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HALSTEAD TOWN COUNCIL |
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MINUTES OF ANNUAL TOWN MEETING PUBLIC SESSION MINUTES 7 April 2025: at 19:15 |
In attendance: Cllr Andy Munday, Cllr James Bond, Cllr Janet Atkinson, Cllr Malcolm Fincken, Cllr Linda Hilton, Cllr Gemma MacAndrews, Cllr Jackie Pell Cllr Felix Preston, Cllr Garry Warren, Essex County Councillor Chris Siddall, Sarah Greatorex (Town Clerk)
Keith Brownlie – Halstead Rotary, Joshua Nunn – Masons, Brian Farren, Helen – Halstead River Improvement Group, Heather & Kevin Pryke – Halstead Community Shed & Mensshed, John Suckling, Andrew Gosling-Campbell, Cllr Garry Warren – Halstead 1163 Squadron Air Cadets, Lesley Morris-Smith, Karen Edney, Jenny Ruder – Halstead Community Choir, Steve & Sally Card – Friends of Holy Trinity Church, Wendy Pickess – Halstead Library, Hannah Whale – Halstead Road Runners, Kathy Kentish – Citizens Advice Bureau, Dawn Tracey – Essex Sight, Anne Stewart, Christine Thomas – Halstead U3A, Mike & Annie Rees – Halstead in Bloom, John Miners – Halstead & District Local History Society, Emily Hume – Sunnydays Baby & Toddler group, Claire Cannon – League of Friends of St Andrews Church, Claire Cannon (On behalf of Dr Chris White) – Halstead Music Festival, Jo Merry – Halstead Templars Rugby Club, Sharon Vinter – Scope, Lee Crabbe – Greenway, Malcolm McWilliams – Halstead British Legion Club, Jenny Skingsley – Halstead Exaltation Choir, Margaret Tyler, Linda Hilton – Halstead Brownies & Guides, Halstead Scouts
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE received from Cllr Smith due to work commitments. Cllr Bond proposed acceptance of the apologies, seconded by Cllr Fincken and unanimously agreed.
Apologies had also been received from Tony Jones, RBL and the Bowls Club, Anne Thrussell, Essex Youth Services and Sophie Ede, Hearing Help Essex.
2. MINUTES Cllr Munday proposed acceptance of the Minutes of 29 April 2024, seconded by Keith Brownlie. This was unanimously agreed.
All reports available on the website.
3. HALSTEAD TOWN COUNCIL’S REPORT. Halstead Mayor, Cllr Andy Munday, gave the annual Town Council report.
4. A report from Halstead Town Clerk had been written and circulated.
5. DISTRICT COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS.
Cllr Pell had sent a report on her duties at District Council.
Cllr Munday had sent a report on his duties at District Council.
Cllr Fincken had sent a report on his duties at District Council
Cllr Bond had sent a report on his duties at District Council.
6. COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
Cllr Siddall had sent his County Councillor’s report.
7. GRANT REPORTS
Reports had been received from those who had received grants in 2024, including Halstead & District Local History Society, Hope for Tomorrow, Brownies and Guides, Sunnydays Baby and Toddler group, Halstead Cricket club, Halstead choral, Halstead Rotary
8. PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
In public question time, many of those attending told the meeting about the organisation they were representing
1. Air cadets – Andy Gosling-Campbell
Andy explained that the Air Cadets in Halstead would be reopening in September 2025, starting with an open evening, and then followed by training sessions on Monday and Wednesday evenings, for those aged 12 – 20. They will be offering a wide range of skills, a syllabus based on STEM subjects, and including as swimming, shooting, flying and weapons handling.
2. U3A – Anne Stewart
Anne mentioned the 35 subgroups included in the U3A, including sports, walking and other indoor activities. They meet in Queens Hall on the first Tuesday of every month, and provide for around 200 members of the retired community.
3. Halstead Library – Wendy Pickess
Wendy has been a core member of the connection group, keen for many months that all the information about all groups should be gathered together and made available. She does this at the library, complementing the efforts of the Town council.
