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.

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD IN THE GODMANCHESTER TOWN HALL ON THURSDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2008

PRESENT: M COHEN Town Mayor,
Councillors: D BROWN, H R BUTCHER, W D BUTTERWORTH, Mrs C A GODLEY, B HENNESSY, Mrs H HULL, C R HYAMS Deputy Town Mayor, E KYNOCH, Mrs A M LOOKER,
G WILSON, C VANE PERCY

Town Clerk: Mrs M LIDDIARD

APOLOGIES: Cllr: S PRINCE
ABSENT: Cllrs: A GOFF, Mrs E TREHARNE-JONES

2 members of the public were present

Town Clerk’s Note: It is with great sadness that the death of Councillor Mrs Carol Godley was reported on Friday 22nd February. Official recognition of her contribution to the community will be reported in the March minutes.

MAYOR’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

THE MAYOR reported he had represented the Town on 9 occasions and the DEPUTY MAYOR had represented the Town on 1 occasion.

THE MAYOR reported the choral evening held in St Mary the Virgin on 26th January had been very successful. Both schools had been thanked and a cheque forwarded to each school. The next charity event would be a Fair Trade evening to be held in the Queen Elizabeth School on Friday 28th March. Cllrs were asked for their support and also to provide a small raffle prize.

THE MAYOR was pleased to advise Mark Beagley, a resident of Godmanchester, would be running in the London Marathon in April and would run in support of the Mayor’s chosen charity: EACH. Your support will be gratefully received.

A reminder that the Annual Town Meeting will take place on Tuesday 1st April in the QES at 8pm. Chairs of working parties are required to give a short report, which should be forwarded to the Town Clerk in advance of the meeting.

08/08 MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The Minutes of the meeting held on 10 January 2008 were APPROVED and signed as a complete and accurate record.

08/09 MATTERS ARISING

The Town Clerk confirmed the new security camera had been installed in the lobby of the Town Hall.

Remedial electrical work had been completed in the Town Hall and at Judith’s Field and remaining work in the QES would be completed at the end of March.

The Bulgarian State Circus had confirmed the site at Judith’s Field was ideal for their requirements and the Town Clerk had received a favourable reference from Market Deeping Town Council regarding their experience of the circus visiting their town. HDC Licensing Department had also confirmed there was no requirement for the Town Council to provide a licence and this would be the responsibility of the circus. Final details to be confirmed, but they plan to visit Godmanchester in the middle of May 2008 for one week.

CLLR BROWN provided an update on progress with Godmanchester in Bloom. It had been agreed that a base line assessment was needed before any works could be undertaken and this was in the process of being done. Dates for further meetings had been agreed and a further public meeting was scheduled for 6th March

It was AGREED to discuss and draw up draft proposals for Standing Orders at the next Planning Working Party meeting to be held on 13th March.

CLLR BUTTERWORTH confirmed that work on the electrification of Godmanchester lock had begun. Due to regulations regarding use of machinery to dig trenches and the proximity to trees, the route for the cabling had now been altered and was being taken closer to the Logworld play equipment. The Town Hall car park would need to be closed for a couple of days while the trench from the CCTV camera point to the Chinese Bridge was worked on and the Town Clerk would keep hirers of the QES advised and ensure as much notice as possible was provided for all users.

CLLR BUTTERWORTH reported there had been a delay in connecting the electricity supply from the old lighting columns to the new ones in Chadley Lane, but work was now due to take place on 25th and 26th February. The Town Clerk had kept the residents advised by letter as and when information had been received. CLLR BUTTERWORTH recorded his thanks to the Town Clerk for the hard work and extra hours she had undertaken on this matter.

CLLR HYAMS reported that due to staffing levels and an excessive workload, the application submitted to Biffa in respect of funds for new skatepark ramps had not yet been considered. The delay could be a further couple of months.

08/10 FOOTPATH 13: ALLOTMENTS

CLLR BUTTERWORTH confirmed he had met with the Rights of Way Officer from CCC to discuss footpath No 13 which currently runs through the Allotments and appears on the definitive map as a Right of Way. It is possible to re-route this path and it was AGREED that costs up to £1500 in respect of applications and advertising were APPROVED.

08/11 PARISH CHARTER

CLLR MRS HULL provided background information regarding the draft Parish Charter as presented by HDC. A questionnaire had also been provided by HDC and a draft response prepared by CLLR MRS HULL and CLLR MRS LOOKER was issued for discussion. With one minor amendment, the completed questionnaire was APPROVED and it was AGREED that the Town Council has no objection to supporting this initiative although it was also AGREED Godmanchester Town Council were not interested in the District council providing services for our parish on an agency basis. THE MAYOR thanked CLLR MRS HULL and CLLR MRS LOOKER for their work on this matter.

08/12 S106 FUNDING

CLLR HYAMS had discovered Godmanchester Town Council were due to receive S106 monies following the completion of the Saxongate development in Huntingdon. A sum of £9851 had been set aside for the provision of leisure or amenity use. It was AGREED the whole sum should be used as capital outlay and the Town Council would assume responsibility for maintenance of any equipment purchased. CLLR MRS TREHARNE-JONES would be asked to provide ideas and suggestions for the best use of these funds.

CLLR MRS LOOKER arrived at 8.35pm

08/13 CORRESPONDENCE see Appendix A

CLLR HYAMS confirmed that following a recent review of number of Councillors, HDC had confirmed the recommendation that the number of Councillors for Godmanchester Town Council be increased to 17 with effect from 1st May 2008.

