Minutes of the Harpenden in Bloom Working Party Meeting

HARPENDEN TOWN COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE HARPENDEN IN BLOOM WORKING PARTY MEETING HELD AT THE TOWN HALL ON MONDAY 22 OCTOBER 2012 AT 7.30 PM

Present: Councillors Mrs Kent (Chairman), Dr Leadbeater

Mrs Jackie Falconer Mrs Beryl Hopkins Mrs Victoria Hornett Mrs Dorothy Mills Mr John Sidnell Mr Peter Taylor Mr Paul Miller

The Chairman read a letter from Mr Geoff Ackroyd, member of the Harpenden in Bloom Working Party for many years, submitting his resignation. This letter and the Chairman’s response will be placed on file.

5. APOLOGIES Apologies were received from Mr Bromilow.

6. DISCLOSURES OF INTEREST None were made at this time.

7. PUBLIC QUESTIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH STANDING ORDER 61 There were none.

8. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETINGS. 8.1 The minutes of the Harpenden in Bloom meetings held on the 12 March 2012 and 21 August 2012, previously circulated, were agreed and duly signed by the Chairman with the following amendments and comments. 8.1.2 A concern was raised that Minute 26.4 had not been responded to and that the winter pansies had been ordered without consultation with the Working Party. 8.1.3 An update was requested for Minute 34.1. It was reported that investigations had established that Railtrack owned the planter. An update will be reported back to the Working Party with regards to resolving the matter of the ongoing upkeep of the flowerbed. An update will also be provided on the ownership and management of the flowerbed outside St Dominic School. 8.1.4 Mr Taylor raised the issue of the white begonias suffering in the direct sunlight in the flowerbeds around the War Memorial. It was agreed that the planting scheme would not be amended for the Memorial on this occasion to see how well they fare next summer. 8.1.5 The following specific amendments to the Summer Planting Scheme were duly noted. A revised scheme can be found in Appendix 1.  The Summer Planting Scheme date in Appendix 2 of the Minutes of 21 August 2012 was incorrectly stated as 2012, it should read 2013.  The flowers listed for the Small Flowerbeds for Summer 2013 were noted as pink non-stop begonias. The Working Party agreed these should be yellow marigolds in order to be in keeping with the colour scheme. 8.1.6 An update was requested on the ongoing issue of the ownership of the Nickey Line. The Chairman agreed to follow up on this. 9. OFFICERS’ REPORTS

9.1 PLANTING DAYS 2012/13 The Planting Day dates were agreed and noted, with apologies in advance received from the Chairman and Mrs Falconer for Saturday 27 October.

10.1 HARPENDEN IN BLOOM WORKING PARTY TERMS OF REFERENCE 10.1.1 It was reported that the recommendation 2.1.2 should read ‘adopted’ and not ‘adapted’. The amendment was duly noted. 10.1.2 Clarification was sought on point 2 of the Terms of Reference regarding the agreement of a draft budget for recommendation to the Environment Committee. It was noted that the Working Party’s role would be to consider the budget that had previously been prepared by Officers. 10.1.3 Concern was raised on point 7 of the Terms of Reference regarding the management of water and whether Harpenden Town Council currently did enough in this regard for it to be included in the Terms of Reference. Mr Miller suggested that the Council look into collecting grey water at the Town Hall. It was RESOLVED that:

(i) point 7 would remain in the Terms of Reference. (ii) opportunities for a water butt to be purchased for the Town Hall be investigated.

10.1.4 It was noted that the wording regarding the entry of Anglia in Bloom in point 9 should be about re-entering, as the Council has previously been an entrant. The amendment was noted. 10.1.5 The Working Party agreed that entry into Anglia in Bloom would be considered following a review of the entry requirements, which the Amenities Officer would request from the organisers. 10.1.7 It was noted that Townsend Nursery currently placed the Pampas grass around the War Memorial prior to the Remembrance Day service every year and that the Working Party might wish to consider whether this is included in the Terms of Reference. 10.1.8 It was agreed that the Working Party Terms of Reference would be agreed with the above amendments. It was RESOLVED to recommend to the Environment Committee that:

the revised Terms of Reference are adopted.

11.1 HARPENDEN IN BLOOM WORKING PARTY COMPETITIONS 11.2 It was noted that Harpenden Town Council might wish to review its referral of the Town as being ‘Harpenden, Southdown and Batford’ as this might not accurately reflect the various areas of the district. 11.3 It was agreed that an extraordinary meeting would be held following the Amenities Officer’s impending meeting with the District Council’s In Bloom Officer, where a full review of the competition would be put to the Working Party for discussion.

12. DISTRICT IN BLOOM 12.1 Disappointment was expressed about the decision not to enter the competition in 2012. 12.2 The Working Party agreed that full consideration of the requirements for entry for 2013 would be made following the Amenities Officer’s meeting with the District Council’s In Bloom Officer. 12.3 It was reported that the date on the agenda for this item was incorrectly stated as 2012. The amendment was duly noted.

