Dear Councillor,4March, 2009
COUNCIL MEETING 11MARCH, 2009
YOU ARE HEREBYSUMMONED to attend a meeting of the SALTNEY TOWNCOUNCIL to be held at the ODDFELLOWS HALL, 65 HIGH STREET, SALTNEY onWEDNESDAY 11MARCH, 2009at 7.15 pm in order to complete the transaction of thefollowing business.
Yours faithfully
Town Clerk
--AGENDA—
1.APOLOGIES
To receive apologies
2.PUBLIC ATTENDANCE AT ORDINARY COUNCIL MEETINGS
PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK
Members of the public are invited to address the Council on any item that appears
on the agenda. This item is time limited to 5 minutes, with the Mayor having discretion to extend to 10 minutes, depending on the issue and the number of people attending the meeting.
3.CODE OF CONDUCT – DECLARATION OF INTEREST
Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any personal interest or
prejudicial interest which they have in any item of business on the agendano later than when that item is reached.
4.MINUTES
The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 11February, 2009 to be confirmed as a correct record.
(copy attached).
5.MAYOR’S COMMUNICATIONS
To receive a report from the Mayor on his attendance at functions as the formal representative of the Town Council.
6.POLICE MATTERS
A representative of the Police will attend if available for a short updating session.
7.ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
At the request of Councillor Beddow the Council are asked to consider the reasons for the recent increase in anti-social behaviour in the Town
8.BUDGET ESTIMATES 2009/2010 – PRECEPT
(1) At the meeting in January, Minute 145 refers, the Council agreed a total budget of £121,725. With the expenditure being met as follows:
From balances£51,000
Council tax precept£70,725
and it was reported that this amounted to a precept rise of 3.9%. This figure was duly reported to the Flintshire County Council. When the report for the County Council was produced it showed correctly that this was in fact an increase in the Council’s precept of 4.56%. Due to family circumstances the Town Clerk was not made aware of this fact until just 3 hours before the Flintshire County Council meeting. Knowing that this increase in percentage terms was not the Town Council’s intention the Town Clerk, after consulting with the Chairman of Finance, changed the precept request to £70,275 a reduction of £450 which will have to be met from the balances. The new request for £70,275 was approved by the County Council at their meeting on 3 March.
RECOMMENDED: (1) the action of the Town Clerk be confirmed; (2) the total budget expenditure of £121,725 be met by taking £51,450 from balances and a precept of £70,275.
(2) Following the budget meeting in February the Town Clerk wrote to the Head of Finance about the reasons for using a percentage figure in the rate demands issued on the basis that depending on the size of the precept very small increases on a small budget can look large in percentage terms. The response states that although it is not a legal requirement in Wales to publish such details Flintshire County Council decided to introduce the scheme in 2004/2005. At this stage in their preparations the County Council are unable to make any amendments to their billing print programme but the Council’s comments have been noted and consideration will be given to adding an additional information column which will highlight the monetary difference between the current year and the previous year for future years bills.
9.LAFARGE AGGREGATESPLANNING APPLICATION
Further to Minute 161 a delegation of Councillors including the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Highways and Planning Committee met with representatives of Lafarge, Morgan Astro and British Aerospace on 2 March to further discuss this planning application. Members will report further on the outcome of the meeting.
10.NORTH WALES ASSOCIATION OF TOWN COUNCILS – REPRESENTATION ON THE PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL
Further to Minute 167 of the last meeting the Town Clerk will report that he wrote to Carl Sargeant AM with regards to obtaining his help in re-establishing NWATC representation at Partnership Council for Wales meetings with full voting rights. He in turn had written to the Minister for Social Justice and Local Government, Brian Gibbons AM. The Minister has replied that ‘I do not intend to widen membership of the Partnership Council to include regional groupings of councils’.
11.NETWORK RAIL – CLOSURE OF SALTNEY FERRY BRIDGE
The Town Clerk will report the receipt of a letter from Network Rail officially informing the Town Council that due to bridgeworks to upgrade the carrying capacity of road over rail bridges the road over the bridge at Saltney Ferry will be closed to vehicles from 2 March for a period of 12 weeks. The works are being carried by Network rail in partnership with Flintshire County Council. Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times. A 24 hour helpline is available: 08457 11 41 41.
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13.PLANNING APPLICATION
The Town Clerk will report the receipt of a Planning Application:
Ref: 045918
Proposal: Erection and operation of a ready mixed concrete batching plant and ancillary facilities for a period of three years.
Location: Land at Borders 2 Industrial Estate, Saltney, Chester
For: Lafarge Aggregates Limited
14.FLINTSHIRE COUNTY FORUM
The Town Clerk will report the receipt of a letter from the County Council asking;
1) how often do the Council wish the forum to meet – twice; three times or four times each year?
2) what topics would the Council like to be considered?
3) what functions of the County Council have particular relevance to the Town Council?
4) how communications with the County Council could be improved?
15.QUESTIONS
In accordance with Standing Order 23 to consider questions to the Mayor or the Town Clerk from Members, of which due notice has been given.
16.TRAINING
SOCIETY OF LOCAL COUNCIL CLERKS
To consider authorising the attendance of the Town Clerk at a Practitioner Conference to be held in Birmingham on 27/28 February at a cost of £190 plus VAT.
17.POLICE MATTERS
A representative of the Police will attend if available for a short updating session.
18.PAYMENT OF ACCOUNTS
To authorise payment of the following accounts:
PayeeInvoiceAmount
A Thornileyex gratia payment (Min 158 refers)£1624.54
HMRCTown Clerk’s Income Tax and NI£1074.31
Deeside Ldge Room Hire3 meetings £60.00
Scottish PowerUnmetered supply836.75
VAT125.51 £962.26
Cllr Armstrong Braun Attendance at NWATC £12.40
SLCCConference fee for T/C190.00
VAT 28.50 £218.50