BIDEFORD TOWN COUNCIL

Minutes of the Meeting of the Town Council held in the
Council Chamber, Town Hall, Bideford on Thursday 13 October 2011 at 6.30 pm

North Ward:
Councillor Mrs E A Brenton
Councillor P S Christie
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 P J Pester
Councillor R I Wootton

South (Outer) Ward:   
Councillor A T Powell

East Ward:
Councillor S E L Clarke
Councillor P Davies
Councillor D A Howell
Councillor M C Langmead
Councillor R W Vanstone

IN ATTENDANCE:
Mr G B McLauchlan (Town Clerk)
Mrs H J Blackburn (Deputy Town Clerk)
10 x Members of the Public
1 x Member of the Press
PC J Wright (Devon & Cornwall Constabulary)
Councillor Mrs   Boyle (Devon County Council)
Ms S Johnson (Torridge Training Services)
Mr P  Huxtable (Torridge Training Services)

102 PRAYERS

On the invitation of the Mayor prayers were offered by Pastor Jonathan Edwards from the Bideford Town Mission.

103 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Councillor D C Fulford (South Ward – Illness).

104 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA

Councillors Christie, Johns and Pester declared a personal interest in agenda item 18. (Trustees, Bideford Bridge Trust).

105 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION SESSION

Members of the public raised the following issues and comment:

Concern was expressed that £40,000 had been taken from the ASDA 106 money for the Atlantic Watersports and support was conveyed for the Notice of Motion at Agenda item 14.b.(2).

A further member of the public raised a number of issues concerning:
Overlooking issues a Ford Farm.
Overgrown bushes on entry to the town.
The traffic lights at Westleigh Junction.
Dogs’ mess on the zig zag path.
The sewers in Devonshire Park may be a health hazard.
A suspected fire hazard in Devonshire Park.

Councillor A T Inch responded to the above concerns and advised that he has been in contact with Torridge District Council about the dogs’ mess in Devonshire Park.  He has also been in contact with South West Water about the sewers.  With regard to the planning, people have a democratic right to go to appeal. Councillor Christie then advised that people who object to planning applications may in future get equal help to that given to the applicants.

A further member of the public told Members that he had served for 12 years on Bideford Town Council.  During this time the Town Clerk and his wife had supported him wonderfully and served the Town Council very well.  He thanked the Town Clerk for all his help and wished him well in the future.

A further member of the public raised a number of issues concerning:
The Old Town toilets which have not yet been demolished.
Old Town Cemetery which he said was a disgrace and not properly maintained.  He asked that North Ward members could look into the above two items.
Concern about Cooper Street and the lack of regeneration in this area.

Councillor Christie then updated the Members on the Old Town toilets and said he will look into the situation with the cemetery.  Jubilee Square regeneration has been put back to January and there seems to be some confusion as to why this has been put off for so long. Councillor Howell explained that Cooper Street is not going to be renovated and said the process has moved on to Jubilee Square.   Councillor Powell then provided a further update on Jubilee Square and the possibility that the arch proposed for the entrance to Cooper Street may be privately funded.

106 MINUTES

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 8 September 2011 were approved and signed as a correct record.
(Vote – For: 15,  Against:0)

107 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 8 September – 12 October 2011:

Assaults  -  12
Criminal Damage -  6
Theft/Dishonesty - 12
Burglary - 0
Public Order - 5
Drugs – 2
Hate crime - 0

PC Wright advised that the triathlon event passed off without incident.  He then updated Members on an incident of concern raised last month whereby a Barnstaple Officer had been allocated to a Bideford incident. The resources were directed based on the postcode of the call.

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

A Member has brought concerns about drugs in East-the-Water to the Police’s attention, and the response from the Police seems to have taken a long time.
Problems with parking in Hart Street.  A resident calls the Police every day because his vehicle is obstructed.  This is a great waste of Police resource.
Concerns about the boy racers along Manteo Way, Gammaton Road and Alverdiscott road.
The opening hours of the Police Station and why numerous police cars are parked outside the police station.  This exacerbates the situation where people feel they can’t contact the police although they can see the cars outside.  A further Member advised that 101 was a good number for the public to reach the police.  Could this number be put on the Town Council web site?

