Ordinary Council Minutes 24th November 2015 Item 5 - ATTACHMENT A
MINUTES of the ORDINARY MEETING OF STANLEY TOWN COUNCIL Held at Stanley Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley on Tuesday 24th November 2015 at 6.30pm
PRESENT: J Nicholson* A Clegg G Graham W Nixon D Tully D Walker B Nair R Harrison D Mills L Elliott
*Chairman
OFFICERS: Alan Shaw (Town Clerk), Nicola James (PA to the Town Clerk), Claire Howe (Civic Hall Manager) Lee Brannigan (Civic Hall Events Manager)
IN ATTENDANCE: 2 members of the Public; 4 Speakers from North Star Solar / Absolute Renewables
ABSENT: Cllr C McKee
RECORDINGS: Cllrs W Nixon & R Harrison were recording this meeting
403 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies received from Cllrs C Thompson, T Davinson, D McMahon, C Bell, D Marshall, J Charlton, R Ferris, L Marshall & M Wilkinson were accepted by Council.
404 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
None.
405 PROCEDURAL AND APPROPRIATE ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE CHAIRMAN
The Chair moved that item 8 (Presentation from Absolute Renewables) be moved up the agenda and be dealt with after item 6 (Minutes of Committee meetings). The Clerk noted that Cllrs W Nixon and R Harrison are recording this meeting. The Clerk also reminded members that the Standing Orders require them to stand when they speaking and not to speak until they have been recognised by the Chair.
406 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
The Town Clerk advised Members that Lewis Christie emailed a question:
“Why [has] the armed forces has only been allocated £500 when others are thousands? I think if it has anything to do with the armed forces day that's where majority of the money should be.”
The Clerk responded by stating that the £500 budget was for a ceremony only. If STC were to replicate what other Town Council’s do, it would not be an expensive event. Most people who will be involved will not charge. He also noted that there was a separate specific budget for a War Memorial being proposed for 2016/17.
Stanley Town Council, Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley, DH9 0NA, Tel: 01207 299 109; email: [email protected] Ordinary Council Minutes 24th November 2015 Item 5 - ATTACHMENT A
407 CONFIRMATION OF COUNCIL MINUTES
It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the Ordinary Council Meeting held on 27th October 2015 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.
408 MINUTES OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS
It was RESOLVED that the minutes of Committee Meetings held in November 2015 be RECEIVED by Council.
Presentation from Absolute Renewables was dealt with at this point
409 RECOMMENDATIONS OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS
i) Personnel - This was discussed under the Code of Conduct item.
ii) Crime & Community Safety - It was RESOLVED that the Committee will allocate the following budgets to the following projects in 2016/17:
• OTIS £3000 • Youth Council £3500 • Blooming Good Fun £3000 • Police Car Funding £7000 • Wild Flowers £0 - no budget will be allocated for wild flowers, but opportunities will be explored with partners in future
iii) Communications & Events - It was RESOLVED that the Committee will allocate the following budgets to the following events in 2016/17:
• Tea in the Park £2500 • Stanley Fringe £2000 • Entertainment in Old People’s homes £1000 • Community Fun Days £15000 • Outdoor Cinema £3000 • Moria-Con 2 £10000 • Christmas Events £20000 • Armed Forces Day £500 • Community Newsletter £15080 • Brass Festival £5150 • Play in the Park days £4000 • Community Consultation £30000
It was also RESOLVED that the following be requests be GRANTED:
(i) Free hall hire be granted to Kalapremi in 2016, and any future application for grant assistance for the Ganesh Festival be viewed favourably.
Stanley Town Council, Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley, DH9 0NA, Tel: 01207 299 109; email: [email protected] Ordinary Council Minutes 24th November 2015 Item 5 - ATTACHMENT A
(ii) Free hall hire be granted to the Forge for Northern Writes. (iii) A £15000 budget be allocated to the Civic Hall in 2016/17 to put on their own pantomime over Christmas in 2016. (iv) The Community magazine be called ‘Stanley Life’, with the first edition to go out in January.
410 PRESENTATION FROM ABSOLUTE RENEWABLES
Members received a presentation from North Star Solar/ Absolute Renewables relating to the provision of solar panels in Stanley and at the Civic Hall.
It was proposed by Cllr J Nicholson, seconded by Cllr R Harrison and RESOLVED that the Council support the proposal for solar panels to be recommended to Stanley residents and that officers should consult with North Star Solar, Derwentside Homes, 3 rivers etc. to discuss next steps.
411 REPORT OF THE TOWN CLERK
Members noted the report from the Town Clerk which included updates on PACT House and the Council’s Tax Base for 2016/17.
412 CODE OF CONDUCT
Members CONSIDERED the recommendations from the Personnel Committee and RESOLVED to adopt the revised Code of Conduct.
413 CIVIC HALL ENERGY AUDIT
Members CONSIDERED the Energy Audit report and RESOLVED that they wish to implement all of the proposals and utilise the PWLB loan to fund the investment required.
Members also CONSIDERED the recommendations from the Finance & GP Committee and RESOLVED that the following be implemented immediately: (i) Light fittings should be changed for low energy LED lights; (ii) Time controls should be fitted to coolers and water heaters; (iii) Pipe insulation should be installed in Boiler Room and adjacent to water heaters to conserve energy.
Members also RESOLVED that priority is given to obtaining quotes for replacement of the heating system in the Civic Hall with a more energy efficient model which would also allow separation from neighbouring County Council buildings.
414 COMMUNITY RADIO
Members RESOLVED to support the project in principle, subject to satisfactory answers to the questions raised.
415 BLUE PLAQUE SCHEME
Members RESOLVED that the Blue Plaque Scheme be implemented and that a budget of £2500 be allocated to the Communication and Events Committee.
Stanley Town Council, Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley, DH9 0NA, Tel: 01207 299 109; email: [email protected] Ordinary Council Minutes 24th November 2015 Item 5 - ATTACHMENT A
416 COMMUNITY CONSULTATION QUESTIONNAIRE
Members CONSIDERED the recommendation from the Communications and Events Committee and RESOLVED that the name of the consultation be ‘Ask Stanley 2016’ and that the timescales proposed by the Town Clerk be adopted.
417 DATE, TIME AND VENUE OF NEXT MEETING
Tuesday 15th December 2015, 18:30 at Stanley Civic Hall.
Stanley Town Council, Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley, DH9 0NA, Tel: 01207 299 109; email: [email protected] Personnel Committee Minutes 1st December 2015 Item 6 – ATTACHMENT B
MINUTES of the PERSONNEL COMMITTEE MEETING OF STANLEY TOWN COUNCIL held at Stanley Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley on Tuesday 1st December 2015 at 6.30pm
PRESENT: Cllr D Walker* Cllr D Mills Cllr G Graham Cllr J Nicholson Cllr W Nixon Cllr B Nair Cllr A Clegg Cllr C Bell
*Chairman
OFFICERS: Alan Shaw (Town Clerk) Nicola James (PA to the Town Clerk)
418 APOLOGIES
Apologies received from Councillors R Harrison, L Marshall, J Charlton and M Wilkinson were accepted by the Committee.
419 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Cllr Bell declared an interest as a member of the Traders.
420 PROCEDURAL AND APPROPRIATE ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE CHAIRMAN
The Clerk noted that no one was recording the meeting.
421 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
There were no members of the public in attendance. No written questions were submitted prior to the meeting.
422 CONFIRMATION OF COUNCIL MINUTES
It was proposed by Cllr G Graham, seconded by Cllr C Bell and RESOLVED that the Committee approve the minutes of the Personnel Committee meeting held on 3rd November 2015.
423 STAFF FLEXI-TIME SCHEME
Members discussed the proposed flexi-time scheme.
It was proposed by Cllr G Graham, seconded by Cllr C Bell and RESOLVED that the Committee recommend that the lieu/flexi time management arrangements that are currently in place continue as they are.
Stanley Town Council, Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley, DH9 0NA, Tel: 01207 299 109; email: [email protected] Personnel Committee Minutes 1st December 2015 Item 6 – ATTACHMENT B
424 CIVIC HALL SECURITY
Members discussed the issues raised by Cllr R Harrison in relation to access control, staff & visitor ID badges and signing in & out of the Civic Hall.
It was RESOLVED that the committee recommend that the Town Clerk and Civic Hall Manager look into these issues further and report back to committee.
425 DATE, TIME AND VENUE OF NEXT MEETING
12th January 2016, 6.30pm, Stanley Civic Hall
Stanley Town Council, Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley, DH9 0NA, Tel: 01207 299 109; email: [email protected] Communications & Events Committee Minutes 8th December 2015 Item 6 – ATTACHMENT C
MINUTES of the COMMUNICATION AND EVENTS COMMITTEE MEETING OF STANLEY TOWN COUNCIL held at Stanley Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley on Tuesday 8th December 2015 at 6.30pm
PRESENT: Cllr D Mills* Cllr D Tully Cllr R Harrison Cllr J Nicholson Cllr W Nixon Cllr D McMahon
*Chairman
OFFICERS: Alan Shaw (Town Clerk) Nicola James (PA to the Town Clerk)
IN ATTENDANCE: 1 member of the public, Cllr Geoff Graham
426 APOLOGIES
Apologies received from Cllrs C Bell and M Wilkinson were accepted by the Committee.
427 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Cllr D Mills declared an interest in Stanley Fringe and Moria Con.
Cllr D McMahon noted that the Clerk had requested a quote from his place of work ‘Graphic Print’ for printing of Stanley Life.
428 PROCEDURAL AND APPROPRIATE ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE CHAIRMAN
The Chairman noted his thanks to the staff involved with the Christmas light switch on event.
429 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
The Chairman noted that members of the public in attendance were open to contribute to the meeting. There were no written questions submitted prior to the meeting and no questions from the public in attendance. Joan Smith congratulated the Town Council for the Christmas light switch on event.
430 CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES
It was RESOLVED that the committee approve the amended minutes of the meeting held on 13th October 2015.
It was RESOLVED that the committee approve the minutes of the meeting held on 10th November 2015.
