THE New Alresford Town Trust (NATT) is planning to implement a new structure for the 21st Century.

It aims to include the launch of a membership scheme, which the trustees believe will better serve the interests of the people of Alresford, the future of the town, and should improve the relationship between the Trust and New Alresford Town Council.

A registered charity, NATT was founded on March 28, 1890, to inherit the publicly-owned assets of the town – accrued since 1295 and previously administered by the Corporation of the Bailiff and Burgesses – when these roles were abolished by Parliament using the Municipal Corporations Act of 1883.

The intention was to promote local democracy, and to use public elections to create parish councils, but the first of these elections didn’t happen until December 1894. By this time the people of Alresford were said to be “fairly unimpressed” by the actions of the Trust, particularly when the trustees abandoned their pledge to provide the town with a reliable emergency water supply to fight the frequent house fires.

As a result, only one of the four original trustees was elected to the parish council while the others were rejected. This led to conflict between NATT and the new parish council, as the trustees who had been spurned refused to transfer the Trust assets, acquired in 1890, to the council, and because of this the two bodies continued to exist side by side.

According to current trustee Pam Stevens, NATT still manages some of the assets acquired in 1890: these include the land and trees on either side of The Avenue, on the western approach to the town, and the Old Fire Station on Broad Street. The Trust also has rights to piccage and stallage arising from sheep fairs and other fairs and markets, particularly those frequently seen in Broad Street. When the sheep fairs were a major event in the town, these fees were a major source of income for the Trust.

From 1980 onwards the Trust expanded its activities and its role in Alresford life. Modern Charity Law now dictates that a charity can only transfer or sell significant assets to another charity, and not to a person, business or town council: as a result, the Trust has benefited by being appointed to manage and administer the Arthur Stowell Fund for encouraging school history projects, and has taken over responsibility for the Alresford and District Museum Trust originally established by Roy Robins.

NATT has taken responsibility for the restoration of Eel House, built in 1820. It has a 99-year lease and has raised £42,000, mainly from the public, with some help from local councils, to help with this work.

In more recent years, a charitable hardship fund has been established to provide financial assistance to those in need in the town. And, more publicly, the Trust organises the Thursday market in Broad Street and runs the yellow town minibus which provides much-needed transport for the disabled and elderly of Alresford and the surrounding villages.

NATT is specified as being managed by nine trustees, four ‘co-opted’ by the Trust for a term of five years and five ‘nominated’ by the New Alresford Town Council for a term of four years. The nominated trustees were originally selected by a meeting of the (St John’s) church vestry, but this role was taken over, along with all other non-ecclesiastical matters, by Alresford Parish Council when it was created in 1895.

Mrs Stevens said: “As the successor to the parish council, the town council has had a track record of nominating existing or former councillors as town trustees, which means that the selection process is from a very small group of individuals who might not necessarily have the time, skills or motivation to undertake the role and activities needed from a town trustee.

“Also, the requirement on a trustee to act in the best interests of the Trust can create an inherent conflict with the responsibilities of a town councillor which, in the past, some councillors have had difficulty managing.”

He added: “The Trust is a very different, more charitable organisation today compared to the organisation that was created 125 years ago.”

With the agreement of the town council, the trustees have now chosen to implement a membership scheme within NATT. Membership will be open to adults within Alresford and the surrounding villages who wish to become involved. Members will pay a one-off fee of £5 and will remain members for life, provided they continue to meet the residential qualification.

An annual meeting will be held to approve the annual report and accounts and an election will be held every four years. Members will be eligible to nominate and elect the five nominated trustees (those previously nominated by New Alresford Town Council) from within the membership for a four-year term.

It is felt by the board that this will broaden the number of people eligible to become trustees and ensure that people who are keen to become further involved will be considered for election.

According to Mrs Stevens, NATT is governed by its charity trust deed and is accountable to the Charities Commission alone, to ensure that it operates in accordance with that deed. As such, the re-structuring proposals have been submitted and approved by the Charities Commission.

She said: “The commissioners raised no objections to the changes and as an interim measure have confirmed that the existing seven trustees are allowed to stay in office for up to 18 months to see through the re-structuring and put a suitable membership scheme in place.”

To be launched officially by MP Steve Brine during a special NATT event in Alresford, the new membership scheme will be explained in discussions with relevant societies and groups, and at public meetings starting this month, and it is hoped to complete the process before the end of 2016, with the first election to be held in February 2017.

Enrolment forms can be obtained from NATT at The Old Fire Station, Broad Street, Alresford, SO24 9AN or by calling Pam Stevens on 01962 734861.