4578
PENWORTHAM TOWN COUNCIL
Meeting of the Council held at the Penwortham Community Centre, Kingsfold Drive, Penwortham at 7.00pm on Tuesday 3 November 2015.
Present: The Mayor, Councillor D Howarth (in the chair)
Councillors D Bennett, A Best, D Bretherton, G Crewe, H Hancock,
Mrs M Hancock, K Martin, J Patten, AE Pimblett, Miss S Prynn,
D Shaw, Mrs C Wooldridge, D Wooldridge and T Young.
Members of the public: 3
In attendance: Steve Caswell - Town Manager
Marie Dardis - Democratic Services Officer
74. Apologies for Absence
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors R Taylor, Miss A Turner and I Watkinson.
75. Minutes of the Last Meeting
RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting held on 6 October 2015 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.
76. Declarations of Interest
Councillor’s D Howarth and S Prynn both declared a non personal and prejudicial interest in the Town Managers Report item (minute no. 78), as members of Lancashire County Council they had taken part in discussions and voting to object to proposed cuts in government funding for the police service; but were able, under the Members’ Code of Conduct, to remain in the meeting and take part in the discussion and voting.
77. Communications by the Town Mayor
The Mayor reported on the following events:
i) Paint Penwortham Pink - Friday 16 October to Friday 23 October 2015. The Mayor presented Fleur Boutique and Gymophobics with their winning trophies and confirmed the event had raised £7,000 to date for Breast Cancer Now.
ii) Opening of the Howick House of Terror – Friday 30 October 2015. The charity event had raised £4,329 for charity.
The Mayor reported on the following forthcoming events:
i) Penwortham Fireworks Display on Thursday 5 November from 7.30pm at Pear Tree Park/Middleforth Green.
ii) Commemoration of the Centenary of the Great War at the new Borough War Memorial at St. Catherine’s Park, Lostock Hall on 11 November at 2pm.
iii) Remembrance Day Service at St. Leonard’s Church and Parade to Penwortham War Memorial on Sunday 8 November 2015.
78. Town Manager’s Report
i) CEMETERY & WAR MEMORIAL
As autumn approached, Hill Road Cemetery had just had the final cut of the season. SRBC have very kindly agreed to flail the woodland burial site and Child Action North West were still active in their support on site.
The site was now ready for the winter maintenance program which included all the minor repair works and the almost constant removal of leaves.
The popularity of memorial benches and trees on site was beginning to wane a little as spaces for the memorials become less and less.
ii) COMMUNITY CENTRE
New Progress Housing Association were currently undergoing restructure and cost cutting exercises, the result of which meant that the youth worker supplied to Penwortham Community Centre to run the two youth clubs was no longer in post. The Town Council would now have to consider their role in the provision of youth facilities at Penwortham Community Centre. The possibilities open to and the costs of the options would be presented to the Strategy and Finance Committee at the next meeting.
iii) LENGTHS’PERSON’ SCHEME.
Penwortham Town Council employed a Town Lengthsman whose role it was to improve the visual impact of the town. This may be simply by litter picking an area or helping an established group within the town to complete an environmental project.
The Town Lengthsman also carried out works on Public Rights of Way, usually as work ordered through Lancashire County Council and thus paid for by LCC too.
Any elected members or members of the public should contact Penwortham Town Council officers in the first instance should they feel works needed could be carried out by the town’s Lengthsman. The role of the Lengthsman was to carry out works over and above the statutory obligations of the borough and county councils.
Examples of recent works carried out by the Town Lengthsman;
· Abbot Meadow – clear gulley
· Tree installation socket – Pope Lane
· Hedge trimming – Marshals Brow
· Tree trimming works – Pear Tree Park
· Woodville Road – cut car park hedges
· Woodville Road – litter pick and tidy car park
· Fryer Close – clear gulley
· Leyland Road – trim hedges
iv) POLICE “In the Know” updates
To register for “in the know” updates to receive regular information via email please go to the address below and complete the on line form.
https://member-registration.neighbourhoodalert.co.uk/137/Join
Recent examples of “in the Know” updates;
Message sent byAction Fraud (Action Fraud, Administrator, National)
Fraudsters have been phoning victims telling them that they have been placed in the wrong council tax bracket for a number of yearsand are entitled to a rebate. They normally say that this rebate should be worth about £7,000. Once the victim is convinced, the fraudster tells them that in order to receive the rebate they will need to pay an administration fee in advance. The payment they ask for varies between £60–£350. The victim provides the details and makes the payment, but then is no longer able to make contact with the person they spoke to on the phone. When they phone their council about the rebate and the fact that they are in the wrong tax bracket, the council will confirm that they know nothing about it and that they have been contacted by fraudsters.
