Town Council Minutes 14 July 2011

Minutes of the  Town Council  held in the Council Chamber, Town Hall,

Bideford on Thursday 14 July 2011 at 6.30 pm

PRESENT:

North Ward:

Councillor Mrs E A Brenton
Councillor P S Christie
Councillor D C Fulford
Councillor Mrs M P Fulford
Councillor T J Johns (Town Mayor)

South Ward:

Councillor D G Brenton
Councillor A T Inch
Councillor S G Inch
Councillor R I Wootton

South (Outer) Ward:

Councillor A T Powell

East Ward:

Councillor D A Howell
Councillor R W Vanstone

IN ATTENDANCE:

Mr G B McLauchlan (Town Clerk)
Mrs H J Blackburn (Deputy Town Clerk)
Councillor S Robinson (Devon County Council)
Councillor Mrs A Boyle (Devon County Council)
PC J Wright (Devon & Cornwall Constabulary)
Miss V Matthews (Principal, Bideford College)
Mr M Newby (Principal, Bideford College)
5 x Members of the Public

052    PRAYERS

On the invitation of the Mayor, Mr John Ward, Religious Society of Friends, called for a short period of reflection.

053    APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Councillors S E L Clarke (East Ward – Holiday), Mrs P Davies (East Ward – Personal), M C Langmead (East Ward – personal) and P J Pester (South Ward – personal).

054    DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA

Councillors Christie, S G Inch and Johns declared a personal interest in agenda item 16. (Trustees, Bideford Bridge Trust).

Councillor Vanstone declared a personal interest in agenda item 8. (Son attends College).

055    PUBLIC PARTICIPATION SESSION

A member of the public spoke in order to alert Members to two areas where brambles and gorse bushes require trimming.

A second member of the public offered a suggestion regarding the possibility of using volunteers to keep the police station manned and then queried the police vehicles which on occasion are parked on the quay in front of the station.  

056    MINUTES

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 9 June 2011 were approved and signed as a correct record.

(Vote – For: 14,  Against: 0)

057    MONTHLY UPDATE ON POLICING ISSUES WITHIN THE PARISH

a.    The Mayor welcomed PC Wright to the Meeting.

b.    PC Wright reported the following incidents and items of note for the period 10 June – 13 July 2011.  

•    Violence against a person –  13
•    Criminal damage to vehicle – 4
•    Theft/Dishonesty  – 11
•    Burglary  –   1
•    Public order  - 19

PC Wright then advised that the Public Order offences may be linked to alcohol and the good weather. A prolific thief was recently released from prison and following his release he went on to re-offend several times and is now back in prison.  PC Wright then asked the member of the public who had previously spoken to put his ideas regarding volunteer labour in a letter, although he did add a word of caution in that there may be training and security implications with this idea.  He further noted that the number of police vehicles parked at the front of the building was resource and activity dependant.

c.    The Mayor then invited members to submit questions.

d.    Questions and comments raised included:

•    Where should found items be taken?
•    Was there an update on the concern that an individual may be taking photographs of children in Victoria Park?
•    Could there be more patrols in the no alcohol zones?
•    Could hate crime figures be itemised within the monthly figures?
•    Could volunteers be operated in the same way as Specials?
•    CCTV in business premises.
•    Discussion regarding the gentleman who was recently arrested and held by the police in Barnstaple following an allegation of racial abuse.

058    ORDER OF BUSINESS

Proposed by Councillor Brenton, seconded and

RESOLVED:  That the order of business be changed to allow agenda item 15 (1) to be taken next whilst the Police Officer is still present at the meeting.

(Vote – For: 12, Against: 0)

059    NOTICE OF MOTION

Councillor Brenton moved the following Notice of Motion and was seconded:

“That Bideford Town Council requests Devon and Cornwall Police to re-open Bideford Police Station for access to the public.”

Councillor Brenton advised that following the recent arrest of the gentleman who was held by the police in Barnstaple following an allegation of racial abuse there was now tangible evidence for the need for local policing where the officers have knowledge of local people.  Comments received from other Members supported this feeling.  A Member noted that the Council had not seen a detailed document justifying the closure of the police station and that one should be demanded.   

