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MINUTES of the Meeting of
Wivenhoe Town Council
held in the Council Chamber
on Monday 18 January 2010
Present: The Town Mayor, Cllr. N. Lodge (Chairman), Cllrs: C. Liddy, A.
Vaughan, R. Needham, F. Richards, C. Fox, D. Purdey, B. Sinclair and P.
Kraft.
Borough Cllrs. J. Manning and S. Ford County Cllr. J. Young
Mrs. A. Stinson (Town Clerk)
Mr. R. Mallet, member of the public
Peter Kay, Public Transport representative.
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE.
Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs. K. Rogers, M. Iacovou and
Borough Cllr. A. Quarrie.
2. MINUTES. RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Town Council
held on 21 December 2009 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.
3. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES.
7.6c) Consultation: The Draft Essex School Organisation Plan 2009-2014
The Town council’s response, drafted by Cllr. Iacovou, was submitted on 22
December. A check would be made to see if an acknowledgement had been
received.
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 reported that the library tree-planting
had been deferred until better weather; informal consultation was being
carried out re parking in The Avenue; alternative schemes were being
considered for Vine Parade parking; a meeting was being held at Millfields
School re travel plans and Cllr. Young was raise the matter of parked cars,
which was causing problems; Cllr. Young had arranged for a delivery of salt
to the Council yard, for which members expressed their thanks.
b) Borough Council: Cllr. Ford also spoke about the issue of car parking and
a pull-in area along The Avenue, near the Methodist Church. A solution to
this needed to be found. Cllr. Young would find out more and report back.
Cllr. Ford reported that the planning application for the Park Hotel would
be going before CBC on 21 January; as ECC Highways was in the process of
consultation on the highway implications for this application Cllr. Ford
would ask for a deferral until Highways had completed their investigations;
Cllr. Young supported this. Town Clerk also to write to CBC Planning to ask
for a deferral until the outstanding highways issues had been completed.
Cllr. Manning reported that he had been very busy dealing with the amount of
potholes needing repair since the bad weather. He was keeping an eye on the
situation and reporting them as soon as they appeared. The pothole in Ernest
Road, behind the Co-op Supermarket was reported to Cllr. Manning.
c) Public Transport Representative. Peter Kay gave a report on a number of
issues including the route of the no. 62, which he would follow up.
6. COMMITTEE REPORTS.
6.1 Planning
a) Minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 5 January were
received and noted. Cllr. Liddy reported that the primary matter of concern
was the Phase 3 of Cooks Shipyard for which an extension of consultation
time had been granted. The Planning Committee had formed their initial
response which would be finalized at their next meeting. A meeting was
impending with the Wivenhoe Consortium on 16 February and a meeting was to
be arranged with Karen Syrett prior to this.
b) Section 106 Working Party (Cooks’): Cllr. Liddy reported on the Health
and Safety Risk Assessment prepared by the Marine Surveyor for the Town
Council and proposed that the document be accepted. The document would then
provide the foundation of a management plan.
A vote was taken and with one abstention it was AGREED that the document be
accepted.
Town Clerk to follow up if a response had been received from Colchester
Oyster Fisheries.
Cllr. Liddy would contact Simon Evans with regard to the management plan,
which should be in place prior to the signing of the leases and also provide
the Town Council’s insurers with a copy.
Taylor Wimpey had contacted the Town Council about the remainder of the
crane, which was in storage on the site, and to find out if the Town Council
knew of anyone interested in taking ownership of it as it now needed to be
removed from the site. Cllr. Liddy would follow this up.
c) Health Centre: Cllr. Lodge reported that a meeting was being held on 9
February to which Cllr. Sinclair would be attending.
6.2 Personnel Committee.
Cllr. Kraft reported that a meeting had been held with those members of
staff concerned to explain the pension options; training costs were being
obtained and a rolling programme set in motion. A short meeting with staff
would be held the week before Personnel meetings to enable any issues
needing discussion to be included on the agenda. The matter of Health and
Safety would be discussed at the next Estates meeting.
6.3 Finance and Administration Committee.
a) Cllr. Purdey reported that final figures had been received from
Colchester Borough Council details of which would be discussed under agenda
item 9. To summarise it had
been able to maintain a 2.89% increase with current levels of service being
kept, pension obligation being met and provision made for professional fees
and staff training.
Cllr. Purdey thanked the Town Clerk and Mr. Len Horner for their work on the
budget.
6.4 Best Value Committee
a) Draft notes of meeting held on Monday 11 January were received and noted.
b) Items of Note: Allotment Notice to Quit - the recommendation of the Best
Value Committee to uphold the Town Council’s decision to serve Notice to
Quit on tenant of 2a
was discussed and it was decided that the Chair of the Estates Committee
hold a meeting with WAGA to go through the procedures. Council Office
electrics - additional expenditure of £1048 incurred for necessary work
outside of the specification was noted; Town & Gown - Cllrs. Sinclair and
Richards had attended a meeting with the organizers of Town & Gown and would
report back at the next Best Value meeting.
Making the Links - a report on this would be given at next Best Value
meeting.
