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MINUTES of the Meeting of
Wivenhoe Town Council
held in the Council Chamber
on Monday 21 June 2010.
Present: The Town Mayor, Cllr. B. Sinclair (Chairman), Cllrs: N. Lodge, C.
Liddy, A. Vaughan, C. Fox, R. Needham, F. Richards, M. Iacovou and P. Kraft.
Borough Cllrs. S. Ford, M. Cory and J. Mannng County Cllr. J. Young
Peter Kay, Public Transport Representative
Mrs. A. Stinson (Town Clerk)
Mr. R. Mallett, member of the public
WPCSO L. Neville
Press
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE.
Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs. K. Rogers and D. Purdey and
Borough Cllr. A. Quarrie.
2. MINUTES. RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Town
Council held on 17 May 2010 be confirmed and signed as a correct record,
subject to the inclusion under 14.6 Mayoral Activities of “Cllr. Lodge had
attended 120 events during his Mayoral Year and spent £1,800”.
3. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES.
4. POINTS RAISED BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
5. REPORTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY AND BOROUGH
COUNCILS.
a) Essex County Council: Cllr. Young reported that she had been dealing with
school places for local children which was proving problematic for lecturers
and students at the University. School classes are maintained at 30
placements and there would not be the funding to increase classes, a
possible option would be if the University could find funding for its own
school. Good news on Highways, the funding had been secured for the 20 mph
scheme in lower Wivenhoe and the funding for the pedestrian crossing from
the CIF budget was also secure, however, there would be no capital monies
for the footways along Elmstead Road and Cllr. Young suggested the Town
Council look into CIF funding for this, although there was no guarantee that
the CIF schemes would continue. Members asked about the funding for
cyclepath and Cllr. Young said that she had not heard that this had been
axed from the LTP3 funding.
b) Borough Council: Cllr. Cory reported that he was on the Strategic and
Overview, Licensing and LDF Panel; concerning the LDF Core Strategy he
reported that there had been two ongoing issues concerning areas of open
space in Wivenhoe, namely the land behind Field Way and land at Millfields,
both of which CBC were in a strong position to secure as open spaces in the
LDF. The land behind Field Way was apparently set aside as Conservation Land
and Cllr. Cory had asked to see documentation of this. The Youth club was
doing well although in need of more volunteers. He had also been dealing
with litter and neighbour disputes. Cllr. Ford reported that he had walked
every road in Wivenhoe taking note of every pothole which he had then
reported. Some had been repaired but he was continuing with his project by
inspecting all the pavements as well. Along his route he was checking
overhanging gardens and graffiti; he had attended the public meeting at
Millfields School which was very proactive.
Cllr. Manning reported that he was on Planning, Finance and the Scrutiny
Panel, he explained that the reason both he and Cllr. Quarrie could not
attend the meeting at Millfields School was because to do so would have
prejudiced both their positions and they would have been unable to represent
Wivenhoe at Borough Council level should the issue arise at the Planning
stage; he too was chasing the repair of potholes; Cllr. Kraft asked those
Borough Cllrs. present about the future of the Parish Grant and Cllr.
Manning confirmed that there were to be cuts in the Parish Grants to all
Town and Parish Councils and that a review was currently being carried out.
The Town Council would be informed as soon as possible. The Town Clerk was
already making preparations for cut backs and savings within the Town
Council’s budget.
c) Public Transport Representative. Peter Kay had sent an email report on
the May Fair which had been circulated to all. Concerning the bus shelter by
Cedrics Garage the Town Council’s Estates Working Party would look into the
matter of graffiti and provision of a cover for the noticeboard. Regarding
the bus time tables the Town Clerk advised that Mr. Kay could get the
notices laminated at the Council Offices.
d) Police Report: WPCSO L. Neville reported that there had been some theft
of lead from roofs in lower Wivenhoe; there had been vandalism to a grave in
Wivenhoe Cemetery and the area was being regularly patrolled. A new Street
Warden scheme started today, Cllr. Kraft had information on this from the
recent NAP meeting and this would be circulated to all members.
6. COMMITTEE REPORTS.
6.1 Planning
a) Minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 1 June were
received and noted.
b) Section 106 Working Party (Cooks’): Cllr. Liddy reported that the
response from CBC’s Chief Executive would be discussed at the Planning
Committee’s meeting the following evening.
c) Health Centre: Nothing further to report at the moment.
6.2 Personnel Committee. The next meeting would be held on Wednesday 14 July
at 7.30pm.
6.3 Finance and Administration Committee.
a) The Minutes of the Finance Meeting held on 15 June 2010 were received and
approved
as a correct record.
b) Items of Note: KGV Basketball/netball facility.
The recommendation from the Finance Committee to proceed with
basketball/netball
facility on the KGV for which a CIF Grant for £3500 has been secured, cost
to the Town
Council £900 was APPROVED.
c) Review of Charges for Town Council’s facilities:
Cemetery Charges:
AGREED to accept the Town Clerk’s recommendations for an increase in the
cemetery
charges with immediate effect.
William Loveless Hall: Cllr. Kraft said that these would considered at the
next meeting of
the Working Party.
KGV hire for May Fair: The recommendations of the Finance Committee for an
increase
in the hire charge for the use of the KGV Field by the May Fair was DEFERRED
and
would be discussed at the next Best Value Committee.
