Minutes of Themeeting of the Town Council Held at the Town Council Offices On

HONITON TOWN COUNCIL

AGENDA

POLICY AGENDA (02/12/13)

Minutes of theMeeting of the Town Council held at the Town Council Offices on

Monday 9 December 2013

Present

St Michael’s WardSt Paul’s Ward

Cllr Mike Allen **Cllr Cathryn Andrews

Cllr Nick CornwellCllr Vivienne Ash

Cllr Gary ElliotCllr Les Bayliss

Cllr David Foster (Chairman)Cllr Roy Coombs

Cllr Pete Halse**Cllr Peter Corke

Cllr John TaylorCllr Vera Howard

Cllr Vernon WhitlockCllr Les Lunt

Cllr John Zarczynski

** Also EDDC Councillor

In Attendance

5 Members of public

Staff, parents and pupils of Honiton Community College

PCSO Steve Mingo

Press – Callum Lawton

Chetna Jones - Town Clerk

The period of prayer prior to the start of the meeting was led by Peter Halse

Students from Honiton Community College were presented by the Mayor with certificates for outstanding achievement together with gift tokens from the Town Council and badges from the Principal of the Community College.

13/186To receive apologies for absence

Cllr Susan Groves (P), Cllr Sharon Pavey (P)

Apologies were also received from Cllr Sara Randall-Johnson (DCC), Cllr Paul Diviani (DCC) and Cllr Phil Twiss (EDDC)

13/187To receive declarations of interest

Cllr Bayliss – Community Complex Director (P)

Cllr Whitlock - Community Complex Director (P) and Friends of Beehive member (P)

Cllr Cornwell – Community Complex Director (P)

Cllr Ash - Community Complex Director (P) and Friends of Beehive member (P)

13/188Minutes of meeting held 11th November 2013

The minutes, having previously been circulated, wereamended to correct Cllr Coombs declaration of Interest as being member of Otter Head, approved and signed by the Chairman as a true record.

The Chairman declared the meeting out of session

13/189 To receive the Police Report

PCSO Steve Mingo provided a written report stating that there had been a total of 40 crimes between 11thNovember and 9thDecember. This compared to the same period last year of 48 crimes. The crimes included 6 assaults, 4 thefts, noburglary from dwelling, 1 burglary other, 10 criminal damage, 3thefts from motor vehicle, 1 drink drive and 3 drugs. There were 12 other crimes including 3 making off without payment.

PCSO Mingo gave an update that following a recent “have your say” survey they had executed a number of search warrants at premises across Honiton. Properties in Upottery and Honiton had yielded a number of cannibis plants and prepared herbal cannabis.

PCSO Mingo also provided details about a speed survey that was carried out in 2011 for a total of 31/2 hours sometime between 8am – 10pm. They had planned to conduct another survey for both directions of the High Street early next year.

Cllr Andrews asked that New Street also be considered.

Cllr Corke informed the Council that he had heard from DCC and his request for 20mph speed limit for the High Street had been refused.

Cllr Halse, after declaring a personal interest as a resident on Langford Road, stated that traffic was unable to get out onto the High Street safely and this should be looked into as well.

PCSO Mingo will feed back to the station the points raised.

13/190Presentation by Justin Selway on behalf of Combe Estate

Justin Lascelles gave an informed presentation on the responsibilities, activitiesand community involvement of Combe Estate and their property portfolio. They have given donations in excess of £150,000 over the last 25 years to various members of te community including the local schools for their building projects, Trip, memory café, St John’s Ambulance, the Beehive and local Hospital. The Trust was very keen to generate more involvement with the community to engage in bringing objectives to light.

The Mayor thanked Justin Lascelles for his informed presentation.

Cllr Whitlock added that there was an awful lot happening on the estate and had thought it was worth bringing to the Town Council’s attention.

13/191To receive reports from District and County Ward Members

Cllr Allen informed the Town Council that he had not been well and therefore unable to attend the recent Council meeting at EDDC, however as they were in the final stages of the local plan the Town Council would need to put in the appropriate request for representation before the deadline.

The Town Clerk confirmed that the appropriate request would be submitted before the deadline.

Cllr Halse informed the Town Council that at the recent Council meeting at EDDC one motion was called in by the leader and that the majority of the time was spent discussing the relocation of EDDC. He added that it was vital that the Local Plan went through in the time period specified otherwise there would be consequences.

Cllr Allen added that most councillors were adamant that that the relocation would be cost neutral.

13/192Public QuestionTime

The Clerk advised that Jill McNally and Richard Gaughan had written in and Jill McNally asked to speak at this meeting. The Mayor invited Jill McNally to speak.

