Godmanchester Town Council Minutes.

The Minutes of the Godmanchester Town Council are provided simply to increase ease of access for fellow residents here in GMC. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the webmaster (Stuart Bond) or Godmanchester Community Association. The Minutes are released to the public once they are approved.

Please note that the financial details are not held on this website and that only the entire Minutes as recorded in the Minutes Book have legal standing. Hard copies are posted around the town on the noticeboards and also sent to Huntingdon Library. If you have any queries please contact the Town Clerk by e-mail or telephone / fax 388 870.

PRESENT: Mrs A LOOKER Town Mayor, W D BUTTERWORTH Deputy Town Mayor
Councillors: D ASHWORTH, D BROWN, H R BUTCHER, D COMBEN, M COHEN, Mrs H HULL, E KYNOCH, Mrs B MOORE, R NORRIS, A SURSHAM, C VANE PERCY
Town Clerk: A J WELTON

ABSENT: Councillors A GOFF, G WILSON

There were 4 members of the public present.

TOWN MAYOR’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

The MAYOR informed the meeting that she had represented the Town on 2 occasions since the last meeting. The DEPUTY MAYOR had also represented the Town on 1 occasion. The MAYOR announced the HGTA German Evening on 28 February 2004 at the Commemoration Hall, Huntingdon; the Mayor of Huntingdon’s Charity Dinner Dance on 27 March 2004 and commended both events to the meeting. The MAYOR also reminded the meeting that there would be Pancake Day races in Huntingdon on 24 February 2004.

04/007 MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 15 January 2004 were APPROVED and signed as a complete and accurate record.

04/008 PLANNING APPLICATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCE

Because of a prior engagement, the Chair of the Planning WP asked if discussion of planning applications and correspondence could be taken early. This was AGREED. The Planning Working Party had met on 12 February 2004. The applications and correspondence set out in Appendix C were considered. The Town Clerk was to advise HDC of the Council’s recommendations. It was proposed that applications received too late to be discussed at the Planning WP meeting but for consideration at Town Council meetings should be displayed prior to the Town Council meeting to give Councillors the opportunity to peruse them.

04/009 MATTERS ARISING

The Outstanding Actions List dated 19 February 2004 was reviewed.

It was announced that work on the Garden of Rest in Cambridge Street was now complete. The MAYOR proposed that the grateful thanks of the Town Council to Cllr COMBEN be formally recorded for his work in designing and specifying both the Garden of Rest and the Garden of Remembrance in the Cemetery. APPROVED.

The Town Clerk advised the meeting that Mr Roger Coxhead of Godmanchester Rovers FC would be making a presentation to the Town Council at the next meeting, outlining the achievements and aspirations of the Club.

04/010 CORRESPONDENCE

The correspondence listed at Appendix A, not covered by the WP reports, was addressed.

The MAYOR advised that, as Salon en Provence had invited her to attend their 40th anniversary celebrations of Twinning Association with Wertheim and the 30th anniversary with Huntingdon & Godmanchester, she was mindful to attend on 29 May 2004. This would be at no cost to the Town Council.

041/011 ACCOUNTS

The accounts set out in Appendix B were APPROVED.

04/012 WORKING PARTY (WP) REPORTS

CHUMMS and A14 . There had not been a WP meeting but Cllr ASHWORTH discussed the content of replies he had received concerning the realignment of the A14 from both the MP and other Parish Councils. He outlined his proposed response but it was DECIDED that the detail should be considered at a WP meeting. It was AGREED that the meeting would take place on Thursday 4 March 2004 at 7.30pm in the Town Hall. Town Clerk’s Note: The meeting will take place in the small hall of QES.

Cemetery. Cllr COHEN advised the meeting that, following the notice to the public concerning the removal of Christmas decorations, it was his intention to remove such decorations to the Garden of Remembrance over the weekend of 21/22 February 2004. It had come to his notice that there were a number of headstones that were potentially unsafe. He would make a note of those that were to be made safe so that the Town Clerk could contact relatives to invite them to have the work carried out.

