financial year of the association shall from 1st April to 31st March.
- All monies collected by the association shall be held by the treasurer who shall maintain a bank account in the name of the association. All payments shall be authorised by the Chairman or Deputy Chairman.
- A Special General Meeting (SGM) may be called by the Committee with at least 14 days’ notice.
- No addition or alteration to these rules may be made except at an AGM or SGM. Any alteration or addition to the rules shall require a two-third majority of the votes cast at the meeting.
- The association may be wound up by a vote of at least three quarters of the members present at the SGM called for such a purpose. Any monies remaining after meeting all debts shall be donated to a
local charity or voluntary organisation, agreed upon at the time by Committee Members by vote.
Code Of Ethics
Conduct at Meetings / on Estate / social networks
Members should at all times observe accepted practice while taking part in a meeting.
1.1 To be courteous to each other and support and assist other members in seeking the best possible solution to problems being discussed.
1.2 To remember to follow the agenda, and to help each other reach effective decisions.
1.3 To follow the guidance of the Chair in the conduct of the meeting.
1.4 To allow each other the opportunity to speak and comment.
1.5 To remember that you are representing the views and are accountable to your community and the membership of the association.
1.6 To remember that the purpose of the meeting is to benefit all Residents generally and not specific individuals.
1.7 To bear in mind the rights of individual residents and the duties of staff when proposing solutions to problems.
1.8 Not to write on behalf of the association (including emails) without the prior agreement of the association. Any correspondence sent on behalf of the association should be made available to all members of the association.
1.9 To operate within the rules laid down in the constitution.
2 Discrimination
2.1 No member will discriminate on any grounds against any other member of the association, officer or member of the public.
2.2 Discriminatory language will not be used in any discussion.
2.3 All those who attend meetings have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, gender, marital status, age, sexuality, religion or any other matter which causes people to be treated with injustice.
3 Conflicts of Interest
3.1 Members should disclose any interest, whether personal or on behalf of any group they represent, that they consider may affect or influence their approach to the matter under discussion.
3.2 Members must not expect to receive more or less favourable treatment by St. Modwen Homes or Estate Management Company because of their membership of the association.
4 Confidentiality
4.1 Members should respect all individual resident’s confidentiality, whether present or not and refrain from mentioning specific individual cases which may cause embarrassment or identification of an individual.
5 Political Affiliation
5.1 Individual members may be affiliated to/or be part of a political party, but they may not represent a political party in their role as a member of the association.
6 Breach of the Code of Conduct
6.1 If a member of the association or committee or a member of the public does not abide by the Code of Conduct during a meeting, the Chair will warn that if they break the Code of Conduct again they may be asked to leave the meeting.
6.2 The Chair may give the member of the committee, or association or a member of the public two further warnings (a maximum of three warnings in any one meeting or three consecutive meetings).
6.3 If the member of the committee, association or of the public continues to ignore the Code of Conduct then the Chair will ask the meeting to vote on whether the member should be asked to leave.
6.4 Should a more serious breach of the Code of Conduct occur, or should there be persistent breaches of the Code of Conduct over a sustained period then the committee may consider whether or not to suspend or expel a member from the membership of the association.
6.5 Should a suspension or expulsion of a member occur that member may request that the matter be reviewed at a General Meeting where a decision shall be taken by a majority of those members of the association who are present.
6.6 Should any member expelled from the association for a breach of the Code of Conduct wish to re-join the association this can only be achieved by a vote of members of the association at a General Meeting at which notice has been given of this matter. In such circumstances a simple majority of the association members present must be in favour of the application. 6.7 If the Chair’s behaviour brings about a breach of the Code of Conduct, the Deputy Chair shall be empowered to run the association as an interim measure. The membership may then decide on a course of action which could include any of the above measures. If the Chairs behaviour causes the position of the Chair to become untenable the committee can remove the post holder at a special meeting called for that purpose