DARTMOUTH TOWN COUNCIL
Minutes of a Special Town Council Meeting
28th April 2016
at 6.00 pm
Present
*The Town Mayor (Councillor R M Lyon) - Chairman
*The Deputy Mayor (Councillor R W I Cooke) - Vice-Chairman
#Cllr P F Allen
*Cllr M Baillie
*Cllr L M Barnes
*Cllr G B F Coles
*Cllr A J C Fyson
*Cllr T de Galleani
*Cllr D M Gent
*Cllr B T Harriss
*Cllr F J Hawke
*Cllr I A Pritchard
*Cllr R F Rendle
*Cllr S Smith
#Cllr R Springett
#Cllr S E Thomson
*Denotes attendance
#Denotes apology for absence
Also in attendance 5 members of the public and one member of the press.
264. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST.
Cllr Coles declared a personal interest in agenda item 5 – grant to Dartmouth Tourist Information Centre.
Cllr Pritchard declared a personal interest in agenda item 4 – Dartmouth Hospital.
265. TOWN COUNCIL’S VOTE IN RESPONSE TO THE DARTMOUTH BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT PROPOSALS.
Members discussed the Dartmouth Business Improvement District Proposals to:-
a) Replace its articles of association with what are known as the “Mosaic Articles”.
b) Wind up the company with effect from 31st May 2016.
Cllr Smith stated that he believed that this would be the last chance to support the traders of Dartmouth.
Cllr Fyson questioned the effectiveness of the BID so far but highlighted the potential pot of money available to the Town; he believed that the BID business plan needed to be revamped with less emphasis on marketing and collecting footfall figures. Cllr Fyson went on to add that the BID needed a re-emphasis on specific projects e.g. adequate signage and support for Dartmouth Green Partnerships.
Cllr Fyson advocated delaying winding up the BID for at least 6 months.
Cllr Cooke arrived at 6.05pm.
Cllr de Galleani told members that the “pot of money that would be lost” had been paid into by small shop keepers.
Cllr Gent stated that he had little confidence in the present BID team to take this forward.
The Mayor informed the meeting that the Town Council had originally voted to support the BID as it had been thought foolish for Dartmouth not to be able to spend the funds available through the scheme and he believed that none of the past problems were insurmountable for the future.
Cllr Hawke told the meeting that he thought the BID was a good idea to promote Dartmouth and support local traders but unfortunately so far things had not gone right. He would support the BID in the vote but believed that the BID must be organised properly and listen to the public.
Cllr Barnes believed that there was nothing in the lower Town to draw people down and he would be voting against the continuation of the BID.
Mr Reach explained the situation and history of the BID for members, under BID legislation the BID itself was the 5 year plan and the Board of Directors then formed a company to deliver the plan. Marketing had been requested by 50% of the levy payers and footfall figures had been dropping by 10% each year since 2012. Mr Reach was trying to find enough people to run the BID company and deliver the plan. BIDs could provide free parking during periods like Christmas and Regatta, by paying the local authority for the car parks.
Cllr Rendle told the meeting that it would be a lost opportunity not to get money for the Town from big companies like Sainsbury’s. He reminded members that the BID was not a level of local government, the residents owned the Town and the BID needed to act on behalf of all residents and he sought an undertaking that the bad mistakes that had been made would not happen again.
Cllr Barnes requested a recorded vote.
Proposed: Cllr A J C Fyson
Seconded: Cllr S Smith
Resolved: That the Town Council does not support the winding up of the BID company with effect from 31st May 2016.
For Against
Cllr F J Hawke Cllr T de Galleani
Cllr B T Harriss Cllr L M Barnes
Cllr A J C Fyson Cllr R F Rendle
Cllr M Baillie Cllr I A Pritchard
Cllr G B F Coles
Cllr S Smith
Cllr D M Gent
Cllr R W I Cooke
Cllr R M Lyon
Proposed: Cllr S Smith
Seconded: Cllr F J Hawke
Resolved: That the Town Council supports the BID in replacing its articles of association with what are known as the “Mosaic Articles”.
