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HALSTEAD TOWN COUNCIL |
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MINUTES OF FULL COUNCIL MEETING |
Membership:
| Councillor Mrs S Diver | Chairman | Present |
| Councillor A Munday | Vice Chairman | Present |
| Councillor Mrs J Allen | Absent | |
| Councillor Mrs S Dingle | Present | |
| Councillor C Fox | Absent | |
| Councillor D Gronland | Absent | |
| Councillor D Hume | Absent | |
| Councillor Mrs J A Pell | Absent | |
| Councillor Mrs E Penn | Present | |
| Councillor M Radley | Present | |
| Councillor Mrs J Sutton | Present | |
| Councillor G Warren | Present |
Also in attendance: Public – Ms H Woolf, Mr M Fincken, Mr R Woods
Sarah Greatorex (Town Clerk)
Julia Smith (Minute Clerk)
Before commencement of meeting Cllr Mrs Diver asked members of the public present and the Minute Clerk to draw 4 names from the entries for the Council Easter Egg Hunt. Winners will be notified.
465. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE. There were apologies from Councillors Mrs Allen, Mrs Pell and Hume as attending meeting at Braintree DC and from Cllr Fox due to pressure of work. Cllr Gronland was absent as his wife had been involved in a road traffic accident that afternoon and Councillors wished her a speedy recovery from her injuries. Cllr Mrs Diver proposed approval of apologies and this was adopted by unanimous vote.
466. DECLARATION OF INTERESTS: Cllr Munday declared NPI for all Town Councillors for Agenda item 5-Planning. 18/00489/FUL as land owner is known to all. Cllr Munday declared NPI for Agenda item 7b(a) as member of Courtauld Sports Ground Management Committee. Cllr Radley declared NPI Agenda item 7b(a) as member of Courtauld Sports Ground Management Committee. NPI Agenda item 5-Planning. 18/00546/FUL as property is close to his own property. Cllr Mrs Penn declared NPI Agenda item 5-Planning. 18/00488/LBC as applicant is known. Cllr Mrs Diver declared NPI Agenda item 7b(a) as on committee of Friends of Halstead Public Gardens and also as member of Courtauld Sports Ground Management Committee.
467. PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
Mr Fincken spoke about the recent report in Halstead Gazette and in Council minutes regarding the planned Halstead Community Hall. He expressed serious concerns about the negative tone of reports and the fact that no one seemed to be taking responsibility for the project not moving on. He said that it had previously been resolved by Council that various publicly owned buildings be sold to fund the build and that Town Council would be principal tenant of the building. He felt that this did not seem to be reflected in the reports. He felt that strong, clear leadership was needed to progress this project and that closer co-operation between the Trust and Council needs to be adopted. He felt that great transparency on all matters regarding this project was vital and that residents of Halstead should be encouraged to support building this public amenity and make it a success.
Ms Helen Woolf also spoke about the Community Hall and applauded the greater transparency provided by publication of the report. She felt that it was important for Town Council to not edit reports and not patronise the public. She urged that Councillors need to report facts and not be allowed to make decisions without public consultation. Cllr Munday replied urging caution about reports in the press, to which Ms Woolf replied saying that published minutes was good practice.
468 MINUTES To approve the minutes of the meeting on 19th March 2018. Minutes had been circulated and Proposal to adopt was put forward by Cllr Mrs Diver and seconded by Cllr Munday. Minutes adopted with one abstention.
469. PLANNING APPLICATIONS Cllr Hume was absent from the meeting but had provided extensive notes for Cllr Mrs Diver who remained in the Chair for this agenda item.
18/00417/LBC – Windmill House, Mill Chase, Halstead. Alteration/removal of internal walls in the rear extension of the property to create a more open kitchen area. Cllr Radley proposed no objections to this application. Proposal was seconded by Cllr Mrs Sutton and carried by unanimous vote.
18/00438/LBC – Windmill House, Mill Chase, Halstead. Alteration of internal partition walls within the attached granary to change a store into part of the downstairs bathroom, fitting of new WC, basin and shower. Cllr Radley proposed no objections to this application. Proposal was seconded by Cllr Mrs Penn and carried by unanimous vote.
18/00477/FUL – Wade International Ltd., Third Avenue, Bluebridge Industrial Estate, Halstead. Erection of palisade fencing. Cllr Mrs Sutton noted that this was to secure the site and Cllr Mrs Sutton proposed no objections to this application. Proposal was seconded by Cllr Mrs Penn and carried by unanimous vote.
