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MINUTES of the Meeting of Wivenhoe Town Council held in the Council Chamber on Monday 16 February 2009. Present: The Town Mayor, Cllr. F. Richards (Chairman), Cllrs: D. Purdey, C. Liddy, P. Kraft, C. Fox, N. Lodge, A. Vaughan, B. Needham, K. Rogers and M. Iacovou. Mrs. A. Stinson (Town Clerk) Evening Gazette 1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE. Apologies for absence were received from Cllr. B. Sinclair, County Cllr. J. Young, Borough Cllrs. J. Manning, A. Quarrie, S. Ford and M. Cory. 2. MINUTES. RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Town Council held on 19 January 2009 be confirmed and signed as a correct record. 3. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES. 6.3a) Web-site: Further to the last meeting it was agreed that the minute concerning the web-site read as follows: RESOLVED that the Town Council continue working towards compliance with the DDA re the format of the Town Council’s web-site. Former Cllr. Peter Hill was thanked for all the work that he had contributed in creating and managing the website. Members noted that Eugene Kraft had now volunteered to manage the website and members thanked him for volunteering to do this. 4. POINTS RAISED BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. None. 5. REPORTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY AND BOROUGH COUNCILS. a) Essex County Council: Cllr. Young had sent in a written report stating that she had arranged a meeting with Highway officers regarding the Wivenhoe Trial and the proposed new cycleway from the Fire Station to the University on the 5th February. Cllr Neil Lodge attended along with Peter Lynn from the University cycle group, Dilly Meyer, Mr Gooch the landowner, Beverley Gould from Highways and Colin Teare from CBC. Beverley Gould explained that a survey has been done on the trial to identify the scope of work. The path is to be made wider with one side for walking and one for cycling. Any trees that need to be removed will be replaced. It is proposed that a light coloured surface be used similar to the one used at East Gates to fit in with the natural surroundings. Once the path is properly constructed ongoing maintenance will transfer to ECC. A bollard is proposed for both ends to prevent vehicles gaining access. Work is likely to start in April 2010 but in the meantime some funding is being sought to tackle the areas which get very wet. Concerning the cycleway from the Fire Station to the University some drawings had been drawn up but these needed to be more detailed. Cllr. Young also reported that ECC had set their budget last Tuesday at 1.9% and the Colchester Borough were meeting on Wednesday to set their budget. b) Borough Council: Cllr. Cory had sent his congratulations to recently co-opted Cllr. Robert Needham. Cllr. Richards reported that she and Cllr. Ford had met with the residents of Littlefields concerning suggestions to highways about a safer junction at this point of Rectory Hill. c) Public Transport Representative: Nothing to report. 6. COMMITTEE REPORTS. 6.1 Planning a) Minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 3 February were received and noted. Cllr. Liddy reported that 3 applications had been dealt with. Consultation on the LDF ends on 27 February and the Town Council needed to ensure that their comments were in by the end of next week. There was an LDF briefing the following day which some members were attending. b) Section 106 Working Party (Cook’s): Cllr. Liddy reported that the matter of the leases was now in the hands of NALC and that Taylor Wimpey had expressed an interest in meeting with the Town Council. c) Health Centre: Cllr. Lodge had nothing to report other than that the next meeting would be in March. The Wivenhoe Practice had expressed thanks for Cllr. Lodge’s work on the project. 6.2 Personnel, Finance and Administration Committee. a) Draft Minutes of the Personnel meeting held on 5 February were received and noted. Cllr. Kraft explained that Mr. A. Hearn had expressed an interest in becoming a retained fireman and an officer from ECC Fire and Rescue would be coming to explain further to the Personnel Committee about the advantages and disadvantages of an employee being a retained fireman. 6.3 Best Value Committee a) Draft notes of meeting held on Monday 9 February were received and noted. Items of Note: WTC Sponsor: Agreed to the Best Value’s recommendation to sponsor a game for £250. 7. WORKING PARTY REPORTS. 7.1 William Loveless Hall Working Party: a) Notes of the meeting held on 29 January 2009 were received. Cllr. Kraft reported that out of the four estimates which had been received for replacement of the Wyvern Room carpet it was Agreed to accept the quote for £633. 7.2 Estates (General Amenities & Landscaping) Working Party. a) Notes of the Meeting held on 2 February were received and noted. Cllr. Lodge reported that the Rospa safety work was still being carried out and that the Town Council’s own groundsmen would be carrying out a repair on the slide stanchions themselves first. 7.3 Wivenhoe Wood Working Party: Cllr. Rogers reported that he was trying to round up more volunteers to help with the sycamore clearing. 7.4. Minibus Working Group. Nothing further to report. 7.5 Youth Facilities Working Party. Nothing further to report. 