The fraudsters have mainly been targeting both male and female victims who are aged 60 and over and live in the Sussex area, but it is likely that the fraudsters will also start to target victims in other areas.
Protect Yourself:
· Never respond to unsolicited phone calls.
· Your local council won’t ever phone out-of-the-blue to discuss a council tax rebate. If you receive a call of this nature, put the phone down straight away.
· No legitimate organisation will ask you to pay an advanced fee in order to receive money, so never give them your card details.
· If you think you have been a victim of fraud, hang up the phone and wait five minutes to clear the line as fraudsters sometimes keep the line open. Then call your bank or card issuer to report the fraud. Where it is possible use a different phone line to make the phone call.
Message sent byAction Fraud (Action Fraud, Administrator, National)
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has been alerted to a pension scam whereby cold callers continue to target members of the public aged 50 to 60 years old to release and transfer their pension early. Suspected firms who advertise and arrange pensions are offering investments in alternative commodities such as hotel developments or property in Cape Verde, and operate as unregulated collective investment schemes.
Often, the cold calling ‘pension companies’ involved are neither regulated nor qualified to give financial advice and classify themselves as a ‘trustee’, ‘consultant’ or an ‘independent advisor’ and offer exceptionally high return rates for investors.
Some victims have signed documents that authorises a limited company to be set up using their personal details, including utilising a Small Self–Administered Scheme (SSAS). Whilst SSAS accounts and limited companies are essential for legitimate schemes, the fact that victims are unaware that this will happen suggests that the scheme may not have been fully explained to them, increasing the likelihood that there may be an element of fraud involved.
Protect yourself:
Further advice can be found at:
http://www.fca.org.uk/your-fca/documents/protect-your-pension-pot
http://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/financial-services-products/pensions/protect
http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/individuals/dangers-of-pension-scams.aspx
Ensure that you request that the risks and growth rates are explained and that you fully understand them before transferring your pension
Check whether the pension arrangement company is registered with the FCA. Registered companies can be checked using the FCA register online at: https://register.fca.org.uk/
Remember that if the offer seems too good to be true, then it generally is
If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone 0300 123 2040.
v. Further Updates;
Penwortham Neighbourhood Development Plan
The initial consultation by Penwortham Town Council on the NDP had now finished. The responses have all been considered and any amendments have been made. The NDP would now be passed to SRBC for their consultation after which a government appointed planning inspector would consider the NDP after which, should their not be any further amendments, the plan would then go to public referendum before being adopted by SRBC.
vi. Upcoming Events;
Paint Penwortham Pink
The recent Paint Penwortham Pink initiative seemed to have been a resounding success with over 100 shops and businesses supporting the event.
The winners were;-
Town Council Award – Fleur Boutique on Hawksbury Drive
People Choice Award – Gymphobics on Liverpool Road
The organisers hope to have raised around £5000.00 when all the monies were collected and counted.
Penwortham Firework Display
The annual town firework display would once again take place on Pear Tree Park, Middleforth Green on Thursday 5th November 2015.
Once again support is needed to marshal the event. The main role of the marshals was to ensure the firework drop zone is kept clear and to ensure the safety of members of the public attending the event.
Anyone able to attend on the evening to assist with the marshalling is asked to meet at the sound tent on the park for 6.30pm when full instructions will be given. Sturdy shoes and a torch would also be most useful.
Penwortham Remembrance Day Parade
Members of the council were invited to attend the annual Penwortham Remembrance Day Parade. The event this year would take place on Sunday 8th November 2015, beginning with a short service at St Leonard’s Church at 9.00am followed by a parade to the War Memorial on Liverpool Road for an open air service at the memorial from 10.45am. The parade would then reconvene and march back to the Royal British Legion, Middleforth Branch, on Leyland Road.
There would also be a short service held at the War Memorial at 11.00am on the 11th November 2015 to which all members were invited.
Penwortham Christmas Markets
The Town Council now arranged two local Christmas Markets, one around the Kingsfold shops and one on Liverpool Road. The dates for the two events were as follows;
Kingsfold Christmas Market: Wednesday 2nd December 2015
Liverpool Road Christmas Market: Wednesday 16th December 2015
Both markets would run from 6.00pm until 9.00pm.
Councillor Wooldridge asked the Town Manager if he had any information on the recent Government announcements to cut police budgets. The Town Manager confirmed that he was aware of the recent proposals and that Lancashire County Council had recently voted against the government cuts. Councillor Wooldridge expressed serious concern for local policing teams in Penwortham and suggested that the Town Council support Lancashire County Council’s recent resolution to write to the Home Secretary to express their concern at the proposed funding formulae and financial settlement for Lancashire Constabulary.