13. DATE OF FUTURE MEETING The next planned date was Monday 4 March 2013. It was requested that this meeting be moved to a day other than Monday as this was not suitable for some of the members of the Working Party. This will be reviewed by the Amenities Officer.

The Meeting closed at 8:30pm

Chairman …………………………..…

Date ……………………………... APPENDIX 1 HIB Planting Scheme

Winter 2012 Planting Scheme

Flowerbed Winter 2012 Bull Road Roundabout Large Mixed pansies and winter bulbs Inn On the Green Flowerbed Mixed pansies and winter bulbs Leyton Green Mixed pansies and winter bulbs The Town Square Mixed pansies and winter bulbs Brownie Flowerbed Mixed pansies and winter bulbs Small Round Flowerbeds (around the trees) Mixed pansies and winter bulbs War Memorial Mixed pansies and winter bulbs Rotary Flowerbed Mixed pansies and winter bulbs The tetê à tetê Flowerbed Mixed pansies and winter bulbs Two Flowerbeds on Rothamsted Avenue. Mixed pansies and winter bulbs Stellar Rose Flowerbed Mixed pansies and winter bulbs Batford Sign Mixed pansies and winter bulbs Kinsbourne Green Sign Mixed pansies and winter bulbs

Summer 2013 Planting Scheme

Flowerbed Summer 2013 Bull Road Roundabout Central shrub: Hebedonna ‘Emma’ (mauve colour).

4 quadrants: 2 blue Ageratum, 2 ‘yellow jacket’ (French) Marigold.

Inn On the Green Central shrub: Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’. Flowerbed Bedding split into six around centre plant: 2 blue ageratum, 2 ‘yellow jacket’ (French) Marigold, 2 white non-stop begonias.

Border: Senecio cineraria (silver dust).

Leyton Green Same as Inn on the Green.

The Town Square n/a

Brownie Flowerbed The group agreed that the Brownies should be given a colour scheme and allowed to plant this bed to their own design.

Colour: purple and yellow (purple salvia and yellow jacket (French) Marigold).

Katie Edwards to contact Brownies to arrange competition.

Small Round Flowerbeds The plants under the trees between Barclays and Lloyds TSB are struggling (around the trees) due to lack of light. Suggested that trees are trimmed back but if plants continue to not do well in this area, to grass over the beds.

Similarly, the plants under the tree outside Mint Velvet on the high street are not thriving due to nectar being produced by the tree. It was agreed that this bed should be grassed over.

Plants for all beds under trees: senecio cineraria (silver dust) and ‘yellow jacket’ (French) Marigold.

War Memorial Purple salvia around memorial base as Summer 2012, white non-stop begonias in 4 beds around memorial. Rotary Flowerbed Central shrub: Skimmia japonica ‘Brocox Rocket’.

Circle of blue salvia around central grass/shrub.

2 blocks yellow jacket (French) marigolds, 2 blocks white non-stop begonias.

The tetê à tetê Flowerbed Keep the thistle. Bulk up the Rudbeckia at the back and add in some Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’.

Keep design the same. Bulk up purple salvia for the middle strip, then white dwarf cosmos and yellow jacket (French) marigolds.

Rothamsted Avenue Same as Inn on the Green. circular

Rothamsted Avenue Blue ageratum, yellow jacket (French) marigold, white non-stop begonia. rectangular

Stellar Rose Flowerbed Blue ageratum, white non-stop begonia, yellow jacket (French) marigold.

Batford Sign Blue ageratum, white non-stop begonia, yellow jacket (French) marigold.

Kinsbourne Green Sign Blue ageratum, white non-stop begonia, yellow jacket (French) marigold.

Nickey Line Bridge TBC – dependent on outcome of ownership query. HARPENDEN TOWN COUNCIL

HARPENDEN IN BLOOM WORKING PARTY

Membership 3 Members of Harpenden Town Council.

Representatives from the local community, to include members of the Harpenden Horticultural Society and other interested organisations.

Terms of 1. To hold at least two scheduled meetings and a site Reference meeting in any Municipal Year. 2. To agree a draft budget for recommendation to the Environment Committee. 3. To agree draft planting schemes for Winter and Summer for recommendation to the Environment Committee. 4. To enhance the appearance of the Town throughout the year with the intention of promoting civic pride, engaging a cross-section of the community and enhancing the environment through colourful floral displays. 5. To promote the Town as a place to live and work in and as a place to visit as an area of interest. 6. To provide sponsored floral displays and seek further opportunities for funding from local sponsors to support new initiatives. 7. To encourage nature conservation, the appropriate management of natural resources such as water, and increase biodiversity by attracting wildlife and companion planting. 8. To explore the opportunity of securing an annual award in the District in Bloom competition. 9. To consider re-entering the Anglia in Bloom competition. 10.To recommend to the Environment Committee the awarding of the annual watering contract. 11.To organise and judge Harpenden in Bloom competitions, generating local interest and engaging with the community.

Date of revision: October 2012.