RESOLVED: That the motion is supported.

(Vote – For: 12,  Against: 0)

The Mayor then thanked PC Wright for attending the Meeting and updating Members accordingly.

060    MONTHLY REPORT FROM THE LOCAL COUNTY COUNCILLOR

a.    The Mayor welcomed Councillor Mrs Boyle to the Meeting.

b.    Councillor Mrs Boyle advised Members on the following issues:

•    The new community police facility which has been opened at West Croft School.  Councillor Mrs Boyle also fully supports a police station in Bideford which is open to the public.
•    The work at Wings with the young carers.
•    Easing the transition to independence for youngsters who have been in care.
•    She is now the Chair of Torridge HATOC and has a list of the roads in Bideford which are due for repair.  
•    She will be looking at the Marland footpath shortly with the Town Clerk.

c.    The Mayor then invited Members to submit questions.  Questions and comments raised included:

•    It was suggested that police time might be better spent on the street rather than engaging with activities with West Croft School children.
•    That she let Members know which roads in Bideford are due for repair?
•    The signs at New Road are being obscured by bushes.  
•    There is a pot hole at Pitt Lane which was not repaired whilst a nearby section of road was repaired.
•    Hedge flailing should not be undertaken by Devon County Council whilst the birds are nesting.

d.    The Mayor welcomed Councillor Robinson to the Meeting.

e.    Councillor Robinson briefed Members on the following issues:

•    Westleigh Junction. - The Highways Superintendent will attend these meetings in future.   The strength of feeling regarding the traffic lights was conveyed to the Devon County Council representative at the HATOC meeting on 3 June 2011.  At this meeting Councillor Robinson asked that the points he raised be recorded verbatim.
•    Verges, weeds and hedgerows. - He advised that as the verges are not to be cut, funds previously allocated to verge cutting are to be re-distributed county wide on a per capita basis with £27,000 due for Torridge. He is willing to use some of his locality budget to support work of the handyman.
•    Recycling charges – He has asked why charges are being made and has received the response that items on the chargeable list are non-domestic waste.
•    The proposed dates for the Lengthsman’s visits have been relayed to the Town Clerk.
•    Speed limits in Bideford. - He supports a 20 mph blanket speed limit for Bideford, but has been advised this would be difficult and costly to implement.
•    Road closure on the A386 – He explained why notification was not received.
•    Pedestrianisation of Jubilee Square - He is trying to group together smaller schemes together to make this more economic.
•    Port Memorial and Kingsley Statue – He identified this as a neglected part of town and will seek funding to get this repaired.
•    Bus to Market - He has been speaking with Beacon Bus and will persist in his request for a bus route to this area.
•    New roof for East-the-Water School - This will be fitted this summer. Great progress has been made at school by an excellent staff led by Mrs Higley.

f.    The Mayor then invited Members to submit questions.  Questions and comments raised included:

•    Will the new roof solve the leaking problems?
•    He was thanked for his tenacity regarding Westleigh Junction.  Councillors were then urged to view a web cast of the Devon County Council Cabinet meeting where some contentious comments were made.  A link to the meeting will be distributed by email.  It was suggested that Councillors Cann and Greenslade be reported to the Ombudsman for not following the correct procedure.
•    There is £50,000 Bridge Trust money available for extending the Tarka Trail.  To date nothing has been progressed.

g.    The Mayor then thanked Councillors Mrs Boyle and Robinson for attending the meeting and updating Members accordingly.

