Minutes of the Staffing, Finance & General Purposes Committee held in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Bideford on Thursday 20 October 2011 at 5.30 pm

PRESENT:

North Ward:

Councillor Mrs M P Fulford

South Ward:

Councillor A T Inch
Councillor S G Inch (Chairman)
Councillor T J Johns (Town Mayor)
Councillor P J Pester

South (Outer) Ward:

Councillor A T Powell

      
East Ward:

Councillor R W Vanstone

IN ATTENDANCE:

Mrs H B Blackburn (Deputy Town Clerk)
Mr R Coombes (Assistant to the Town Clerk)
2 X members of the public

053 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Councillor S E L Clarke OBE  ( East Ward – Personal)

054 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA

Councillor A T Inch declared a personal interest in agenda item 7 (Bideford Area Club Learning Disabled – Helper, Bideford 500 Project – Gave  Councillor grant via Torridge District Council and Torridge Mid-Devon & Bude CAB – Member).

Councillor S G Inch declared a personal interest in agenda item 7 (Bideford Youth Pipe Band – Daughter involved, Port of Bideford Regatta Committee – Sits on Massed Pipes and Drums Committee, Tarka Pipe Band – Wife and daughter involved).

Councillor T J Johns declared a personal interest in agenda item 7 (Bideford AFC Youth – Attended opening ceremony, Bideford OAP No 1. – Member and Bideford Archive Council).

Councillor P J Pester declared a personal interest in agenda item 7 (Bideford Area Club Learning Disabled – Helper and Bideford Sea Cadets – Committee member) and a prejudicial interest in agenda item 7 (Torridge Male Voice Choir – Secretary).

Councillor A T Powell declared a personal interest in agenda item 7 (Bideford 500 – Member, Bideford Bay Creatives – knows members, Bideford AFC Youth – knows members, Bideford Festival Committee – knows members, Bideford Youth Pipe Band – know members).

Councillor R W Vanstone declared a personal interest in agenda item 7 (Bideford Festival Committee – Event organiser is brother-in-law).

All members presented declared a personal interest in agenda item 7 (Bideford Railway Heritage Centre CIC – Town Council owns shares).

055 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PERIOD

The representative from Bideford AFC Youth spoke on how they had set up the youth teams this year, that they shared the name with Bideford AFC but not finance.  The teams play and train inside the town.  They used some personal finances to originally support the new team but were now at a stage where they were actively looking for external funding and support from a number of sources.

(Councillors Mrs Fulford and Vanstone arrived at the meeting).

056 MINUTES – STAFFING, FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE

The Minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2011 were approved and signed as a correct record.

(Vote – For: 4,  Against: 0,  Abstentions: 3)

057 CHAIRMAN

The Deputy Town Clerk presented proposals for IT assistance from Torridge District Council and received support from Members.  It was agreed that she would draw up a service level agreement with Torridge District Council for this purpose.

058 ACCOUNTS

a. Proposed by Councillor Vanstone, seconded and

RESOLVED:  That the list of payments be approved.

(Vote – For: 7 ,  Against:  0)

059 GRANTS TO LOCAL ORGANISATIONS

a. Copies of the grant applications had been circulated to members with the     agenda.  Members noted the content of the report which is attached and forms     part of these Minutes.

b. On the motion of Councillor Powell, seconded and:

RESOLVED:  That the Council approves the following amounts totalling £75,945 to be paid by way of a grant for the Financial Year commencing 1 April 2012.  This figure includes a provisional amount of £5,000 (Pollyfield application) and £7,500 (Torridge Community Transport Association) which is subject to discussion and approval at the SF&GP meeting on 17 November 2011. In accordance with its powers under Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972 the Council should incur further expenditure in the sum of £ 3,800 which, in the opinion of the Council, is in the interests of the area or its inhabitants and will benefit them in a manner commensurate with the expenditure:

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS

Proposed by Councillor Johns, seconded and

RESOLVED: That Standing Orders be suspended in order for a Member of the Public to provide information regarding the application by Harbour.

(Vote – For: 7, Against: 0)

Information on the Harbour application and premises was provided by the Member of the Public.

RETURN TO STANDING ORDERS

Proposed by Councillor Vanstone, seconded and

RESOLVED: That following the contribution from the Member of the Public the Meeting return to Standing Orders.