Stanley Town Council, Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley, DH9 0NA, Tel: 01207 299 109; email: [email protected] Communications & Events Committee Minutes 8th December 2015 Item 6 – ATTACHMENT C
431 2016/17 EVENTS – LEAD OFFICERS & MEMBERS, TIMELINES
Project Budget Lead Officer(s) Members Allocation
Tea in the Park £2,500 Nicola James David Mills
Stanley Fringe £2,000 Claire Howe David Mills, Ron Harrison
Old People’s Homes £1,000 Nicola James David Mills Community Fun Days £15,000 Brian Hall Committee
Outdoor Cinema £3,000 Brian Hall Committee
Moria Con 2 £10,000 Claire Howe Darren McMahon, David Mills
Christmas Events £20,000 James Harper/ Claire Joan Nicholson, David Tully, Howe Ron Harrison
Armed Forces Day £500 Brian Hall Geoff Graham, David Tully
Community £15,080 Alan Shaw Committee Newsletter
Brass Festival £5,150 James Harper Committee
Play in the Park days £4,000 Brian Hall Joan Nicholson, Darren McMahon
Community £30,000 Alan Shaw Committee Consultation The committee decided that the following Members will work with the following officers on these projects:
Members also agreed the timeline for events proposed by the Clerk, subject to the following amendments: - Stanley Fringe event on February 16th 2016 - Move Stanley Fringe from July to August - Moria Con 2 will be on the 23rd July
The Clerk asked all members to inform him of any local events in 2016-17. The Clerk will also speak with local community groups to see what events they have planned to ensure the Town Council does not organise any clashing events.
432 REVIEW OF CHRISTMAS EVENTS
Cllr J Nicholson said that the Christmas light switch on event was a success. Next year, she would like to see designated spaces for mobility scooters and pushchairs at the stage area
The Clerk noted that in 2016 the switch on event should be on a Friday or Saturday and it should be expanded to include stalls, catering and entertainment to keep people in the Front Street for longer. Consideration should be given to getting local schools to perform carols on the stage which will draw parents and relatives to the event in numbers followed by other entertainment on the stage after the main
Stanley Town Council, Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley, DH9 0NA, Tel: 01207 299 109; email: [email protected] Communications & Events Committee Minutes 8th December 2015 Item 6 – ATTACHMENT C
switch on. There is no necessity to hold the Christmas Fayre in the Civic Hall on the same day or event the same weekend.
Cllr R Harrison said that the event was fantastic and went well.
Cllr B Nixon noted that the shops that stayed open were pleased that they had.
Cllr D McMahon suggested that the Town Council should look into booking a high profile celebrity for the switch on, for example a Geordie Shore cast member as it would draw crowds. He also suggested that if we were to repeat the Lumiere consideration should be given to expanding it both in scope and duration.
433 PROGRESS REPORTS
Stanley Life The Clerk handed out the Flat Plan for issue 1 of Stanley Life. Members were happy with the proposed plan. It was suggested by Joan Smith that competitions be used in the magazine to encourage the public to read it. Committee agreed this was a good idea and that ticket offers for the Civic Hall or a £100 cash prize could be offered.
Brass Festival The Clerk confirmed that the Durham Brass Festival is happening this year and the Town Council have expressed an interest in having it come to Stanley.
Cycling Event The Clerk noted that Brian is waiting to hear back from Ed Tutty before further progress can be made.
Blue Plaques The Clerk noted that the following nominations have been put forward for Blue Plaque so far:
- Michael Heaviside - David Horsley - Tommy Armstrong
434 DATE, TIME AND VENUE OF NEXT MEETING
Tuesday 19th January 2016, 6.30pm, Stanley Civic Hall
Stanley Town Council, Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley, DH9 0NA, Tel: 01207 299 109; email: [email protected] Finance & General Purposes Committee Minutes 9th December 2015 Item 6 - ATTACHMENT D ! MINUTES of the FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE MEETING OF STANLEY TOWN COUNCIL Held at Stanley Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley on Wednesday 9th December 2015 at 6.30pm
PRESENT: Cllr D Walker* Cllr D Tully Cllr D Mills Cllr R Harrison Cllr B Nair *Chairman
OFFICERS: Alan Shaw (Town Clerk) Nicola James (PA to the Town Clerk)
435 APOLOGIES
Apologies received from Cllrs D Marshall, C Bell, J Nicholson and W Nixon were accepted by the committee.
436 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Cllr D Mills declared a non-pecuniary interest in the Stanley Fringe and Moria-Con events.
437 PROCEDURAL AND APPROPRIATE ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE CHAIRMAN OR TOWN CLERK
None.
438 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
No members of the public were present at the meeting.
439 CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES
It was proposed by Cllr D Tully, seconded by Cllr R Harrison and RESOLVED that the Committee approve the minutes of the Finance Committee meeting held on 11th November 2015.
440 ACCOUNTS FOR PAYMENT & BANK RECONCILIATION
• Schedule of Payments - members considered the schedule and APPROVED the list of payments for November 2015. • Bank Reconciliation & Unrepresented Cheques - members noted the report and RECOMMENDED no further action was required. • Schedule of Income - Members noted the report and RECOMMENDED no further action was required. • Current Account & Saver Account - Members noted the report and RECOMMENDED no further action was required.
! Stanley Town Council, Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley, DH9 0NA, Tel: 01207 299 109; email: [email protected] Finance & General Purposes Committee Minutes 9th December 2015 Item 6 - ATTACHMENT D ! • Saver Account - members noted the report and RECOMMENDED no further action was required. • Trial Balance - members noted the report and RECOMMENDED no further action was required.
441 BUDGET 2016-147 - FIRST DRAFT
Statutory Basis: Local Government Finance Act 1992, s. 50
Members of the Committee CONSIDERED the Draft Budget for 2016/17 that had been presented by the Town Clerk & the report of the Finance Manager.
Committee NOTED that:
(a) The draft budget has been prepared on the basis of a zero increase in precept per Band D equivalent. Although the total precept received has increased on the draft budget by £20,259 this is due to growth in the tax base from 7167.2 in the current year to 7397.0 for 2016/17. (b) The salaries budget includes provision for a pay award of 1%. A pay deal of 1% per year over 2 years is being negotiated by the National Joint Council and is likely to be accepted by the Employers’ side. It also includes funding for an additional Community Services Officer which exists on the current staffing establishment but which has not been filled. (c) Growth in operational and events budgets (including the funding for the Community Survey) has been taken from the Environmental Enhancements budget of £102k that was unallocated last year following Council’s decision not to renew the contract with Durham County Council for enhanced services. The remaining £41,838 from this line has been placed on a new ‘Other Grants’ line. (d) The draft budget contained a provision of £5,000 for the Horticultural Show; £8,000 for a cycling event and £8,000 for a Community Radio project that have not been previously approved by Council for inclusion in next year’s budget.
Committee also CONSIDERED the following additional items that had not been factored into the draft budget:
(e) The proposal from Groundworks North East to re-focus the Environmental Caretaker Scheme currently operating within Stanley; (f) A motion from the Communications & Events Committee to increase the budget for World War 1 Commemorations. (g) The future effect of changes to the LCTRS grant in the light of the Government’s spending review. It was projected in July that the LCTRS grant provided by the County Council would decrease year on year over the medium term as detailed in the table below. The actual LCTRS settlement for 2016/17 is £130,804, a reduction of £4291from the current year. Whilst this reduction in grant will be offset by the increase in the tax base for 2016/17, similar increases in future years cannot be relied upon and are unlikely to keep pace with the reduction in grant in future years. The projected decrease in the grant allocation is likely to be a minimum of £20,000 in 2017/18 and once the impact of the new funding settlement which the County Council will be subject to under the spending review is assessed it could be higher still. Members should not discount the ! Stanley Town Council, Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley, DH9 0NA, Tel: 01207 299 109; email: [email protected] Finance & General Purposes Committee Minutes 9th December 2015 Item 6 - ATTACHMENT D ! possibility that reductions in the grant could be significantly higher than previously projected or it could be withdrawn altogether in the lifetime of the current Parliament.
Year Grant (£) Reduction (£)
Current 135,095
2016/17 132,222 2,873
2017/18 114,160 18,062
2018/19 99,382 14,778
TOTAL 35,713
After a discussion, Committee made the following RECOMMENDATIONS to Council concerning the setting of the budget:
(i) The proposal from Groundworks is a good one which would deliver tangible improvements to amenity across the Parish of Stanley and should be funded. Marking the entry and egress points of the Parish will both improve amenity and hopefully have a unifying effect. Softening the main shopping areas with flowers and planting will make the shopping areas more attractive for residents and visitors. Putting some growth into the Groundworks budget would also allow some flexibility if discussions with the County Council concerning transfer to the Town Council of parks and open spaces were to progress. The report requests a further £47,400 be allocated to the Groundworks contract for delivery.
Committee have identified a number of options for Council to fund enhancement to the Groundworks contract:
Option 1 (No increase to the Precept)
If Council does not wish to increase the precept, the £41,838 that has been allocated to the ‘grants’ line, (which was previously allocated to Environmental Enhancements) could be transferred to the Groundworks Contract. This would leave £5562 to be found from other budget areas, which could be achieved by following recommendation (ii) below, or by not funding one or more of the items identified as not having been approved by Council in item (d) above.
Option 2 - Deletion of Post
If Council wished to retain the budget for Full Council grant funding, the vacant Community Services Officer post could be deleted, which would bring a saving of approximately £24,000. In combination with reductions in other areas could be used to offset the required cost.
Option 3 (2% increase to the Precept)
If the precept was to be increased by 2%, the additional £13,036 could be used to in addition to reductions in other areas to offset the required cost. ! Stanley Town Council, Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley, DH9 0NA, Tel: 01207 299 109; email: [email protected] Finance & General Purposes Committee Minutes 9th December 2015 Item 6 - ATTACHMENT D !
The table below gives some examples of how the additional funding for the Groundworks budget could be found, however a mix and match of the options presented or additional options could be identified.
Sources of Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Revenue
2% rise in £13,036 precept
Grants Budget £41,838 £41,838
Cycling Event £8,000
World War 1 £5,000
Community £8,000 Radio Horticulture £5,000 Show
Post Deletion £24,000
10% reduction £11,915 across events
Total £53,753 £50,000.00 £54,874
Cost of £47,400 £47,400 £47,400 Groundworks enhancements
The RECOMMENDATION of the Committee is that option 2 should not be taken at this stage. Once the Council has consulted the residents is the right time to re-examine the staffing structure to ensure it fits the five year plan that Council will develop over the coming year.
