WISBECH TOWN COUNCIL

17 December 2018 – 7.30 pm

MINUTES OF MEETING

Present: Councillor Human, Chairman (and Town Mayor); Councillors Balsevics, Miss Cobb, Mrs Cox, Hill, Miss Hoy, Lynn, Mrs MacRae, Maul, Oliver, Miss Oliver, Prest, Rackley, Schooling (until 8.25 pm), Tibbs, Tierney and Wing.

Apologies: Councillor Hodgson.

Public Participation: None requested.

98/18 Remembrance

Councillor Tierney reminded members that five years ago it had been agreed that Town Council would use its December meeting each year to stand for one minute’s silence to remember those who had died during the year. He made the point that members would be standing in silence for those whose names are well-known to many but also for those who, while not famous or well- known, are nonetheless sadly missed by those who knew and loved them.

Councillor Tierney had produced a list of those to be remembered, which he read to council and consisted of the following:

Dolores O'Riordan (lead singer of the band The Cranberries), "Fast" Eddie Clarke (guitarist of the band Motorhead), Pete Shelley (singer of the band The Buzzcocks), Roy Thomas (a member of the band The Moody Blues), Denise LaSalle (known as the “Queen of the Blues”), Chas Hodges (pianist from Chas n' Dave), Dennis Edwards (a member of the band The Temptations), Yvonne Staples (of the Staples Singers), Tim Berling, better known as Avicii, (music producer), Alan Longmuir (founding member of pop group the Bay City Rollers), XXXTentacion, (American rapper), Ed King (guitarist), Joe Jackson (patriarch of the Jackson Family), Nancy Sinatra Jnr, Aretha Franklin (the “Queen of Soul”), Eric Bristow (darts legend), Ray Wilkin ( footballer), Tommy Lawrence (Liverpool legend), Geoffrey Hayes (star of iconic children's show Rainbow), Bill Maynard (actor), Emma Chambers (actress), Sir Ken Dodd (comedian), Jim Bowen (TV presenter), Dale Winton (TV presenter), Verne Troyer, best known as “Mini me” from Austin Powers films (actor), Jacqueline Pearce (Sci-fi actress), Leslie Grantham (actor, best known for playing the character Dirty Den in EastEnders), Burt Reynolds (actor), Peter Armitage (Coronation Street actor), Simon Shelton (Tellytubbies actor), Margot Kidder (actress, best known for her role as Lois Lane), John Peter Bain, better known as TotalBiscuit (popular videogame critic and YouTube presenter), Paul Allen (inventor/philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft), Stephen Hillenburg (creator of Spongebob), Stan Lee (comic book writer/editor/publisher), Dave Toschi (San Francisco super sleuth who led the probe into the Zodiac serial killer and inspired Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry character), Peter Stringfellow (famous nightclub owner), Professor Stephen Hawking (British physicist), John Young and Alan Bean (astronauts), Billy Graham (Evangelist preacher), Linda Brown (Civil Rights campaigner), Carlo Benetton and Gilberto Benetton (fashion designers), John McCain (War Hero and US Senator), Barbara Bush (who had been First Lady of America), George H. W. Bush (41st President of the United States).

Councillor Tierney made the point that this is not a complete or exhaustive list and for any people who may have been missed, it was certainly not intentional and the council’s minute’s silence includes those un-named as well as those named.

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Councillor Tierney commented that the council would also be standing in silence for those local people who had passed away during the year, including those who family members or friends had asked the council to mention, as follows: Keith Adamson, Glynis Akred, Marion Ann Condon, David Anthony Edwards, Neville Frusher, Glenn Green, Lilly Lack, Carol Negus, Eileen Negus, Patrick O’Dell, Paul (known as Frank) Roberts and Julia Robinson.

All of those present at the meeting stood in silence for one minute for all of those people who had passed away during the year, remembering that each and every individual who is no longer with us, whether they died through natural causes or otherwise, is a loss to us all.

99/18 Clarion Housing

Further to minute 7/18, Sue Stavers (Head of Operations (East)) and Jon Fox (Regional Repairs Manager (East)) attended the meeting to provide a further update, and to answer members’ questions, on the manner in which Clarion Housing is dealing with management and maintenance its properties in the Fenland area.

Mrs Stavers provided the council with an update on the situation with regard to the central heating contract. She mentioned that the current contract, with Swale, is intentionally over-resourced in the Fenland area, primarily to not let down Clarion’s customers after the acknowledged poor performance of the previous contractors. She mentioned that the contract with Swale had been extended for a further period of twelve months but would need to be the subject of a tendering exercise. Customer Satisfaction for September 2018 had been 91.00%, which is well above the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) target and is one of the best performing areas across all of the areas in the country where Clarion has housing stock; there is 100% compliance on gas safety. She mentioned that the 24 hours repair turnaround is 87.50%. Whilst this sits marginally below the 90% KPI, it is showing continual improvement and is reflective of the new contractor establishing itself in the area and improving the planning of works and stock carried on the contractor’s vans.