18/00489/FUL – Land adjacent 27/29 Sloe Hill, Halstead, CO9 1JT. Erection of 1no. two bedroom two storey house with parking spaces. Cllr Mrs Sutton expressed concerns that this would mean more exits on to Sloe Hill but Cllr Munday noted that precedent had already been set with previous successful application. It was noted that ECC Highways had not raised objections. Cllr Mrs Diver noted that Cllr Hume had commented that garden appeared to be small and that planning criteria for parking must be met. It was noted that this property is in addition to three already approved. Cllr Radley proposed that Council has no objections to this application provided that parking criteria are met. Proposal was seconded by Cllr Warren and vote was 5 for proposal with 2 abstentions.
18/00454/FUL – Walnut Tree House, 9 Gardeners Road, Halstead. Erection of 1no. two bedroom dwelling with associated parking and landscaping. It was noted that there are objections from neighbours regarding loss of light to houses and gardens and also to cables that will be overhead of the building. Both Cllr Mrs Sutton and Cllr Radley expressed concerns about over-development and also Mrs Sutton was concerned about the overhead cabling issue. Cllr Mrs Sutton proposed objection to this application on grounds of over-development of site and also regarding overhead cabling. Proposal was seconded by Cllr Radley and carried by unanimous vote.
18/00409/FUL – 1-3 Chapel Street, Halstead, Essex. Erection of first floor extension to form one bedroom flat. It was noted that this would be a residential property above a commercial concern with external staircase. Parking was provided. Cllr Munday proposed no objection to this application provided that renovations were in keeping with surrounding area and aesthetically pleasing. Proposal was seconded by Cllr Sutton and was carried by unanimous vote.
18/00321/LBC – 3 Market Hill, Halstead, Essex. Alterations required to form first and second floor flats and ground floor restaurant and basement bar. It was noted that permission has already been granted for works and this application was to ensure building regulations were adhered to; all works are internal to property. Cllr Mrs Diver proposed no objections to this application and this was seconded by Cllr Mrs Sutton. Vote for proposal was unanimous.
18/00488/LBC – 7 Weavers Row, Halstead, Essex. Construction of a fire resistant plasterboard lined stud wall to create a non load bearing firewall in the loft space between nos. 7 and 8 Weavers Row. it was noted that this is an historic building in Halstead and Cllr Warren noted that it is important to mitigate any possible fire damage. Cllr Warren proposed no objections to this application. Proposal was seconded by Cllr Mrs Penn and carried by unanimous vote.
18/00509/OUT – 83 Chapel Hill, Halstead. CO9 1JP. Outline planning application with all matters reserved except access, for the erection of 5 new dwellings and associated development. Cllr Hume had noted no problems with ingress and ECC Highways had calculated the numbers of additional vehicle journeys which were within acceptable bounds. Cllr Mrs Sutton voiced concerns about access to the site and Cllr Mrs Penn was concerned about size of development in this site which is close to Halstead Town boundary. Although Councillors were concerned that this may lead to further development in this area Cllr Radley noted that the vote must be on the 5 dwellings within the application. It was noted that ECC Highways had not commented about the site. Cllr Warren proposed objections on grounds of poor access and asked that a report from ECC Highways be obtained before decisions are made. Cllr Mrs Sutton seconded this motion and it was carried by unanimous vote.
18/00546/FUL – 4 Bois Hall Gardens, Halstead, Essex. – Erection of ground/first floor extension to side of existing building, replacing area of garage and incorporating existing previous ground floor rear extension. Formation of pitched roof over existing attached garage. Cllr Warren queried whether there would still be sufficient parking if garage is replaced but it was said that one garage would remain with additional parking on property. Cllr Mrs Dingle proposed no objection to this application and this was seconded by Cllr Penn. Proposal was carried by unanimous vote.
470. MAYOR’S APPOINTMENT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
Cllr Mrs Diver noted various attendance at this busy time of year. Report was noted.
