Constitution May 2026

This updated constitution for CPRE North and East Yorkshire (Registered Charity No. 1174989) reflects amendments made by Special Resolution on 15 May 2026.

Key Document Details

• Charity Name & Purpose: Formally named CPRE North and East Yorkshire, operating as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in England. Our core objective is to protect, improve, and encourage better development of the English countryside, particularly across North and East Yorkshire, for public benefit.
• Membership Provisions: Membership consists of national CPRE members residing in (or assigned to) North and East Yorkshire. Subscription rates remain determined centrally by CPRE. Members hold no personal financial liability if the CIO is wound up.
• Governance & Board Structure: Managed by a Board of Charity Trustees. Ex-officio Honorary Officers include the Chairman, up to two Vice Chairmen, and the Honorary Treasurer.
• Trustee Terms & Service Limits: Trustees retire annually at the AGM but may stand for re-election. Maximum continuous service is capped at 6 years, extendable up to 9 consecutive years only under exceptional circumstances recommended by the Board.
• General Meetings & Voting: Requires an Annual General Meeting (AGM) held within 15 months of the previous one. Quorum for general meetings is set at 15 voting members (in person, by proxy, or virtually). Motions pass by a simple majority, while constitutional amendments or dissolution require a 75% majority.
• Operational Rules & Digital Capabilities: Formalises provisions for holding meetings via electronic means, issuing digital notices/written resolutions, and handling trustee conflicts of interest or indemnity insurance.
• Local & Regional Structures: Retains the power to maintain or discontinue District Groups across local/county authority boundaries and collaborate with CPRE Regional Groups.
• Dissolution: In the event of winding up, remaining assets cannot be distributed to members and must be transferred to national CPRE or an equivalent countryside charity.