MINUTES OF AMEETING OF THE SALTNEY TOWN COUNCILheld at the ODDFELLOWS HALL, 65 HIGH STREET, SALTNEY on WEDNESDAY13 FEBRUARY, 2013
PRESENT: The Mayor, Councillor D Evans and Councillors H D Beddow;T A Evans; V Gay; D A Hope; E E Greensmith;A C Lloyd;T R Lloyd; R Lythe; B J Marshall; M S Streeter; T Walkerand the Town Clerk.
125. APOLOGIES
Apologies were received from CouncillorsA V Rattigan and AJ Pearson.
126. CODE OF CONDUCT – DECLARATION OF INTEREST
Councillor T A Evans declared an interest in item 8 (1) – Requests for Grants.
127. MINUTES
RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting held on 16 January, 2013 be confirmed as a correct record.
128. ENVIRONMENTAL AND REGENERATION COMMITTEE
RESOLVED: That (1) the Minutes of the Special meeting of the Environmental and Regeneration Committee held on 23 January, 2013; and (2) the submission sent to DEFRA on behalf of the Council be received.
129. MAYOR’S COMMUNICATIONS
The Mayor expressed the Council’s pleasure in seeing Councillor Marshall at the meeting and wished her continued recovery to full health. He reported that things had been a little quiet since the last meeting of the Council. He had attended a meeting of the newly formed Saltney Town Ladies Football Club and had presented them with a cheque from his charity fund to help them with their finances.
130. POLICE MATTERS
PC Millington was in attendance and reported that there were no current ASB issues in the Townalthough there had been a complaint of youths throwing snowballs. With regards to the on-going operation (Bozo) on the business premises on River lane, someheavy duty batteries had been stolen but that there were now procedures in place that made it difficult for the thieves to dispose of the same.
There was to be a Police Forum to be held at Douglas Place Community Centre on Thursday 28 February at 6.30 pm. He encouraged all to publicise the meeting. Lack of support could mean the end of the Forum meetings.
Arrangements were being made to hold a ‘surgery’ at the Police Station every two weeks.
More reports of speeding on Sandy Lane had been received particularly during the recent diversion off the High Street. The Traffic Inspector had been informed.
Members reported that a number of vehicles leaving the Saltney Tavern late at night had been ignoring the temporary one-way system. Members of the Club would be warned of the dangers of ignoring such signs.
131. REQUEST FOR GRANTS
(1) Members gave further consideration to the request from the Youth Club for a grant of £2,200 for the Summer Playscheme and £900 for the Summer Programme. The matter had been deferred the last meeting of the Council on the recommendation of the Finance and General Purposes Committee for further information. A report from Councillor T Walker was circulated. Although there was considerable support for the Scheme, there was still some confusion as to how the Schemes run by the Youth Club fitted into the County Council’s Summer Play Scheme and why they were more expensive.
RESOLVED: 1). That a meeting of the County Youth Services Officers and The Mayor and Councillors Gay and T R Lloyd be arranged to further investigate this matter.
(2) Members gave consideration to a request from a Mr Daniel Hall, who was taking part in the London marathon on 21 April, 2013 to raise funds for the MS Support Centre in Saltney.The Centre relied solely on donations and fundraising events such as this for its income. Daniel had been born in Saltney and Members were aware of the wonderful work the Support Centre does for those people who suffer from MS and Parkinsons.
RESOLVED: 2) That the Town Council sponsor Mr Hall in the sum of £100.
132. DRAFT TOWN COUNCIL BUSINESS PLAN 2013 -2016
Members received the draft of the Town Council’s Business Plan prior to consultation with interested parties.
RESOLVED: That the abovementioned document be prepared for consultation with the partners listed at page 15 of the document.
133. RISK ASSESSMENT
The Town Clerk reminded Members that in accordance with the agreed practice the Town Council had to review their risk assessment schedule annually and a copy was circulated.
.RESOLVED: That the Risk Assessment as submitted be adopted.
134. STANDING ORDERS; FINANCIAL REGULATIONS; CODE OF CONDUCT; COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
The Town Clerk asked Members to consider the formation of a working group to review the Council’s Standing Orders; Financial Regulations; Code of Conduct and Complaints Procedures.