Environment. The WP had met on 10 February 2004 but there were no recommendations to be placed before the Council. Cllr NORRIS gave an update on the progress with the work on the Devana Close Play Area. The required paintwork was still to be completed and this would be undertaken by the contractors when the weather was favourable. The Town Clerk was to approach the contractor, Anglian Playground Services, with a view to having drain holes drilled through the floors of the two structures from which the roofs had been removed.

Finance. The WP had met on 10 February 2004. The new caretaker for Judith’s Field, Mrs Jayne Sarath, started on 9 February 2004. The Town Council APPROVED her appointment. The WP recommended that she be paid a sum of money, based on hours worked at minimum wage rates, to bring the cleanliness of the building up to standard, that sum was not to exceed £50.00. The WP also recommended that, during the absence on compassionate leave of the QES caretaker, coupled with the lack of a caretaker at JF, the Town Clerk and his Assistant be paid an additional sum for opening up and locking up those premises at unsocial hours. It was recommended that the Assistant receive an additional £100 and the Town Clerk £125. APPROVED. Additionally, in the absence of the QES caretaker it had been necessary to employ a casual cleaner to clean QES. This had taken approximately 1½ hours and it was recommended that the cleaner be paid £10.00. This sum was APPROVED.

The Town Clerk advised the meeting that the right-hand entrance door to QES was beginning to fall apart and he had received an estimate that had arrived that afternoon, after the office had closed, for a replacement. The estimate, from Jacowe Joinery, was for £840 plus VAT. The expenditure was APPROVED but the Town Clerk was to ask the contractor to survey and check the integrity of the other door and to add bolts to both doors to enable them to be held open without the use of wedges.

Flood Defences. There had not been a WP meeting. However, Cllr Mrs HULL advised the meeting that there would be a Huntingdonshire Flood Forum to be held on Thursday 25 March 2004 at Pathfinder House beginning at 6.00pm. She requested that any questions or problems be notified to her, in writing, prior to the meeting. Cllr Mrs HULL advised that the Environment Agency had written to inform the Council that they would be in a position to present their findings about the flood alleviation scheme proposals to the Council in June 2004.

Property/Judith’s Field. Cllr SURSHAM advised the meeting that the Council had applied to SITA for a grant of £25000 to restore the 2 gates to the churchyard. Additionally, the Civic Society had agreed to contribute £2000 and HDC had also made a provisional grant of £2000. It was AGREED that Cllrs VANE PERCY, COMBEN and SURSHAM would prepare the specifications in order that invitations to tender could be sent out through the Town Clerk.

Other Representative Groups/Twinning/Inter Town Forum/Detached Youth Initiative. The MAYOR and Cllr Mrs HULL had attended the HCSP meeting at which it had been suggested that there should be a problem solving group devoted to the youth problems in Godmanchester. This sub-group of HCSP would be meeting on Tuesday 9 March 2004. Additionally, the HCSP annual seminar, to be held on Wednesday 17 March 2004 at the Burgess Hall, St Ivo Recreation Centre, St Ives, starting at 4.30pm, would have as it’s theme “Tackling Anti-social Behaviour”.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS. The Town Clerk advised the meeting that he would be on leave for the period 28 February 2004 to 7 March 2004 inclusive. Mrs Glynn Moorhouse, the Town Clerk’s Assistant would run the Town Office during his absence.

Cllr Mrs MOORE asked about what provision for disabled access was being considered for the Town Hall. It was DECIDED that the whole matter of disabled access would be addressed by the next Property WP. In the meantime, the Town Clerk was to seek pointers from CALC about what action should be considered.

Cllr VANE PERCY left the meeting at 10.12pm.

The Town Clerk advised that he had received an estimate that afternoon for the restoration of the roll of honour in the Town Hall. The detail would be discussed at a later date but the estimate was for approximately £24500.

THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING WILL BE HELD ON 18 MARCH 2004 (GOWNED)

The meeting ended 1015 pm Mayor

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