Councillor Prynn referred to proposed cuts to police forces across the country and suggested that Lancashire Constabulary had had an unfair revision to the funding formulae compared to other forces.
Councillor Martin also raised concern at the risk of losing Neighbourhood Police and PCSOs in Penwortham and proposed that the Town Council write to the Home Secretary to urge a review of the allocated police budget.
Councillor Howarth proposed that the Town Council also write to the local Member of Parliament to request that she lobby the government on behalf of her constituents to review these spending cuts.
RESOLVED: that the Town Council write to the Home Secretary and the local MP for South Ribble, Seema Kennedy, to urge a review of the proposed spending cuts for Lancashire Constabulary.
79. Questions to the Police
PC Gilfoyle provided the following update:
i) PC Gilfoyle reminded local residents to lock their cars at night due to a recent rise in theft from unlocked vehicles in the area.
ii) Lancashire Trading Standards had issued a warning to make people aware of recent incidents of rogue tradesman selling fish door to door. PC Gilfoyle encouraged residents to report anything that may be suspicious.
80. Issues raised by Members of the Public (Non-Police Issues)
There were no questions to the council.
81. Development Control – Plans List
The Council noted the recent planning applications.
82. Minutes of Committee Meetings
The Council was asked to approve the minutes of the recent meetings:
RESOLVED: i) that the minutes of the following committee meetings held on 19 October 2015 be approved, subject to apologies being received by Councillor Shaw on the Strategy and Finance Committee.
i) Events Committee – Monday 19 October 2015
ii) Cemetery Committee – Monday 19 October 2015
iii) Community Centre Management Committee – Monday 19 October 2015
vi) Strategy and Finance Committee – Monday 19 October 2015
83. Dates of forthcoming Committee Meetings:
The Council was asked to approve the dates of the forthcoming meetings. Councillor Pimblett proposed that Councillor Young should replace Councillor Turner on the Strategy and Finance Committee and that Councillor Hancock should replace Councillor Best on the Community Centre Management Committee.
RESOLVED: i) that the dates of the following committee meetings be approved;
Events Committee – Monday 16 November 2015
Strategy and Finance Committee – Monday 16 November 2015
ii) that Councillor Young replace Councillor Turner on the Strategy and Finance Committee and Councillor Hancock replace Councillor Best on the Community Centre Management Committee.
84. Delegates’ Reports
There were no such reports.
85. Accounts for Payment – November 2015
The Council considered the report of the Responsible Financial Officer.
RESOLVED: that the following accounts be paid:
PAYMENTS FOR AUTHORISATION NOVEMBER 2015PAYEE / FOR / ACCOUNT
AMOUNT / VOUCHER
ROBERT DYAS / BENCHES / CEMETERY / £ 129.93 / 171
ROYAL MAIL / SMARTSTAMP / ADMIN / £ 100.00 / 172
MILLBROOK WAY SS / FUEL / CEMETERY / £ 71.19 / 173
TIMPSONS / PLAQUES / CEMETERY / £ 91.50 / 174
ROYAL BRITISH LEGION / BAND COSTS / ADMIN / £ 160.00 / 175
ROYAL BRITISH LEGION / POPPY APPEAL WREATHS / ADMIN / £ 100.00 / 176
T&G WEB DESIGN / WEBSITE HOSTING / ADMIN / £ 96.00 / 177
ZEN OFFICE SUPPLIES / STATIONARY / ADMIN / £ 31.20 / 178
SALARIES RE; ADMIN (paid by transfer) / ADMIN / £ 8,717.30 / 179
( Inc.tax/NI/pensions paid by cheque) tax & NI = £2066.45
WAGES RE; CENTRE / ADMIN / £ 1,978.44 / 180
(Inc tax/NI/pensions paid by cheque) pensions = £1598.12
B&D PRINT / FIREWORKS / REM DAY / ADMIN / £ 397.00 / 181
BT / INTERNET SERVICES / ADMIN / £ 72.00 / 182
LCC / BUNTING / GALA / £ 961.36 / 183
SRBC / ENERGY COSTS / CENTRE / £ 1,357.65 / 184
GARDNERS HARDWARE / MAINTENANCE MATS / CENTRE / £ 17.89 / 185
C&W BERRY / MAINTENANCE MATS / CEMETERY / £ 322.09 / 186
PETER DOYLE / MINUTE BINDING / ADMIN / £ 70.00 / 187
BENNETTS / VEHICE MOT & SERVICE / CEMETERY / £ 244.72 / 188
DARLINGTONS / PAYROLL SERVICES / ADMIN / £ 162.00 / 189
TOTAL / £15,080.27
86. Hill Road Cemetery – October 2015