Minutes of the Meeting of the Ottery St Mary Town Council Held in Held in the Narthex Hall, St Michael`S Church, West Hill on Monday 4Th July 2016 at 7.00Pm
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
1 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE OTTERY ST MARY TOWN COUNCIL HELD IN HELD IN THE NARTHEX HALL, ST MICHAEL`S CHURCH, WEST HILL ON MONDAY 4TH JULY 2016 AT 7.00PM PRESENT Mayor Councillor Dobson (Town Ward) Councillors *Faithfull, Giles, Carter Holmes, Pang (Town Ward) Talbot, Hall, Bailey (West Hill Ward) Pratt (Tipton St John Ward) Bartlett, Gori (North Ward) together with the Clerk *Cllr Faithfull arrived after the meeting had commenced OTHER PERSONS PRESENT County Cllr Claire Wright, PCSO Maria Clapp, 2 members of the press and approx. 25 members of the public The Mayor advised that the meeting was being recorded PRAYER The Clerk read the Council Prayer. 16/07/01 TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies were received from Councillors Mitchell, Edwards and Harding 16/07/02 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST FOR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA AND RECEIPT OF REQUESTS FOR NEW DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTERESTS (DPIS) DISPENSATIONS FOR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA There were none. However Cllr Pang declared an interest in Item 17/7/15 at the time the item was being discussed as she was a trustee of the Ottery & District Skate and BMX Trust. 16/07/03 IN CONSIDERATION OF THE PUBLIC BODIES (ADMISSION TO MEETINGS) ACT 1960 (PUBLICITY WOULD BE PREJUDICIAL TO THE PUBLIC INTEREST BY REASON OF THE CONFIDENTIAL NATURE OF THE BUSINESS TO BE TRANSACTED): TO AGREE ANY ITEMS TO BE DEALT WITH AFTER THE PUBLIC AND PRESS HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED There were no items to be agreed 16/07/04 TO ALLOW MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC PRESENT TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS/COMMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION i. Philip Algar enquired as to whether a letter of complaint had been sent by the Council to Hugo Swire MP, in response to Mr Swire`s description of hospital protestors protesting against the closure of Ottery Hospital as being `a pack`. The Mayor confirmed a letter had been sent and he had been contacted personally by Mr Swire who would provide a full reply shortly. Mr Algar also suggested in view of the demise of the Ottery Gazette that editors of local papers may consider publishing council news on an occasional basis. The Mayor proposed that the local press should liaise with the Council for news items Mayor’s initials: …………………………. 2 ii. Colin Butler Executive Head Teacher of Otter Valley Federation spoke at length about the issues with the substandard Tipton St John school building and the serious flooding of the site. The school had been seeking an alternative site for approximately 30 years. Although land was possibly available in Tipton there were no funding streams. It was now proposed to relocate the school to a site in the vicinity of Kings School. This would be a larger school with capacity to increase from 105 to 210 pupils . Funding would be generated from New Build monies. Cllr Giles was opposed to the proposals citing the fact that if monies were available for a new school in Ottery then monies should be available for a site in Tipton. Cllr Carter questioned whether there was a structural report to show why the present buildings were unsuitable and enquired as to the number of recorded flooding instances. Mr Butler responded to these points in depth. The Environment Agency report had indicated that the flooding in Tipton was potentially life threatening. Cllr Pratt provided various reasons as to why the school could not continue at Tipton. He emphasised that the Governors of the school were responsible for the children and they had to act in their best interests. Falling numbers of pupils from Tipton was a consideration, large numbers of pupils however were attending from Ottery. To privately fund a school at Tipton (if public funding was unavailable) would cost up to £3,000,000 and therefore the only solution would be to relocate. He also maintained that the school had been let down by the Environmental Agency iii. A Kings School youngster presented his case as to why the Council should support an application to EDDC`s Parishes Together fund from the Ottery & District Skate and BMX Trust for a new ramp. It was agreed the matter would be considered at the Council`s next Finance Committee Meeting iv. Brian Cammack who represented residents living along Barrack Road, Exeter Road and Cadhay Lane spoke about the severity of the speeding problem on Exeter road. 30mph signs were being ignored by drivers, compounded by the absence of pavements that ceased to exist past Kings School crossroad. School children, families with young children and the elderly living in the area were taking their lives into their hands each day. Mr Cammack was proposing traffic calming measures such as a roundabout at the crossroad. He was also seeking a letter support from the Council and local members to his proposals. Mr Cammack also suggested a traffic count be carried out/use of speed gun etc.. Maria Clapp advised that work lorries from the building site speeding through Ottery were also causing concern. Cllr Giles suggested a Community Speed watch be considered. The Mayor confirmed that the Council would be supportive of Mr Cammack`s proposals and to this end would arrange a meeting with Claire Wright (who indicated she would be happy to help), DCC Tom Vaughan and Mike Brown, together with Maria Clapp and a number of local residents to include Mr Cammack. 16/07/05 THE PRESENTATION OF A QUEEN`S 90TH BIRTHDAY AWARD TO THE COUNCIL BY HELEN PARR EDDC – VICE CHAIRMAN Helen Parr presented the Council with a plaque and £100 cheque, which the Mayor was pleased to accept. This was in recognition of the Council`s work in providing a youth facility and community hub at the Station, The Mayor advised that the Help Scheme was now operating from the premises; the Silver Band used the building for band practice, plus there were number of adhoc users. Children`s Centre sessions would commence from next week. 16/07/06 TO RECEIVE AND APPROVE MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING The Minutes of the Meeting of 6th June 2016 (minute refs 16/06/01 – 16/06/31), were presented. However Cllr Hall advised that an omission had been made by the Clerk in that the question he had raised concerning leaflets in relation to the proposed West Hill Parish Council was not shown under `Councillors Questions`. Cllr Hall also advised that the minutes were inaccurate in that they Mayor`s Initials……………………………. 3 stated that questionnaires were available at the West Hill `Drop-In`. He maintained that this was not the case. There was then a frank exchange of views between Cllrs Hall and Bailey and the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The Mayor disputed that questionnaires had not been available on the evening of the Drop-In. Cllr Bailey was also unhappy that there was no reference in the minutes confirming that she had not been permitted by the Mayor to make additional comments about the boundary, when the Mayor had permitted the Deputy Mayor to criticize Cllr Giles. The Mayor disputed that this was factually correct. The minutes were subsequently , approved and signed by the Mayor as a correct record 16/07/07 TO RECEIVE AND APPROVE MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING The Minutes of the Meeting of 21st June 2016 (minute refs 16/06/32 – 16/06/40), were presented, approved and signed by the Mayor as a correct record 16/07/08 TO RECEIVE AND APPROVE MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETINGS The Minutes of the Planning Committee Meeting of 13th June 2016 (minute refs: P/16/06/01- P/16/06/09) (having already been confirmed by the Planning Committee) were approved and signed by the Mayor as a correct record and the Minutes of the Meeting of 27th June 2016 (minute refs: P/16/06/010 – P/16/06/18) were presented, approved and signed by the Mayor as a correct record 16/07/09 TO RECEIVE AND APPROVE MINUTES OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING The Minutes of the HR Management Committee Meeting of 20thJune 2016 (minute refs: HR 16/06/01-HR 16/06/5) were presented approved and signed by the Mayor as a correct record 16/07/10 TO RECEIVE THE POLICE REPORT OTTERY ST MARY POLICE REPORT JUNE 2016 Recorded crimes for June 2016 stands at 24, this compares to 19 for the same month last year. Cumulative crime stands at 68. These incidents include.... 4 Assaults. Racial incident. Fraud. Damage to the Salston Hotel. Shutters & stones thrown at the windows. Theft from a motor vehicle. Trade Plate from insecure vehicle. Criminal damage to a motor vehicle parked near to the Tumbling Weir. Burglary, Aggrieved lives in a shared house with other workers, untidy search. Criminal damage to the porta loos at the Land Of Canaan. Theft from garage. WD40 concealed in sleeve of females jumper, whilst male paid for his items. Caught on CCTV. Thinks they are local, will issue a banning letter when turn up again. Arson, under St Saviours Bridge. Male left petrol can beside path whilst strimming. 3 youths in area. Can was found set alight under the bridge. Burglary, where 2 bricks were thrown through a back door. Tidy search except the main bedroom where a small safe & its contents were stolen, including passports, credit cards & men’s watches. Put out over Community Messaging. Stalking by ex partner. Drink driver. Criminal damage to a leaded window in Paternoster Row on Pixie Day.( Witness appeal ) Theft of a bag of flour, which was defaced, from an honesty shop . Also a bag of logs were chopped up, and some were burnt.