RESOLVED: That a Working Group consisting of The Mayor, the Deputy Mayor and Councillors V Gay and T R Lloyd be appointed to review the Council’s Standing Orders; Financial Regulations; Code of Conduct and Complaints Procedures
135. TEMPORARY TRAFFIC ORDERS.
The Town Clerk reported receipt of the following Temporary Traffic Orders:
(1) The County Council have given Notice that they intend to issue an Order which will prohibit pedestrians from using that section of Public Footpath No 11 in the Community of Sealand from a point at NGR 33697 36588 to a point at Public Footpath No 4 in the Community of Saltney at NGR 33688 36573 incorporating Saltney Ferry Footbridge to enable the existing parapet to be dismantled and a new parapet installed.
(2) The County Council have given Notice that that they intend to issue an Order which will prohibit any vehicles from proceeding in any of the following roads – Park Avenue between its junctions with the A5104 High Street and Boundary Lane and Irvings Crescent between its junctions with Park Avenue and Victoria Road to facilitate carriageway resurfacing and associated works. Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the works. It is anticipated that the Order will come into force on 18 February and each of the roads will be closed in stages as work progresses. No start date has yet been agreed.
RESOLVED: That the report be received.
136. FLINTSHIRE REGENERATION CONFERENCE 2013.
The Town Clerk reported an invitation for members to attend the abovementioned conference.
RESOLVED: That Councillors E Greensmith and A C Lloyd be appointed to attend.
137. AIRCRAFT POST CRASH MANAGEMENT SEMINAR
The Town Clerk reported that approval had been sought for Cllr A Evans to attend the abovementioned seminar which was to be held in April at RAF Valley. Organisations which might be involved in the consequences of an aircraft accident had been invited to attend and, in view of the close proximity of the Town to the airfield at Broughton, it had been felt that the Town Council should be represented.
RESOLVED: That the attendance of Councillor T A Evans be confirmed.
138. QUESTIONS
The Town Clerk reported that no questions had been received in accordance with Standing Order 23.
139. NOTICE OF MOTION
Members considered a Notice of Motion from Councillor V Gay ‘that following the felling of the last tree in Park Avenue, the Town Council consider a project/scheme of tree planting in Saltney’. The County Council’s Arboricultural Officers had been consulted and were willing to assist with the preparation of such a scheme.
RESOLVED: That the Notice of Motion be approved.
140. INFORMATION FROM THE LOCAL COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS
Further to Minute 210 of 2008/9 Local County Council members, Councillor Richard Lloyd and Councillor Gay were invited to give any feedback they might have received from County Council meetings that might or would affect Saltney.
Councillor Gay reported on a Conference regarding ‘Risks’ that she had attended and Councillor Lloyd reported upon the problems with emptying the refuse bins during the works on the High Street; the problems associated with the possible budget cuts to schools being proposed by the County Council and a Conference on Play Sufficiency Events – making further provision for play areas.
141. PAYMENT OF ACCOUNTS
RESOLVED: That the following accounts be authorised for payment:
PayeeInvoiceAmount
A ThornileySalary + Office (£50.00) January £982.42
HMRCTown Clerk’s Income Tax£233.20
NI£74.74 £307.94
Deeside Ldge Room Hire £24.00
A ThornileyStamps/travel £75.27
NWPLighting maintenance£245.84
Replacement PEC£24.50
VAT£54.07 £324.41
Scottish PowerEnergy to 31/01/13£655.44
VAT£131.09 £786.53
BlachereRemoval of Lights and
Switch on£1,495.00
VAT£299£1,794.00
FCCRent Billy’s Park £30.00
DUE TO ITS CONFIDENTIAL NATURE THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS CONSIDERED WITH THE PUBLIC AND PRESS EXCLUDED
142. APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF LAWFULNESS – A1 SCAFF LTD, RIVER LANE, SALTNEY
The Town Clerk reported that Mr Peter Thomas, a Director of A1 Scaff Ltd of River Lane, Saltney had applied for a Certificate of Lawfulness for an existing use or operation or activity which was in breach of a Planning Condition. The applicant claimed that he had been using the land for over 10 years without hindrances. The application was not being considered on planning merits and its desirability was not open to opinion. Members were asked if they wished to comment on the application.
RESOLVED: That: 1) no comment be made to the County Council on the abovementioned application; 2) a meeting be arranged with the Director of Environment and Resources to discuss the enforcement action being taken with regards the unauthorised developments taking place along River Lane.