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

108 MONTHLY REPORT FROM THE LOCAL COUNTY COUNCILLOR

a. Councillor Robinson had sent apologies but had circulated a full report to Members before the meeting which covered the following issues:
Meddon Street re-surfacing.
Bus service to Londonderry Farm. 
Cycling on Bridge.
Parking problems in Elm and Lime Grove.
Bus Services, generally, in Bideford .
Street Lighting.

b. The Mayor then welcomed Councillor Mrs Boyle to the Meeting.

c. Councillor Mrs Boyle reported the following items:

Devonshire Park.
The nearest bus stop is at the Quay.  Councillor Mrs Boyle has spoken to John Richardson-Dawes and will be also be speaking to Mr Rayner.
There are no street lights at the top of Solomon Drive/Union Close leaving pedestrians in this area vulnerable. Councillor Mrs Boyle has received a quote for £2,000 which could come out of her locality budget.  She asked whether Members think this is a good use of money?
Solomon Drive. Large vehicles restricting access can be a problem.  Councillor Mrs Boyle has been in touch with Highways and has been informed that this cannot be prevented.
There has been an exhibition on the Atlantic Array at Bideford College.  Councillor Mrs Boyle is still to be convinced that this is going to benefit our area. She was disappointed with the consultation exercise.
Transport and Education figures are currently being looked at for the next 30 years.  More information on this will be available soon.
Councillor Mrs Boyle will be speaking to James Anstey about residents’ parking, hopefully in conjunction with Councillor Robinson.
Clovelly Road Industrial Estate is in the budget for repair.
Meeting – Your Community Your Choices.  There are no dates for Bideford at present.  However Bideford did receive a visit last year and is due a further one next year.
Snow Warden Scheme.  Councillor A T Inch and the Town Clerk attended a recent meeting.
Westleigh Junction works and traffic queues.
A lollipop lady has now been found for Westcroft school after several attempts.
Councillor Mrs Boyle then expressed her thanks to the Town Clerk who has very ably supported her.

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

It seems that the money received for the Old Rectory went to build a Community Centre in Collumpton!
Disappointment was expressed that the County Officer has recommended against a cycleway on the Longbridge.
A Member would like to see a public consultation regarding residents’ parking in Elm and Lime Grove to see how residents feel about this.
Signposts around the work being carried out at Westleigh Junction indicate “long delays ahead at Bideford”.  The system they will use is the same they use at Pottington – which fails fairly frequently.
Snow Warden scheme – small parishes are due to receive an initial 5 tonnes of salt which is the same quantity as Bideford – although we will be able to requisition more.  A question was raised regarding the nomination of the Snow Warden and clarification was given that Councillor Powell was voted into this role.
A request was made that the zebra crossing opposite the Police Station is kept.

109 PRESENTATION BY THE GENERAL MANAGER AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, TORRIDGE TRAINING SERVICES

a. The Mayor welcomed the General Manager Stephanie Johnson and Development Officer, Paul Huxtable Torridge Training Services, to the Meeting.

b. Stephanie Johnson thanked the Mayor for the opportunity to address the Members and explain the work of Torridge Training Services.   It is a charity and also offers support for other local groups.  The Keystone Centre can also be used by local community groups free of charge.  They are currently facing a difficult period due to Government funding reductions.  The Keystone Centre is pivotal to the charity and Bideford people attend the centre for support and training advice.  They applied to the Bridge Trust for £53,000 to help support the centre for a year.  They were awarded half this amount and it was suggested they approach Bideford Town Council for the other half.

Mr Huxtable then went on to explain who they help and said they have a large number of letters of support from their clients.  The Keystone Centre is situated in an area of quite high deprivation and therefore is ideally placed to carry out its work.  They are also looking to develop the centre into other areas by offering evening/weekend classes with a view to help self-fund the centre.

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

How many people use the centre?
Do they help young people get work experience?  How can this be achieved bearing in mind all the red-tape that usually hinders such experience?
Will the evening classes be similar to those provided by Bideford College or Petroc or will they be aimed at filling a niche?
Will these courses be subsidised?
Several Members then expressed support for the project and requested that the Clerk places this item on the agenda for the next Staffing, Finance and General Purposes meeting. It was suggested that perhaps some of the funds earmarked for regeneration could be used to help the organisation. It was also suggested that the Staffing, Finance and General Purposes Committee visit the facility.
It was requested that TTS provide case studies and references from employers to the Staffing, Finance and General Purposes Committee

d. The Mayor then thanked Stephanie Johnson and Paul Huxtable for attending the Meeting and speaking to the Members accordingly.

110 COMMUNICATION BROUGHT FORWARD ON THE DIRECTION OF THE MAYOR

The Mayor congratulated Heather Blackburn on her appointment as Town Clerk.
Councillors Andy Powell and Peter Christie were congratulated on their talks at the Appledore Book Festival.
Councillor Mrs Davies was congratulated for her part in the sponsored walk in aid of the homeless.
All Councillors were thanked for the work they undertake behind the scenes.
The Mayor reminded Councillors that they need to let the Town Clerk’s Assistant know if they will be attending the Remembrance Day Service.