(ii) The Commemoration of World War 1 should focus on the centenary of the end of the war in 1918. Instead of allocating a revenue budget to the project in 2015/16, consideration should be given to setting up an earmarked reserve to fund a permanent memorial to be unveiled and dedicated in 2018.
(iii) Council should consider an increase in the precept of up to 2% to offset the current and future reductions in the LCTRS grant. A 2% increase this year would bring an additional £13,036 in revenue. Over 3 years (based on this year’s tax base), this would equate to £39,109. The reduction projected by DCC in July 2015 in the grant was estimated then to be £35,713 over the same period but is likely to be higher in light of the funding settlement for the County Council that was recently announced. A 2% increase in the precept would increase the precept per Band D equivalent from £88.12 to £89.88, an increase of £1.76 per year. (For a Band A property, the increase would be from £44.06 to £44.94, an increase of 88 pence.)
(iv) Council should consider changes to the current MIF process to make the scheme easier to administrate, more transparent and more accessible for applicants. The current scheme does not ensure that available funding is ! Stanley Town Council, Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley, DH9 0NA, Tel: 01207 299 109; email: [email protected] Finance & General Purposes Committee Minutes 9th December 2015 Item 6 - ATTACHMENT D ! distributed according to greatest need or benefit. The fact that some wards have twice as many members as others is based on population density and not neccesarily because that is where organisations that would benefit from funding are located. Council should consider reducing or removing the individual MIF allowance and replacing it with a small grants scheme. There should also be an upper limit for grants, to ensure that the funding is spread between a number of groups or organisations.
442 DATE, TIME AND VENUE OF NEXT MEETING
Wednesday, 20th January 2015, 6.30pm, Stanley Civic Hall
! Stanley Town Council, Civic Hall, Front Street, Stanley, DH9 0NA, Tel: 01207 299 109; email: [email protected] Item 7 – ATTACHMENT E
From: D Shingleton, Finance Manager Subject: BANKING ARRANGEMENTS
1. Members may recall that in March 2014 the legal requirement to have two Council members sign all cheques was ended with the repeal of Section 150 (5) of the Local Government Act 1972. Members considered a report on banking arrangements at the Annual General Meeting in May 2014 and agreed that all Members “should be in a position to authorise payments in the new arrangements for paying invoices”. The new arrangements refer to payments by bank transfer, although it was recognised that there would still be a need to pay some invoices by cheque.
2. For various reasons the new arrangements have not been progressed, and the vast majority of invoices are still paid by cheque with some suppliers, mainly utilities, paid by Direct Debit.
3. Members and Officers currently authorised to sign cheques are Councillors Harrison, Mills and Wilkinson, plus Nicola James. However, I have met recently with Barclays’ Business Manager for County Durham and we are now in a position to update our arrangements. Once the appropriate forms are completed, I am informed that the process should take about a week.
4. Before we can proceed there are some decisions required by Members and these are detailed below.
5. Debit Cards – it is possible to have up to six Debit Cards. We currently have one. I am proposing that we have two Debit cards, one in the name of the Town Clerk and one in the name of the Civic Hall Manager.
6. Authorised Persons – as I mentioned above, the current authorised persons are Councillors Harrison, Mills and Wilkinson, plus Nicola James. I would propose that Nicola remains an authorised person and that the Town Clerk is added. Regarding Members, I would ask that consideration be given to what arrangements Members require. There is no limit on the number of Members who can be authorised persons but it should be borne in mind that being an authorised person means that you should be available at reasonable times during the day to sign cheques or other documents. Authorised persons will also be required to provide proof of identity such as a passport or photocard driving licence..
7. Cheque Signatories – the current arrangements for cheque signing are that they must be signed by one Member and one officer. I am not proposing any change in this arrangement.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
8. Once the above decisions have been made and implemented the Council’s banking arrangements will be updated and the payment of suppliers will be made wherever possible by bank transfer which is more efficient and cheaper.
1
Item 7 – ATTACHMENT E
9. Members are requested to DECIDE:
(i) How many debit cards are required and in whose name they should be issued; (ii) How many members should be authorised persons and who they should be; and (iii) What the authorisation arrangements for cheques will be.
2
Item 8- ATTACHMENT F
Members are reminded that allocations for Member Initiative funding should be spent or Committed by February 2016. Any unspent MIF funds will be returned to reserves at the year end. 2015-16 MIF Spends
Councillor MIF Money Spent MIF Money Remaining Joan Nicholson £3017.00 £483.00 David Walker £2790.00 £710.00 Rose Ferris £1830.64 £1669.36 Bala Nair £1540.00 £1960.00 Billy Nixon £2692.73 £807.27 Linda Elliott £160.00 £3340.00 David Marshall £250.00 £3250.00 Christine Bell £2356.25 £1143.75 Ron Harrison £1848.36 £1651.64 Mary Wilkinson £967.00 £2533.00 Tracy Davinson £100.00 £3400.00 Christina McKee £100.00 £3400.00 David Mills £2848.33 £651.67 Alex Clegg £1225.00 £2275.00 Linda Marshall £625.00 £2875.00 Geoff Graham £798.36 £2701.64 Darren McMahon £1652.31 £1847.69 Joyce Charlton £2674.17 £825.83 Colin Thompson £2925.98 £574.02 David Tully £2917.50 £582.50
Total £33318.63 £36681.37
1 Item 9 - ATTACHMENT G
STANLEY TOWN COUNCIL
Draft Budget 2016/17 Prepared for: Finance & General Purposes Committee, 9th December 2015 Prepared by: Derek Shingleton, Finance Manager 3rd December 2015
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 I have been working on the first draft of the Town Council’s budget for 2016/2017 including, as part of the process, consideration of the projected actual expenditure incurred and income received against the budget for the current year, 2015/2016. This will allow the precept to be agreed at the Town Council meeting in January 2016 and submitted to Durham County Council later that month.
1.2 A summary of the budget by cost centre is included as ATTACHMENT H.
2. PROJECTED 2015/2016
2.1 The summary of the budget shows in column 5, headed “Projected 2015/16”, the forecast net position for the year against the budget. Total net expenditure is expected to be £825,260 compared with a budget of £766,660. However, spending of £100,000 was incurred on Front Street works which is to be financed from Earmarked Reserves. This reduces net expenditure to £725,260, representing an under-spending for the current year of £41,400.
2.2 The forecast position arises from the combination of a number of factors, and I will address the more significant ones below.
2.3 Staffing (101) - I am showing a projected figure of £150,450 for the year which is a saving of £42,060 on the budget. Direct salaries are projected to underspend by £43,740 due to one vacant post of Community Services Officer for the whole year, and the post of Town Clerk to 13 July 2015. This saving is partly offset by additional costs on the payroll SLA, and un-budgeted costs on HR advice and professional fees.
2.4 Office Accommodation (105) – these costs refer to maintenance of the alarm system. Item 9 - ATTACHMENT G
STANLEY TOWN COUNCIL
2.5 Administration (110) - I am projecting an over-spending of £16,830 here due primarily to the cost of new IT equipment (£12,250); new accounting software (£3,250); additional photocopying costs (£750); additional professional fees (£2,090); other additional IT costs (£2,050 – mainly due to the new website) and additional bank charges (£500). These additional costs are partly offset by savings on telephones (£1,680 – costs are included in the Civic Hall budget); mobile phones (£300) and postage (£200);
2.6 Publicity (115) - I am assuming that one edition of Stanley Life will be prepared (£5,000) but there will be no costs incurred on an Annual Report or a calendar. This will produce an underspending of £3,500.
2.7 Democracy (200) – I am forecasting a small overspending here of £450 due to costs of stationery (£200 – business cards and minute book) and the Freedom of the Town award (£210).
2.8 Services (300) – this budget was reduced by transferring the unallocated element of the previous Enhanced Services budget to Grants (£102,480) and increased by a contribution from Earmarked Reserves (£100,000). Overall the budget is forecast to be under-spent by £20,320. This is due to savings on environmental services (£2,100); dog bags (£1,000); crime prevention initiatives (£12,290) and communication initiatives (£5,000).
2.9 PACT House (305) – net un-budgeted costs of £8,260 are projected here.
2.10 Events (320) – I am projecting an under-spending here of £6,160 due to savings on the Music Festival (£2,800) and other events (£3,360).
2.11 Grants (400) – this budget was increased by £102,480 from the unallocated Enhanced Services budget. An underspending of £41,600 is projected due to the increased “other grants” budget not being used.
2.12 Civic Hall (500; 510; 520) - the cost centres for the Civic Hall, the bar and the loan charges show a total net cost of £144,940. This is a projected overspending of £44,940. However, loan charges account for £24,450 of this total and there is a further un- budgeted cost in relation to the settlement agreement. After taking these into account the overspending is around £8,500.
In addition to the unbudgeted costs referred to I am projecting over-spendings on water (£3,000); gas (£2,000); cleaning (£500); CCTV maintenance (£1,080); repairs & maintenance (£500); tools and equipment (£500); parking (£500); security (£500); telephones (£750 – although there is a budget of £1,800 under Administration which Item 9 - ATTACHMENT G
should be included here); photocopying (£1,250) and IT (£1,600). These are partially offset by savings on training (£500); Insurance (£600 – budgeted under Administration); Alarm Maintenance (£1,000 – budgeted under Administration); laundry (£1,000) and stationery (£500).
The bar is showing a projected surplus of £24,270.
Overall Position
2.13 As I stated in section 2.1 above, the overall projection for the year is a saving of £41,400. The position at the year-end regarding Reserves is therefore predicted to be as follows:
General Reserves at 1 April 2015 £236,069 Add: Underspending for the Year £41,400
______
Estimated General Reserves at 31 March 2016 £277,469
Earmarked Reserves at 1 April 2015 £225,000 Less: Contribution to Front Street works £100,000
______
Estimated Earmarked Reserves at 31 March 2016 £125,000
Estimated Total Reserves at 31 March 2016 £402,469
3. BUDGET 2016/2017
3.1 The summary of the first draft Budget shows in column 6, headed “Budget 2016/2017”, a forecast net budget for 2016/2017 of £782,628. This is an increase of £15,968, or 2.08%, on the current year’s figure of £766,660. We have calculated this budget to achieve no increase in Council Tax next year, based on the following factors.