The council was informed by Mrs Stavers that the performance on the 28 days repairs is sitting at 91%, continuing to improve month on month and is above the KPI target. She mentioned that Clarion receives regular reports from Swale, providing information on such matters as which boilers had been shut down and identifying any problems in gaining access for repairs. Clarion had replaced 130 boilers in Fenland in the last few months.

Mrs Stavers mentioned that, as part of a joint project with the Fenland District Council, Clarion had been invited to re-bid to the Warm Homes Fund for 25 Air Source Heat Pumps for homes in the Fenland area that are off the gas network and at risk of fuel poverty and would be suitable for air source heat pump installations. She added that cavity wall insulation work had been completed to 120 properties in Fenland, including Kennedy Court and Jeffrey Avenue, Wisbech.

In addition to repairs, maintenance and improvement works to properties, Clarion also provides support services for tenants, including:

 a face-to-face and telephone money, benefits and energy guidance service for all Clarion residents in the Wisbech (and wider Fenland area). The service is delivered in English, Polish and Russian languages. Clarion’s money advisor has made financial gains for customers of £505,747 so far this year (1 April to 10 December 2018), £181,764 of this has been in Wisbech  the Clarion Futures Jobs and Training team regularly support the Club Futures session at the Oasis Centre on Wednesdays. These sessions provide access to expert guidance, job search, CV support as well as access to digital support and laptops for free internet access.

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Councillor Wing commented that there had been a noticeable improvement in the situation, over the last twelve months, regarding the experiences of tenants in terms of the heating systems in their homes. He expressed the opinion that Clarion appears to be well prepared for this winter. He thanked the representatives of Clarion for the improved situation.

Councillor Tierney mentioned that he had put a “call out” on social media for Clarion tenants to inform him of any issues or concerns that they have regarding the repair and maintenance of their properties and that this had generated no responses; this is an entirely different situation to the one that existed at this time last year.

The Mayor expressed the opinion that Clarion should be congratulated on its achievements over the last year.

Members decided that the information reported and comments made by the representatives of Clarion Housing and the comment made and the questions asked by members of the council be noted and that the representatives of Clarion be invited to attend a meeting of Wisbech Town Council in six months’ time, to provide the council with a further update on the situation.

100/18 Wisbech Community Farm

Further to minutes A11/16 and A15/16, members received a presentation from Miss Katie Bristow, a Director of People and Animals UK CIC, on the progress which is being achieved in delivery of the project to provide a community farm on an area of land at Lynn Road which it leases from Wisbech Town Council, as well as outlining other activity of the CIC relevant to Wisbech.

Miss Bristow informed the council that People and Animals UK CIC had been successful in applying for CLLD funding (with the necessary matched funded being provided by Clarion Futures) to deliver three community projects aimed at supporting those members of the community in Wisbech who are furthest from employment. In addition, she detailed some of the outreach work being delivered currently by People and Animals UK CIC (including assisting development of the Wisbech Community Development Trust’s Community Plan for the Waterlees ward and delivering a dog- assisted education programme at one of the primary schools in Wisbech) and mentioned how these are being funded. She read quotes from some of those who had participated in the outreach work in terms of how they had benefitted as a result.

With regard to the community farm (the purpose of which is to provide a safe, non-clinical, easy to access therapeutic community space with a difference; attendees would be offered structured person-centred, goal-orientated, nature-based therapeutic activities aligned with care plans), Miss Bristow mentioned that Anglian Water is providing technical support to the project (including assistance with the planning application and the provision of a water supply) and explained the first phase – to be delivered between October 2018 and the spring of 2019; she informed the council of the work which had been undertaken to date; most of the work had involved the erection of fencing and the planting of trees. She explained the buildings which would be erected at the site. In addition to buildings, there would be a community orchard, sensory garden and four acres of land allocated for grazing.

It is anticipated that planning permission would be issued (by the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West ) within the next couple of weeks and that the community farm would open formally in June 2019. The proposal for a Wisbech community farm is based upon the successful community farm at Hereford (the only other such community farm in the UK), which was established in 2007 as a visionary concept and now supports a total of 73 people (27 attendees daily).

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Miss Bristow thanked Wisbech Town Council for making the seven acres of land at Lynn Road available for the community farm and commented that People and Animals UK CIC values its relationship with the council.

Miss Bristow responded to members’ questions.

Councillor Mrs Cox commented that she understands the value of this type of project in supporting people who suffer from mental health issues.