Recorded vote: - Unanimous for the motion.
266. PROPOSALS TO CLOSE DARTMOUTH HOSPITAL AT ITS’
PRESENT SITE AND THE PROVISION OF A MINOR INJURIES UNIT.
Cllr Smith detailed the recent events following the closure of the Minor Injuries Unit in June 2015 and told the meeting that he believed that there had never been any intention to reopen this facility in Dartmouth, particularly as there was not enough “accident footfall”.
The proposed closure of Dartmouth Hospital had come as a big shock, consultation would run from 13th May to the 5th August 2016 but this was not a “done deal”.
There would be a public meeting at the Townstal Community Hall on Wednesday 18th May 2016 at 1pm when Jenny Turner from the Clinical Commissioning Group would be giving a presentation.
A public meeting would also be held at Dartmouth Academy, date to be advised.
Cllr Smith had attended the Patient Participation Group meetings where the future of Dartmouth Hospital had been discussed and a possible “health village” as part of the new West Dart development. There was no guarantee that the funds from the sale of the Dartmouth Hospital site would go towards a new facility at the top of the Town.
Cllr Smith told the meeting that he believed that there should not be a gap between the closure of Dartmouth Hospital and the opening of any new facility.
Cllr Fyson told the meeting that he believed that the closure of Dartmouth Hospital was being handled in a similar way to the proposed closure of Dartmouth Library. He hoped that similar actions could be taken to raise awareness of this and to keep the Hospital open. The report from the Clinical Commissioning Group equated the distance from facilities with access and did not factor in Dartmouth’s unique geographical isolation. Staffing levels quoted were unnecessary and did not allow for peak provision; all of the report’s findings were driven by financial savings. The Dartmouth and Kingswear Society were to pursue the listing of the existing Hospital façade.
Cllr Gent had attended a Patient Participation Group meeting together with Cllr Springett and Cllr Cooke at which it had been stated that there would be a consultation but there would be only one option. He told members that everyone needed to attend the public meetings and to fight Dartmouth’s cause. He would circulate the Patient Participation Group minutes to Councillors.
Cllr Rendle hoped that a public meeting would be held in the lower Town and added that the moving of the doctor’s surgery would be “another nail in the coffin” for the lower Town.
Cllr Hawke told the meeting that while Dartmouth Caring did do a fantastic job, they would benefit from a share of the £3.9 million to employ more staff. Dartmouth was out on a limb when the buses and ferries closed and the nearest casualty facilities would be at Totnes and Newton Abbot. As the first ten minutes was vital in any emergency he believed that Dartmouth could make a case for a Minor Injuries Unit in the Town.
If Riverview was to be used as a base with 8-12 community beds together with a doctor’s surgery and a pharmacy it would destroy the lower Town. The current Hospital site was very valuable and the money from its sale would be spent elsewhere, it was important to ensure that as many people as possible could attend the public meetings.
Cllr Pritchard stated that she believed the future of Dartmouth was in Townstal and the young families there had a right to facilities, the lower Town was dying because of holiday lets and because the shops didn’t provide what people needed.
Cllr Rendle added that he agreed with everything that Cllr Pritchard had said.
The Mayor told the meeting that he and Cllr Pritchard had attended a meeting where discussions had included the way forward for the town, the need to formulate a list of what was necessary for the town and what was needed to be kept and to look for a way to make it happen. Dartmouth would fight for health provision in the town but needs must be ascertained first.
267. PAYMENT OF A GRANT OF £3,000 TO THE TOURIST
INFORMATION CENTRE FOR 2016/2017 AS REQUESTED BY THE TIC WORKING GROUP.
Cllr Cooke queried whether the terms of the resolution passed at Full Council on 4th January 2016 had been met.