(Vote – For: 7, Against: 0)

Army Cadet Force (Bideford Detachment)
£500.00

Atlantic Village Tourist Information Centre
2,000.00

Bideford Amateur Boxing Club

£3,600.00

Bideford Amateur Rowing Club

£3,020.00

Bideford Area Club Learning Disabled
£160.00

Bideford AFC Youth
£2,800.00

Bideford Bay Creatives
£1,500.00

Bideford Buzz Newsletter Group
£750.00

Bideford Christmas Committee
£5,000.00

Bideford Festival Committee
£14,000.00

Bideford Film Society
£2,000.00

Bideford 500 Project
£3,000.00

Bideford Ladies Club
£300.00

Bideford Landivisiau Twinning Assoc
£750.00

Bideford Music Club
£300.00

Bideford Number One Branch OAPs
£500.00

Bideford Phoenix Morris
£100.00

Bideford Pilot Gig Club
Deferred

Bideford Railway Heritage Centre CIC
£2,000.00

Bideford St John Ambulance
£1,200.00

Bideford (Second) Scout Group
£750.00

Bideford Sea Cadets
£3,000.00

Bideford Street Pastors
£1,500.00

Bideford Town Band
£3,000.00

Bideford Youth Pipe Band
£2,000.00

Families in Grief
£600.00

Bideford & District Archive Council
£575.00

Harbour Bideford
31,000.00

M E North Devon
£200.00

Pollyfield Community Association
Deferred

Port of Bideford Regatta Committee
£4,000.00

South Coast Regatta
£800.00

Tarka Pipe Band
£2,000.00

Torridge Community Transport Association
Deferred

Torridge District Neighbourhood Watch
140.00

Torridgeside Majorettes
£500.00

Torridge Male Voice Choir
£500.00

Torridge, Mid Devon & Bude CAB
£2,000.00

Ethelwynne Brown Art Club
£500.00

Kenwith Company of Archers
£200.00

c. The applications for the Pilot Gig Club and Pollyfield Community Association were deferred pending more information.  Representatives will be invited to a meeting of the Council to give detailed presentations before any decision making contributions are considered.

d. The decision on the application for the Torridge Community Transport Association is deferred until the Staffing & Finance Meeting on 17 November 2011 to allow the group to submit their accounts which are currently with the accountant.

(Vote – For:  7,  Against:  0)

060 SEWER VENTILATION COLUMN AT CATSHOLE LANE/CLOVELLY ROAD

Members reviewed three tenders for the Sewer Ventilation Column.  Proposed by Councillor Powell, seconded and

RESOLVED:   That John Pavitt Engineers be appointed to undertake the repair work to the sewer ventilation column at Catshole Lane.

(Vote – For: 7,  Against:  0)     

061 POLLYFIELD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

Members received the report of the Pollyfield Community Association.  Councillor Vanstone advised that Mr Dezart is no longer a member of the Association and enquired as to whether all Members had been invited to the Pollyfield Association Meeting.  The Clerk was asked to obtain the charity account number from Councillor Mrs Davies.

062 QUALITY STATUS RE-ACCREDIATION

The Deputy Town Clerk advised Members that the Town Council’s Quality Status expires on 8th November 2011.  She has reviewed the re-accreditation criteria and taken advice from Lesley Smith, County Secretary, who informed her that a number of the Quality Status conditions have not been satisfied.  In view of this, Members discussed allowing the Quality Status to lapse for a short period with a view to attaining re-accreditation following the Annual Parish meeting in 2012 at which time the current omissions could be addressed through the Annual Report.  Councillor Powell strongly advised the development of a Parish plan to support the Quality Status application.

RECOMMENDED: That the Council allows Quality Status to lapse for a short period with a view to re-gaining Quality Status following the Annual Parish meeting in 2012.

(Vote – For:  7,  Against:  0)

063  STAFFING MATTERS

a. Members confirmed the appointment of Mrs H J Blackburn as Town Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer from 1 November 2011.

Proposed by Councillor Johns, seconded and

RESOLVED:    That the appointment of Mrs H J Blackburn as Town Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer be confirmed from 1 November 2011 commencing on SCP 45.

(Vote – For:  7,  Against:   0)

b. The Deputy Town Clerk had previously circulated a staffing proposal to Members.  Following discussion it was proposed by Councillor Powell, seconded and

RESOLVED: That Mr R Coombes be appointed as Acting Deputy Town Clerk on SCP 29 for an initial period of 6 months from 1 November 2011 and that an Admin Assistant be recruited on a temporary 6 months contract at SCP 18 for 18.5 hours per week, with the option of up to 6.5 additional hours if these prove to be insufficient.

(Vote – For:  7,  Against:   0)

The business of the meeting having been completed, the Chairman thanked the members for their attendance and the meeting concluded at 8.20 pm.

Signature of Town Mayor:  ………………………………….  Date:  ……………………........

Signature of Chairman:  ……………………………………..  Date:  ………………………....