Grant Settlement Item 9 - ATTACHMENT G
3.2 The current year’s budget is then reduced by the grant figure of £130,804 in respect of the Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme from Durham County Council. This is a reduction of £4,281 (3.17%), following last year’s reduction in grant of £17,895. The effect is that the net budget is reduced to £651,824 compared with the Precept figure of £631,565 this year. This is an increase of £20,259 or 3.21%
Taxbase
3.3 Apart from the net budget figure the other key aspect of the council tax calculation is the taxbase. We have received notification from Durham County Council that this will increase by 229.8 (3.21%) next year from 7167.2 to 7397. This means that additional council tax income of £20,250 is generated without any change to council tax levels.
3.4 In summary the current position is that the increased budget of £15,968 and the loss of grant of £4,291 is met by the increase in council tax income generated by the increased taxbase.
3.5 I would draw Members’ attention to the following issues in preparing the budget:
3.6 Staffing - the salaries figure is based on a full establishment, including the second Community Services Officer post, and a 1% national increase in salaries for local government staff. I have also assumed all staff will be part of the Durham County Council Superannuation Scheme with effect from 1 July 2016. Provision has been made for HR advice and support (£500) and an increased provision for the payroll SLA. The training budget is increased to £4,000 as required by members.
3.7 Office Accommodation – I have included a provision for continued alarm maintenance costs.
3.8 Administration – the budget for next year is down by £2,000 on the current year to £25,250. I have removed the budget for telephones (£1,800), which is within the Civic Hall budget, and reduced the mobile phone budget by £1,400 to £500, the stationery budget by £1,500 to £1,500 and external audit fees by £400 to £1,600. Budgets for photocopying (£750), subscriptions (£300) and IT costs (£1,500) are increased.
3.9 Publicity – this budget is increased by £38,000 to £51,700 due to increases in the Stanley Life budget (£10,000) and a new provision for Community Consultation (£30,000). The calendar provision of £2,000 has been removed. Item 9 - ATTACHMENT G
3.10 Democracy – this budget is increased by £800 to £8,120 due mainly to the inclusion of a provision for stationery (£500) and Freedom of the Town award (£250).
3.11 Services – this budget provision is reduced by £11,500 to £126,500. The budget for crime prevention initiatives is reduced by £10,000 to £20,000, the communication initiatives budget of £10,000 is removed and a new provision is made for community radio (£8,000) and youth council (£1,000).
3.12 PACT House – this new budget shows a net cost of £1,300 based on contingencies for utility costs (£500) and signage (£800).
3.13 Events – this budget provision is increased by £3,750 to £119,150. The budgets for the Music Festival (£30,000), the Fireworks Festival (£10,000) and Other Events (£15,000) have been removed. The total budget for Christmas has been increased to £55,000 based on £35,000 for decorations and £20,000 for the Festival. Specific events have been identified based on the views of the Communications and Events Committee and these include Brass Festival (£5,150), Blooming Good Fun (£3,000), Tea in the Park (£2,500), Play in the Park (£4,000), Fun Days (£15,000), Armed Forces Day (£500), Moria-Con (£10,000), Cycle Event (£8,000), Stanley Fringe (£2,000), Old Peoples Entertainment (£1,000) and the Blue Plaque Scheme (£2,500). The budgets for the WW1 Commemoration (£5,000) and the Horticultural Show (£5,000) are maintained.
3.14 Grants – the budget for MIF Grants is maintained at £70,000 (£3,500 per Member) and the budget for Other Grants is at the level to achieve no increase in council tax next year.
3.15 Civic Hall – the total net budget for the Civic Hall, bar and loan charges stands at £145,640. This is substantially above the £100,000 provided for in previous years. It is extremely difficult to forecast income from fees and charges and the budget figures are on the conservative side.
When the works to the Hall are completed, the coffee shop is established, the number of weddings increases and the full establishment allows the Manager to concentrate more on promotion, it is likely that the budget for income will be exceeded.
Fees and Charges Item 9 - ATTACHMENT G
3.16 It is my view that the level of fees and charges should be reviewed as part of the budget process and a schedule will be provided shortly.
Overall Position
3.17 The total budget requirement as it currently stands, amounting to £782,628, and taking into account the latest figures from the County Council for LCTRS Grant and the taxbase, would require no increase in Council Tax next year.
3.18 In summary, the current position, compared with last year, is as follows:
2016/2017 2015/2016
Net Budget £782,628 £766,660
Less: LCTSS Grant £130,804 £135,095 ______
Precept £651,824 £631,565
Taxbase 7397.0 7167.2
Band D Council Tax £88.12 £88.12
Next Steps
3.19 Members of the Finance and General Purposes Committee are required to consider the first draft budget in the light of finance available and the likely impact on Council Tax Payers. This will be achieved at this meeting. A copy of the budget and report, with any amendments agreed by the Committee will be reported to Full Council at its meeting on 15 December 2015.
4. RECOMMENDATIONS Item 9 - ATTACHMENT G
4.1 I would RECOMMEND that Members review the attached draft budget, and consider any responses in the light of the current position. Printed on 04/12/2015 Stanley Town Council Page No 1 At 15:08 Budget Detail - By Centre Note: (-) Net Expenditure means Income is greater than Expenditure Note :
Current Year Next Year
Agreed Revised Projected Next Year Budget Budget Actual YTD Actual Budget
101 Staffing
4000 Direct Salaries 189,200 189,200 90,825 145,460 184,980 4008 Training 2,000 2,000 50 2,000 4,000 4009 Clothing Costs 500 500 0 500 400 4010 Payroll SLA 810 810 1,491 1,490 1,500 4013 HR Advice & Support 0 0 950 950 500 4112 Professional Fees 0 0 45 50 0
OverHead Expenditure 192,510 192,510 93,361 150,450 191,380
101 Net Expenditure 192,510 192,510 93,361 150,450 191,380
105 Office Accommodation
4056 Alarm Maintenance 0 0 1,224 1,230 1,250 4066 Tools & Equipment 0 0 527 530 500
OverHead Expenditure 0 0 1,751 1,760 1,750
105 Net Expenditure 0 0 1,751 1,760 1,750
110 Administration
4054 Insurance 5,500 5,500 4,349 5,500 5,500 4100 Telephones 1,800 1,800 120 120 0
Continued on Page 2 Printed on 04/12/2015 Stanley Town Council Page No 2 At 15:08 Budget Detail - By Centre Note: (-) Net Expenditure means Income is greater than Expenditure Note :
Current Year Next Year
Agreed Revised Projected Next Year Budget Budget Actual YTD Actual Budget 4101 Mobile Phones 1,900 1,900 1,393 1,600 500 4102 Stationery 3,000 3,000 791 1,500 1,500 4103 Publications 100 100 69 70 100 4104 Postage 500 500 128 300 300 4105 Photocopying 750 750 738 1,500 1,500 4106 Subscriptions 4,250 4,250 4,330 4,030 4,550 4110 Audit External 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 1,600 4111 Audit Internal 1,250 1,250 800 1,250 1,250 4112 Professional Fees 1,000 1,000 3,082 3,090 1,000 4114 Refreshments 200 200 125 250 200 4120 IT - Antivirus 0 0 208 350 50 4121 IT - Website Support 1,000 1,000 1,810 2,000 200 4122 IT - Email Maintenance 1,000 1,000 1,451 1,450 0 4123 IT - Support & Maintenance 4,000 4,000 3,721 4,250 4,000 4124 IT - Equipment 0 0 11,939 12,250 2,000 4125 IT - Software 0 0 3,184 3,250 1,250 4999 Bank Charges 1,000 1,000 946 1,500 1,250
OverHead Expenditure 29,250 29,250 41,184 46,260 26,750
1050 Interest 2,000 2,000 0 2,000 1,500 1090 IT - Sale of Equipment 0 0 180 180 0
Total Income 2,000 2,000 180 2,180 1,500
110 Net Expenditure 27,250 27,250 41,004 44,080 25,250
Continued on Page 3 Printed on 04/12/2015 Stanley Town Council Page No 3 At 15:08 Budget Detail - By Centre Note: (-) Net Expenditure means Income is greater than Expenditure Note :
Current Year Next Year
Agreed Revised Projected Next Year Budget Budget Actual YTD Actual Budget
111 Precept
1176 Precept 631,565 631,565 631,565 631,565 651,824 1177 LCTRS Grant 135,095 135,095 135,095 135,095 130,804
Total Income 766,660 766,660 766,660 766,660 782,628
111 Net Expenditure -766,660 -766,660 -766,660 -766,660 -782,628
115 Publicity
4075 Advertising 5,200 5,200 3,664 5,200 5,200 4200 Stanley Life 5,000 5,000 0 5,000 15,000 4201 Annual Report 1,500 1,500 0 0 1,500 4203 Calendar 2,000 2,000 0 0 0 4204 Community Consultation 0 0 0 0 30,000
OverHead Expenditure 13,700 13,700 3,664 10,200 51,700
115 Net Expenditure 13,700 13,700 3,664 10,200 51,700
