Chesham Town Council Bill Richards Town Clerk Tel: 01494 774842 Fax: 01494 582908 www.chesham.gov.uk Email: [email protected] 2nd July 2010 Dear Councillor, You are SUMMONED to attend a meeting of the CHESHAM TOWN COUNCIL to be held in the Council Chamber, The Town Hall, Chesham, on th MONDAY 12 JULY 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 8.00 PM (following the close of the meeting of the Development Control Committee which commences at 7.30pm) AGENDA 1. Apologies for absence. 2. To confirm Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 21st June 2010. 3. Declarations of Interest. 4. Public Question Time: A period of up to 15 minutes or less, as the case may be, will be allowed for members of the public present, who are electors or residents in the parish of Chesham, to ask questions primarily in respect of items on the agenda of this Town Council meeting but also in the interests of wider public discussion. 5. To receive the Mayoral engagements and any other announcements as the Town Mayor may wish to lay before the Council. 6. To receive the minutes from the Youth Council meeting on the 9th June 2010. 7. To receive and consider the Minutes of the under mentioned Committees. • Development Control of 21st June 2010. • Policy and Resources of 28th June 2010. 8. Cemetery Locking. 9. Relocation of Post Office. 9a. Local Area Forum Update. 10. To receive and consider Pay Schedule No: 2. Yours sincerely Bill Richards Town Clerk Circulation: To All Members of the Council Publication Date 2.7.10 Chesham Town Council, Town Hall, Chesham, Bucks HP5 1DS Twinned with Friedrichsdorf Germany; Houilles France; Archena Spain Chesham Town Council Bill Richards Town Clerk Tel: 01494 774842 Fax: 01494 582908 www.chesham.gov.uk Email: [email protected] The Mayoral engagements from 12th June to 12th July June Saturday 12th Chesham Carnival Sunday 13th Civic Service ‐ Christchurch Art Exhibition – The Winter Garden Room Birchwood Monday 14th CHAV Public Meeting – Chesham Town Hall Sunday 20th Amersham Civic Service – St Mary’s Church Old Amersham Tuesday 22nd Asian Ladies Drop in – Chesham Methodist Church Saturday 26th Veterans Day Parade – Lowndes Park Sunday 27th 2nd Trinity Scouts Jubilee Barbeque – Braidwood Monday 28th Open Refurbished Sainsbury’s Tuesday 29th U3A Photographic Exhibition – Chenies Manor Chesham Park Evening of Excellence – Elgiva Theatre July Sunday 4th Music in the Park – Lowndes Park Monday 5th Chesham High – Humanities Day Action 4 Youth AGM – Green Park Chesham Town Council, Town Hall, Chesham, Bucks HP5 1DS Twinned with Friedrichsdorf Germany; Houilles France; Archena Spain Chesham Town Council continued . Friday 9th High Sheriff Reception – Penn House Saturday 10th Chiltern Triathlon – Chesham Leisure Centre Elmtree School Library Fund Raising Pond Park Football Tournament – Marston Field - 2 - Chesham Youth Council Minutes held on Wednesday 9th June 2010 Present: David Pirouet (Chair) Taisha Egan (V. Chair), Johanna Osborne (Secretary), Abi Redway‐Beach (Treasurer), Whitney Lemon, Ruth Taylor, Amy Nash, Tom Pirouet, Rebecca Pirouet, Arran Mills. Also in attendance: Cllrs. Alison Pirouet, Francis Holly, Mark Shaw. Bill Richards – Town Clerk Apologies for absence: Rachael Tomkins, Charlie Dutton, Callum Brackley and Simran Sharry Welcome David opened the meeting by welcoming Councillors Francis Holly and Mark Shaw to the Youth Council and explained that they were now Council Representation along with Alison. Minutes of last meeting: Accepted Matters Arising: Volunteers were requested for the presentation of the final skate park report to the Rec and Arts Committee. Taisha and Rebecca agreed to do this. Chairperson Resignation – David advised everyone that he wished to resign from the position as Chair, although with only one meeting to go before we finish for the summer holidays. Taisha agreed to take over for the remaining period of time until the AGM in September. IHelp Presentation – Alison outlined the position as regards the competition from the Bucks Freemason, and advised that the PowerPoint presentations required working on. The group split into two, one working on each presentation. Alison also requested volunteers to do the presenting. We would be at Aylesbury on 12th June and Beaconsfield on 13th June. (As it turned out Rebecca did both days with Charlie on the Saturday and Arran on the Sunday). Any other Business – Please note that the next meeting will not be a business meeting but a fun meeting – on 21st July. Close of Meeting – Meeting closed at 5.35pm Report of the Officers to a meeting of the TOWN COUNCIL on Monday 12th July 2010 AGENDA ITEM NO 8: - CEMETERY LOCKING-UP Reporting Officer: Bill Richards (01494 583824) Summary 1. To determine a position on the locking of the cemetery. Background Information 2. At the Recreation and the Arts Committee Meeting on the 7th June 2010, it was resolved ‘that the current locking procedure be continued and a meeting on future locking procedures be arranged involving officers; the Chairman of the Recreation and the Arts Committee; representatives of Sunnyside Road residents and the Friends of Chesham Cemetery; the police and the Chiltern District Council Community Safety team and the outcome of this meeting be brought before the Council meeting on the 12th July 2010.’ Financial Implications 3. The current amount spent on overtime unlocking the cemetery before 8.00am on a weekday, locking after 4.00pm and locking and unlocking at weekends and public holidays is £5,250. Strategic Objectives 4. Accords with the Council’s strategic aim 5 - To consult with and take due regard of all comments received from other statutory bodies, voluntary organisations and individuals, to ensure an improving standard of service that meets with local needs and aim 6 - ‘To represent the views and wishes of the citizens of Chesham’. Detailed Consideration 5. The Council will recall that a consultation exercise on whether the cemetery should be permanently unlocked was started in March and concluded on the 31st May 2010. The results of this survey were outlined in the report presented to the Recreation and the Arts Committee on the 7th June. The report for Members’ information is reprinted and attached. 6. Since the meeting of the Recreation and the Arts Committee, a formal letter has been received from the Neighbourhood Action Group stating its preferred option was for the cemetery to be left open permanently. Additionally the Friends of Chesham Cemetery held an Extraordinary Meeting on the 15th June to discuss this matter and voted by 9 votes to 1 to recommend the facility be left unlocked twenty four hours a day for a trial period during the summer months. 7. A meeting was held on the 1st July specifically to discuss the matter as requested by the Recreation and the Arts Committee. In attendance was Chiltern District Council’s Community Safety Officer; the Secretary of Friends of Chesham Cemetery; a member of Sunnyside Road Neighbourhood Watch; Councillors Mrs Littley, Holly (also Chairman of the Friends of Chesham Cemetery), Mrs Molesworth, Mrs Walker and the Town Clerk (Notes of meeting to follow.) 8. The Members present at the meeting will be able to feedback verbally at the meeting. However there was general agreement that using volunteers to lock and unlock would not be appropriate or workable and it was accepted that what anti- social behaviour did take place, occurred in the cemetery when it was locked in any case. It was also agreed that for financial and logistical reasons, it would not be able to make the facility entirely enclosed with appropriate fencing. The Community Safety Officer also opined that it was often the case that ‘locked’ facilities attracted anti-social behaviour rather than open ones which were accessible to other members of the public and the police. Accordingly it was agreed that the offer from the police’s Crime Reduction Officer to undertake a crime reduction audit in liaison with the Sunnyside Road Residents’ Association be taken up. Subject to there being no major issues arising from this audit as to the desirability of not locking the facility, it was the general view that the cemetery should be left unlocked for a trial period (length to be determined) while necessary further crime prevention measures be implemented following advice from the police. Those representing the Council were keen to emphasise to the Sunnyside Road representative, that they were committed to working with the Residents’ Association in respect of this. Recommendation That the Committee consider a trial period of 24 hour opening for the Chesham Cemetery for a length to be agreed. Report of the Officers to a meeting of the RECREATION AND THE ARTS COMMITTEE on Monday 7 June 2010 AGENDA ITEM NO: 8 - CEMETERY GATES LOCK-UP Reporting Officer: Kathryn Graves (01494 583798) Summary 1. To determine the times for locking-up the cemetery. Background Information 2. Following a period of long-term sick leave, one Parks and Premises Operative decided that he did not wish to continue with the 365 days a year locking and unlocking of the cemetery that he had previously undertaken for many years. Since that time, the unlocking has been undertaken by the Parks and Premises team before 8.00am, with locking after 4.00pm on an overtime basis. The current amount spent on overtime unlocking the cemetery before 8.00am on a weekday, locking after 4.00pm and locking and unlocking at weekends and public holidays is £5,250. 3. When this matter was last discussed, at the Recreation and the Arts Committee meeting of the 1st March 2010, the following options were suggested: (i) Maintain the status quo i.e. staff continue to unlock and lock before and after their contracted hours. Advantage: would mean the facility would still be unlocked and locked seven days a week.