Councillor Mrs MacRae expressed the opinion that this is an excellent project; it provides a different approach to traditional day care types of support; well done People and Animals UK CIC.

Councillor Miss Hoy enquired as to whether there would be times when the community farm could be open to members of the general public. In response, Miss Bristow made the point that such a situation would not be possible; the community farm would be a therapeutic facility, operating in a very specific manner, and not a petting farm.

Members decided that the information presented and comments made by Miss Bristow and the comment made and the questions asked by members of the council be noted.

101/18 Tourism in Wisbech

Members received a presentation from Mr Alan Wheeldon in relation to making a case for the production of a video film, the purpose of which would be to show Wisbech as a great tourist destination, to increase visitor numbers and associated revenue to the town.

Mr Wheeldon expressed the opinion that Wisbech is under-performing as a tourist destination and he provided statistics to demonstrate that point; those statistics made comparisons with the visitor numbers (and associated revenue) for Wisbech, Ely, and Bury St Edmunds. He posed the questions “why are visitor numbers so low, in the low tens of thousands, in Wisbech, whereas the other towns that he had mentioned attract millions of visitors?” and “Why is Wisbech, when it has such a strong heritage offer, not seeing the increase in visitor numbers that the other towns are experiencing?”.

Mr Wheeldon made reference to a Destination Management group which had been established in 2016 to deliver “Visit Cambridge and Beyond” and the fact that Wisbech had not been mentioned in the publicity as a place to visit, whereas other towns (including St Neots, Ely, Bedford and St Ives) had been included. He made the point that Wisbech receives little coverage on You Tube; where coverage does exist, it is generally negative or uninspiring in nature – certainly not making the town appear attractive as a visitor destination.

The council was informed by Mr Wheeldon that he has concluded that the poor and negative internet coverage of Wisbech is having a detrimental impact upon the visitor numbers to the town. He claims that tourist numbers show that the majority of tourists who do visit Wisbech, visit the nationally-advertised Peckover House and then leave the town without visiting the rest of the town. He is of the opinion that there is a good economic case to invest in a comprehensive, professionally- made film to promote all venues in Wisbech and to show the town as a great tourist destination, to increase visitor numbers and boost revenue to the town.

Mr Wheeldon informed the council that a storyboard, of 75 slides, for a possible promotional film had been produced and that, as a result of research into companies which would be able to produce a film of the necessary quality, a suitable company (Cambridge Filmworks, based at St Ives) had been identified. He mentioned some of the clients for which this company had produced films; these include the BBC, Channel 4 television and Microsoft. He showed a short film which had been 67

produced by the company for the Imperial War Museum at Duxford. The estimated cost of producing a promotional film for Wisbech (with a duration of 15 minutes), which would take approximately one year to complete, is £15,000. The aim is that, subject to the necessary funding being secured, the film would be launched in the spring of 2020. Mr Wheeldon explained where the film would be shown/hosted (including websites, You Tube, local community venues). He expressed the hope that Wisbech Town Council would contribute towards the cost of this project.

Mr Wheeldon responded to members’ questions.

Councillor Tierney commented that it is always helpful to hear from people who propose a solution to a problem, rather than just identifying a problem for others to solve; however, delivering a project such as this, particularly trying to raise this level of funding locally, is this is a “big ask”. He expressed the opinion that there would be criticism from the public if a local council were to spend public money on the production of a film. He made the assumption that this presentation would also be made to Fenland District Council (FDC), which, having the responsibility for tourism promotion in the District, ought to consider providing funding for such a project. FDC would, however, need to be convinced that it could justify to the public such spending.

In response to Councillor Tierney’s comments, Mr Wheeldon expressed the opinion that the film would need to be a high-quality product, hence the cost, if it were to be credible.

Councillor Miss Hoy commented that the negativity about Wisbech helps no-one. She thanked Mr Wheeldon for coming forward with this idea and made the point that Wisbech Town Council could not consider at this meeting whether or not the council could/would commit funding to this project. She asked whether any other potential sources of funding had been explored and also, if Wisbech Town Council were to provide funding towards the cost of producing such a film, would it be able to have an input into its content and production.

In response to Councillor Miss Hoy’s question, Mr Wheeldon stated that he had spoken with no other possible funders yet; he had decided to begin with Wisbech Town Council. He added that he would happy for a representative of the council to be part of any project team.

Members decided that the information presented and comments made by Mr Wheeldon and the comment made and the questions asked by members of the council be noted.

102/18 Constabulary

Members received a presentation from Police Inspector Ian Lombardo, accompanied by Sergeant Lee Levens, in relation to action being taken by the local policing team to tackle the anti-social behaviour of a group of juveniles on bicycles. The Inspector mentioned that for the period June to December 2018, compared to the same period in 2017, there had been an overall reduction in this type of anti-social behaviour; however, the incidents which had required an immediate response from the constabulary had increased by 4.7%. During one night when a Dispersal Order had been in force in Wisbech, local officers had engaged with youths and parents at their home addresses; four cycles had been seized; there had been 8 youths dispersed from the town centre. He mentioned that some of the issues are being addressed jointly by the constabulary and Clarion Housing. One issue had been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service for advice as to how to progress with the matter.