471. FINANCE. Cllr Radley Chair of Finance took the Chair for this part of the meeting.
7a Finance. Cllr Radley noted that this report was for March and that therefore a full year of accounts are now to hand; a full report for the year 2017/18 will be put to Council at next meeting. Income was said to be close to budget and Councillors were asked to note that the income from car parks had returned to previous levels over the past few months. Regarding expenditure it was noted that a surplus of some £12,000 was in hand mainly due to move to Queen’s Hall and savings accumulated thereby. Some expenditure at Courtauld Sports Field was noted – the tractor/mower needed some refurbishment and the sprinkler system at the Bowls Club had to be renewed. It was noted that year end showed a surplus of £20,000 which was an excellent position and this sum could be put to Reserves which were at a low level at present. Cllr Radley said that more details would be forthcoming at next meeting.
Items of Capital Expenditure were noted, the purchase of a data projector and laptop were included but some of this expense would be offset by grant money. Cllr Mrs Sutton queried expense under the heading ‘Mill House’ in March but this was explained as Office cost of Council Tax Settlement. Cllr Munday and Cllr Mrs Diver both commented on the excellent financial position following the move to Queen’s Hall. Cllr Radley proposed acceptance of the report before Council. Cllr Mrs Diver seconded the proposal and it was adopted by unanimous vote.
7b (a) List of Payments. Cllr Radley explained the item of insurance which, he said, is annual renewal of all insurance cover. The payments for tractor/mower refurbishment and the sprinkler system were noted. Cllr Warren queried the payment for IT services and was told that monthly maintenance payments were in the region of £60/£70 but payment shown was for work on firewall between the Hall and Offices and also for purchase of laptop. Cllr Radley proposed acceptance of the report. This was seconded by Cllr Dingle and adopted by unanimous vote.
Cllr Radley told Council that Internal Auditor had visited that day and some good feedback had been given. Report would be produced later.
Cllr Mrs Diver asked that thanks should be given to Cllr Radley, Town Clerk, Sarah Greatorex and to Officer Kerry Cooper. This was unanimously agreed.
Cllr Mrs Diver resumed Chair of the meeting
472. COMMUNITY HALL REPORT. Cllr Mrs Pell was not at meeting. No report was given
473. YOUTH REPORT. Cllr Mrs Penn said that project to paint large room at the Resource Centre will be completed in the near future and that the work is to a good standard.
Cllr Mrs Penn also noted that a student from Ramsey Academy is keen to get involved with the Youth Council and is collecting information on others who would want to get this Council up and running again. Cllr Munday asked if there had been a request for funding for the materials used at Resource Centre and there was a broad agreement that this should be an Agenda item for next meeting. Cllr Mrs Diver applauded the fact that there are some proactive youth in Halstead. Cllr Mrs Penn noted that Ann Thrussell is doing excellent work with the young people in Halstead. Report was noted.
474. TOWN PLAN. Cllr Radley gave a brief report saying that the working group had met in March and were focusing on the Action Plan. Colchester Institute is still on board for making artwork and will be in the town taking more photographs shortly. Team has asked for viewing of the graphics to be used and it is felt that plan is progressing. Report was noted.
475. DISTRICT COUNCILLORS’ REPORT. All three District Councillors were attending meeting at Braintree DC. No report was given.
476. GDPR COMPLIANCE.
A long report was before Council detailing legislation on General Data Protection Regulations that is due to come into force on 25th May. Town Clerk explained that the model is template supplied to Local Councils. Cllr Munday said that legislation is retrospective and Council needs to be aware, comply and move forward. Cllr Mrs Sutton asked if new legislation would be introduced after the UK leaves the EU as much of the paperwork notes current EU regulations. It was thought that rewriting may be necessary. Cllr Warren congratulated the Town Clerk on her report which was, he felt, enlightening and he said it would be very important to comply. Cllr Munday proposed that Halstead TC adopts the paperwork presented in the report in order to comply with legislation on GPDR. Motion was seconded by Cllr Warren and carried by unanimous vote.
477. FOOTBRIDGE.
Cllr Munday, Chair of the working group regarding the Footbridge said that it was now necessary to clarify the nomenclature of this bridge as it has been erroneously called ‘Portway Bridge’ in the past. Various names were put forward by Councillors and, after setting aside Standing Orders, the members of public present and Councillors were asked to vote provisionally on proposals. Cllr Mrs Dingle had proposed ‘Riverside Bridge’ and the vote for this name was 6 for the proposal and 1 abstention.
Standing orders were then reinstated.
Discussion took place regarding a plaque naming any local sponsors for the repairs to the Bridge and Cllr Munday proposed that a plaque of some material be fixed to or near the Riverside Bridge naming sponsors for the repairs on completion. This proposal was seconded by Cllr Mrs Penn and adopted by unanimous vote.
