Properties Minutes 30th October 2007

Minutes of a meeting of the PROPERTIES COMMITTEE held in the Council Chamber, Drake Road, Tavistock on TUESDAY the 30th day of OCTOBER 2007 at 6.30 p.m.

Present: 

Cllr Mrs M Govier - Chair
Cllr C Jenkins
Cllr Mrs A Johnson - Town Mayor
Cllr R Pike - Dep Town Mayor
Cllr H Smith - Chair F&GP
Cllr E Sanders
Cllr E Sherrell
Cllr Mrs Sellis
Cllr B Trew - V. Chair 

In Attendance:  

Town Clerk
Works Superintendent
Cllr Connelly - DCC
One member of the Press

315. APOLOGIES
Apologies for absence were received from Cllr D Best

316. MINUTES
The Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 25th September 2007, previously circulated and adopted by Council on 2nd October 2007 were confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

317. MATTERS ARISING

Pixon Lane. In accordance with Members’ requests two options for the development of Pixon Lane were presented. Both options showed a replacement Depot building, two rentable units, a service road to allow continued access to those buildings further south on Pixon Lane open space that otherwise have no public access at all, and appropriate lights and signage

  • Option One allowed for the two buildings that DCC were keen to build on that land.
  • Option Two assumed that these two buildings were not built, and allowed for more public car parking.

Members were also given very rough draft calculations to show the financial background, with a number of assumptions:

  • That the Cattle Market would still be allowed to use Pixon Lane for lorry parking on market days. These estimated at 20 per year. There would be no public car parking on those days.
  • That Pixon Lane would be used by fairground lorries, trailers and caravans for the week of Goose Fair. There would be no public car parking on those days.
  • That the parking fee would be set at the same or near to that set for WDBC long term parking at a charge of £1.50p per car per day Monday to Saturday, to attract those currently using on-street parking in town.
  • That the annual saving of rental for the existing Depot would be £15,200 plus £510 insurance premium. Noted that this may have to be paid until March 2012  if the lease cannot be assigned.
  • That the works (less any DCC buildings) would cost £800,000, all to be funded by a loan. Any leases out would be at commercial rates.

After some debate Cllr Trew proposed that the Council take Option 2 forward, and this was unanimously so RECOMMENDED.    

318. MINUTES OF THE WHITCHURCH DOWN SUB-COMMITTEE
Members noted the minutes of the meeting held on 16th October which were presented by Cllr Trew.

319. WORKS SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT
Members noted the report at Annex A. The Chairman congratulated Mr Southall on passing his NEBOSH diploma examinations, and Members asked that their thanks for a successful Goose Fair be passed to the works force.

320. MARKET REEVE’S REPORT
Members noted the report at Annex B. 

321. TOWN HALL MANAGER’S REPORT
Members noted without comment the report at Annex C.  

322. GOLF CLUB LEASE

a. Members noted minute 295b of the Whitchurch Down Sub-Committee, and the referral back to the Properties Committee of any discussion on the land swap and draft Deed of Variation. The Mayor reminded Members that the subject had first been raised in 1992, and the deed of variation was a result of the Council’s acceptance of a Best Value scrutiny recommendation in 2005.  Several Members were concerned that the ability of the public to use the ‘kick-about’ football pitch should not be compromised by the swap. Cllr Pike recalled that in the past a football club had paid 2/6p a year to place the goal posts on the Down. Members also asked if golf practice was open to all or would the Golf Club try to restrict it to their members only. 

b. Cllr Mrs Sellis reminded Members that the Golf Club had written in 2006 confirming that they had no problems with the use of the football pitch, as it had always been used. Cllr Trew suggested that the Council could make a bye-law amendment that allowed anyone to practice golf on the area of the football pitch, and that would negate the need for any legal lease change. He felt that the Golf Club could be approached with this solution in mind. The Clerk reminded Members that the Golf Club had agreed to pay £500 for the legal costs of the Deed of Variation, and if that was to be re-written for a third time than this sum could be well exceeded. Cllr Mrs Govier suggested that the Council should pay any difference as a duty to the public users of that area. 

c. Cllr P Sanders from the public benches reminded Members that there had been two Council resolutions to make the land swap. The Golf Club had been very patient, and had been using the land as if it were theirs since 1992. They kept the football pitch clear, and the fact that the land to be swapped was now overgrown was because the Club no longer used it. He asked the Council to stop antagonising the Golf Club. Cllr Mrs Sellis opined that Members were elected to represent all; the public and the Golf Club members too. Cllr Pike was concerned that the Council resolutions may have become ‘time expired’ as the deed had not been signed within 6 months. Members then RECOMMENDED by 8 votes for to one against that further debate on the matter be deferred until the Council meeting on the 6th November. They confirmed that enough briefing material had already been distributed.

323. MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY
Members were informed that “Make a Difference Day” was a national annual event to celebrate volunteering.  It was being marked in Tavistock by the local Volunteer Centre having a "beautifying Tavistock" session in the Meadows to clear up litter with the help of Tavistock Taskforce and other volunteers. They planned to meet at the bandstand at 11 am on Friday 2nd November and carry on until about 3 pm.

324. URGENT BUSINESS BROUGHT FORWARD AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIRMAN.
There was no such business.

Rising 7. 15 p.m.