Inspector Lombardo mentioned that both the constabulary’s Community Action Team and Community Impact Team had been present in Wisbech, to support the local team, in recent weeks. He stated that he understands both the frustrations and desires of local councillors and members of the public in terms of when it comes to tackling crime and disorder issues in the town. The Inspector mentioned that he had utilised recently powers, such as Closure Orders, for the first time, as a

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means of tackling matters of crime and disorder in Wisbech. He stated that is always happy to bid for additional policing resources for the town when needed.

Inspector Lombardo and Sergeant Levens responded to members’ questions.

Councillor Tierney commented that he had noticed an improved situation in Wisbech as a result of police action to tackle anti-social behaviour and he expressed his gratitude to Inspector Lombardo and his officers. In addition, he drew to the Inspector’s attention an issue which had been raised by a parishioner in relation to illegal and inconsiderate parking in the town centre. In response, Sergeant Levens made the point that officers attend to such matters when resources allow.

Councillor Lynn commented that he too had noticed an improved situation in Wisbech as a result of action in relation to tackling anti-social behaviour and he congratulated local officers on their work in that regard.

Councillor Miss Hoy commented that there had been criticism in the past regarding the perceived “lack of policing” in the town, which had led to frustration on occasions; however, the impact that the police have had on tackling the anti-social behaviour of the “cycle gang” is very noticeable. Members of the public had felt vulnerable when those juveniles had been present in the town centre. She expressed the hope that the police would be able to “keep on top” of this situation and asked whether the council could receive a police presence at its meetings at, say, six monthly intervals.

The Inspector made the point that although the local police must tackle first Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s priorities, action would always be taken, when resources allow, to address community concerns (such as parking in the town centre). He added that all officers had undergone training in undertaking speed checks. Inspector Lombardo commented that the local policing team would always look to councils and the public to identify community priorities.

Councillor Prest commented that he is very supportive of the approach being taken by the police to engage with the parents of young people who are found to be acting in an anti-social manner in the town and he expressed the opinion that the local policing team is a credit to Fenland.

In advance of the meeting, the Clerk had circulated the latest Fenland Neighbourhood Policing Team Monthly Review report on recent incidents of crime and disorder and other matters in Wisbech and the northern villages in Fenland. The report mentions that the Neighbourhood Policing Team’s priorities over the last month had been:

1. Targeted patrols in Park Road and at Wisbech Park, to tackle persistent anti-social behaviour by youths 2. Targeted patrols in the Horsefair Shopping Centre and the town centre, to tackle persistent anti- social behaviour and criminality by juveniles on bicycles 3. Continued patrols in Church Mews and at the St Peter and St Paul’s Church, due to people drinking, urinating and defecating in these areas. Included within the report were details of incidents and crimes which had taken place within the geographical area covered by the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) during the last month, including:

 19 residential and non-dwelling burglaries in Wisbech  4 commercial business burglaries in Wisbech  2 incidents of theft of a motor vehicle.

In addition, the report mentioned the work which had been undertaken to engage with the local homeless communities and to work with partners to support those who have specific needs.

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Members decided that the information presented at the meeting and the content of the written report from the Constabulary be noted.

103/18 Fenland District Council

(1) Information

The Clerk reported that he had been sent, by e-mail, information in respect of CCTV performance, Section 106 Planning Obligations details and the council’s Environment newsletter and that he had forwarded, last week, the e-mail and attachments to all members of the council.

Members decided that the situation be noted.

(2) Proposed shared CCTV service between Fenland District Council and City Council

Members considered Fenland District Council’s proposal to enter into a shared CCTV service with Peterborough City Council. The Clerk had forwarded to members, in advance of the meeting, a copy of the consultation letter from Fenland District Council (FDC) and a copy of the presentation which had been delivered to attendees by representatives of FDC at a consultation meeting (the invitees had been members and officers of the Town Councils within Fenland) held at Fenland Hall on 12 December 2018. The consultation exercise in relation to this proposal closes on 4 January 2019.

The Clerk explained to members the rationale for this proposal, i.e. for FDC to be able to address the actions within its Comprehensive Spending Review of 2015 whilst continuing to deliver an efficient and effective CCTV service for the District.

Under the proposed shared CCTV service there would be: (1) a shared control room, including shared management; (2) a commercial delivery approach; (3) a delivery model for a shared service. It would operate on the basis of a shared 50/50 partnership; it would not be a takeover of one service by another.