061    PRESENTATION FROM THE PRINCIPAL OF BIDEFORD COLLEGE

a.    The Mayor welcomed the Principal of Bideford College, Miss Veronica Matthews, to the Meeting.

b.    Miss Matthews thanked the Mayor and briefed Members on the following issues:

She introduced Mr Mike Newby who was appointed to create the capacity to see the College through the new build project.   She advised that by this September the rest of the grounds will be open.  Miss Matthews provided Members with facts and figures about the College and said they have a happy blend of students from a mix of backgrounds.  They have a super Governing Body which is very supportive.  The budget is tight so they have been pleased not to have to make any one redundant this year.  The number of students in relation to staff is carefully managed.  They have a number of very long term staff and an incredibly strong 6th Form.  Students are a particularly needy part of the population in Bideford at the moment, particularly against the national backdrop of university tuition fees. The Bridge Trust’s support is very valuable.  Miss Matthews then went on to talk about the new College and the team effort involved. Staff, students and governors came together and attended lots of meetings about the new building. Visitors have been very impressed by the facility and flexibility of use is a key issue.

Mr Newby then ran through some of the new building’s facts and figures. The work started on site 3 years ago.  The College has continued to perform with only a half a site to work with and with a building site in close proximity.  This was a £54 million project and more than 80% of the work and finances stayed within the South West region.  The College has met its targets for sustainability and environmental impact and has already won awards for this.  Information was then provided about the community facilities available on site.  Community use has been restricted during the first year with a view to ensuring the building is functioning properly The intention is to make them more widely available during the next academic year.  The new College opened on time and although there was the odd teething problem, the pupils’ education was not inhibited by the build.  

Miss Matthews then finished by paying tribute to the builders and the John Andrews Trust which owns part of land, initiatives to ensure historical continuity were detailed and the tangible impact the building has had on the youngsters.  She then outlined some of the partnerships developed by the College.

c.    The Mayor then invited Members to submit questions.  Questions and comments raised included:

•    How the fees for the use of the community facilities are calculated.
•    A Member expressed surprise that the cost of the community facilities had increased to the public in spite of the fact that the sustainable build of the College should have reduced running costs.  Miss Matthews provided a full explanation of the factors which contributed to the hire charges.
•    The capacity of the building.
•    A Member commented that he would like to see more competitive sport with other schools, especially for those in the 6th Form.
•    Miss Matthews concluded by inviting the Council to visit the College and have a private tour.

d.    The Mayor then thanked Miss Matthews and Mr Newby for attending the Meeting and updating Members accordingly.

062    COMMUNICATION BROUGHT FORWARD ON THE DIRECTION OF THE MAYOR

•    The Judicial Review hearing has been scheduled for 17 November 2011.
•    The Chamber of Commerce Presentation will be held on 19 July 2011 at 6.00 pm in the Council Chamber.
•    Members need to consider the provision of a gift for the 35th Twinning Anniversary with Landivisiau.  The possibility of asking Mr Butler
     to make a carving – possibly our coat of arms – was muted.  Members should email the Town Clerk with ideas by 22 July 2011 and the
     Town Clerk will also ask Mr Butler for suggestions and timescales.
•    An invitation had been received for Members to attend “Dance Twenty Eleven” by the Sarah Ann Westcott School of Dance at the
     Queen’s Theatre on Saturday at 7.00 pm.  
•    The Mayor gave a précis of the events he had been involved with during the last month.
•    Councillor Mrs Brenton was thanked for her comprehensive report from the DALC meeting.
•    Councillor Powell advised that he had attended the Antiques Road Show and had been informed that as the maces were civic items,
     they were impossible to value.

063    ALLOTMENT COMMITTEE

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 27 June 2011 were approved and adopted.

(Vote – For: 12,  Against: 0)

064    MARKET MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Councillor Brenton advised that the 2011 Atlantic Watersports Games would be holding a Food & Craft Market on Bideford Quay from Sunday 24 to Thursday 28 July 2011.  Market traders had raised concerns that the Market scheduled for Tuesday 26 July 2011 would clash with the Pannier Market held on the same day.  It was also believed that this contravened the Market Charter.  A compromise has been reached in that the Food & Craft Market will not start until 2.00 pm that day, and North Devon + will advertise the Pannier Market.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 7 July 2011 were approved and adopted.