200 Democracy
4102 Stationery 0 0 199 200 500 4800 Member Training 2,000 2,000 0 2,000 2,000 4801 Annual Parish Meeting 120 120 156 160 170
Continued on Page 4 Printed on 04/12/2015 Stanley Town Council Page No 4 At 15:08 Budget Detail - By Centre Note: (-) Net Expenditure means Income is greater than Expenditure Note :
Current Year Next Year
Agreed Revised Projected Next Year Budget Budget Actual YTD Actual Budget 4802 Other Meetings 200 200 0 200 200 4803 Chairmans Expenses 5,000 5,000 1,792 5,000 5,000 4804 Freedom of the Town Award 0 0 210 210 250
OverHead Expenditure 7,320 7,320 2,357 7,770 8,120
200 Net Expenditure 7,320 7,320 2,357 7,770 8,120
300 Services
4300 Environmental Services 192,480 90,000 51,275 87,900 90,000 4301 Tractors 3,000 3,000 0 3,000 3,000 4302 Dog Bags 5,000 5,000 1,834 4,000 4,500 4303 Enhanced Services 0 0 67 70 0 4305 Front Street Regeneration 0 100,000 100,000 100,000 0 4307 Recycling Green Waste 0 0 163 0 0 4310 Crime Prevention Initiatives 30,000 30,000 5,815 10,000 10,000 4311 One Team in Stanley (OTIS) 0 0 706 710 3,000 4312 Police Cars - Contribution 0 0 7,000 7,000 7,000 4315 Communication Initiatives 10,000 10,000 125 5,000 0 4320 Community Radio 0 0 0 0 8,000 4330 Youth Council 0 0 0 0 1,000
OverHead Expenditure 240,480 238,000 166,985 217,680 126,500
300 Net Expenditure 240,480 238,000 166,985 217,680 126,500
Continued on Page 5 Printed on 04/12/2015 Stanley Town Council Page No 5 At 15:08 Budget Detail - By Centre Note: (-) Net Expenditure means Income is greater than Expenditure Note :
Current Year Next Year
Agreed Revised Projected Next Year Budget Budget Actual YTD Actual Budget
305 PACT House
4049 Rent 0 0 9,263 4,260 8,000 4052 Electricty 0 0 334 1,000 500 4113 Legal Fees 0 0 2,083 3,000 0 4306 Signage 0 0 0 0 800
OverHead Expenditure 0 0 11,680 8,260 9,300
1060 Rent Income 0 0 0 0 8,000
Total Income 0 0 0 0 8,000
305 Net Expenditure 0 0 11,680 8,260 1,300
320 Events
4400 Music Festival 20,000 30,000 27,171 27,200 0 4401 Firework Festival 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 0 4402 Christmas Festival 50,000 50,000 3,403 50,000 20,000 4403 Horticultural Show 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 4404 Brass Festival 0 0 0 0 5,150 4405 Blooming Good Fun 0 0 1,638 1,640 3,000 4406 Tea in the Park 0 0 0 0 2,500 4407 Play in the Park 0 0 0 0 4,000
Continued on Page 6 Printed on 04/12/2015 Stanley Town Council Page No 6 At 15:08 Budget Detail - By Centre Note: (-) Net Expenditure means Income is greater than Expenditure Note :
Current Year Next Year
Agreed Revised Projected Next Year Budget Budget Actual YTD Actual Budget 4409 Fun Days 0 0 0 0 15,000 4410 Remembrance Services 400 400 260 400 400 4411 WW1 Commemoration 5,000 5,000 0 5,000 5,000 4412 Armed Forces Day 0 0 0 0 600 4413 Moria-Con 0 0 0 0 10,000 4414 Cycle Event 0 0 0 0 8,000 4417 Stanley Fringe 0 0 0 0 2,000 4418 Older People's Entertainment 0 0 0 0 1,000 4419 Other Events 25,000 15,000 3,455 10,000 0 4420 Blue Plaque Scheme 0 0 0 0 2,500 4439 Christmas Decorations 0 0 13,359 0 35,000
OverHead Expenditure 115,400 115,400 64,286 109,240 119,150
320 Net Expenditure 115,400 115,400 64,286 109,240 119,150
400 Grants
4500 Members Initiative Fund 70,000 70,000 30,297 70,000 70,000 4502 Other Grants 0 102,480 13,900 60,880 41,838
OverHead Expenditure 70,000 172,480 44,197 130,880 111,838
1075 Grants 0 0 0 0 0 1080 Donations 0 0 0 0 0
Total Income 0 0 0 0 0
400 Net Expenditure 70,000 172,480 44,197 130,880 111,838
Continued on Page 7 Printed on 04/12/2015 Stanley Town Council Page No 7 At 15:08 Budget Detail - By Centre Note: (-) Net Expenditure means Income is greater than Expenditure Note :
Current Year Next Year
Agreed Revised Projected Next Year Budget Budget Actual YTD Actual Budget
500 Civic Hall
4000 Direct Salaries 130,000 130,000 87,621 134,990 140,640 4005 Casual Staff 0 0 10,801 10,600 10,000 4008 Training 1,000 1,000 260 500 4,000 4009 Clothing Costs 800 800 357 800 800 4011 Travel & Subsistence 400 400 141 400 400 4012 Recruitment 0 0 255 260 0 4050 Rates 7,700 7,700 6,144 7,680 7,900 4051 Water Rates 1,500 1,500 3,619 4,500 3,500 4052 Electricty 11,500 11,500 5,912 11,500 10,000 4053 Gas 1,500 1,500 770 3,500 3,500 4054 Insurance 600 600 0 0 0 4055 Cleaning 1,500 1,500 1,541 2,000 2,000 4056 Alarm Maintenance 1,000 1,000 0 0 1,000 4057 Window Cleaning 250 250 125 250 250 4058 Trade Waste 1,500 1,500 1,433 1,500 1,500 4059 Laundry 2,500 2,500 210 1,500 2,000 4060 CCTV Maintenance 0 0 1,079 1,080 0 4065 Repairs & Maintenance 2,500 2,500 1,972 3,000 2,500 4066 Tools & Equipment 2,500 2,500 3,162 3,000 2,500
Continued on Page 8 Printed on 04/12/2015 Stanley Town Council Page No 8 At 15:08 Budget Detail - By Centre Note: (-) Net Expenditure means Income is greater than Expenditure Note :
Current Year Next Year
Agreed Revised Projected Next Year Budget Budget Actual YTD Actual Budget 4067 Furniture & Fittings 2,000 2,000 1,116 2,000 2,000 4068 Structure 750 750 521 750 750 4069 Pest Control 120 120 251 250 250 4070 Crockery,Cutlery etc 2,000 2,000 1,554 2,000 2,000 4071 Health & Safety - Fire 400 400 0 400 400 4072 Health & Safety First Aid 0 0 19 30 200 4075 Advertising 3,000 3,000 2,247 3,250 3,000 4076 Marketing & Promotion 0 0 0 0 2,000 4077 Licences 800 800 869 870 700 4078 Parking 0 0 904 910 0 4079 Security 0 0 288 500 500 4100 Telephones 2,500 2,500 3,001 3,250 4,000 4102 Stationery 2,500 2,500 1,459 2,000 2,000 4103 Publications 0 0 197 200 0 4104 Postage 0 0 -8 0 0 4105 Photocopying 0 0 868 1,250 1,000 4106 Subscriptions 0 0 43 20 20 4121 IT - Website Support 0 0 600 600 600 4123 IT - Support & Maintenance 4,000 4,000 4,493 5,000 4,000 4425 Technical Support 0 0 199 200 0 4650 Events - Civic Hall 0 0 6,341 6,000 15,000
Continued on Page 9 Printed on 04/12/2015 Stanley Town Council Page No 9 At 15:08 Budget Detail - By Centre Note: (-) Net Expenditure means Income is greater than Expenditure Note :
Current Year Next Year
Agreed Revised Projected Next Year Budget Budget Actual YTD Actual Budget 4651 Events - Externally Organised 0 0 512 0 0 4700 Ticket Sales Paid Over 0 0 10,161 0 0 4750 Resale Items 0 0 575 600 0 4998 Transaction Fees 500 500 379 800 720
OverHead Expenditure 185,320 185,320 161,990 217,940 231,630
1000 Ticket Sales Retained 0 0 4,317 7,500 15,000 1005 Ticket Sales Non Retained 0 0 19,721 0 0 1010 Hall Hire 106,160 61,160 37,778 65,000 70,000 1028 Resale Items 0 0 176 180 0 1081 Donations 0 0 500 500 0
Total Income 106,160 61,160 62,491 73,180 85,000
500 Net Expenditure 79,160 124,160 99,500 144,760 146,630
510 Civic Hall Bar
4066 Tools & Equipment 0 0 275 280 0 4600 Bar Stock 18,000 18,000 10,625 17,000 17,000 4601 Bar Supplies - Sundry Items 2,000 2,000 2,421 3,750 3,750 4602 Bar - Stocktaking Costs 840 840 420 770 770 4603 Bar - gas 0 0 634 930 1,000
OverHead Expenditure 20,840 20,840 14,375 22,730 22,520
Continued on Page 10 Printed on 04/12/2015 Stanley Town Council Page No 10 At 15:08 Budget Detail - By Centre Note: (-) Net Expenditure means Income is greater than Expenditure Note :
Current Year Next Year
Agreed Revised Projected Next Year Budget Budget Actual YTD Actual Budget 1020 Bar Takings 0 45,000 26,651 47,000 47,500
Total Income 0 45,000 26,651 47,000 47,500
510 Net Expenditure 20,840 -24,160 -12,276 -24,270 -24,980
520 Loan Charges
4996 PWLB Loan - Principal 0 0 10,000 20,000 20,000 4997 PWLB Loan - Interest 0 0 2,280 4,450 3,990
OverHead Expenditure 0 0 12,280 24,450 23,990
520 Net Expenditure 0 0 12,280 24,450 23,990
800 Loan Costs
4150 Civic Hall - Seating 0 0 32,878 0 0 4151 Civic Hall - Lighting 0 0 4,220 0 0 4152 Civic Hall - Flooring 0 0 5,159 0 0 4153 Civic Hall - Roofing 0 0 1,424 0 0 4155 Civic Hall - Windows 0 0 495 0 0 4160 Civic Hall - Equipment 0 0 15,118 0 0
OverHead Expenditure 0 0 59,294 0 0
Total Income 0 0 0 0 0
800 Net Expenditure 0 0 59,294 0 0
Continued on Page 11 Printed on 04/12/2015 Stanley Town Council Page No 11 At 15:08 Budget Detail - By Centre Note: (-) Net Expenditure means Income is greater than Expenditure Note :
Current Year Next Year
Agreed Revised Projected Next Year Budget Budget Actual YTD Actual Budget
900 Earmarked Reserves
9315 Earmarked Reserve 100,000 0 0 -100,000 0
OverHead Expenditure 100,000 0 0 -100,000 0
900 Net Expenditure 100,000 0 0 -100,000 0
Total Budget Expenditure 974,820 974,820 677,404 847,620 924,628 Income 874,820 874,820 855,982 889,020 924,628
Net Expenditure 100,000 100,000 -178,578 -41,400 0
Groundwork NE & Cumbria Land Services
Environmental Caretaker Stanley Gateway Outline Proposal December 2015 Introduction:
In 2011, Stanley Town Council and Groundwork NE & Cumbria came together with the aim of improving the Stanley area by creating a locally based Green Team as part of a Community Environmental Caretaker service.