Fenland District Council has stated that, through any shared partnership, the service delivery and commitment to Fenland District Council’s existing stakeholders (which includes the Town Councils within Fenland) and customers’ service level arrangements would continue and, where possible, service delivery would be enhanced.

As Peterborough City Council (PCC) possesses more modern back office systems at this time, the cost of delivering the service from Fenland District Council’s current control room would be far greater than the costs of re-locating Fenland District Council’s control room to the one operated by Peterborough City Council. Therefore, the proposal includes the shared service being delivered from the PCC control room. The total level of staffing at the shared service control room would increase.

Fenland District Council summarises the benefits of a shared CCTV service as follows:

 provision of a greater service resilience in maintaining 24/7 delivery, without incurring additional costs to customers and funding partners  provision of enhanced monitoring levels during peak demands, without incurring additional costs for customers or stakeholders  the service would be more flexible to respond to service change needs

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 service delivery would be designed around commercial response and key community safety needs  systems are being designed to be a single operating platform, which helps ensure consistency in service delivery by staff, improved training delivery and allowing future growth to be integrated with ease  systems would also allow for performance monitoring of all connected services to be delivered as per the needs of agreed SLAs and to allow full customer insight in to services delivered and received. This would be a significant improvement upon existing delivery methods  re-locating the FDC monitoring to PCC removes the need for investment within the FDC control room. PCC has recently invested in modernising its control room; this has led to an enhanced video wall, command and control systems and will also allow for the digitalisation and replacement of the Fenland recording systems, which would be required in the next financial year  a shared service provides the foundation and platform to grow commercial revenue and customer contracts due to added geographical coverage.

The Clerk commented that Fenland District Council states that the proposed shared service approach would help secure the CCTV service going forward and help mitigate against additional costs to stakeholders to bring about change and future ongoing capital investment for technology.

Following the Clerk’s initial reporting on this matter, the Mayor invited Councillor Oliver, in his capacity as Fenland District Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for Community Safety (which includes the Fenland CCTV service), to speak on this matter.

Councillor Oliver informed members that Fenland District Council (FDC) had operated a CCTV service in Fenland since 1990 and that it had been decided, as part of the Comprehensive Service Review (CSR) in 2015, that the system would be upgraded to wireless technology; following completion of that work, it had been possible to attract commercial customers (and associated income) to the service. Another outcome of the CSR had been a decision that a shared service option would be explored.

Councillor Oliver expressed the opinion that the proposed shared service proposal (with a 50/50 partnership) is a good one, both for the District Council and the community of Fenland. The fact that Peterborough City Council had already upgraded its control room avoids the need for Fenland District Council to spend £150,000 on upgrading its control room; if there were no re- location of the Fenland CCTV service to the control room at Peterborough, Fenland District Council would incur its own upgrading costs; this would result in Fenland District Council needing to increase its charges to the Town Councils in the District. He explained the financial impact for Fenland District Council of not proceeding with a shared service arrangement.

Members were informed by Councillor Oliver of the key benefits of the proposed shared CCTV service, as had been articulated by the Clerk earlier in the meeting. In addition, he mentioned that the proposal is supported by the Police (which currently generate 51% of the service demand). In addition, Councillor Oliver mentioned that Wisbech Town Council has the opportunity to monitor the situation for the remainder of the term of its current Service Level Agreement with Fenland District Council (which is in force until 31 March 2021). If implemented, the shared CCTV service would be fully operational in November 2019.

At the invitation of the Mayor, Councillor Oliver responded to members’ questions.

Councillor Wing commented that he could see many positives to the proposed shared CCTV service but expressed his concern regarding the possibility of job losses in Wisbech as a result;

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he asked what action would be taken to minimise local job losses. In response, Councillor Oliver made the point that a change to any service delivery arrangement could result in the need for fewer staff; in this case, all of the current CCTV staff at Peterborough City Council and Fenland District Council (FDC) would have the opportunity apply for jobs within the shared CCTV team; in addition, any of the staff who are employed by FDC currently and who are appointed to a similar role within the new team would benefit from a higher rate of pay (as the salaries paid by PCC are higher than those paid by FDC).

Councillor Tierney expressed concerns as to the loss of local knowledge in the case of the Fenland CCTV cameras being monitored by current PCC staff and also whether, given that Fenland District Council is a smaller council than Peterborough City Council, the proposed partnership would, in reality, operate on a 50/50 basis. He stated, however, that he has every confidence that Councillor Oliver would do his best to ensure that the proposed CCTV shared service arrangement would work well for the people of Fenland.