The Beehive Management Plan (Item 15 on your agenda)

HTC justified this build by the production of 6 Business Plans, the most recent of which was published last year, and also last year an in-depth analysis of the Business Plan by ‘Business Information Point’. You are now being asked to ignore (it seems) the BP and adhere to a new management plan written by one inidvidual.
We therefore request the following:

How much was spent specifically by Honiton Town Council on all 6 Business Plans and BIP’s Specialist Report?

HTC also voted to place its fundraising with HCCA (Now Friends of the Beehive) and charged that organisation to raise over £110,000 in a year to fill the gaping hole in finances. With the best will in the world, and much enthusiasm (both of which Friends of the Beehive gave unstintingly) there was no way they were able to raise so much money. The roughly £40k they have raised is a credit to them – but it is not nearly enough. HTC should not have voted to put such a responsibility into the hands of enthusiastic amateurs.

HTC has made bad decision after bad decision and have wasted (not spent) a great deal of taxpayers’ money. This wastefulness has to stop. Please look at this Management Plan very carefully. The guaranteed revenue streams now seem to have dried up and have been replaced with guesswork. There is no money to employ a centre manager.

The document presents hypothetical situations biased heavily towards making it a charity. We urge you to wait and see what your new governance group recommends before you accept this document at face value. Honiton’s taxpayers are becoming tired of picking up the pieces after HTC has made financial decisons in haste.

We wish to make clear that we have always endorsed the idea of a community centre, but balked at the borrowing, especially as it happened when the economic downturn was at its height, and which we consider to be financial over-reaching on an unacceptable scale.

Cllr Whitlock thanked Jill McNally and confirmed that the management plan followed on from the business plan, and that the business plan had specifically been written for the purpose of building the community complex. He added that all Directors were involved in writing the management plan. As far as Cllr Whitlock was aware no extra expenditure had been incurred in developing the business plan as the work was done in-house. The specialist report was produced at EDDC request and cost approximately £2000. The construction phase was fully funded before work commenced and it was anticpated that approximately £40,000 would need to be spent on items such as extra chairs, kitchen items and a small amount of furniture. The remainder of the £110,000 was not essential straight away. The reason why there was not sufficient funding for a centre manager was due to the additional variations as a result of the VE exercise and the need to improve the surface drainage at the site. He disagreed about the timing as borrowing has been obtained at a very low rate and building costs were also low.

The Clerk advised that Mr Nix had written in and asked to speak at this meeting. The Mayor invited Mr Nix to speak.

Mr Nix was concerned about the management plan in Agenda item 15 and in particular the category “Miscellaneous” on page 8 of the report. He asked that the Beehive expenditure be based on the user experience of named comparables and the costs should be allowed to lie where they fall and avoid the use of “large dustbin cost centres”. He also asked that if the proposed hire charges have been cleared with the interested clubs and societies as being within their budget.

Cllr Whitlock confirmed that the Director’s had visited all the comparables and each case was slightly different and therefore could not be compared directly. He added that all the centre manages they spoke to stressed that in the first year the expenditure never went as planned and it was best to have a contingency pot. Cllr Whitlock confirmed that a lot of clubs and societies had been contacted. However the Directors did not want to poach from other venues and be in direct competition.

The Chairman declared the meeting back in session

13/192Mayor’s Announcements and Questions for the Mayor

The Mayor informed the Town Council that he attended the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony, hospital fete, Christmas Carnival and the Bygone Christmas Event. On behalf of Honiton Town Council he thanked Honiton Garden Centre for their donation of the Christmas Tree and Wendy and her team of the Bygone Committee for all their hard work in making the event such a success.

Cllr Ash asked that a letter be written to Wendy and to the local paper.

13/193To receive reports from Members with Special Responsibilities

Cllr Corke – Honiton Festival Committee

Members of the Beehive Vision Group attended the recent meeting and the Festival committee have agreed that the Beehive will be suitable for their needs and were happy with the acoustics.

Cllr Corke – TIC

At a recent board meeting the directors were disappointed that they may not receive as much grant funding from the Town Council in the future and the Treasurer had been looking at altenative metods of obtaining funding.

Cllr Howard – Twinning

Cllr Howard felt that the Town Council should support the TIC. The next twinning meeting was to be held in January but the exact date was not known.

Cllr Coombs

The grant of planning permission for the land north/south of Chapel Street should be scritinised.

The Mayor asked that Cllr Coombs discuss this at the next planning committee as this was not relevant in this part of the agenda.

Cllr Coombs confirmed that the land at Glen View was now listed on EDDC’s website as a land of community asset.

Cllr Allen

Confirmed that unable to attend the Chamber of Commerce meetings and was happy to stand down and nominate Cllr Zarczynski as his replacement.

Cllr Whitlock

The contract for provision of the local Hospital was due in 2015 and a consultation period was taking place. Cllr Whitlock requested that this be an item on the agenda for the next Town Council meeting.

Cllr Taylor

Completed a full day of annual footpath inspection.

13/194Correspondence

Correspondence received from 12th November 2013 to 3rd December 2013

Devon County Council

Copy of letter from Devon County Council Services for Communities – unable to provide bus shelter at Honiton Bottom Road as per request by local resident
Email from Cllr Paul Diviani regarding flooding problem on the junction of St Cyres Road and Phillips Square
Devon County Council Highways – copy of plan annotated by lengthsmen following last visit in October. Next visit programmed for 23 – 27th January 2014
Email from Cllr Paul Diviani regarding the availability of funding through Devon Remembers for WW1 memorials
Copy of letter sent to Cllr Paul Diviani regarding focusing on the positives for responsible dog owners
Devon County Council draft local flood risk management strategy
Devon County Council – request for information regarding flooding issues

East Devon District Council

The Knowledge, issue 26, 27 and 28 and includes details of resolutions form cabinet meeting on 27th November
East Devon District Council Forward Plan 1st November 2013 to 28th February 2014
Presentations given at recent Annual Parish and Town meeting held at EDDC
Tree Warden Update November 2013
EDDC App
Meeting of the Council of the District of EDDC 4th December at 6.30pm

Other

Quarterly report from Tony Hogg, Police and Crime Commissioner
Information;leaflet on Cyberstalking
Economic trends report November 2013
Email from resident regarding concern about change in date for Hot Pennies
Letter from local business regarding difficulty of not being able to use Dowell Street Corner
NALC Chairman briefing – Council Tax Benefit Support Grant
Poem from resident regarding need for bus shelter
Village Green Issue 134 including details Fuel Poverty
Notification by SWW of price freeze
Honiton Community College Autumn Term Magazine
Council Tax Benefit Support Grant – Update from NALC

Item 1 – The clerk informed the council of DCC’s decision to not provide a bus shelter on Honiton Bottom Road. Cllr Allen and Cllr Coombs asked that they be involved in the investigations for a bus shelter on Honiton Bottom Road.

Item 17 – The Town Council were in agreement with the Hot Pennies Committee in that the date for Hot Pennies needed to ensure the children of Honiton were able to attend as without them this tradition was likely to fade.

Item 3 – Cllr Coombs felt that it was very useful to receive this Parish Lengthman report and asked that he contact DCC via Cllr Sara Randall Johnson about repairing a collapsed drain.

Item 21 – Cllr Coombs suggested that the Milennium Green may be interested. Cllr Lunt will take this to their next meeting.

Late Correspondence received from 3 to 9 December 2013

Devon County Council

a)Emergency Management Newsletter

East Devon District Council

b)Copy of email regarding Dog Fouling at All Hallows

c)The Knowledge issue 29

d)The Tree Council member Bulletin November 2013

Other

e)DALC Newsletter

f)Local Councils Update Issue 169

g)LCR - Allocating and Designing for Play and How to Use the Right to Build

h)Grow Wild Community Sites Funding – application deadline January 2014

Item b – concerned as young children involved. Cllr Zarczynski informed the Council that at a recent Local Action Group meeting the committee were informed that it was difficult to police as most of the fouling was done at night and that Streetscene were aware of this and everything possible was being done.

Item h – Cllr Coombs felt that this may be worth considering if Cllr O’Leary was unsuccessful.

13/195Resolve to accept as a correct record the minutes of the Policy meeting held 26 November 2012 and to resolve the following recommendations :

a) To approve the minutes of the Vision Working Group dated 5th and 19th November 2013

b) To approve the comments to be submitted for Devon County Council’s Highway Budget Review.

Cllr Cornwell proposed thatthe wording “terms of reference as agreed at the last away day” be added to minute ref 13/68.

Cllr Allen requested that the minutes of the previous Visionworking group meetings be read and asked what level of consultation was planned. Cllr Cornwell confirmed that the idea was that the Policy committee would do the consulting.

It was unanimously resolved to approve the minutes.

Cllr Allen was concerned about the proposal of opening Old Elm Road and that this should be part of the representation for the local plan. Cllr Ash and Cllr Coombs felt that this was not in the original comments and should therefore be dealt as a separate matter by the local plan working group. It was agreed that this should be reviewed by the Local Plan working group for approval with Town Council in January meeting.

This was RESOLVED.

13/196Resolve to allow Dowell Street Corner to be used on occasions for a small donation and to investigate ownership of the wall

It was agreed that a one off agreement be made with a deposit of £500 as a bond within an agreed timescale along with a reasonable donation. This was voted with 12 in favour, 1 against and 2 abstensions.

This was RESOLVED.

It was also unanimously agreed that a more detailed agreement be considered by the Policy Committee and that the ownership of the wall be investigated.

This was RESOLVED.

13/197Resolve to transfer the funding accruing from those Members not claiming their annual allowance (£1820) to increase annual grants funding