The Stanley Community Environmental Caretaker scheme provides a general grounds maintenance service across the locality, including the maintenance of grass, shrubbery and trees, footpath and bridleway maintenance, fencing repairs, snow clearance, painting and even supporting the installation of Christmas decorations! The designated team offer a rapid response service, dealing with requests from Local Councillors and residents that are filtered through the Town Council’s Clerk. The service was so successful during the first 6 months that the Town Council were keen to use the service as a means of helping to support its local unemployed young people, and so in 2012 two Community Environmental Caretaker apprenticeships hosted by Groundwork, were recruited. Both of these individuals have now progressed to into operative positions and we have also recently added a small number of volunteers and individuals on placement who work with the team on various days of the week.
The relationship with Stanley Town Council is vital to the success of the team. The team reports to the Town Council on a daily basis to gather a list of jobs and update on the progress of work that has been previously requested. Representatives from Groundwork and Stanley Town Council meet regularly to discuss the contract delivery and the whole programme is jointly badged as a clear demonstration of partnership working. The team have developed excellent working relationships with Stanley Town Councillors and officers thanks to their friendly approach and ability to respond quickly to a variety of tasks.
In recent years as a result of Government cuts in Local Authority funding, there has been a greater emphasis on Town Councils picking up some of the work around the management of green spaces to ensure that communities continue to remain clean and green. With Town Council budgets also under pressure, it has been recognised that there needs to be a more focussed approach as to how the environmental caretaker scheme can have a greater impact on Stanley as a destination and as place to live and work.
Gateway Proposal Page 1 of 3 “Groundwork’s team has provided an excellent interface with local residents especially the elderly who are pleased to see Stanley Town Council being so positive and proactive. The quality of their work has received high praise from local Councillors and residents”
Stanley Town Council
2016/17 Gateway Proposal:
With the current contract due to be reviewed in the New Year we would welcome the opportunity to continue the good work and relationships that have developed over the last 4 years between Groundwork and the Town Council. In order to meet the desires of Councillors and local residents to see Stanley as a Town to be proud of and to be able to attract more visitors and investment into the area, we would like to focus on the improvement and maintenance of key areas across the Stanley Town Council area. As part of the next 5 year plan, we are proposing that a greater emphasis is made on the main Gateways and route ways in and out of the area as well improvements in the key commercial sites and other hotspots identified by Councillors and residents. In order to do this we would plan to work with the Council to:
Make improvements and increase maintenance in the main entrances into Stanley including villages, roundabouts and main through routes. This may include an increase in welcoming, directional and information based signage, highlighted entrance features, floral displays and an emphasis on local village or area identity. Identify improvements and increase the maintenance around main commercial and industrial areas including Stanley Town Centre, Annfield Plain, Catchgate and South Moor. This may include landscape improvements, seating, signage, floral displays and general cleanliness making it a more attractive place to shop and go out. Identify and improve other local hotspots or areas of interest that help to draw people into the area or places that help to provide resources for a large number of local residents or visitors where improvments or additional maintenance would be an advantage. Help to support and identify capital funding that can be used to have a greater impact on local improvement schemes.
Estimated Costs: (subject to agreeing budgets for landscape and signage improvements)
Item Monthly Cost Annual Supervisor £2,400.00 £28,800.00 Operative 1 £1,850.00 £22,200.00 Operative 2 £1,850.00 £22,200.00 Apprentice* £650.00 £7,800.00 Vehicle/Fuel £800.00 £9,600.00 Tools and Equipment £500.00 £6,000.00 Landscape Materials £2,000.00 £24,000.00 Signage £800.00 £9,600.00 Landscape Design Fees £350.00 £4,200.00 Management and Coordination £300.00 £3,600.00 TOTAL £11,500 £138,000.00 *Apprentice can only be recruited if a minimum of 24 month contract is secured *All staff costs include NI, Pension and overhead contribution
Gateway Proposal Page 2 of 3 Draft plan highlighting possible main entrance and commercial improvement areas and ideas:
Contact:
Geoff Dawson – Land Enterprise Manager, Groundwork NE & Cumbria 01207 524 800/07767 116 646 or [email protected]
Gateway Proposal Page 3 of 3 Item 12 – ATTACHMENT J
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
Following the Stanley Town Council meeting on Tuesday 28th April, Just for Women Centre founder Linda kirk would like to put a final proposal bid of £7000.
To use the funds to cover training sessions for women who are the most hard to reach in our community. Women will learn new skills for future employment, further education or establishing their own small business with the help of the Just for Women Centre, Be-Creative project.
We will also produce a DVD of case studies of the women with more complex needs who have been successful in their volunteering efforts. The DVD will be a potential volunteer recruitment tool to further encourage more women within our community on a Volunteer Community Drive. It is all part of our social inclusion for women of all ages and backgrounds. With the help of the fund we can develop a website for our community to access in partnership with Stanley Town Council to promote volunteer opportunities and community activities and access to resources in our community of Stanley.
We also would like to set up a community bi-monthly newsletter/magazine to utilise the success of our new group of Community Reporters. They are ready and eager to start this off and get first one ready for September. This would go out four times a year:
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Titled the Four Seasons Community newsletter, they have good ideas, motivation and good contacts. This will also be featured on the Communities Reporter UK website as they are part of this organisation.
I think this is a great opportunity to promote a positive outcome for Stanley and to promote health, wellbeing and inspirational multimedia interaction with other communities especially North East.
Breakdown of costs:
Education/Craft Materials £1000.00
1 Industrial Sewing Machine £3000.00
Camcorder/Media Equipment £1200.00
Design Editing and Printing Costs for 1 year’s newsletters (4 newsletters) £1800.00
We have been accepted into Auckland Castle Project, The Pod, with our wonderful handmade products. This is a great opportunity as well as promoting our partnership with Stanley Town Council in this pilot scheme.
12/9/2015 Vaping: e-cigarettes safer than smoking, says Public Health England | Society | The Guardian
Vaping: e-cigarettes safer than smoking, says Public Health England
Government body says vaping can make ‘significant contribution to endgame of tobacco’ and raises concerns about length of licensing process
James Meikle Wednesday 19 August 2015 06.57 BST
Vaping is safer than smoking and could lead to the demise of the traditional cigarette, Public Health England (PHE) has said in the first official recognition that e-cigarettes are less damaging to health than smoking tobacco.
The health body concluded that, on “the best estimate so far”, e-cigarettes are about 95% less harmful than tobacco cigarettes and could one day be dispensed as a licensed medicine in an alternative to anti-smoking products such as patches.
While stressing that e-cigarettes are not free from risk, PHE now believes that e- cigarettes “have the potential to make a significant contribution to the endgame for tobacco”.
The message was backed by the government’s chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, who nevertheless cautioned that “there continues to be a lack of evidence on the long- term use of e-cigarettes”. She said they should only be used as a means to help smokers quit.
“I want to see these products coming to the market as licensed medicines. This would provide assurance on the safety, quality and efficacy to consumers who want to use these products as quitting aids, especially in relation to the flavourings used, which is where we know least about any inhalation risks.”
The 111-page review raises concerns about the length and cost of the the government’s licensing process, which is a key part of the revised strategy to cut tobacco use.
No e-cigarettes have yet been licensed, unlike other nicotine-replacement therapies such as gums, lozenges and patches. Pilot schemes in Leicester and the City of London allow stop-smoking specialists to offer free e-cigarette starter kits, but smokers elsewhere cannot be offered e-cigarettes on prescription.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency began its work in this area more than two years ago, and manufacturers have complained that it costs them millions to go through the process.
Jane Ellison, the public health minister in England, reminded smokers that the best thing they could do to avoid falling victim to the country’s number one killer was to quit http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/aug/19/public-health-england-e-cigarettes-safer-than-smoking 1/3 12/9/2015 Vaping: e-cigarettes safer than smoking, says Public Health England | Society | The Guardian completely.
“Although we recognise the e-cigarettes may help adults to quit, we still want to protect children from the dangers of nicotine, which is why we have made it illegal for under- 18s to buy them,” she said.
The review found that almost all of the 2.6 million adults in the UK now thought to be using e-cigarettes are current or former conventional smokers, most using them to help them quit tobacco or to prevent them going back to smoking.
There was no suggestion that the products were a gateway into tobacco smoking, with less than 1% of adults or young people who had never smoked becoming regular cigarette users.
The PHE decision comes after carefully choreographed moves by anti-tobacco campaigners and public health specialists to help move the NHS towards offering better smoking cessation support and to be less negative about e-cigarettes.
Services are being urged to follow those in the north-east of England in offering behavioural support to those wanting to quit tobacco and using e-cigarettes to try to do so.
Smoking kills about 100,000 people a year in the UK, most of those in England where there are thought to be eight million tobacco users. But official figures suggest smoking is now at its lowest prevalence since records started in the 1940s.
Rates are highest in many of the most deprived areas of England, and getting smokers off tobacco is increasingly seen as one of the best ways of reducing health inequalities.
Worryingly for many of those behind the policy change, increasing numbers of people – up to 22%, compared with 8% two years ago – think e-cigarettes are equally or more harmful than tobacco. This is leading some smokers to avoid switching, studies have suggested.
Tobacco reduction campaigners say the public needs to be educated to recognise that although e-cigarettes, like tobacco cigarettes, contain addictive nicotine, they do not contain more dangerous chemicals such as tar and arsenic.
PHE is also advocating careful monitoring of the e-cigarette market, particularly of companies closely involved with or part of big tobacco companies. It says the government must meet its obligations “to protect public health policy from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry”.
Kevin Fenton, director of health and wellbeing at PHE, said: “E-cigarettes are not completely risk-free but when compared to smoking, evidence shows they carry just a fraction of the harm.
“The problem is people increasingly think they are at least as harmful and this may be keeping millions of smokers from quitting. Local stop-smoking services should look to support e-cigarette users in their journey to quitting completely.”
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/aug/19/public-health-england-e-cigarettes-safer-than-smoking 2/3 12/9/2015 Vaping: e-cigarettes safer than smoking, says Public Health England | Society | The Guardian Peter Hajek, of Queen Mary University, London, one of the independent authors of the review, said: “My reading of the evidence is that smokers who switch to vaping remove almost all the risks smoking poses to their health. Smokers differ in their needs and I would advise them not to give up on e-cigarettes if they do not like the first one they try. It may take some experimentation with different products and e-liquids to find the right one.”
