TLIO 2012 meeting minutes

[Tony Gosling]

The Land Is Ours Annual meeting,
Saturday 1st December 2012, 3-6pm
Cock Tavern Pub, 23 Pheonix Road, Euston, London NW1 1HB

Present:
Mark Brown, TLIO Treasurer, London
Adam Payne, Reclaim The Fields, Sussex
Lily, Displaced Communities, London
Justin Robbins, TLIO, Plymouth
Gill Baron, The Land magazine, TLIO, Monkton Wyld, Dorset
Simon Fairlie, The Land magazine, TLIO, Monkton Wyld, Dorset
George Miles, TLIO, Hatfield, Herefordshire
Tony Gosling, TLIO, Bristol
Jim Kinnaird, TLIO, Bristol
James Scrivens, Reclaim The Fields, Forest of Dean
Dave Bangs, TLIO, Brighton
Kim Turner, TLIO, Brighton
Darren Hill, Traveller
Peter Hack, TLIO, Bristol
Joyce Hambling, TLIO, London
Tom Young, London
Ram Selva, London
Jenny Downing, London
Ben, London
Ian (The Goat) Stardust, Runnymede Diggers, Middlesex
Gerry Downing, Socialist Fight, London

Apologies
Jessica Hodge
Wendy Mill
Brendan Boal, Middlesborough
Fran Anderson, London
Phoenix Rainbow, Traveller

1. Background & history of TLIO => Dave Bangs in the chair
Simon Fairlie gave a resume of the history of 
TLIO outlining a period of major events & actions 
beginning in 1995 through to the Diggers action 
in 1999. After the 2004 Tony Wrench roundhouse 
action there follows a long period of decline 
until the present. Simon attributed an 
appreciable amount of this decline to internal disputes.
Discussion followed with contributions by Tony 
Gosling, Gill Baron, Mark Brown & Dave Bangs amongst others.

2. Direction of TLIO
There was a discussion about the direction of 
TLIO with the two sides of the group were 
outlined: campaigning/lobbying and direct action.
Dave Bangs raised concerns about allocation of urban land for housing.
Mark Brown gave a short presentation about income 
and expenditure and the April 209 bequest by 
Harold Varley-Marshall of c. £38,000
Loan to Ecological Land Co-op - £10,000
The Land magazine - £9,000
Yurt construction - £3,000

Others:
Cadastral mapping project
Advisory Service for Squatters
Bristol Housing Action Movement (BHAM)
The Luddites
Runnymede Diggers
Reclaim The Fields
2011 TLIO gathering at Monkton Wyld

Projected future funding:
Via Campesina, peasant movement - £2,000

Simon Fairlie donated £50 to TLIO to be passed on to Defend Council Housing

3. The need for a land rights campaign => Joyce Hambling in the chair
It was generally agreed that there was a need for 
a group such as The Land Is Ours to campaign on land rights
Tony Gosling suggested having a proper 
'membership' organisation. This was seconded by 
Mark Brown. No vote was taken on this.
Dave Bangs proposed an interim steering group be 
formed at the meeting of up to 10 members to 
carry on the work of The Land Is Ours during the 
next few months. "That we elect a new steering 
committee, with a ceiling of ten members, to take 
TLIO through to the next stage in its refoundation"
When Dave Bangs proposed his motion, Mark Brown 
explained that the Core Group still exists 
(resignations are pending new people being 
elected) and that the role of a New Steering 
Group would be to collaborate where possible, with the existing Core Group.
A vote was taken, results as follows: For 12, 
Against 2; Abstentions, 5. The proposal was carried.
Volunteers for the interim steering group were: 
Tony Gosling, Jim Kinnaird, Joyce Hambing, Kim 
Turner, Ram Selva, Mark Brown, Darren Hill & George Miles.
Mark Brown proposed a resolution that required 
the old core group to make public any objection 
to the new procedures and steering group. A vote 
was taken and the resolution passed with only George Miles voting against.

4. Next meeting.
A date was fixed for the next meeting to take 
place on 1st Saturday in March 2013. Venue to be confirmed.
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