Cedar HR had provided written notice to cancel their agreement to lease 10 car parking spaces at Judith’s Field. Town Clerk would pass this information to Mr W Looker and also thank Cedar for their past custom.

CLLR BUTTERWORTH and CLLR HYAMS had attended Huntingdon Carers AGM and CLLR BUTTERWORTH advised all Cllrs of information and advice available to people who are Carers. Information will be available in the Town Hall.

CLLR BUTTERWORTH reported an Order had been received in respect of Monks Pitt (Footpath 15) stating the decision by the House of Lords was upheld and the path was open for use by members of the public with effect from 14th February 2008. Town Clerk would write to the Ramblers Association in recognition of their involvement with the case. Town Clerk’s Note: The Rights of Way Officer has now placed copies of the Order notice at Monk’s Pitt and fences and barriers have been removed.

CLLR BUTTERWORTH confirmed our contractors have been asked to cut back overgrown shrubs at the Cemetery and the costs of £280 were APPROVED. It was AGREED the double sided bench currently in store with Fergusons, would be placed on the Recreation Ground near the Logworld play equipment. Town Clerk to arrange with Fergusons.

CLLR BUTTERWORTH confirmed our application for additional traffic calming measures through the Jointly Funded Minor Improvement Bids had not been successful.

CLLR BUTTERWORTH advised a complaint had been received from a resident in respect of the vehicles parking on the grass verge in Betts Close, adjacent to the entrance to Buttermel Meadow. CLLR HENNESSY declared an interest in this matter. CLLR MRS GODLEY confirmed this matter was currently being considered by HDC and she confirmed the Police were aware of the parking complaints. In the meantime, it was AGREED the strip of land leading to the gates and owned by the Town Council would be protected by provision of a robust hedge to replace the fence, which had blown down some time ago and had not been replaced. Town Clerk to contact Fergusons, our contractors, to obtain costs. It was also AGREED that hedgerow should be planted at the side of Buttermel Meadow to prevent access onto the field from Betts Close.

CLLR HENNESSY reported a letter from Hinchingbrooke Hospital had confirmed the Woodlands cancer treatment Unit was not being moved from its current location in the hospital.

CLLR MRS HULL advised Mrs Gowling of Huntingdonshire Community Safety Partnership had written offering to attend a Town Council meeting to outline their work in the community. It was AGREED that Mrs Gowling should be invited to attend and speak at the Annual Town Meeting.

CLLR WILSON confirmed meetings would be held in future months to advise Town Councils of progress on the A14 contract.

08/14 ACCOUNTS

The accounts set out in Appendix B were APPROVED. A petty cash account for the period ending 21st February 2008 was presented to the Council. Recommendations arising from Finance Working Party:

The Finance Working Party had met and discussed charges for the hire of the halls, charges for the Cemetery, rates of pay for Caretakers and Town Clerk’s Assistant, and rates for grass cutting in the Churchyard. It was AGREED to increase the rates charged in respect of hire of halls in QES and Judith’s Field, and purchase of burial or ashes plots at the London Road Lawn Cemetery as shown in Appendix D (PDF) with effect from 1st April 2008. It was AGREED to increase the daily rate paid to the QES Caretaker by £1.50 per day with effect from 1st April 2008. It was AGREED the monthly rate of pay for the Caretaker at Judith’s Field would remain unchanged. It was AGREED that the Town Clerk’s Assistant, who was currently paid on a manual worker’s pay scale would be moved to point ?? on the administrative pay scale with effect from 1st April 2008.

A sum was paid on a quarterly basis to the men’s group at St Mary’s for cutting grass in the Churchyard. The existing agreement was made in 2005 and had AGREED to a 3% per annum rise until 2008. CLLR VANE PERCY advised this funding was put back into the fabric of the building and did not pay those who carried out the work. The agreement was APPROVED for a further 3 years with an increase of 3% per annum. Town Clerk would write to advise. Due to an administrative error a small overpayment had occurred in the past 3 years of £42.32. It was AGREED this would be accepted.

08/15 PLANNING APPLICATIONS

The applications and correspondence set out in Appendix C were considered. The Town Clerk would advise HDC of the Council’s recommendations. Town Clerk would also write regarding two amended plans received after our recommendations had been returned to HDC as it was unclear in both plans as to the amendment made to the original application.

CLLR MRS GODLEY left at 10.07pm

Following discussion it was proposed that application H/05001/08/CW be refused and conditions be requested. A vote was taken and this decision was supported by Cllrs: Wilson, Kynoch, Hyams, Looker, Hull, Hennessy. This was opposed by Cllrs Butcher, Butterworth and Brown. The Mayor and Cllr Vane Percy abstained from voting. The Town Clerk would write to CCC to confirm our objections to this application.

CLLR VANE PERCY left at 10.10pm

08/16 DISTRICT/COUNTY COUNCIL REPORTS

CLLR HYAMS reported he had attended a meeting at HDC and heard a report on Youth Services in Godmanchester. The Town Council were thanked for providing the facility at Judith’s Field free of charge. At recent Youth Club meetings more than 20 young people had attended.

CLLR HYAMS declared an interest in his report that the pricing structure for the car park charges at the Bridge Place car park had been amended. There would be announcements in the press, but the new pricing structure would take effect from 1st June 2008.

08/17 WORKING PARTY (WP) REPORTS: not covered by correspondence

None presented.

MISCELLANEOUS

CLLR BROWN advised he would be attending a CAB meeting on 25th February

THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING WILL BE HELD ON 20 MARCH 2008

The meeting ended at 10.30pm Mayor

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