Minutes of a meeting of the FINANCE AND GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE held in the Council Chamber, Drake Road, Tavistock on TUESDAY the 1st day of SEPTEMBER 2009 at 7. 15p.m.

Present: Cllr H Smith   Chair
Cllr Mrs Govier   Mayor
Cllr M Harper
Cllr I Jennings
Cllr Mrs A Johnson   
Cllr Mrs J Metcalf
Cllr P Sanders
Cllr B Trew   Chair Properties
Cllr D Whitcomb  D Mayor

In Attendance:  
Town Clerk 
Assistant Town Clerk 
Works Superintendent 
One member of the press

180.  APOLOGIES
There were no apologies for absence.

181.   DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST.
Councillors were reminded to declare any personal or prejudicial interest they may have in any item to be considered at the meeting.

182.   MINUTES
The Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 14th July 2009, previously circulated and adopted by Council on 21st July 2009, were confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chairman. 

183. MATTERS ARISING
There were no such matters

184.  MEETING OF THE PROPERTIES COMMITTEE HELD EARLIER THAT EVENING
The Chairman of Properties informed Members that his Committee had discussed the letting of the Archway unit as a new TIO/Interpretation centre, and that WDBC should be allowed to keep the 40% rental rebate currently allowed for the present TIO.  Cllr P Sanders explained the plans for the downsizing of the TIO, and that it could give a better service in the new location.  Members agreed with the recommendation.

185.   MINUTES OF THE G10 GROUP
Members noted the minutes of the meeting held on the 20th March 2009 and the copy of the current LSP Partnership Agreement.  They were concerned about continuity or representatives, and the Mayor suggested that the Deputy Mayor should take on the task and also continue to do it when Mayor so allowing the same person to attend for 2 years.  Cllr Whitcomb agreed to take on the task with immediate effect.

186.  MINUTES OF THE SOUTHERN PARISHES LINK COMMITTEE

Members noted the minutes of the meeting held on the 18th June 2009  Cllr Mrs Johnson noted that her request for costings of the work undertaken by DCC on the old railway had been ignored.  She asked that it be on the agenda for the next meeting on the 17th September.

187.  MINUTES OF THE TAMAR VALLEY INTERPRETING TAVISTOCK
Members noted the minutes of the meeting held on the 6th July 2009.

188.  MINUTES OF THE TAVISTOCK PARKING FOCUS GROUP
members noted the minutes of the meeting held on the 13th July 2009.  Cllr P Sanders was concerned that we seemed to be drifting towards accepting pay and display on the roads in the town.  He was against it as it would be bad for business.  There was concern that the concept was just a means for DCC to pull in more revenue.  We had to remember what the residents wanted.  The matter was deferred to full Council for a decision on a policy about parking meters in the Town centre.

189.  MINUTES OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Members noted the minutes of the meeting held on the 6th July 2009 and the outcomes of the Task and Finish Group meetings held with the Chamber on the 2nd April, 18th June, and 2nd July.   A list of future events to be held on Bedford Square would form part of the Market Report to the Properties Committee in future.

190.  MINUTES OF THE TAVISTOCK TOWNSCAPE HERITAGE PARTNERSHIP

a.   Members noted the minutes of the meeting held on the 15th July 2009.  A copy of the notes from the meeting with Mr Plumb held on the 30th June was also tabled to explain the financial implications.  Members noted that the Partnership had recommended that the Character Appraisal and Management Plan were both accepted by all members of the Partnership.  This will mean they may be used as supplementary planning documents and support the LDF.   There were implications for householders in the conservation area, particularly if section 14 guidance notices were issued.  Cllr P sanders said that the documents were not perfect, but better than nothing.  They set the scene and highlighted the areas to be addressed in the future.  He felt the Town Council ought to endorse the documents.  Cllr Smith was concerned that the management plan failed to inform member of the public about changes that would affect them, the extension of the conservation area boundary being one matter.  After some debate it was RECOMMENDED by 4 votes to 2  that the Council should not endorse the plans.