In response to a request from Councillor Lynn for detailed statistics in relation to the CCTV service, Councillor Oliver drew his attention to the fact that information is provided by Fenland District Council to each Town Council on a monthly basis (and which the Clerk forwards to councillors) and mentioned that additional information is provided quarterly to the council’s representatives at the CCTV Partner Liaison meetings (Wisbech Town Council is currently represented at these meetings by Councillors Oliver and Wing and the Clerk). Councillor Oliver undertook to discuss with the relevant officer at Fenland District Council whether that information could be made available more widely.

Members decided that

(1) the information presented by the Clerk and Councillor Oliver and the comments made and questions asked by members be noted;

(2) this minute be forwarded to Fenland District Council as Wisbech Town Council’s consultation response in relation to the District Council’s proposal to enter into a shared CCTV service with Peterborough City Council.

(3) Green Dog Walkers Campaign

Further to minute 86/18(3), the Clerk read to members the response from Fenland District in relation to his enquiry as to the obligations that would be required of Wisbech Town Council and whether there would be any cost to this council if it were to become involved in the District Council’s Green Dog Walkers Campaign.

Fenland District Council (FDC) states that, as this campaign aims to be community-led, contact has been made with a number of community groups in Wisbech; responses from these groups are awaited by FDC.

The opinion of FDC is that the best scenario would be for a community group to work hand-in- hand with the both the District Council and the Town Council. The group could then provide the “on the ground” work to sign-up pledgers and the local council would provide the funding for pledge brochures and promotions of the project. As an indication of the level of funding needed from the Town Council, FDC mentions that Whittlesey Town Council had donated £750 to purchase 300 engraved dog tags and dog poo bags which could be handed out to pledgers. The District Council had met the costs of the licence to operate the scheme and of the printing of the promotional material.

FDC comments that it needs to know at this stage the extent to which Wisbech Town Council would wish to be involved in the campaign and whether the council would be able to offer 72

support to any community groups that become involved in delivery of the campaign. Worst case scenario, if no community volunteers come forward, FDC could see if there would be availability for its Street Scene officers to assist in getting the campaign off the ground in the town.

Members decided that Fenland District Council be informed that Wisbech Town Council remains supportive of the Green Dog Walkers scheme in principle but currently has no resources, either human or financial, to devote to the scheme. The council would be happy to promote, using its various publicity mechanisms, any scheme which were to operate in the town. In addition, in terms of funding, members would be happy to consider a small grants application, from the 2019/20 budget, from a community group which wishes to lead such a scheme.

(4) Community development project

The Clerk read to members an e-mail from Fenland District Council (FDC), which had been sent to all of the Town and Parish Councils in Fenland, in relation to the potential for Care Network Cambridgeshire to deliver, in association with FDC, some community development activity aimed at older people.

The e-mail, which had been circulated to members in advance of the meeting, states that Care Network Cambridgeshire, working with Fenland District Council’s Golden Age Programme, is applying for funding to deliver community development work in one or two locations in Fenland, with a view that, after this piloting phase, the activities could potentially be rolled-out across the district. As part of the bid development, research is being undertaken to identify locations where a scheme would be most beneficial. Because Care Network wishes to make sure that this funding would have the best chance of delivering a needed and sustainable service or scheme, Town and Parish Councils are being asked for their suggestions for potential locations of where this work should start and what type of activity this should be.

The types of activities which could be provided, subject to funding being secured, are:

 Good Neighbour Scheme  Time Banking  Skills Share Scheme.

Members are of the opinion that the people of Wisbech (parts of which have the highest IMD scores in the County) would benefit from the types of schemes listed in the e-mail from Fenland District Council in relation to the proposed “Golden Age” funding bid. Members are aware that a scheme of Time Banking/Time Credits is already operating in the town. In addition, members consider that delivery of such a project could also contribute to achieving some of the objectives/actions within the Wisbech 2020 Vision.

Members decided that the content of the e-mail be noted and that the Clerk would respond along the lines set out above.

104/18 Cambridgeshire County Council

The Clerk informed members that, as far as he is aware, there are currently no County Council matters requiring consideration by Wisbech Town Council.

Members decided that the situation be noted.

105/18 Motion to Council - United Kingdom leaving the European Union (referred to as Brexit)

Councillor Tierney proposed the following Motion to Council: 73

“Wisbech Town Council recognises that although it is a “small cog in the machine”, it feels it is necessary to remind the Government that Wisbech is one of the biggest leave (the European Union) voting areas in the country and this council is of the opinion that the Prime Minister’s proposed Brexit deal does not represent the views of a large majority of the council’s constituents.

Consequently, Wisbech Town Council would like to write to the Brexit Secretary and the Prime Minister to express these views and to encourage the proper Brexit for which local people voted in the (June 2016) referendum”.

Councillor Tierney informed members that residents of the town had expressed to him an opinion that, given the strength of feeling in Wisbech that the Prime Minister’s proposed Brexit deal does not represent the views of most people, Wisbech Town Council should to take a formal stance on this issue.