Ecita, a trade association of e-cigarette manufacturers, said: “There could be huge long- term benefits to taxpayers and the NHS as well as to former smokers and their families. The proposed ban in public places across Wales is very worrying, as are many of the bans in pubs and restaurants across the UK. This appears to be driving a growing number of people to think the harm is the same, deterring smokers from moving to e-cigarettes, and damaging public health.”
The smokers group Forest questioned whether prescribing e-cigarettes on the NHS would be a justifiable use of taxpayers’ money. Simon Clark, its director, said promoting them “as a state-approved smoking cessation aid ignores the fact that many people enjoy vaping in its own right and use e-cigs as a recreational not a medicinal product.”
He said e-cigarettes had been successful because the consumer, not the state, was in charge. “If they want more smokers to switch to e-cigarettes, public health campaigners should embrace consumer choice and oppose unnecessary restrictions on the sale, marketing and promotion of this potentially game-changing product.”
The switch in policy towards e-cigarettes coincided with publication in the Journal of the American Medical Association of research from Los Angeles suggesting that high school students who had use e-cigarettes are more likely to go on to try tobacco.
But Hajek said this did not show that vaping leads to smoking. “It just shows that people who are attracted to e-cigarettes are the same people who are attracted to smoking. People who drink white wine are more likely to try red wine than people who do not drink alcohol.”
More news Topics E-cigarettes Smoking Health
Save for later Article saved http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/aug/19/public-health-england-e-cigarettes-safer-than-smoking 3/3 So where can you still vape?
Electronic cigarettes are to be banned on Southern trains from late July 2015.
The train company is the latest in a long list of organisations to ban "vaping".
It joins sports stadiums, high street shops and some hospitals.
The bans are controversial. In most cases, they aren't on health or legal grounds, but for the comfort of other people, and to avoid confusion over "real" and "fake" cigarettes.
Campaigners say e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to traditional tobacco and that banning them will remove an incentive for people trying to give up.
Over 2.6 million people smoke them every day according to the smoking charity Ash. So where can you still vape if you want to?
On trains
From 26 July, Southern will ban vaping on its trains and platforms - Thameslink and Great Northern have already banned them, as have Transport for London.
From Sunday the 26th of July Electronic cigarette devices may not be used on our trains or at our stations
— SouthernRailUK (@SouthernRailUK) 12:14 PM - 10 Jun 2015 Virgin, Northern and Cross Country have banned them, as have some others.
If you're a vaper and live in Kent though, you're in luck. Southeastern still allows vaping on its trains and platforms.
On planes
This one, again, depends a bit on where you are flying from and who with.
Generally speaking, vaping is banned on most flights and some particularly smoky devices will still set off alarms in the toilets. The primary exception is Ryanair, which doesn't allow e-cigarettes on board but does sell its own "smokeless" cigarettes, which aren't electronic and work like nicotine inhalers.
In fact, forget smoking, just trying to work out where you can carry your e-cigarette on planes is tricky. Some countries' laws say they should be carried in checked baggage, whilst some say they need to be carried in the cabin as the batteries are a fire risk.
But how about at the airport? Almost every airport in the UK has expressly banned vaping indoors. The only exception is London Heathrow, which allows passengers to vape until they are at their flight gate. Others can allow it, but most have chosen not to. On coaches and buses
Best to check with the operator. National Express? It's a no. If you get caught, the company say you'll be booted off the bus with no refund.
They are also banned on all London buses. But some local companies may be quite happy for you to.
Sports stadiums
Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea are among the big name clubs who've said no to vaping. Both have banned electronic cigarettes in their stadiums. In fact, one Man City fan was handcuffed and had his season ticket suspended specifically because he used an e-cig in the Etihad stadium.
That case was quickly reversed, but the ban on e-cigarettess still stands.
Burnley, on the other hand, has designated "vape friendly" zones and sponsorship deals with vaping companies. So it really depends who you support.
Hospitals
Hospitals in Scotland have banned e-cigarettes, even on hospital grounds, not just inside buildings. Only the NHS Lothian trust will allow vaping, in designated smoking areas. In England and Wales, there's no blanket ban, but some hospitals have gone out on their own and stopped people from smoking e-cigarettes.
Restaurants Again, there is no blanket rule. Most pubs will probably let you smoke an e-cigarette, although it's worth checking first. There are some big-name chains, however, which have banned them, including Starbucks, Caffe Nero, All Bar One, and KFC.
Wales
Wales has put forward plans to give e-cigarettes the same status as traditional tobacco, which would mean a broad ban in enclosed spaces. Vapers are safe for now, though, as the law is just in the planning stages.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube and you can now follow BBC_Newsbeat on Snapchat 12/9/2015 Are Electronic Cigarettes Legal to Smoke Anywhere?
Vapestick Home > Electronic Cigarette FAQ's > Are Electronic Cigarettes Legal Is It True that Electronic Cigarettes Are Legal in Public?
During the early days of electronic cigarettes in Europe, a common marketing ‘tactic’ among distributors was to say you could use them anywhere. Changing conditions have led many companies to abandon that line of reasoning as a standalone marketing strategy. However, the question remains – is it true that electronic cigarettes are legal in public?
The answer to that question, at least in the UK, is both ‘yes’ and ‘no’ There are a number of things to consider in this regard:
UK smoking ban definition of public places individual property rights.
We will look at all three in order to gain a better understanding of public vaping.
UK Smoking Ban
You are probably aware that the UK smoking ban put in place in 2007 effectively eliminated tobacco smoking of any kind from all public places. This included government buildings, pubs, restaurants, bus and train stations, etc.
The good news is that electronic cigarettes are not included in that ban. The main reason behind this is the fact that e-cigarettes do not produce smoke. By definition, the smoking ban only applies to practices that do produce smoke. On this basis alone, it is fair to assume electronic cigarettes are, unless otherwise stated, legal in public places in the UK.
Definition of Public Places https://www.vapestick.co.uk/are-electronic-cigarettes-legal.html 1/7 12/9/2015 Are Electronic Cigarettes Legal to Smoke Anywhere? UK law defines a public place as any indoor or outdoor space accessible by the general public, whether freely or on payment. So even owners of private property are operating ‘public places’ if they normally allow the general public to access and use their property. Under this definition, public places include everything from the local pub to the park.
This definition is vitally important to the question of whether or not electronic cigarettes are legal in public. Why? Because UK law does not invalidate individual property rights merely by expanding the definition of a public place to include certain types of private property.
Individual Property Rights
Property owners in the UK retain the right to use their property as they see fit. Under current law, they also retain the right to decide whether vaping will be permitted on their premises or not. Simply put, property owners and/or managers can legally restrict the use of electronic cigarettes. There are plenty of examples of such restrictions already in place.
In summary, electronic cigarettes are legal in public places in the UK unless a property owner or manager objects. You can vape while hanging out with friends at the pub, while walking down the street in London, while riding in a taxi or while playing with your kids at the park.
What's more, you can do so without any real concern about ‘passive vaping’. A number of studies referenced by Boston University professor and tobacco control expert, Dr Michael Siegel, clearly show there is little to be concerned about in terms of second hand e-cigarette vapour. That's one of the reasons e-cigarettes continue to remain excluded from the UK smoking ban.
If you are still confused about the legality of e-cigarettes in public places, the best advice is to ask a property manager before you begin vaping on his or her premises. No such permission is required when walking down the street or using something like a public park.
VAPESTICK is here to supply you with high quality e-cigarettes you can use to either supplement or completely replace your tobacco. We are proud members of ECITA as well as one of the fastest growing e-cig companies in the UK.
Electronic Cigarette FAQs
Alternative Cigarette - E-cigarettes The Healthier Smoking Option
How Much Are Electronic Cigarettes? | The Real Cost Of E-Smoking
Potential Health Risks - Electronic Cigarettes Safety
What are Electronic Cigarettes: VAPESTICK’S New User's Guide https://www.vapestick.co.uk/are-electronic-cigarettes-legal.html 2/7 David Horsley - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 10/12/2015, 22:11
David Horsley
David Horsley (March 11, 1873 – February 23, 1933) was an English-born pioneer of the film industry who built the first film studio in Hollywood.
Born in West Stanley, Durham, England, a small coal mining village where his entire family worked in the mines. At age nine, he fell on the railway tracks and his hand was badly injured when the train ran over it. Without proper medical care, and fearful of deadly gangrene poisoning, his arm was amputated about two inches below the elbow.
In 1884, the family emigrated to the United States, settling in Bayonne, New Jersey where as a young man he built a bicycle business and ran a pool hall. It was then that he met a former employee of Biograph Studios, Charles Gorman, and along with his brother William Horsley (1870–1956), they formed the Centaur Film Company. By 1910 their operation was producing three films a week, including the Mutt and Jeff comedies.
David and William Horsely, along with other film independents, succeeded in defeating the monopolistic hold on the industry of Thomas Edison's Motion Picture Patents Company. However, weather conditions on the east coast made filming an uncertain proposition because camera technology at the time relied on sunshine. Frustrated, and realizing that California afforded the opportunity to make films year round, David Horsley moved his operations to the west coast.
Among the first motion pictures ever filmed in Hollywood was taken on October 26, 1911 in the orchards of H J Whitley's estate (D.W. Griffith filmed "Love Among the Roses" at the studio of famed French floral painter, Paul de Longpre at his some and studio in Hollywood in 1909). Although the movie never really had a name it is a true piece of Hollywood history. In the fall of 1911, the Nestor Motion Picture Company opened the first motion picture studio in Hollywood in the Blondeau Tavern building at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street. With Horsley was Al Christie who served as general manager and in charge of Christie Comedies plus Charles Rosher who lent his expertise as the studio's full-time cameraman. Other east coast films companies recognized Horsley's advantage and quickly followed his lead.
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In April 1912, the Universal Film Company was formed and David Horsley and other small studios merged, each accepting shares in Universal as payment for their business. Horsley received $175,000 in preferred stock and $204,000 in common stock in the new Universal Film Company and was also appointed the company's treasurer. However, the peaceful merger soon turned sour and in 1913 Horsley sold his interest to Carl Laemmle. A wealthy man, David Horsley travelled to his birthplace and around Europe.