111 MARKET ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Minute No. 009 – A Member asked how much the Council is paying towards banner.
The Minutes of the Meeting held on 6 October 2011 were approved and adopted.
(Vote – For: 15 ,  Against: 0)

112 MARKET MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Minute No. 067 – A Member asked if there is a reason why a lot of units appear to be giving up.
The Minutes of the Meeting held on 6 October 2011 were approved and adopted.
(Vote – For: 15,  Against: 0)

113 PLANNING COMMITTEE

Pollyfield – Councillor Christie informed Members that the number of affordable homes has dropped below the 25% level previously specified by the Town Council.  He suspects that this was agreed by an officer at Torridge District Council as it has been handwritten on to the contract, but to date he has not been able to find out, which officer instigated this change.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 21 September 2011 were approved and adopted.

(Vote – For: 15,  Against: 0)

Minute No. 055 - Points were raised concerning the concept of shared ownership.  (Councillor Howell declared a personal interest (Board member Tarka Housing).

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 12 October 2011 were approved and adopted.
(Vote – For: 15,  Against: 0)

114 STAFFING, FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE

Minute No. 050.  The following clarifications were sought and given regarding New Year’s Eve.
The Chairman of the Staffing, Finance & General Purposes Committee explained that Torridge District Council will pay for the licence.  The Town Council will not require insurance as individual traders need to have their own insurance.  Mr R Braddick has agreed to provide stewards.  As the licensing authority Torridge District Council do not want to license their own event.  The Town Council will not be organising the event, just holding the licence in name only.
A Member asked for assurance that there will not be repercussions on Bideford Town Council.  He was informed that Bideford Town Council would not be responsible for people choosing to come into the town on New Year’s Eve so there would be no case of negligence to answer. It would be almost impossible to license the festival properly because to do so would require barriers everywhere and a stop and search policy to exclude glass.
A further Member explained that it would be practically unenforceable to impose a full licence on an organisation.  New Year’s Eve is not an event but a festival. 
Concern was expressed about the probable repercussions if the evening is impeded as people come from all over Europe for New Year’s Eve in Bideford. 
It was suggested that perhaps the Town Council could allow the evening to be spontaneous without live music and a bar on the quay, therefore negating the need for a licence.  Concern was expressed that otherwise this will entail extra work for officers. 
Councillor Clarke confirmed that he had taken on board all the issues that had been raised.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 15 September 2011 were approved and adopted.
(Vote – For: 15,  Against: 0)

115 NOTICES OF MOTIONS

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

a. It is requested that Londonderry Neighbourhood Link, part of TOR-AGE Group which organises community activities for the over-sixties, be given permission to attach a notice board with their current list of events to the Bus Stop post at the top of Lanefield Road at the entrance to the Londonderry Estate.  The notice board (approx. A3 size) would be hung immediately below the bus time-table information.”

Following discussion Councillor Mrs Brenton moved the following amendment to the Motion:

It is requested that Londonderry Neighbourhood Link, part of TOR-AGE Group which organises community activities for the over-sixties, be given permission to attach a notice board (approx. A3 in size) with their current list of events to the Bus Shelter at the top of Lanefield Road at the entrance to the Londonderry Estate.  This would be at no cost to the Council.”

RESOLVED:  That the motion is supported.
(Vote – For: 14,  Against: 1)
Councillor  Howell moved the following Notices of Motion and was seconded:

b. “The new banners along Kingsley Road create a welcoming first impression for visitors and are an asset to the town.  Bideford Town Council should now investigate when, or if, the other major gateway to the town, Barnstaple Street, is to be treated in a similar fashion and if this is not planned the Council should robustly encourage it to be included.”

RESOLVED:  That Councillor Howell determines the cost of the proposed banners and presents this information to the Staffing, Finance and General Purposes Committee.
(Vote – For: 15,  Against: 0)

c. “The recent Atlantic Water Sports Games were supported by £40,000 of public money but little has been made public in terms of what was achieved by the expenditure.  Bideford Town Council should request a detailed debrief to include what marketing plan was followed, detailing how the money was spent, what impact the marketing plan had and to what extent the pre Games promises were met.”

RESOLVED:  That the motion is supported.
(Vote – For: 15,  Against: 0)

116 EXTERNAL AUDITOR’S CERTIFICATE OF OPINION ON THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2010/2011

The Members received the External Auditor’s Certificate of Opinion on the Accounts for the Financial Year 2010/2011.

117 2013 REVIEW OF PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCIES IN ENGLAND

The Members received and noted details of the 2013 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in England.

118 VALUE OF THE SALE OF POLLYFIELD LAND

The Members discussed the need to approach Torridge District Council regarding how much, and when, the Council should expect to receive from the sale of the Pollyfield Land.  It was proposed by Councillor Clarke, seconded and

RESOLVED:  To approach Torridge District Council regarding how much, and when, the Council should expect to receive from the sale of the Pollyfield Land.  An itemised breakdown of the figures, to include deducted costs and 106 contributions is required.
(Vote – For: 15,  Against: 0)

119 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 9.10 pm.

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