7.6 Members' Individual Proposals or Reports: a) Mayoral Activities: Cllr. Richards reported on the following attendances: January 20th, the launching of the refurbishment of the University Theatre; February 8th, attending the Wivenhoe Allotments and Gardens Association AGM and Saturday 14 February, the 1940’s Forces Sweethearts dance at the William Loveless Hall, which was a great success. b) Community Safety and Police Matters: Cllr. Rogers reported that the PCSO had been on leave and would be back next week. Parking by students in the Vine Parade area was causing concern and was being looked into. There had been an increase in cold callers and the suggestion of making Wivenhoe a No Cold Caller Zone was being considered. A bid for funding from NAP for CCTV in the Council yard had been submitted. Maintenance on ongoing costs of such a unit would be discussed at a later date. 8. TOWN CLERK'S REPORT. 8.1 Burial Grants and approval of memorials. The Town Clerk reported that one Burial Grant had been issued and one memorial had been approved since the last meeting. Two interments had taken place and two interments of ashes. 8.2 NALC/EALC Communications. The January monthly communications and newsletters from both NALC and EALC were both available in office for members to read. 8.3 Tenancy Allocations/Changes from Colchester Borough Council. None. 8.4 Work Management. a) General: The Town Clerk reported that the fence around the dog exercise area had now been finished and new gates put in. More free trees had been collected from Highwoods and some had already been planted. A clearance had been carried out in the outdoor sheds and maintenance carried out on lawn-tractors. Work had started on making a noticeboard for the Old Cemetery. The Sid Cox memorial bench had been installed along the riverbank and new bins had been installed on the KGV Playing field. The number of visitors to the Council Offices for the month of January totalled 172. Cllr. Lodge expressed the Town Council’s thanks to the groundsmen for their work in siting the Sid Cox memorial bench along the river. b) Annual Town Report: Town Clerk would circulate a draft of the Annual Report for members to read and amend as necessary. 9. FINANCE. 9.1 Current Financial Report a) The January spending and income Report was received and noted. 9.2 List of cheques numbered 503001 -503023 drawn since the last Town Council Meeting was approved and signed. 9.3 List of Payments made from the Imprest Account since the last Town Council Meeting was approved. 9.4 Motions Under Standing Orders Recommending Expenditure. AGREED the following: a) William Loveless Hall carpet - £633 b) William Loveless Hall replacement windows - £6300 9.5 Appeals for Financial Support. a) Wivenhoe Ferry Trust: Agreed to sponsor an advert in the Ferry Booklet £50 b) St. Monica’s Church: An enquiry had been received from the St. Monica’s Church fund-raising group requesting support towards an event they were holding at the William Loveless Hall. AGREED that they be asked to submit a formal letter to the Town Council. Cllr. Liddy declared a personal interest in the above. 10. NEW BUSINESS. 10.1 Correspondence. a) Wivenhoe Housing Trust – 2 nominative Trustees. A letter had been received from the Wivenhoe Housing Trust concerning two nominative trustees and inviting the Town Council to consider re-appointing Mrs. Jan Richardson for a further term of office and to consider the Housing Trust’s recommendation for appointing Cllr. Robert Needham to be the Town Council’s nominative Trustee. AGREED that Cllr. Robert Needham be the Town Council’s nominative Trustee and that Mrs. Jan Richardson be re-appointed for a further term of office. Cllr. Needham said that he would send some relevant information on the Wivenhoe Housing Trust for members to read and also bring a report to the next Best Value meeting. b) Alresford Road matters A letter had been received from the residents of Alresford Road asking for the support of the Town Council on three issues along the stretch of road from Keelars Lane to the railway bridge, viz: reducing the speed limit, reinstating a request bus stop and cutting back a grass verge. Members shared the concerns of the residents and a letter supporting these issues would be sent to the Essex County Council, the Highways Committee, the police and the bus company. Members suggested raising the issues at the next meeting with the Highway Rangers. 10.2 Conferences/Seminars. Members noted the following: Colchester2020 March 2009 Assembly Meeting – Invitation sent on behalf of Col Tony Phillips, Chair of Colchester2020 to attend the next Assembly Meeting, which is taking place on Thursday 26 March, at The Weston Homes Community Stadium, Colchester from 10am to 1pm. (Cllr. Iacovou attending)RCCE Celebrating Success Conference Feb 25 Marks Tey Village Hall £20 10.3 Notices. Members noted the following: Mayor’s Charity Ball, 7 March in the William Loveless Hall. ECC Annual Civic Service at Chelmsford Cathedral Thursday 26 March 7.30pm 10.4 Licences. a) Wivenhoe May Fayre – KGV field on 25 May 2009 from 12noon – 6.00pm. Members considered the formal request from the May Fayre Committee for hire of the KGV field and pavilion on Monday 25 May 2009 from 12 noon – 6.00pm. Members agreed in principle to the request subject to the usual conditions and a meeting would be scheduled with the organizers as soon as possible to go through the application form in detail. 10.5 Highway Matters. None. a) Cooks Shipyard: re-opening of footpath between The Folly and Walter Radcliffe Way. Members noted receipt of a letter from Taylor Wimpey advising that the access from The Folly to St. Johns Road has been re-opened but that the access along Walter Radcliffe Way will not be re-opened until Summer 2009 for Health and Safety reasons. The meeting closed at 8.35pm.
CHAIRMAN
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