7. WORKING PARTY REPORTS.
7.1 William Loveless Hall Working Party:
a) Noted that the date of next meeting would be on Wednesday 27 January
2010, 7.30pm in Council Chamber. The automatic door mechanism for the front
door of the William Loveless Hall was also in the process of being fitted.
7.2 Estates (General Amenities & Landscaping) Working Party.
a) Notes of the Meeting held on 4 January were circulated.
7.3 Wivenhoe Wood Working Party: Cllr. Sinclair reported that a work day
scheduled for January had been cancelled because of the weather and would
now be held on Sunday 7 February, where work on the Riverwalk Ferry Marsh
would be carried out. Notices on the Parish Paths Partnership had been
placed on the noticeboards at Rosabelle Avenue.
7.4. Minibus Working Group.
a) Cllr. Sinclair reported that the bus has sustained a broken window while
slipping on ice in the yard, arrangements were in hand for this to be
carried out.
7.5 Youth Facilities Working Party.
Cllr. Purdey reported that there was to be a meeting with the Principal of
Colne School on Wednesday 20 January at 3.45pm to discuss future ways of
working with youth.
7.6 Members' Individual Proposals or Reports:
a) Mayoral Activities: Cllr. Lodge reported on attendances at Carols on the
Quay on 22 December, which had to be held in the Church due to the icy road
conditions; visiting a host who had students from Essex University for
Christmas Dinner; New Year’s Eve Dance at the William Loveless Hall; Youth
Centre meeting on 13 January; Wivenhoe Sports Trust on 13 January and the
Historical Forum on 16 January.
b) Community Safety and Police Matters: As Cllr. Rogers was unwell there was
no report.
c) NAP report: Cllr. Kraft reported that Patrick Baxter had resigned as
Chairman of NAP and that Eugene Kraft had taken over as Chairman. Future
venues had been changed to the Council Chamber, instead of the
Congregational Church. Traffic problems and the siting of the VAS was still
ongoing.
8. TOWN CLERK'S REPORT.
8.1 Burial Grants and approval of memorials.
The Town Clerk reported that no Burial Grants had been issued and no
memorials had been approved since the last meeting. One burial had taken
place.
8.2 NALC/EALC Communications. DIS communications and 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 Christmas Lights had been taken
down and the groundsmen had assisted with gritting where possible. Interior
redecoration of Council Offices following electrical work had been
commenced. The number of visitors to the Council Offices for the month of
December totalled 96.
9. FINANCE.
9.1 Current Financial Report
a) The December spending and income Report was received and noted.
b) Budget 2010/2011: Following the pre-budget meeting held on 16 December
2009 the Town Clerk reported that figures had now been received from
Colchester Borough Council and that the Parish Grant of £32,454 and the
divisor figure 2830.3 produced a final precept figure of £53.43 per band D
property, against £51.93 last year, reflecting an increase of 2.89%.
Town Clerk presented the recommendations of the pre-budget meeting held on
16 December for amendments to the following budget codes:
33/1 Landscaping increase by £100
34/1 Cemetery increase by £250
10/2 Mayoral allowance increase by £200
Cllr. Purdey proposed that the amendments be approved. This was seconded by
Cllr. Needham and AGREED by all members with the exception of two
abstentions.
AGREED therefore that the budget figures be adopted.
RESOLVED therefore that the Town Council precept on the Colchester Borough
Council for the sum of £151,223 to meet its estimated expenditure for the
financial year 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011.
Calculation of indicative Council Tax on the above divided by the equivalent
number of Band D properties in Wivenhoe, now 2830.3 equalled a levy of
£53.43 per Council Tax payer, representing an increase of 2.89% on last
year’s figures and £1.50 per household.
9.2 List of cheques numbered 503263 -503270 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:
Additional electrical work in Council Office building £1048
9.5 Appeals for Financial Support. None.
10. NEW BUSINESS.
10.1 Correspondence.
a) Wivenhoe and District Sporting Facilities Trust: Cllr. Lodge reported
that he had received a full report from Stuart Gillman, the Town Council’s
representative on the Trust. This was read out to members by Cllr. Lodge.
Concern was expressed should the football facility be lost to the community
and the situation would be monitored. Thanks were expressed to the Town
Council’s representative for keeping the Town Council informed.
10.2 Conferences/Seminars.
EALC courses Councillor Training Day sessions – January 27, March 10th,
Dunmow, £54. Cllrs. Kraft, Sinclair, Needham and Vaughan expressed interest
in these. Office to check the availability for January 27.
10.3 Notices. Members noted the following:
Mayor’s Charity Events
1940’s Valentines Dance, William Loveless Hall, Saturday 13 February £10/£15
Mayor’s Ball, Saturday 6 March, William Loveless Hall Tickets £34
10.4 Licences. None.
10.5 Highway Matters.
a) ECC Statement on Winter Gritting:
An official statement from Essex County Council Highways on Winter Gritting
was received and noted.
Regarding the small stockpile of salt which had been deposited by Highways
in the Council Yard this would be bagged up and put away for future use.
10.6 Press Releases.
The meeting closed at 9.40pm.
CHAIRMAN
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