Town Council Minutes 1st April 2008
Minutes of a Meeting of the TAVISTOCK TOWN COUNCIL held in the Council Chamber, Drake Road, Tavistock on TUESDAY the 1st day of APRIL 2008 at 7.00 p.m.
Present: Cllr R Pike Deputy Town Mayor
Cllr D Best
Cllr Mrs M Govier
Cllr M Harper
Cllr I C Jennings
Cllr C Jenkins
Cllr Mrs J C Metcalf
Cllr Mrs J Ramsey
Cllr P Sanders
Cllr E D Sanders
Cllr Mrs D Sellis
Cllr W Sellis
Cllr E H Sherrell
Cllr H Smith
Cllr B Trew
Cllr D Whitcomb
In Attendance: Town Clerk
Cllr Connelly DCC
One member of the press
Five members of the public
TAMAR VALLEY
Mr Tim Selman and Mr Robert Plumb were present at 6. 30 pm to give a presentation on the Tamar Valley Heritage projects. Mr Selman gave an overview of the projects, including the re-instatement of the canal from the Wharf to Lumburn (£250,000), the railway track from Bere Alston to be used as a multi-use trail (£350,000), Tavistock Town interpretation facilities (£19,000) and the plans for an orientation centre based on the Court Gate complex (£100,000). All told the projects were worth some £700,000. Mr Plumb spoke of the plan to prepare a conservation management plan for Tavistock that was an essential first step to be able to apply for up to £2.5 million of Heritage Lottery grants. He reminded the Members that they had turned down a request for a start-up grant of £5,000 as the Town Council’s portion of the £30,000 required for that plan. The Lottery cash would improve the public realm, increase visitor numbers, produce more and better jobs and make for more prosperous businesses. He asked the Town Council to support the Heritage bid, as all the other World Heritage towns had similar plans and the Lottery was a very competitive process. Many of the listed buildings that the heritage money would invest in were anyway owned by the Council. Members discussed how the Town would cope with more visitors when it was already at bursting point, and how the ratepayers might benefit from the heritage money.
QUIET REFLECTION. The meeting proper then commenced at 7.00 pm with Members preparing themselves for the meeting by a few moments of quiet reflection led by the Deputy Mayor.
PUBLIC QUESTION TIME.
a. Jovial comments were made concerning the recent ‘embellishment’ to Drake’s Statue.
b. Comments were made of the time-table for consultation about the LDF being until 2010, and Members questioned if Kilbride were working to the same time-table? The Deputy Mayor said that the Town Council had no detailed knowledge of the matter, and were also just consultees in the process.
659. APOLOGIES.
There were apologies for absence from Cllr Mrs A Johnson.
660. MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETING 4th MARCH 2008.
The Deputy Mayor presented the minutes of the meeting. RESOLVED that the minutes of this meeting be adopted. Cllr Mrs Ramsey took the opportunity to raise her concerns at the size of the new residential developments being mooted. She commented on her perception at Minute 600b of the ‘apathy’ of WDBC planning officers who failed to query the numbers concerned with the central government. Cllr P Sanders spoke in defence of the Borough officers, in that their job was not the LDF but processing planning applications. It was up to the Town Council to challenge numbers, but the central government directives left little room for manoeuvre.
661. MINUTES OF ANNUAL TOWN MEETING 11th MARCH 2008.
The Deputy Mayor presented the minutes of the meeting. Noted that the Vice-Chair of the Finance and General Purposes Committee had presented the accounts. RESOLVED that the minutes of this meeting be agreed.
662. MATTERS ARISING.
There were no such matters.
663. PLANS COMMITTEE 4th MARCH 2008.
Cllr Best presented the Minutes. RESOLVED that the minutes of this meeting be adopted. Concerning Minute 588 Cllr Mrs Govier asked if any response had come from her idea of loading bays in Duke Street.
664. PLANS COMMITTEE 19th MARCH 2008.
Cllr Best presented the Minutes. RESOLVED that the minutes of this meeting be adopted.
665. PROPERTIES COMMITTEE 26th MARCH 2008.
Cllr Trew presented the minutes.
a. Concerning Minute 627 Cllr Smith reminded Members that there had been some debate about overtime and staff morale, and sub-committees varied in their views. Standing Orders authorised responsible managers working within set budgets to control such payments, and staff should not be concerned. He reminded Members that a system of one to one discussions used by the council in previous decades had caused problems. He proposed an amendment to the recommendation contained in Minute 612c, this as provided for in Standing Order 1.11.6 (ii), that the second sentence read:
‘Members then RECOMMENDED that any councillors who have concerns over expenditure on overtime should first refer to the written report which will contain details of spend against budget. This report will be produced by the officer responsible for that cost centre, and presented to each relevant sub-committee/committee at each of its scheduled meetings. Any further questions or concerns should be directed through the Town Clerk’.
