1848

Minute book page number

STURMINSTER NEWTON TOWN COUNCIL

MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE AMENITIES COMMITTEE

Held on Thursday 24th April 2014 in the Council Chamber at 7.15pm

Present :

Minutes of Amenities Committee – 24.04.2014 Chair’s initials:

1848

Minute book page number

Councillor N. Watson (Chair)

Councillor P. Batstone

Councillor V. Fox (ex officio)

Councillor C. Fraser

Councillor G. Rose (ex officio)

Minutes of Amenities Committee – 24.04.2014 Chair’s initials:

1848

Minute book page number

Absent : Councillor H. Reed (Vice-Chair) and Councillor D. Fox

In Attendance: Councillors N. Cowell and A. Donaldson, Jeremy Read, Christopher Wilkins (Town Clerk), Adam Dodson and 11 members of the public

MINUTE
NUMBER / COMMENTS / RESOLUTION
For each item, the proposer is named first followed by the seconder
13/499 / PUBLIC SESSION
Paul Bennett, as Chairman of Barnes Close Residents’ Association, and several other individual Barnes Close residents expressed concern that siting static gym equipment at the end of the Trailway would severely compromise the privacy of houses nearby and give rise to various forms of nuisance (especially given the lack of lighting). Concern was also expressed for the safety of users (given the proximity of the steep bank) and about the effect the equipment would have on the use of the leisure centre. Members were urged to locate the equipment elsewhere.
Separately, one member of the public argued for the provision of cycle parking/storage facilities at various convenient locations about the town centre.
13/500 / APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies were received from Councillor Reed (health reasons)
These apologies were accepted by the Members present
13/501 / DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS AND DISPENSATIONS
No interests were declared and consequently no written requests for dispensation had been received.
13/502 / MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE MEETING
The minutes of the Amenities Committee Meeting held on 27th March 2014 (pages 1830 to 33) having been circulated and publicized prior to the meeting were taken as read and approved for signature by the committee chair as a true and correct record. / Cllr. Batstone
Cllr. V. Fox
There were no matters arising
13/503 / ADULT OUTDOOR GYM EQUIPMENT PROJECT
The clerk reported having received several letters from Barnes Close residents (many of whom were present and had spoken earlier) raising the issues already described. After a full discussion of these concerns and the project generally:
The Committee RECOMMENDED that the equipment not be sited at the entrance to the Trailway and / Cllr. Batstone
Cllr. Rose
The Committee REFERRED the question of siting of the equipment back to the working party for further consideration and preparation of a recommendation to the Planning & Environment Committee meeting in May / Cllr. Fraser
Cllr. V. Fox
13/504 / CCTV IN STATION ROAD
Cllr. Batstone reported that at his recent surgery the Police & Crime Commissioner had asked this council to consider a suggestion made by a local resident that the CCTV system at the public toilets in Station Road be modified for use in enforcement of the traffic regulations applying to the “pedestrianized” section. WPC Hankin explained what evidence the Police need. It was noted that the existing system cannot easily be modified to obtain this; at least one or more additional cameras mounted on different buildings or alternative sites would be required. Any such system would be of value only if it is monitored pro-actively or a regime of reporting and investigating alleged breaches reactively is established. No resources are presently available for either. The clerk also advised that the existing system was installed for the sole purpose of protecting the toilets against vandalism; modifying or supplementing it for the entirely different purpose proposed would have complex implications in such aspects as data protection and freedom of information requiring very careful consideration and formulation of a comprehensive policy and code for its operation. The sense of the meeting being that the idea was impractical at present, discussion ended without any proposal to take the matter further.
13/505 / CYCLE PARKING FACILITIES
Cllr. V. Fox observed that some facilities (albeit rather limited) exist already in the Market Place and the Church Street Car Park but there was broad agreement that additional provision might be beneficial. Cllr. Watson asked the clerk to add the idea to the pending projects list and arrange for it to be raised again at a future meeting and asked members in the meanwhile to consider suitable sites.
13/506 / SKATE PARK PROJECT
The clerk reported that a response is still awaited from the owner of the neighbouring land on the matter of formal grant of rights of way to enable the site lease to proceed. The possibility of securing an alternative and cheaper estimate for the upgrading of the school’s jump pits seems to have come to nothing.
13/507 / REVIEW OF CURRENT PROJECTS
The clerk reported that the only material change since the last meeting (not already discussed) was receipt of an approach from the District Council to progress the transfers of the Trailway section and the Riverside Meadows. The clerk hoped to meet the relevant officer and formulate draft heads of terms for consideration by members. Cllr. Cowell expressed concern about ongoing maintenance responsibilities at the Trailway.
13/508 / HEAD GROUNDSMAN’S REPORT
The report from the Head Groundsman set out on page 1848 below was received and noted
13/509 / BUTTS POND LOCAL NATURE RESERVE
Jeremy Read observed that, contrary to his expectations, the recent ecological survey work at the lairage field had extended into the reserve. The hydrological impact of any proposed development could seriously affect the reserve and for this and other reasons, the Open Spaces Group (OSG) is anxious not to be excluded from any pre-application consultations.
The clerk observed that recent events had highlighted the need to review the management arrangements at the Reserve and possibly modify these in consultation with the OSG and the Rangers service.
13/510 / CORRESPONDENCE
The council has been invited to send a representative to a workshop being organised by Dorset Wildlife Trust and the County Council at the Dorford Centre, Dorchester on Saturday 17th May from10am until 1pm aimed at explaining the kinds of projects which DWT and DCC can support and assist. Jeremy Read volunteered to attend.
13/511 / INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS
Jeremy Read gave apologies for the next meeting
Cllr. Cowell reported that the Police & Crime Commissioner observed that enforcement of laws against parking on verges which constitute visibility splays and too close to junctions is a Police responsibility.
Cllr. Batstone reported as follows:
a. / The repeat re-dressing of the road surfaces at Glue Hill (necessitated by the failure of the works done last year) is to start next week and will be followed by further works in due course;
b. / DCC is to bring to the town shortly its public consultation on its services;
c. / As County Councillor, she is to have £5,000 to spend on local projects (subject to restrictions which have yet to be fully clarified)
d. / The X8 bus service is to continue to the end of term and county council officers are considering options for alternative provision thereafter
13/512 / EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS
In exercise of the power conferred by the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, Section 1(2) the Committee RESOLVED that members of the public and press be excluded from the Meeting on the grounds that the business to be transacted being of a confidential nature it is likely that personal and/or exempt information would otherwise be improperly disclosed and members would feel unable to discuss the matter freely / Cllr. V. Fox
Cllr. Rose
C/13/22 / CONFIDENTIAL MATTERS
The confidential matters are minuted in the Confidential Minute Book page 192.