Members decided, on the proposal of Councillor Tierney, seconded by Councillor Mrs Cox, that the Motion be adopted by Wisbech Town Council.

106/18 Minutes of the Town Council meeting of 19 November 2018

Members decided, on the proposal of Councillor Oliver, seconded by Councillor Tibbs, that the minutes of the Town Council meeting of 19 November 2018 be confirmed and signed.

107/18 Minutes of committees

Members received, for information, the minutes of committee meetings held since the last meeting of the Town Council, as follows:

(1) Planning and Community Infrastructure Committee – 19 November 2018 (2) Policy and Resources Committee – 26 November 2018 (3) Planning and Community Infrastructure Committee – 3 December 2018 (4) Wisbech Market Place Management Committee – 3 December 2018.

Members decided that the contents of these minutes, including the decisions made by the committees, be noted.

108/18 Mayor’s Report

The Mayor informed members of the civic events that he had attended and activities in which he had participated since the last meeting of Wisbech Town Council. He mentioned that he had attended 29 events since the last meeting of the council, including attendance at:

 the Christmas Lights Extravaganza on 25 November – he expressed his gratitude to all of those who had been involved in the planning and delivery of this successful event; these had included council members and staff and community volunteers, some of whom had been “working” for 14 hours on the day of the event  the Nativity play at Meadowgate School – the performance had been a credit to the students and the staff  the visit to Wisbech by HHRHs the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall on 27 November – the Mayor expressed the opinion that it had been a tribute to the representatives of the various community groups which had been present for the visit that the royal couple had stayed so long.

Members decided that the information reported by the Mayor be noted.

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109/18 Leader of the Council’s report

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Miss Hoy, informed members that, given that each of the council’s Committee Chairmen would be providing an update, at minute 110/18, on the work of their respective committees, she would not be providing a general update on the council’s activity at this meeting. However, she took the opportunity, with this being the final meeting of Wisbech Town Council of the calendar year, to thank members for their input into council business during 2018. In addition, she expressed her appreciation of the work and dedication of the Clerk and the council’s staff team during 2018.

Members decided that the comments of the Leader of the Council be noted.

110/18 Quarterly reports to Council by Committee Chairmen

In accordance with minute 114/17, members received reports, in turn, from the council’s Committee Chairmen on matters pertaining to the work of those committee, as follows:

Assets Management Committee

Councillor Balsevics, the Chairman of the Assets Management Committee, informed members that the committee continues to deal with a number of operational matters in relation to the council’s land and property assets (excluding Wisbech Castle). He mentioned that, with regard to the Town Hall, the works required to repair and improve the central heating system are complete, investigations are underway in terms of upgrading the council’s telephone system and quotations are being sought for the provision and installation of new flag poles. He added that improvement works, including the installation of a new entrance gate and associated fencing and re-surfacing of the access roadway, had been undertaken at the Dowgate Road allotments site. In addition, Councillor Balsevics informed members that this council’s car park at the rear of the Queen Mary Centre is operating successfully and safely.

Members decided that information reported by the Chairman of the Assets Management Committee be noted.

Community Events and Festivals Committee

Councillor Miss Hoy, the Chairman Community Events and Festivals Committee, informed members that the Christmas Lights Extravaganza, which had taken place on 25 November 2018, had been very successful and she mentioned that the committee would be meeting on 11 February 2019 to agree a programme of community events and festivals for the financial year 2019/20.

Members decided that information reported by the Chairman of the Community Events and Festivals Committee be noted.

Wisbech Market Place Management Committee

Councillor Tibbs, the Chairman of the Wisbech Market Place Management Committee, informed members that with regard to the delivery of a scheme of enhancement for Wisbech Market Place, certain members are continuing to lead on particular elements of the scheme and are reporting back to the committee on the results of their investigations/research etc; quotations for the various elements of the scheme are being sought. Quotations are also being sought in relation to repair works to the electrical system at Wisbech market Place.

Members were also informed by Councillor Tibbs that Wisbech Market continues to trade successfully, particularly on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturday and Sundays. 75

Members decided that information reported by the Chairman of the Wisbech Market Place Management Committee be noted.

Planning and Community Infrastructure Committee

Councillor Miss Oliver, the Chairman of the Planning and Community Infrastructure Committee, informed members that Fenland District Council had provided, on 1 November 2018, the first of three planning-related training sessions; the two remaining sessions would be take place early next year.

Members decided that information reported by the Chairman of the Planning and Community Infrastructure Committee be noted.