After returning to California, and investing in a failed exotic animal show, David Horsley went back into the motion picture business with David Horsley Studios and using the animals from the failed show, established the Bostock Jungle Films Company. By the spring of 1917, he had outfitted his new operations in Los Angeles at Main and Washington streets however a series of setbacks cost Horsley his entire fortune and left him in debt.
David Horsley died in Los Angeles. He is interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Hollywood.
His son, David Stanley Horsley (1906–1976), trained as a cinematographer and became an expert in special effects photography, working in the film industry for nearly thirty years.
External links
David Horsley at Find a Grave
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Michael Heaviside
Michael Wilson Heaviside VC (20 October 1880 – 26 April 1939) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Early years
Michael Wilson Heaviside was born on 28 October 1880 at Station Lane, Gilesgate in Durham. His father, John Wilson Heaviside was, at that time, a grocer. When Michael was still a boy, the family moved to Kimblesworh, where his father worked as head keeker and Michael went to the local Council school. Later, the family moved to Sacriston, when his father transferred to the local pit.
Following the death of his mother, Annie, Michael enlisted - as 11796 Private Heaviside - in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He served as a stretcher bearer in South Africa during the Boer War and was awarded the Queen’s and King’s South African Medals, before he was invalided home suffering from enteric fever.
After he left the Regular Army, he transferred to the Army Reserve and began work underground at Burnhope Colliery.[1] He met his future wife, Elizabeth, whilst living in Burnhope and they married at Lanchester. About 1913, he took work as a hewer at Oswald pit and the family moved to Craghead, near Stanley.
On 7 September 1914, with the First World War just a month old, 4/9720 Private Michael Heaviside re-enlisted, just one amongst the thousands of miners from County Durham who answered Kitchener’s call. After training, he crossed to France in June 1915 and there settled into the deadly routine of trench warfare on the Western Front.
Details
He was 36 years old, and a Private in the 15th Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, British Army during the First World War at the Battle of Arras when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On the evening of 5 May 1917, the battalion returned to their barricades on the Hindenburg Line, near Fontaine-les-Croisilles, France. Only one hundred yards separated the British and German positions but the terrible fighting of the preceding days had died down. Snipers and machine gunners were, however, still active and any movement attracted deadly fire. Then about 2 o’clock the next afternoon, 6 May 1917,
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a sentry noticed movement in a shell hole about forty yards from the German barricade. A wounded British soldier was desperately waving an empty water bottle. Any attempt to help this soldier in daylight would result in almost certain death for the rescuers. Michael Heaviside, however, said that he was going to try. Grabbing water and a first aid bag, this thirty-six-year-old stretcher bearer scrambled over the barricade and out into no-man’s-land. Immediately, he came under heavy rifle and machine gun fire from the German positions and was forced to throw himself to the ground. He then began to crawl sixty yards across the broken ground from shell hole to shell hole to where the wounded soldier was sheltering. One eye witness later wrote -
“We could see bullets striking the ground right around the spot over which Heaviside was crawling. Every minute we expected to be his last but the brave chap went on.” As he crawled closer to the German lines, the firing increased. -
“The enemy seemed to be more determined to hit him, for the bullets were spluttering about more viciously than ever.”
When Private Heaviside reached the soldier, he found the man nearly demented with thirst for he had been lying badly wounded in the shell hole for four days and three nights, without any food or water. Michael Heaviside gave the soldier water, dressed his wounds and then promised that he would return with help. That night, Michael Heaviside led two other stretcher bearers out across no-man’s-land to the wounded soldier and carried him back to safety. Without doubt, he had saved this man’s life. The London Gazette announced the award of the Victoria Cross to Private Michael Heaviside on 8 June 1917 for his “most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty.”[2] He was the third soldier of The Durham Light Infantry to gain this award during the First World War.
Death
After the war, Michael Heaviside VC returned to work as a miner at Craghead. On 26 April 1939, he died at his home at Bloemfontein Terrace, aged just 58 years, his health damaged by his years underground and his time on the Western Front. Hundreds of mourners, many wearing their Great War medals, followed Michael Heaviside’s coffin to St Thomas’s Church, Craghead, as the local Colliery Band played the “Dead March in Saul.” At the graveside, a firing party from the 8th Battalion DLI fired three volleys of shots, followed by the “Last Post” played by the battalion’s buglers, then the mourners filed past, each dropping Flanders poppies into the open grave.
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On 12 July 1957, forty years after his “Welcome Home” parade through the streets of Stanley and Craghead, Michael Heaviside’s Victoria Cross and other medals were presented by his family to The Durham Light Infantry’s Regimental Museum. This presentation took place during a parade at Brancepeth Castle, when, watched by his mother and over thirty sons, daughters, grandchildren and other relatives of Michael Heaviside VC, Company Sergeant Major Norman Heaviside proudly handed over his father’s medals.
The Victoria Cross is displayed at the Durham Light Infantry Museum and Durham Art Gallery.
References
News Item (erection of headstone) Location of grave and VC medal (Co. Durham) Michael Heaviside at Find a Grave
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Tommy Armstrong (singer)
"Thomas "Tommy" Armstrong" redirects here. For other Tommys that are Thomases, see Thomas Armstrong (disambiguation). Tommy Armstrong Thomas "Tommy" Armstrong (1848 – 1920) Birth name Thomas Armstrong was a County Durham concert hall song writer 15 August 1848 Wood Street, Shotley and performer in the late 19th century. His most Born Bridge, County Durham, famous song is arguably "Wor Nanny’s a England mazer". He was known as "The Pitman Poet" or 30 August 1920 (aged 72) "The Bard of the Northern Coalfield". Died Havelock Terrace, Tantobie, England Early life Genres Concert hall Occupation(s) Songwriter, performer Tommy Armstrong was born in Wood Street, Shotley Bridge, County Durham, on 15 August 1848. Armstrong was of very short stature, and very bow legged (thought to be caused by rickets when young) and this caused him to have problems all his life, including using a walking stick when older. He started work in the mines at the age of 9 as a trapper boy, and at the age of 12 had progressed to a "pony boy". He worked at various collieries in the area including Tanfield Lea colliery,[1] near Stanley, and also worked at the collieries at Addison,[2] East Tanfield,[3] and Tanfield Moor.[4]
Later life
Tommy Armstrong was married in 1869 to a Mary Ann Hunter in 1869 and they had 14 children. Ann died in 1898 and Tommy remarried in 1901 to a widow named Ann Thompson. He lived most of his life at Tanfield Lea, although he is known to have also lived in East Tanfield, Iveston, Tanfield, Tantobie and Whitley Bay.
A book of 26 of his popular songs was published but it is thought that much of his work was lost. His works were printed at the time on chapbooks and broadsheets which sold for a halfpenny or a penny each. He moved for a time in 1902 to Whitley Bay where he worked for a period as a Newsagent. He died on 30 August 1920 at the age of 72 years at Havelock Terrace, Tantobie.
Works
The material varies between the humorous "Wor Nanny’s a mazer" to the attack on "Dirty Kaiser Bill". Many told of the times, the hunger suffered by many with ‘The Cat
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Pie’ and ‘The Hedgehog Pie’, of the disasters with "The Consett Choir Calamity" after the charabanc crash of Saturday 26 August 1911, and "The Trimdon Grange Explosion" of 16 February 1882 in which 68 miners died, of the hard times and conditions with "The Durham Lockout", "Oakey’s Keeker" and "The Oakey Strike Evictions" and back to the humour with "Funny Nuaims It Tanfeeld" and the various club outing tales. "Stanla Market" and "The Nue Ralewae Te Anfeeld Plane" tell about the area.
Taken as a whole, the collection of songs become a social history of the times as well as a feast of dialect materials
Selected songs
Blanchland Murder, (The) Bobby En Bet Borth E Th' Lad, (Th') - (or The Birth of the Lad) Cat Pie, (The) Consett Choir Calamity, (The) – (of Saturday 26 August 1911) Corry’s Rat Dorham Jail - (or Durham Gaol) Durham Strike, (The) – (more correctly The Durham Lock-out) Funny Nuaims It Tanfeeld Pit – (or The funny names of the folk at Tanfield) Gateshead Poor Childrens' Trip To Stanley Geordie Broon Ghost Thit' Anted Bunty, (The) - (or The Ghost that Haunted Bunty) Hedgehog Pie, (The) Jack Reckonen - (or Jack’s Reckoning) Kaiser And The War, (The) Kelloe Disaster Marla Hill Ducks - (or Marley Hill Ducks) Murder of Mary Donnelly Neglectful Sally Nue Ralewae Te Anfeeld Plane, (Th') - (or The new railway to Annfield Plain) Oakey’s Keeker Oakey’s Strike - (or The Oakey Strike Evictions) Old Dolly Cook and Her Family Old Folks Tea at West Stanley Old Men’s Trip, (The) - From the Victoria Club, West Stanley Picture Hall at Tantobie, (The) Poam To The Kaiser, (A) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Armstrong_(singer) Page 2 of 3 Tommy Armstrong (singer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 10/12/2015, 22:13
Prudent Pitman, (The) Row Between Th' Cages, (Th'), - (or The Row ‘Atween the Cages) Row I' Th' Guuttor, (Th') Sewing Meeting, (A) Sheel Raw Flud, (The) Skeul Bord Man, (Th') - (or The Skuil (or school) Board Man Sooth Medomsley Strike, (The) - (or The South Medomsley Strike) Stanla Market – (or Stanley Market) Summer Flies, (The) Tanfeeld Lee Silvor Modil Band – (ot The Tanfield Lea Silver Model Band) Tanfield Braike Tantobie Wednesday Football Team Tantobie Workmen's Club Oxo Banquet Tommy The Poet Signed On Trimdon Grange Explosion, (The) - (or The Trimdon Grange Disaster) Trip From Tantobie Union Club to Jarrow Excelsior Club, (The) Unhappy Couple, (The) Wheelbarrow Man, (Th') Wor Nanny's a mazer (alternately spelt mazer, mazor, maisor, maizor, etc.)
See also
Geordie dialect words
References
External links
The Tommy Armstrong Society Sunniside History Society The Bards of Newcastle
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