The Chairman declared the meeting closed at 9.12pm.

Christopher Wilkins

Town Clerk

Approved on:

Chair’s signature: ......


Head Groundsman’s Report

Recreation Ground

Grounds staff had started removing the play equipment in preparation of the new kit.

This will hopefully be installed within the next few weeks.

The rust and rot was actually worse than we first thought.

The box section floor support was full of water and had rusted inside out.

All of the fixing screws and bolts had rusted with many snapping off.

We have removed all wooden panels and posts which will be reused for other projects.

Dorset Waste Partnership

We have completed the scheduled works at Hazelbury Bryan.

We had been asked to remove 24sqm of tarmac, wooden fence and sign posts at the redundant recycling centre by the Antelope Inn.

DWP are pleased with the works we have carried out and may ask us to attend to other sites in the future.

The sign and posts we removed will be reprinted and relocated in the Recreation Ground Car Park.

The wooden fence slats will be reused to reinforce the footpath leading to Colber Bridge from Stalbridge Lane.

Dorset County Council

We had the Contract for verge cutting around Sturminster Parish cancelled once the Lengthsman funding had ceased at the end of March.

This meant that DCC would carry out the verge cutting inhouse up to a maximum 6 cuts per annum.

This includes areas such as the Leisure Centre and inner town verges.

I had been in contact with DCC for the last few months discussing the possibility of SNTC carrying on with the inner town verges and the Leisure Centre, but it didn’t seem there was any chance of payment for our service.

This week I have had a meeting with Giles Nicholson about DCC cutting regime.

They have reviewed the amount of work they have to undertake and asked if we would still be interested in carrying out the verge cutting in Sturminster parish, including Rolls Mill and the Leisure Centre.

I have kept the Town Clerk informed throughout the negotiations and feel this would benefit the town greatly.

We shall keep the Town Council updated with how these negotiations progress.

Summer Planting

All summer bedding plants have been ordered for this year, which we shall be planting early June.

As I had said at the previous meeting, we shall dress the Railway Gardens bed in Red Geraniums and Petunias to make a giant poppy to mark the 100 year anniversary of the first world war.

Sport Pitches

Sturminster Rovers have completed their fixtures at the Recreation Ground for this season.

The goal posts have been removed and we shall mark out a 200m running track and rounders pitch for William Barnes primary School within the next week.

The Cricket pitch is also underway, which William Barnes will use as well as Hinton Cricket Clubs under 9’s and 11’s.

Minutes of Amenities Committee – 24.04.2014 Chair’s initials: