WISBECH TOWN COUNCIL 15 and 18 May 2015 MINUTES OF MEETING Friday 15 May 2015 (12 noon) Present: Councillors Brunton, Bucknor, Mrs Bucknor, Mrs Cox, Hill, Hodgson, Miss Hoy, Human, Miss Kumalane, Lay, Mrs Lay, McLaren, Mrs MacRae, Oliver, Miss Oliver, Schooling, Tibbs and Tierney. Apologies: None. In attendance: Mrs J Hill, Mrs J Hodgson, Mrs B Oliver, Mrs T Bidwell-Hazell, Mrs S Farmer, Mr T Jordan, Mr A Hopkins, Father David Addington, Mrs MaryAnn Addington, Father Paul West and guests of the Mayor elect (including a party of visitors from Arles). Members and guests were seated in the Council Chamber to await the Mayoral party, which entered the Chamber at 12 noon. On taking his seat, the outgoing Mayor of Wisbech, Councillor Hill, called upon the Mayor’s Chaplain, Father Paul West, to say prayers. The outgoing Mayor thanked Father Paul West and opened the meeting. The outgoing Mayor welcomed the five new members of Wisbech Town Council, elected on 7 May 2015, to their first meeting of the council. 1/15 Election of Chairman of the Town Council (to be known as Town Mayor) for the municipal year 2015/16 Members decided, unanimously, on the proposal of Councillor Hill, seconded by Councillor Mrs MacRae, and there being no other nominations, that Councillor Hodgson be elected as Chairman of Wisbech Town Council and Mayor of Wisbech for the municipal year 2015/16 and that he paid an annual allowance of £3,100 in relation to the performance of that role. The Mayor read and signed a Declaration of Acceptance of Office. He paid tribute to the outgoing Mayor, Councillor Hill, and presented the outgoing Mayor and Mayoress, Mrs J Hill, with Past Mayor and Mayoress badges. 2/15 Election of Deputy Chairman of the Town Council (to be known as Deputy Town Mayor) for the municipal year 2015/16 Members decided, on the proposal of Councillor Tierney, seconded by Councillor Miss Hoy, and there being no other nominations, that Councillor Tibbs be elected as Vice-Chairman of Wisbech Town Council and Deputy Mayor of Wisbech for the municipal year 2015/16 and that he be entitled to claim the travelling allowance agreed by council. 3/15 Adjournment of the meeting until 7.30 pm on 18 May 2015 Members decided, unanimously, that the Annual Meeting of Wisbech Town Council be adjourned (at 12.40 pm) until 7.30 pm on Monday 18 May 2015. 1 Monday 18 May 2015 (7.30 pm) Present: Councillor Hodgson, Chairman (and Town Mayor); Councillors Brunton, Bucknor, Mrs Bucknor, Mrs Cox, Hoy, Human, Miss Kumalane, Lay, Mrs Lay, Mrs MacRae, Oliver, Miss Oliver, Schooling, Tibbs (Deputy Mayor) and Tierney. Apologies: Councillors Hill and McLaren. 4/15 Appointment of Leader of the Town Council for the municipal year 2015/16 Members considered the appointment of a Leader of the Town Council; to work with the Mayor and the Clerk’s Office and to attend regular management meetings. Members decided, on the proposal of Councillor Mrs Cox, seconded by Councillor Mrs MacRae, that Councillor Oliver be appointed as Leader of Wisbech Town Council for the municipal year 2015/16. 5/15 Signatories to bank accounts Members considered authorising a number of councillors to act in the capacity as signatories to Wisbech Town Council’s bank accounts. Members decided, on the proposal of Councillor Oliver, seconded by Councillor Brunton, that the signatories to Wisbech Town Council’s bank accounts be those councillors appointed to the positions of Chairman of the Council (Town Mayor), Vice-Chairman of the Council (Deputy Town Mayor), Leader of the Council and the Chairman of the Resources Committee. 6/15 Cambridgeshire Constabulary No officer of Cambridgeshire Constabulary attended the meeting. The Clerk informed members that a new Sector Inspector for Fenland had taken up post with effect from today. The Clerk had invited him to attend this meeting to introduce himself to the members of Wisbech Town Council; unfortunately, the new Sector Inspector, Will Davis, had a prior commitment for this evening but he would endeavour to attend either the Annual Assembly (on 26 May) or 22 June meeting of this council. Members decided that the situation be noted. 7/15 Fenland District Council Although no officer representative of Fenland District Council was present at the meeting, the Clerk had been sent, by e-mail, information in respect of CCTV performance, Section 106 Planning Obligations details and that council’s Streets Ahead newsletter. Members decided the information reported be noted and that the Clerk would forward the e-mail and attachments from Fenland District Council to all members of Wisbech Town Council. 8/15 Cambridgeshire County Council Councillor Tierney enquired as to whether the Town Council had received any response from the Local Highway Authority (LHA) yet in relation to the issues that he had raised at minute 135/14. With the consent of the Mayor, Councillor Lay (who is also a member of Cambridgeshire County Council) reported that an officer of the Local Highway Authority had met recently with a 2 representative of Tesco Stores to discuss the possibility of laying double yellow lines to prevent the parking of vehicles in the vicinity of the Wisbech store. In addition, Councillor Tierney mentioned the poor condition of the footways on West Street. The Clerk undertook to refer the matter to the relevant officer at the Local Highway Authority. The Clerk informed members that the Wisbech Freedom Bridge Retaining Wall scheme, which had been delivered jointly by the Bridges Team and the Highways and Design Team at Cambridgeshire County Council, had won the Best Infrastructure award at the East of England Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Awards ceremony held on 6 May 2015. He added that the final phase of this scheme, to install a cathodic protection system (to extend the longevity of the steel sheet piled retaining walls), would be undertaken during the summer/autumn of this year. Members decided that the situation be noted and that the Clerk would seek to obtain information from the Local Highway authority in relation to its proposal to address the issues which had been raised by Councillor Tierney at minute 135/14. 9/15 Minutes of the Town Council meeting of 13 April 2015 Members decided, on the proposal of Councillor Miss Hoy, seconded by Councillor Mrs Bucknor, that the minutes of the Town Council meeting of 13 April 2015 be confirmed and signed. 10/15 Minutes of committees Members received the minutes of committee meetings held since the last meeting of the Town Council, as follows: (1) Planning Committee of 13 April 2015 (2) Resources Committee of 27 April 2015 (3) Planning Committee of 27 April 2015. With regard to minutes R21/14 and R22/14 of the Resources Committee, Councillor Mrs Bucknor expressed her thanks to the committee for awarding funding to the Wisbech Flood Wardens Group and the Refuge project. Members decided that the contents of these minutes, including the decisions made by these committees, be noted. 11/15 Membership of Committees for 2015/16 Members considered the appointment of members to the following committees of the council for the municipal year 2015/16: Resources Committee Planning Committee Allotments Committee Civic Amenities and Mayor’s Charity Fund Committee Market Place Management Committee Staffing and Policy Committee. Members decided that the membership of these committees be as printed on the list circulated by the Clerk, subject to the minor changes to membership requested by Councillors Mrs Bucknor and Lay (in relation to the committees to which they had been nominated); the Clerk would produce and publish an updated list of committees accordingly. 3 12/15 Annual Report The Clerk reported that the council’s Annual Report is in the course of preparation and would be ready for circulation at the Annual Assembly which takes place on 26 May 2015 in the Council Chamber. Members decided that the situation be noted. 13/15 Dates of meetings for 2015/16 Members considered setting the dates of meetings of the town council and its committees for 2015/16. The Clerk had circulated to members, in advance of the meeting, a schedule of proposed dates for that municipal year. Members decided that the dates of the meetings of the town council and its committees for 2015/16 be as proposed in the list produced by the Clerk. 14/15 General Power of Competence Members considered adoption of the General Power of Competence. The Clerk had circulated to members, in advance of the meeting, a briefing paper on the General Power of Competence; this included details of: a) the legislative background to the power - Sections 1 to 8 of the Localism Act 2011 b) what the power allows councils to do - “anything that individuals generally may do” c) the risks and restrictions limiting use of the General Power of Competence – restrictions would include the duty to: act with regard to crime and disorder consider conserving biodiversity provide allotments if there is a demand for such act within relevant law and regulations, relating to issues such as: Health and Safety, company law (if it wishes to trade), employment legislation and the law relating to local council governance. d) how the General Power of Competence (GPC) relates to Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972 – a council which adopts the GPC no longer needs to use Section 137 as a power for taking action for the benefit of its community e) the eligibility criteria for a council to adopt the General Power of Competence. With regard to e) above, a council must resolve to use the power, record the decision in its minutes, and renew that resolution at the annual meeting following each ordinary election (every four years).