Harwich Town Council

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Environment Minutes 3rd February 2011

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND HIGHWAYS COMMITTEE
held on Thursday 3rd February 2011 at 6.30pm
at the Park Pavilion Board Room, Barrack Lane, Harwich, Essex

Present: Councillor D McLeod – Chairman
Councillor D Rutson – Vice Chairman
Councillors R Callender, J Brown and A Colbourne

Acting Clerk to the Council, Ms L Keeley

Also present: The Mayor Councillor S Tyrer and four members of the public.

Public Question Time of 15 minutes
Mrs M May of 68 Main Road Harwich informed the Committee of the poor conditions of the flat in which she is living and that her landlord has issued her with a notice to quit since she informed him that she would withhold her rent until he had undertaken repair works. Mrs May is on the waiting list for accommodation at Tendring District Council (TDC) and has been informed there are no properties available at present. Councillor Rutson said that he will raise the matter with Councillor S Henderson, Portfolio Holder for Housing at TDC.

Speaking on behalf of residents at Esplanade Court and Kings Quay Street Harwich, Mr N Kudela of number 6 Esplanade Court, asked if the Committee would consider giving support in seeking change to the new opening hours at the car park in Wellington Road, Harwich. TDC has recently changed the opening hours to 2 pm until 6 am. Until this change the residents at Esplanade Court held keys to the gate at the car park so that they may close the gate at night time and open it each morning. This arrangement worked very well with regard to discouraging a high level of anti-social behaviour in the car park late evening and after midnight. Mr Kudela
also informed the Committee that the gate to the car park has more recently been removed and Councillor Callender said he will investigate the matter at TDC.

RESOLVED for the Acting Clerk to write to Technical and Procurement Services TDC relaying Mr Kudela’s report to the Committee and suggest the opening hours be changed to 7 am to 1030 pm daily and that the residents are willing to manage the arrangements as before.

E51/10 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Deputy Mayor Councillor B Brown and Councillor L Payne.

E52/10 DECLARATIONS OF MEMBERS’ INTERESTS
There were none.

E53/10 MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
It was RESOLVED that minutes of the Environment and Highways Committee meeting held on 1st December 2010 (previously circulated) be accepted as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

E54/10 PRIVATE ROADS ie PATRICKS LANE
Councillor McLeod said that the road in Patricks Lane is in a very poor state of repair and potentially hazardous. The road is privately owned and Councillor Callender said that situation has been ongoing for sometime. He informed the members that residents can apply to Highways and Transportation Essex County Council (ECC) for asphelt “scrape-off” for spreading across the road.
RESOLVED: Councillor Callender will contact the residents and report back at next meeting.

E55/10 REDUNDANT SIGN POSTS
Councillor McLeod said that many sign posts at Harwich and Dovercourt are redundant, in poor condition or pointing in the wrong direction.
RESOLVED for the Acting Clerk to write to East Area Highways Office ECC and ask that they address this issue.

E56/10 TREE PLANTING PROGRAMME
Further to minute E45/10 Councillor Tyrer said that the Red May tree and Holm Oak tree should be delivered on14th February 2011. Appropriate tree guards for a conservation area will be used.

E57/10 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Councillor McLeod informed the Committee that a shopper bus service is to commence in March on each Friday and operate between Wix village and Harwich returning to Wix after 2 hours.

E58/10 TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURES

  • Harwich Sea Festival on Sunday 14th July 2011 between 0700 hrs and 1900 hrs
  • Works at The Quay, Eastgate Street and King’s Head Street week commencing 31 January 2011 for improvement works between 0730 hrs and 1700

E59/10 MATTERS RECEIVED IN POST
Letter from Mr P Webb regarding the change by TDC to the opening hours at the car park in Wellington Road, Harwich (as raised by Mr Kudela during public question time).

E60/10 DATE OF NEXT MEETING
A date for the next meeting is to be arranged.

The meeting closed at 7.40 pm.

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