Cllr Munday then spoke about maintenance of the Riverside Bridge once it was repaired and asked that Council approve adoption of and therefore responsibility for the Bridge. Cllr Mrs Dingle asked if there would be a guarantee on the repair work and was told that the repairs would have to comply with building regulations and therefore would be guaranteed for a period of between 10 and 15 years. Cllr Munday pointed out that there would be no suggestion of ownership of the bridge until funding was in place. Cllr Radley pointed out that if adopted Council would have an obligation to maintain just as they had with other Capital items. Cllr Munday proposed that Halstead TC agrees to maintain the Riverside Bridge once it is repaired. This proposal was seconded by Cllr Dingle and adopted by unanimous vote.
478. TOURISM IN HALSTEAD.
It was said that Councillors had met recently with Stephen Wenlock (Braintree DC) who had confirmed that Portas money can be used for any Town Centre regeneration. Halstead Chamber of Trade had asked that Halstead TC co-operate in publicising what Halstead has to offer for passing groups of tourists and Town Clerk and Cllr Mrs Diver had spoken to Halstead History Society and Halstead in Bloom gaining agreement from both that they would be contact point to arrange any tours of Halstead and would accept any payments for those tours. Halstead TC would email out to coach companies to promote the Town (a revised list of contacts to be supplied by Halstead Chamber of Trade).
Cllr Radley said that when the Town Team disbanded two sums of money were transferred to Halstead TC although the Portas money had been handed back to Braintree DC. The remaining cash was now kept in a separate, ring fenced account to be used for promotion of the High Street. He felt strongly that this position should not be changed. He said that some of this money could be used for the Christmas Fayre event if the Chamber of Trade applied to Town Council. It was agreed that the Chamber of Trade had run a very successful Fayre in 2017 and it was hoped this could continue into future years. It was suggested that the Portas money should be taken back into this account. Cllr Mrs Dingle asked if some of this money could be used to pay for Visit Essex membership, and it was thought this should be possible.
It was agreed that expenditure of the money in this account must be transparent, including the Portas money which would, if agreed, be requested.
Cllr Radley proposed that Halstead TC retains control of the account holding cash from the disbanded Town Team. This proposal was seconded by Cllr Munday and adopted by unanimous vote.
Cllr Radley proposed that Halstead TC should accept the Portas money which will be added to the existing, ring fenced account. Proposal was seconded by Cllr Mrs Sutton and adopted by unanimous vote.
Cllr Munday proposed that the Halstead History Society and Halstead in Bloom are direct contacts for any requested tours of Halstead, and any other groups who might come forward. Proposal was seconded by Cllr Mrs Sutton and carried by unanimous vote.
Cllr Mrs Diver proposed that Halstead TC contact coach companies via the new list to be supplied by Halstead Chamber of Trade. Proposal was seconded by Cllr Mrs Penn and adopted by unanimous vote.
Cllr Dingle proposed that money for membership of Visit Essex should be put aside up to £500 over a period of 2 years. Proposal was seconded by Cllr Radley and adopted by unanimous vote.
477. COLNE VALLEY AS AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY.
Report was before the Council proposed by White Colne Parish Council to put forward the Colne Valley as a Designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: this to include Wakes Colne, Chappel, Earls Colne, Colne Engaine, Halstead, Halstead Rural and Gt. Yeldham. It was said that process can take up to 20 years. After discussion it was decided that not enough information was on hand to enable Halstead TC to make a decision; there was no mention of any time or money that might be involved. Town Clerk said she did have more information that she would send to Councillors but agreed that no decision could be made until that information was disseminated. Cllr Warren cautioned that any designation of this kind might make the case for a Halstead by-pass less likely to be agreed and Cllr Dingle felt that it might curb unwanted housing developments in the area. Cllr Munday said that a balance would need to be struck as industry was needed and houses for employees would also then be required. Cllr Penn proposed that Council decide in principle to embark on the project following sight of more information on cost and time implications. This proposal was seconded by Cllr Mrs Sutton and adopted by unanimous vote.
478. EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS. To give consideration to adopting the following resolution:’that in view of the confidential nature of the business about to be transacted and pursuant to the provisions of section 1(2)- of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, as amended, the public and the press be temporarily excluded from the meeting’
There were no further matters to discuss.
There being no other business meeting was closed at 8.46 pm.