(Vote – For: 12,  Against: 0)

065    PLANNING COMMITTEE

The Chairman of the Planning Committee advised that Torridge District Council Officers are currently recommending approval of an amended planning application for the Pollyfield site which asks for a reduction in the affordable housing within the scheme.  The Town Council has not agreed to this provision and as part owners of the land should have been consulted.  This was part of the initial contractual agreement.  It was requested that the Town Clerk writes to Torridge District Council to this effect and that this information is also conveyed to Strongvox by Torridge District Council.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 29 June 2011 were approved and adopted.

(Vote – For: 12,  Against: 0)

066    STAFFING, FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE

Minute No. 18.  A Member asked for further information on the Jubilee Square Scheme.  It was suggested that an artist’s impression of the Scheme could be obtained from Vanessa Saunders, Torridge District Council.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 16 June 2011 were approved and adopted.

(Vote – For: 12,  Against: 0)

067    TORRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL PLANNING TRAINING

Members considered an offer, made by Torridge District Council, to receive training in various Planning matters.  Proposed by Councillor A T Inch, seconded and

RESOLVED: That the Planning training offer from Torridge District Council is accepted.

(Vote – For: 12,  Against: 0)

068    NOTICES OF MOTION

Councillor Brenton moved the following Notice of Motion and was seconded:  

“That a nomination or proposition which has been proposed, seconded and formally voted on be included in the recorded Minutes of the Council.”

RESOLVED: That the motion is supported.

(Vote – For: 11 Against: 0, Abstentions: 1)


069    BRIDGE TRUST

Councillor Christie briefed Members on the income, expenditure, charitable donations and grants figures.

The business of the Meeting having been concluded the Mayor thanked the Members for their attendance at the Meeting which concluded at 9.20  pm.





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

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BIDEFORD TOWN COUNCIL

 

Minutes of the Town Council Meeting held in the Council Chamber, Town Hall,

Bideford on Thursday 10 June 2010 at 6.30 pm 

 