4. Citizens’ advice Bureau – Kathy Kentish
Kathy explained that thanks to a liaison between HTC and the United Reformed church, the CAB has been able to re-establish itself in Halstead on the first Tuesday of every month from 10.00 – 14.00 at the URC. No appointment is needed and staff make every effort to assist with problems.
5. Community Choir – Lesley Morris-Smith, Karen Edney, Jenny Ruder
This organisation was originally formed in 2016 by Sam Conway. They have 2 main concerts each year and are involved with 14 community events each year. They are involved this year in the Armed Forces Day and the Gosfield fete. They also run a youth choir, and a Dementia friendly choir at the Empire Theatre on a Wednesday morning.
6. St Andrews League of Friends – Claire Cannon
Claire spoke on behalf of a new venture starting this year in Halstead, by Dr Chris White who is Head of Opera at the Royal Academy of Music. This will be the Halstead Music Festival from 27 – 29 June
7. Halstead Road Runners – Hannah Whale
Hannah said that Halstead Road Runners have 150 members and hold the annual Halstead Marathon every May. The funds raised go to local charities. They provide training for new runners. They train on Wednesday evenings at 19:15pm at Courtaulds sports ground, Colchester Road, Halstead, with one evening a month at the running track at Tabor Academy, Braintree.
They also have a more informal run on a Monday evening at 18:15pm at Sible Hedingham
8. Halstead Rotary – Keith Brownlie
Keith stated that the Rotary’s focus this year is on living with Dementia. They have a concert on 14 May jointly with Ramsey school. He is also part of the Joshua Nunn Freemasons, which is currently providing free prostate cancer testing.
9. Friends of Holy Trinity church – Steve Card
Steve spoke about the purpose of the Friends of Holy Trinity being to promote the use of the church, which was built in 1844, and designed by George Gilbert Scott, and now managed by the Churches Conservation Trust. They hold regular events to raise funds
10. Sunnydays – Emily Hume
This group has now been running for 2 years in various venues, and is now based in the Acorn Children’s Centre. The activities are both indoor and outdoor, for children aged 0-4 and 0-1. Baby and child experts are invited to speak. Around 60 families attend per week.
11. Halstead River Improvement Group – Brian Farren
Brian spoke about the group originally being set up as the Riverclean group, which meets on the first Sunday of every month at 10.00. they have 8 or 9 volunteers and need more. The Halstead River Improvement Group was then set up between the public and the Environment Agency, after concern at the state of the river on the Causeway. The EA would not allow the reinstatement of the sluice-gates at the Mill, but they did some remodelling of the river and introduced some native river plants. The group can do work in the river only in September/October and need volunteers to help with this. They have reached an agreement with HTC that the council’s groundsmen will assist with the heavy work. Cllr Bond has given his BDC grant to pay for a noticeboard explaining the history of the river, and the Shed will make the board.
12. Templars Rugby club – Jo Merry
Jo said that the Rugby Club is hoping to provide more for the younger generation, aged 8 and above, and to include both girls and boys. There is female touch rugby on a Monday from 18.00 – 19.00, and a mixed session from 19.00 – 20.30. The Rugby Union training session is on Thursday 19.00 – 20.30
13. Exaltation choir – Jennie Skingsley
This group meets on a Wednesday at St Andrews Hall. The choir is free and doesn’t hold auditions. They are always looking for places to perform.
14. Halstead and District Local History Society – John Miners
John thanked HTC and the Friends of Holy Trinity church for their support. They have 149 members and run events on the 3rd Thursday of the month at the Baptist church.
15. Guides, Brownies and Rainbows – Margaret Tyler and Linda Hilton
Margaret said that the girl guide movement in Halstead is looking for new volunteers and new member children. The cost is £40 per term. They are very grateful to the Town Council for the grant which covered their rent for St Andrews Hall.
16. Scouts
The Scouts said that they were also looking for volunteers
10. GRANT FORMS
The Mayor stated that the Clerk had provided forms to apply for the next round of grants to be offered in 2025. Halstead charities can apply for up to £500, and forms must be returned to the clerk by 30 June 2025.
Cllr Bond closed the meeting by thanking everyone for their willingness to share information and to facilitate communication though all the groups in the town.
There was no further business. Meeting closed at 20.48