Policy and Resources Committee

Councillor Oliver, the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee, informed members that the committee had agreed, at its meeting on 26 November 2018, a draft budget for the financial year 2019/20, which requires no increase in Precept for householders in Wisbech for that financial year. Unless there is some change in circumstances which would necessitate revisions to any of the income or expenditure figures within that budget, the draft budget will be referred to 21 January 2019 meeting of Wisbech Town Council without further consideration by the Policy and Resources Committee. He mentioned also that the committee had decided, at the same meeting, that £500 of Wisbech Town Council’s small grants provision be allocated to the Waterlees in Bloom group with effect from the financial year 2019/20.

Councillor Oliver informed members that Wisbech Town Council underwent recently its mid-year internal audit, with the second part taking place in May of next year. The committee would be discussing this at its next meeting; he expressed the opinion that the outcome of the mid-year audit is very positive and he welcomed its content.

Members decided that the information reported by the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee be noted.

Staffing Committee

Councillor Maul, the Chairman of the Staffing Committee, informed members that the staffing changes which had been agreed by the committee recently are working well and there continues to be no staff sickness absence. He mentioned that the Clerk continues to look for relevant training and learning opportunities for the council’s staff, so that staff are best placed to deliver efficient and effective service for both the council and the local community. Councillor Maul mentioned also that Town Council staff give-up their free-time to help at the council’s community events and festivals, for which councillors and the community are extremely grateful.

Members decided that information reported by the Chairman of the Staffing Committee be noted.

Wisbech Castle Management Committee

Councillor Tierney, the Chairman of the Wisbech Castle Management Committee, informed members that the project of renovating the building and making it available as a community asset/venue continues to progress well. He mentioned that

 almost all of the urgent repairs to the Castle and grounds had been undertaken, significantly under budget and well ahead of estimated timescales 76

 the Castle café is open and trading profitably, as well as providing a great space for volunteers and users to obtain refreshments. The offer of free tea and coffee to the Police, Serving Military and people who have been given the Freedom of the Town had been used a number of times and seems to be appreciated. A planning application for formal change of use of the pump house as a café is currently being considered by the Local Planning Authority  the Halloween event held at Wisbech Castle sold out. The Christmas event had also proved popular; both events have added to the Castle project’s funds  there have been a number of bookings of rooms and space at the Castle and word has begun to spread  works to the pump house, to make it warm, secure and a useful feature, had been undertaken  the safety and hardware works to the vaults, including additional emergency lighting and power points, had been completed, The refurbishment of some passages to reflect their historic use had begun, although this is a project which would take some time to deliver  the Castle had been the subject of an inspection by officers of the County Council, to enable that council to confirm that Wisbech Town Council had met its obligations under the lease. The officers who visited seemed pleased and impressed with the work which had been carried out and commented positively about the quality, speed and low costs that had been achieved. No significant concerns were raised by those officers  Councillors Oliver and Prest have been tasked with bringing forwards a brochure for use with advertising the Castle’s wedding offer and other related services that could be provided  the Castle is now open regularly for free public tours and hundreds of people have already visited and enjoyed this service, provided entirely by volunteers. The café is also open several days a week and is developing that service and its Tourist Information function at a fast pace  going forwards into 2019 there are many plans, which include further repairs and improvements; additional features could potentially include a Bee Conservation scheme, a railway feature, comprehensive tourist and historic improvements to the vaults, and development of our commercial offers of room and building hire, weddings and functions, and public events  Wisbech Castle received a brief visit from Prince Charles, when he was in Wisbech on 27 November 2018. His Royal Highness told the Castle volunteers that he was very impressed with the Wisbech Castle project’s achievements, as outlined to him by the Town Clerk and the representatives that he had met in St Peter and St Paul’s Church, and the work that the volunteers had done. He thanked the Town Council for being willing to take a chance and make it possible and said that he would very much like to return for a full tour.

Councillor Tierney mentioned that so many visitors to the Castle had commented positively on it, the events and activities have received rave reviews, the work done inside and out being seen as exceptional. In less than a year, the council had taken a tired and dilapidated site and made it into a wonderful asset of the town. He expressed the opinion that Wisbech Castle is now clearly back where it belongs, at the heart of Wisbech and a well-used and much-loved piece of the town’s heritage and history. He expressed his gratitude to the dedicated and incredible group of councillors and volunteers who make this possible.

Members decided that information reported by the Chairman of the Wisbech Castle Management Committee be noted.

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111/18 Correspondence

The Clerk informed members that there are currently no such items in need of reporting to council.

Members decided that the situation be noted.

112/18 Notice board/information update

The Clerk informed members that there are currently no such items in need of reporting to council.

Members decided that the situation be noted.

113/18 Date of next meeting

Members were reminded that the next meeting of Wisbech Town Council is scheduled for 21 January 2019, to commence at 7.30 pm, at the Town Hall in Wisbech.

Meeting finished at 9.25 pm.

Signed ......

Date ......

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