	PRESENT:			North Ward:	Councillor M L Bushell Councillor P S Christie Councillor T J Johns Councillor Ms E L Farrington Councillor D C Fulford
				South Ward:	Councillor C Bone Councillor A T Inch Councillor S G Inch Councillor P J Pester (Town Mayor)
				South (Outer) Ward:	Councillor A T Powell
				East Ward:	Councillor Mrs C B Church Councillor Mrs P Davies  Councillor B Lacey Councillor R W Vanstone
	IN ATTENDANCE:				Mr G B McLauchlan (Town Clerk) Mrs H J Blackburn (Deputy Town Clerk) 2 x County Councillors
038			PRAYERS    On the invitation of the Mayor prayers were offered by Reverend Steve Hunt, Chaplain at Kingsley School.
039			APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE   Councillor D M Ratcliff (South Ward – Work Commitments).
040		DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA    Councillors P S Christie, T J Johns, B Lacey and S G Inch declared a personal interest in agenda item 16. (Trustees, Bideford Bridge Trust).
041		PUBLIC PARTICIPATION SESSION   No members of the public were present at the meeting.
042		MINUTES    a.          The Minutes of the Extra-Ordinary Meeting held on 19 May 2010 were approved and signed as a correct record.   (Vote – For: 13,  Against: 0, Abstentions: 1)   b.          The Minutes of the Meeting (Mayor Introduction Ceremony) held on 8 June 2010 were approved and signed as a correct record.   (Vote – For: 10,  Against: 0, Abstentions: 4)
043		MONTHLY UPDATE ON POLICING ISSUES WITHIN THE PARISH    a.       The Mayor welcomed Sergeant Simon Bassett to the meeting.   b.       Sergeant Bassett reported the following incidents and items of note for the month of May 2010:   Criminal damage to dwellings 6 Criminal damage to vehicles 10 Theft from motor vehicles 3 Theft of motor vehicle 0 Burglary from dwelling 6 Burglary (other) 8 Common Assault 11 Assaults (with injury) 13 Section 18 Assault 4 Drunk and Disorderly 5 Hate crime 0   Sergeant Bassett reported that a lot of work has been done with regards Old Town Cemetery and hopefully the situation there has improved.  He also advised that the traffic department has been tasked with the vehicles which are speeding through Eastleigh.   c.       The Mayor then invited members to submit questions.   d.       Questions and comments raised concerned the “Policing in your Neighbourhood” leaflet, whether the recent incidents at Ayres Close were connected and whether the 28 assaults reported by Sergeant Bassett were related, and how many were following the consumption of alcohol? He was also asked if any Licensees have been issued with fixed penalty notices recently, how often are the police present in the office at Pollyfield and whether there are any other such offices currently being manned?  Further questions and comments concerned whether the demographic origins of the offenders in Bideford had been identified and if persistent offenders can be banned from the area, a report of some unruly residents at Moreton Park and comments regarding the opening hours of Bideford Police station.  Councillor A T Inch then explained how the yellow card scheme worked for North Devon public houses.   e.       The Mayor then thanked Sergeant Bassett for attending the meeting and updating members accordingly.
044		MONTHLY REPORT FROM THE LOCAL COUNTY COUNCILLOR    a.       The Mayor welcomed Councillor Mrs Alison Boyle to the meeting.   b        Councillor Mrs Boyle congratulated the Mayor on his appointment to Office.  She advised the dates of several meetings connected with highway issues and reported that a travel plan has been put in place from Bideford College to Westcroft Junior School.  She has spoken to Highways about the parking concerns at Union Close and informed members about the forthcoming care provision at Clearwater House for a small number of children with emotional and social difficulties.  She then explained the adjustment to the catchment areas for Pynes Infants and Westcroft Junior Schools and the reasons behind these changes.  Councillor Mrs Boyle finished by saying that she has asked Morgan Ashcroft to keep her up to date regarding the impact of their work at the new college on traffic and the local area.   c.       The Mayor then invited members to submit questions.     d.       Questions raised concerned the location of Clearwater House, clarification of the changes to the admissions policy for local schools, and the request for a pedestrian crossing outside ASDA.   e.       Councillor Sam Robinson advised that Councillor Mrs Boyle had covered all areas in her report.   f.        Questions raised concerned the lack of a recycling collection service in Mill Street and other nearby streets, traffic issues at the corner of St. Peter’s Church and the suggestion of a 20 mph speed limit to make the area safer, traffic calming on Silver Street, and the possibility of extending the 20 mph system to the top of East-the-Water.
045		COMMUNICATION BROUGHT FORWARD ON THE DIRECTION OF THE MAYOR    a.         The Mayor gave a précis of the events he had attended during the last month.   b.         The Town Clerk reported that Mr Mike Davy has retired as Mace Bearer after 16 years service.  A vote of thanks to Mr Davy was recorded for his loyal service to the Council.
046		ANNUAL RETURN    The Annual Return for the year ended 31 March 2010 and associated documents were received and approved.   (Vote – For: 14,  Against: 0)
047		MARKET MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE    The Minutes of the meeting held on 3 June 2010 were received.   (Vote – For: 14,  Against: 0)
048		PLANNING COMMITTEE   The Minutes of the meeting held on 2 June 2010 were received.   (Vote – For: 14,  Against: 0)
049		STAFFING, FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE   The Minutes of the meeting held on 7 June 2010 were received.   (Vote – For: 14,  Against: 0)
050		GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGY    Proposed by Councillor A T Inch, seconded   RESOLVED:  That Councillor Ms Farrington represent the Council at Torridge District Council Green Infrastructure Strategy Event on 28 June 2010.   (Vote – For: 14,  Against: 0)
051		PARISH LENGTHSMAN    Members received the dates of the visit by the Parish Lengthsman in 2010.
052		BRIDGE TRUST   Councillor Lacey reported that the last Bridge Trust meeting had been quite short.  He advised that the Trustees are considering offering a field to the Council for allotments and the Town Clerk reported that the Council has registered its interest.  He then advised that the Bridge Trust has discussed demolishing the toilets at Old Town and has received some quotes for this work.  They are considering asking the District Council to share the demolition costs.  He then briefed members on the income, expenditure and grants figures.

The business of the meeting having been concluded the Mayor thanked the members for their attendance at the meeting which concluded at 7.20 pm.

 

 

 

 

 

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

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