Cllr P Sanders felt that sub-committees should query increases in wages bills, and putting questions should not make staff concerned about their employment. He was concerned over the wording of Minute 612b. Cllr Trew saw nothing wrong with the wording of that minute, and was against paying for an external body to come in to look at the organisation of the Pannier Market. He felt all could be managed within the internal system. Members then unanimously RESOLVED to adopt Cllr Smith’s proposal.
b. Concerning Minute 631c, Cllr Mrs Sellis had meant to refer to damage on the practice hole. Members then examined the 3rd draft of the licence for the Golf Club. Cllr Sherrell proposed that it be accepted as tabled, and Members unanimously RESOLVED so.
Cllr Sherrell left the meeting.
It was RESOLVED that the minutes of this meeting as amended be adopted.
666. FINANCE AND GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE 26th MARCH 2008 Cllr H Smith presented the Minutes.
a. Concerning Minute 646c an explanatory e-mail from ex-Cllr Andrews was tabled. Cllr Best still felt that the money remaining should be placed so that any applicants went through the normal Council grants process first. Cllr Mrs Govier thought that the money could go to a fund to look after the long-term maintenance of the tree. Mr Andrews from the public gallery explained that the charitable constitution for the Charter Group meant that the money remaining was the responsibility of that Group not the Town Council. Cllr Harper thought it right to give a small bonus to local charities as the Group wanted, and the Council should stop wasting time on such a small amount. Members then RESOLVED by 14 for, one against and one abstention on a proposition by Cllr Smith to agree that the Group should pay the remaining money to the local charities suggested by Mr Andrews unless any other applicants came forward to the Group.
b. Concerning Minute 647 Cllr P Sanders thought we should seek to broaden the invitation to comment on the LDF to other councils who might be just as affected by large developments as Tavistock, Okehampton and Hatherleigh. The Clerk would see if DAPC could assist in this concept. Members were informed that a planning consultant already involved in the consultation charged £125 an hour, and had spent 7 hours assisting the Chamber of Commerce with their comments. Cllr Harper wondered why the Council did not get any appropriate concerned local people to undertake such consultancy work for nothing, just for the goodwill of the community.
c. Concerning Minute 648 Cllr Trew explained why the concept of a railway was not as ‘green’ as some supposed when compared with other forms of transport. It would be a single line with no signals and he believed that design to be illegal under current law. Members agreed that the figure of over 2,000 commuters per day to go into Plymouth was ridiculous, and there would anyway have to be a massive car park near the station to cope. Members felt there was already a good bus service, but that was underused. They felt it wise to remove mention of the railway from Minute 648 as they had too little information to be able to comment. It was unanimously RESOLVED to place a full stop after the word ‘Town’ in the second paragraph and to delete the words ‘including in principle the railway line, but not the ‘Kilbride’ proposal’.
Cllr Sellis left the meeting.
d. Concerning Minute 649 Cllr Metcalf felt the grant asked for to be a small amount that would enable the raising of a very large amount for the Town. Cllr Best was concerned about conservation in the North Ward and felt the £5,000 would be money well spent. Cllr Mrs Govier thought the existing recommendation to be short sighted and such a grant could benefit the Town and show commitment to the whole World Heritage process. She compared the current situation with the way that other towns in the World Heritage area were ‘pulling in’ large grants supported by such management reports. Cllr Smith reminded Members of the briefing they had received earlier that evening, and how the £30,000 required for the conservation management report was made up. Cllr Pike agreed that we stood better chances of getting Heritage money with professional help. On a proposition by Cllr Mrs Gover it was then RESOLVED by 9 votes for, 4 against and one abstention to make the £5,000 grant towards the conservation report.
It was RESOLVED that the minutes of this meeting as amended be adopted.
667. REPRESENTATIONAL REPORTS
Those Members who represent the Council on local charities and organisations were invited to forward a report on their activities to be presented to the next Council meeting on the 6th May (the last before the AGM).
668. TO RECEIVE SUCH COMMUNICATIONS OR REPORTS AS MAY BE SUBMITTED BY THE TOWN MAYOR AND TO PASS SUCH RESOLUTIONS AS REQUIRED.
There were no such matters.
669. URGENT BUSINESS BROUGHT FORWARD AT THE DISCRETION OF THE MAYOR
Members were reminded that the Council photograph would be taken at 6. 30 pm before the next Council meeting.
670. SEAL.
RESOLVED that the seal be affixed to the various Deeds and Documents to be made or entered into for the carrying into effect the several decisions and matters approved.
Rising 8.20 p.m
. Signed.........……………...…..................
Town MayorDate...................................................