The Clerk explained that the original resolution (Motion B) stated that “That the Town Council encourages the formation of a working party to investigate what is required for the provision of a Tourism service in Dartmouth consisting of equal numbers of members from the Town Council, B.I.D., Business Forum and T.I.C. Directors, all to fully participate in this” and (Motion C) “that the Town Council makes available £3,000 in 2016/2017 to support the provision of a Tourism Service only, this dependent entirely on motion B above taking place and subject to the findings of the working party”.
Cllr Hawke reported that the meeting of the TIC working party on 5th April 2016 had acknowledged that Dartmouth needed a TIC/Visitor Centre and that it was important to give the TIC funds to enable it to run until the end of summer 2016. He added that if the TIC closed, the building would be lost to the Town and would revert back to South Hams District Council. The next meeting of the group in May would plan how the TIC would move forward.
Proposed: Cllr S Smith
Seconded: Cllr D M Gent
Resolved: That a grant of £3,000 be paid to Dartmouth Tourist Information Centre for 2016/2017.
268. CHANGES TO FACILITIES AT CORONATION PARK.
Members discussed 2 proposals put forward by South Hams District Council concerning Coronation Park.
a) A “Bring your own” licence for the Anchor stone Café.
Cllr Barnes raised concerns over extra noise from the café seating area if alcohol was allowed and added that the Town Council had refused permission for additional outside seating for the Ship Inn Dock which was only 10m away.
Cllr Coles had concerns as to whether the owners of the Anchor Stone Café would need to put on stewards during Regatta to police the consumption of alcohol.
Cllr Pritchard told the meeting that she believed the whole ethos of Coronation Park would be spoilt. The tea hut in its current form was a marvelous place to visit and alcohol did not need to be brought into this area.
Cllrs Baillie and de Galleani both raised concerns over glass bottles and the potential for broken glass adjacent to the Children’s play area.
Cllr Hawke agreed with Cllr Pritchard and asked members if they really wanted alcohol next to a Children’s play park. He noted that the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary supported this application and hoped that it would be policed correctly.
Cllr Smith agreed that alcohol should not be allowed near the play park and informed members of issues at Townstal with youngsters bringing alcohol into the play parks.
Cllr Harriss also agreed that alcohol near children would put them at risk; Coronation Park should be kept alcohol free.
Cllr Gent suggested that a limit on the hours allowed could be added to this application and Cllr Fyson agreed with Cllr Gent and also added that he had concerns that this could become a restaurant by stealth.
Cllr Rendle told the meeting that responsible people would not cause a problem and was sure that the landlords would not allow this to become a problem.
The owners of the Anchor Stone Café told the meeting that they were not applying for a licence to sell alcohol and added that Coronation Park was an alcohol prohibition zone not an alcohol free zone. They were not open in the evening and had no plans to do so in the future. They removed all rubbish from the site every day and were conscious of their proximity to the play park. They wished to promote their lunch trade (3 – 5pm being their busiest time) and would like diners to be able to bring bottles to have with their meals. They only served food between 12 and 4pm and were usually closed by 6pm.
A motion to turn down the application was proposed by Cllr Pritchard and seconded by Cllr Barnes but failed to gain sufficient votes.
b) The building of a paddle board store.
Proposals to build a paddle board store on Coronation Park had been received by South Hams District Council from the canoe section of Dartmouth Yacht Club.
Cllr de Galleani told members that there was already too much concrete on Coronation Park and she vehemently opposed this proposal.
Cllr Rendle stated that the Town Council should be consulted on all items in Coronation Park and was disappointed that part of the putting green had disappeared. He asked that a strong letter be sent to South Hams District Council asking that the Town Council be consulted on all matters in the Town and to seek the District Council’s 5 year plan for the park.
Cllr Hawke agreed that the Town Council should receive plans for the future of Coronation Park and added that the newly provided boat park needed reseeding.
Proposed: Cllr A J C Fyson
Seconded: Cllr T de Galleani
Resolved: That the proposal to build a paddle board store on Coronation Park be rejected.