6.4 Best Value Committee
a) Notes of meeting held on Monday 14 June were received and noted.
Items of Note: Communications Working Party to be set up and a Review of
Standing
Orders to be carried out; the Considerate Parking Scheme and Severe Weather
Policy
would also be discussed at the next meeting.
7. WORKING PARTY REPORTS.
7.1 William Loveless Hall Working Party:
a) Date of next meeting Wednesday 23 June 2010, 7.30pm. in the Wyvern Room.
7.2 Estates (General Amenities & Landscaping) Working Party.
a) Date of next meeting Monday 5 July 2010 at 7.30pm.
7.3 Wivenhoe Wood Working Party: Cllr. Sinclair reported that drainage
ditches were being dug on the Ferry Marshes to encourage water vole habitat.
7.4. Minibus Working Group.
a) Nothing to report other than the outstanding issue of the cam-belt
replacement which was being dealt with by the Town Council’s reception
staff.
7.5 Youth Facilities Working Party. Cllr. Richards reported that there might
be a possibility of the Youth Council visiting a Town Council meeting.
7.6 Members' Individual Proposals or Reports:
a) Mayoral Activities: Cllr. Sinclair reported on attendances at the
following: 19th May, Colchester Mayor Making Ceremony; St. Mary’s Church
June Market on 5 June; Colchester Civic Service on 6 June; Officially opened
Broomgrove Junior School Allotments on 8 June; East Donyland Civic Service
on 13 June; 16 June attended Millfield School Public Meeting regarding the
Green; 19/20th June visited all Open Gardens, with the Mayoress deputizing
on 20 June while the Mayor attending the Colchester United Forces Service to
remember the Dead and Injured of recent conflicts at St. Peters Church 20
June; Visited Wivenhoe Sailing Club to support the Deputy of The Cinque
Ports in welcoming Old Gaffers Sailing Fleet and presenting prizes on the
evening of 20 June and visited the Monday Club for afternoon of 21 June.
b) Community Safety and Police Matters: Already taken earlier under 5 d).
c) NAP report: The report from Cllr. Kraft on the NAP meeting held on 18 May
was received and noted.
8. TOWN CLERK'S REPORT.
8.1 Burial Grants and approval of memorials.
The Town Clerk reported that two Burial Grants had been issued and no
memorials had been approved since the last meeting. Two burials had taken
place.
8.2 NALC/EALC Communications. DIS communications and June monthly
communications and newsletters from both NALC and EALC were both available
in office for members to read.
8.3 Work Management.
a) General: The Town Clerk reported that grass-cutting was continuing in all
Town Council owned areas, both sets of goalposts on the KGV field had been
repainted and put back along with new nets on both sets, the goal areas had
recovered sufficiently from the rest; the skatepark had been re-painted and
new play-sand had that day been delivered to the sand-pit in the play area.
Illegal fly-posting in the wooden bus shelters had been causing a problem
and both the litter picker and the groundsmen were removing it as soon as it
appeared. A dead tree had been removed from the Old Cemetery. The number of
visitors to the Council Offices for the month of May totalled 122.
Cllr. Fox asked the Town Clerk to find out if the self-sown sycamores had
been removed yet from the Old Cemetery.
9. FINANCE.
9.1 Current Financial Report
a) The May spending and income Report was received and noted. Town Clerk
drew attention to increase in the Town Council’s insurance premium and would
look at comparisons from other companies.
b) 2009/2010 Audit of Accounts: The Town Council is required to approve the
Statement of Annual Return for the financial year 2009/10 for the External
Auditor. The Finance Committee had considered the Annual Return and
recommended approval of Section 1, the Statement of Accounts, Sections 2 and
4 having already been approved and signed.
RESOLVED therefore that the Statement of Annual Return for the year
2009/2010 be approved and signed.
c) Review of Financial Regulations.
A review of the Town Council’s Financial Regulations in accordance with EALC
and
NALC had been submitted to the Finance and Administration Committee where it
had been RECOMMENDED for approval at the Town Council meeting. A minor
amendment was put forward under 11(a) 2.
RESOLVED therefore that the revised Town Council Financial Regulations
incorporating the amendments be AGREED and APPROVED. A copy would be
circulated to all members.
9.2 List of cheques numbered 503349 -503373 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 expenditure:
a) KGV Basket/Netball Court - £900
9.5 Appeals for Financial Support. None.
10. NEW BUSINESS.
10.1 Correspondence. None received.
10.2 Conferences/Seminars. None.
10.3 Notices. Members noted the following:
The Wivenhoe Town Annual Cricket Match arranged for Wednesday 14 July had
been postponed. A further date to be re-arranged.
10.4 Licences.
10.5 Highway Matters.
a) Wivenhoe Quay – Members noted that a meeting had been arranged with
Highways on 29 June at 10.30am to discuss issues concerning the public
slipway.
b) ECC Highways Ernest Road – parking restrictions. Members noted receipt
from Highways of details concerning proposed waiting /parking restrictions
in Ernest Road, at the rear of the Co-operative Supermarket. The
restrictions were designed to "fill in" a gap between the restrictions which
had led to complaints of congestion and obstruction.
10.6 Press Releases.
The meeting closed at 9.05pm.
CHAIRMAN
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