S O U T H B O R O U G H T O W N C O U N C I L

Council Offices Town Clerk 137 London Road Southborough Tel: (01892) 529176 Tunbridge Wells Fax: (01892) 541402 Kent TN4 0ND

PARKS AND CEMETERY COMMITTEE

TO: MEMBERS OF THE PARKS AND CEMETERY COMMITTEE: Councillors Lester (Chairman), Uddin (Deputy Chairman), Ms Brown, Eldridge, Elliott, Ms Hill, Jamil, Munn and Oakford.

Copies to: All other elected Members for information.

You are summoned to attend the PARKS AND CEMETERY COMMITTEE meeting on Thursday 15 September 2016 at 7.00 p.m. in the Council Offices, 137 London Road, Southborough.

AGENDA

1. APOLOGIES AND REASON FOR ABSENCE

2. DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT INTERESTS

Members, who have a Disclosable Pecuniary or Other Significant Interest within the meaning of the Kent Code of Conduct 2012 in any matter appearing on the agenda, are invited to declare that interest at this stage and sign the register accordingly.

3. PUBLIC OPEN SESSION

Standing Order 60(a). Members of the public may speak under this item as long as 24 hours notice of their wish to do so has been given the Town Clerk, and that the subject is relevant to this Committee. No speech may be for longer than five minutes except by resolution of the Committee or Council.

4. MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS

The minutes of the meeting held on 16 June 2016 were approved by Full Council on 30 June 2016.

5. INCOME AND EXPENDITURE

Members to note the attached income and expenditure reports from 1 June to 31 August 2016.

6. ALLOTMENTS

Please see the attached letter from the Southborough Allotment Holders Association. Mr Phil Harris will be attending the meeting to discuss the suggestions.

www.southboroughcouncil.co.uk Email:[email protected] 7. SOUTHBOROUGH COMMON - Heritage Lottery Funding Application

Members to see the attached draft lottery bid paperwork. Discussions need to take place around the content. Ian Johnstone from the Kent High Weald Partnership and Ian Kinghorn and Michael Howes from the Southborough Society have been invited to attend this meeting. Ian Johnstone will answer any questions that Members may have.

8. DUTY MEMBERS REPORT

The report completed by Councillor Lester will be tabled at the meeting.

9. ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG – Allotments

Members to note - A request has been received via SAHA for Mr Nigel Stapple to complete a test dig on an unallocated allotment plot. The Clerk has no problem with this and arrangements will be made directly with Mr Stapple.

10. PENNINGTON GROUNDS a) Crazy Golf – The Clerk has placed the order for the Crazy Golf replacement, the total cost of which was approved by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council from Section 106 monies. She requests that discussions take place on the possibility of moving the Crazy Golf to the green area which she feels would lend itself more to the use of this past time. Please see the attached. The area where the old game was situated can be repaired and its use be determined at a future meeting. The green is fenced and very flat, and would provide ample room for the Golf and some seating for spectators and café visitors. b) The Green

(1) For information: The Clerk has taken advice from the Borough Council Officer for their Parks who has suggested that the green could be left to overwinter as is, and that it will with the introduction of a fine topsoil and grass seed in the spring, and regular mowing return back to a more hard wearing grass surface. (2) Members to discuss the introduction of a wildflower meadow seed mix to the borders of the green instead of the planned shrubs which the Clerk feels will be vandalised and therefore wasteful at this time. Seed needs to be sown in September, and would hopefully provide a colourful back drop to the area, for a much reduced cost. c) Water fountain – Members will recall that the fountain chosen for the hard standing on the service road, was found not to be suitable. Having spoken with a local plumber, he has suggested that the pipework below ground to this position, although still in place, will not be in good enough condition and would need replacing. It is an old iron pipe. He has suggested that a fresh water supply could be taken from the public toilets and linked to a fountain on the wall of the pavilion to the side. Members need to discuss this option, which the Clerk does have reservations about and agree to the Clerk getting the old water fountain hard standing removed and the area grassed. The cost of this would be £490.00. Please see the attached detail about an outdoor wall mounted drinking fountain. d) Shrubbery Pathway – The pathway around the shrubbed area to the left by the entrance gate, is in very poor condition. I have received a quotation to relay this pathway at a cost of £2,535 net. Although this is within the Clerks spending limit, it is not a budgeted item, Committee approval is needed for this work, and approval from the Finance and General Purposes Committee, to proceed. Please see the attached photograph. e) Football Goals – Some of the problems we are experiencing within the Grounds are boys playing football on the green. It has been suggested that a pair of goals be a permanent fixture in the bottom of the area set aside for the climbing frame, to the right of the service road. It is hoped that this will encourage the use of this area and stop the use of the green. The cost of the goals are £475.00 to £528.50 dependant on size. Please see attached.

11. SOUTHBOROUGH WAR MEMORIAL

Members to note. Works on the cleaning and re-lettering of the war memorial have come to a standstill since the cleaning was completed. It has shown up a great number of cracks within the memorial itself, and the Clerk will now have to obtain specialist surveys and organise grant funding for the repairs which have been estimated at £8,000 plus. It is thought that much of the instability and cracks come from the vibration caused by traffic on the A26.

12. CONFIDENTIAL

It is proposed that during consideration of the following items of business the public and press would be temporarily excluded (Standing Order 79).

These items are considered confidential for the following reason(s): Information relating to the financial affairs of the Council. a) Pennington Grounds – Boundary Fencing – The boundary of Pennington Grounds and The Common along the A26 has proven to be one of the access points into the Grounds during the time that the Grounds are locked to the public. Please see the photos attached. The only permanent way to resolve this is to fence along this line of conifers. The Clerk would suggest that this could be done with the same palisade fencing as used in Frank Weare and on the eastern boundary inside the Grounds. Attached you will find three quotations for the provision of this boundary fence. It will need to run from the sub station to the north down to the corner of Pennington Road, stopping either side of the private homes. In total some £150 metres. Members to discuss and decide if they wish to approve the works. Finance and General Purposes would need to approve the spend as this would be taken from reserves.

Brenda J Wickens Town Clerk 9 September 2016