b.   Members were also asked to consider the financial implications of the Initiative, and the request that TTC budgeted for £500,000 ‘matched funding’ over a 5 year period from 2011.  Cllr P Sanders explained that he understood that the sums concerned would have been already committed in the Council budget for property maintenance, but it could be put up to be counted as matched funding against the hoped for Heritage Lottery money.   Cllr Trew felt the matter to be flawed as they had counted past project spends in coming to the £500,000 over 5 year total.  The Mayor asked what the tax payer might feel if we had to subsidise buildings in private ownership from our budgets.  Cllr Smith disagreed with the comment that the Town Council undertook the property maintenance in a  ‘piecemeal fashion’.  We were being asked to put £500,000 to a ‘theory’, and could not support that with such a lack of information and detail.  Cllr Harper was concerned that such work might not be done by local firms, and that would remove the revenue from the local economy.  There was still concern about English Heritage allowing Heritage Lottery money to be spent on public buildings.  Cllr P Sanders explained the scheme was to lever funds into Tavistock from the Heritage Lottery.  Some degree of matched funding was needed.  We could notionally use the money we anyway intended to spend on property maintenance and get 50% of that as a grant from external sources.  He was not clear on the control issues, but saw this as a potential to get money into the Town.  Members felt that a meeting with Mr Plumb might be beneficial to get him to answer in writing certain questions.  Particularly was the £500,000 mentioned ‘notional’ and normal budget rather than real cash, was it the partnership that controlled the spend and did the Council loose control over budgeted maintenance, and could grant money be spent on public buildings?  Members needed Mr Plumb to ‘sign up’ to an agreement on the status of funds and their control.  Members noted that a meeting with an external councillor was being arranged, and would e-mail the Clerk with questions and clarifications they felt Mr Plumb should answer at such a meeting. 

191.  GENERAL FINANCE

a.   Accounts   Members considered the monthly accounts for submission to the next Council Meeting, a copy of which is at Annex A.  It was RECOMMENDED that they be passed for payment. 

b.   Outturn.     Members noted the phased budget reporting system print to 31st July 2009.

c.   Audit 2008/09.     The draft letter of representation required by the Auditors was tabled for Members endorsement.  It was RECOMMENDED nem con that the Clerk and Chairman of Finance and General Purposes Committee sign the letter.  The Auditors have to present their audit report to the Council by 30th September.  They would not be ready until well after the September council meeting (8th Sept), and they did not think they would be ready by the FPP&P Committee meeting scheduled for the 22nd September (as we could use that committee as a 'cabinet committee' and be deputed to accept the audit report as we did for the accounts).   The Mayor has therefore agreed with the auditors suggestion to move the FPP&P meeting to the 29th September, to follow the Plans committee on that date, and depute them to accept the report as was done for the draft accounts.  Members RECOMMENDED nem con to move the Sub-Committee meeting and depute the members to accept the audit report on their behalf.

192.   HONOURED BURGESS BOARD
Members noted the quote of £457to make a board to the same pattern and in oak for the existing Mayoral Board, and the additional sums for a colour crest, and sign-writing the 16 names.  They RECOMMENDED that the Board be funded.

193.   HIGHWAYS SIGNS
Members considered a communication from Highways about proposals to allow ‘stack’ type signs at selected locations.  They felt the examples given were inappropriate for town centre use, and asked that clarification be obtained.

194.   MINUTES
The Chairman wished to see the layout of the minutes changed to show action points.  Members considered some possible layouts.  The ‘action log’ format used for internal meetings was suggested as a possibility and an example would be circulated.  195.   CYCLE OF MEETINGS

The Chairman wishes the 6-week cycle of meetings to be changed back to the old monthly cycle.  Since this change would go against the resolution made at the AGM in May, but 3 months ago, it would need a recommendation from this committee to go to Council to allow them to re-open debate on the matter.  Rather than allow debate that would merely be repeated at the Council meeting it was RECOMMENDED that full Council re-open the debate on the cycle of meetings.

196.   PARISH POLL
The Parish Poll called at the Extraordinary Town Meeting held on the 15th July was held on the 13th August.  The results were that 1,195 electors voted (12.8% turnout), and 1,089 (91%) were in favour of the question, and thus against the current Core Strategy for Tavistock.  Members were advised that the resolution made at the Town Meeting and the result of the poll were persuasive only.  Although the poll was run by WDBC, and they thus knew the results, Members wished to write formally to the Borough Council to confirm the results and inform them that the results would be used as part of the evidence base for the town council’s objection at the public inquiry, together with our comments already forwarded.  Members thought that a comparison should be made of the 12% turnout for the poll with the smaller percentage turnout at the Borough ‘roadshow’ being used as the Borough evidence base.  We should also write to Okehampton Town Council to inform them officially of the result, and send a similar e-mail to all Borough councillors prior to their final vote on the Core Strategy.

197. PUBLIC BODIES (ADMISSION TO MEETINGS) ACT 1960
Pursuant to Section 1(2) of the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960 it was RESOLVED that, because of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted, the public and the press leave the meeting during consideration of debtors to the Council.198.   

198.  DEBTORS
Members received a list of all those who had a debt to the Council dating from earlier than the last quarter day.

199.   PUBLIC BODIES (ADMISSIONS TO MEETINGS) ACT 1960
RESOLVED that the public and press be re-admitted to the Meeting.

200.  URGENT BUSINESS BROUGHT FORWARD AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIRMAN.
There were no such matters.

Rising 9. 10 p.m.

Signed………..………………….

Dated……………………………

Email: info@tavistock.gov.uk
Telephone:01822 613529

Town Council Offices Drake Road Tavistock Devon PL19 0AU