Full Council Minutes 30th October 2013
MINUTES of the Meeting of the HARWICH TOWN COUNCIL
held at
The 1912 Centre, Cow Lane, Harwich
on Wednesday 30th October 2013 at 7.00pm
| Present: | Councillors Brown, Calver, Day, Flavell, Fowler, King, Morrison, C Powell, F Powell, Thompson and Todd |
| In the Chair: | Councillor McLeod |
| Clerk: | Mrs Lucy Ballard |
| Also present: | 0 members of the public and 1 member of the press |
| Prayers were said by Rev Mann | |
The Chairman reported that pursuant to Sub-section of Section 1 of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, the Confidential Minutes of the meeting of the Finance & General Purposes Committee, under item 9, would be moved to confidential business.
| 095/13 | APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Cllrs I Henderson, J Henderson, Nicholson and Thurlow |
| 096/13 | DECLARATIONS OF MEMBERS’ INTERESTS None |
| 097/13 | PUBLIC QUESTIONS None |
| 098/13 | MAYORS ANNOUNCEMENTS The Mayor gave an account of some of his engagements since the last meeting, which included attending The Dovercourt Kumon Study Centre event at the Kingsway Community Church, St. Helena Hospice Lighthouse Walk, Seafront Walk with the Stroke Group, Connexions AGM, All Saints School assembly and Stroke Club Wellbeing Day; as well civic services in Ipswich, Sudbury and Wivenhoe, and opening a new petshop, the Poppy shop and Gwinnells Funeral directors. |
| 099/13 | MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING RESOLVED: That the minutes and confidential minutes of the meeting of the Town Council held on 18th September 2013 (previously circulated) be approved by the Chairman and signed as a true record. FURTHER RESOLVED: that the minutes of the Extraordinary meeting held on 11th October 2013 (previously circulated) be approved by the Chairman and signed as a true record. |
| 100/13 | MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES Min 082/13 – Part Night Street Lighting. Cllr Calver referred to the motion to request an urgent briefing with Insp. Willis, which was subsequently not required since HTC’s request for an extension to the deadline for comments on the proposals was refused. He referred to the current concern over crime levels in the parish and proposed that HTC request a private briefing with the Inspector to discuss these concerns. RESOLVED: To request briefing with Insp. Willis. The Clerk notified members that following submission of the Communities Initiative Fund grant application for refurbishment of the Skate Park, she had been invited to sit on the Judging Panel, which will assess, amongst others, the HTC application. |
| 101/13 | JOURNEYER PROJECT Clare Cleary, Senior Consultant Public Realm, Essex County Council, gave a PowerPoint presentation on the Journeyer Project. Clare was asked if the project will be incorporated with the Strategic Signage Review that HTC have commissioned. It was confirmed that ECC had been in talks with Cllr Ivan Henderson and Urban Flow to achieve this. Clare was also asked if the landmarks highlighted could be integrated with GPS to act as Places of Interest. It was felt that this could be possible. Clare was asked why this is being conducted in Harwich, and explained that it formed part of the budget that was earmarked for the Public Realm works on the Quay, and the impetus for the project had come from Harwich itself. |
| 102/13 | VESSELS ENTERING UK WATERS Cllr Todd provided an update to members regarding the effect of the impending EU regulations on sulphur emissions. He reported that he had finally received correspondence from Richard Howitt MEP and he had confirmed that, whilst details were unknown about any financial assistance for fishing vessels, the draft agreement included the wording “access to emission abatement methods should be facilitated by adding, and supported through, incentives”. He further confirmed that the current directive designated the Baltic Sea, North Sea and English Channel as sulphur emission control areas (SECAs), which limits sulphur content of fuels, and which also applies to passenger ships operating on regular service outside SECAs. Cllr Todd also reported receipt of copy of a letter from the Dept, for Transport to Bernard Jenkin MP. It detailed a delay to the public consultation due to significant developments in recent months, which has required further investigation, research and drafting changes to the proposed legislation. The planned consultation is now scheduled for early December 2013. |
| 103/13 | MINUTES OF THE LAST FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE MEETING RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting of the Finance & General Purposes Committee held on 2nd October 2013 (previously circulated) be received. FURTHER RESOLVED: To accept the recommendations of the F&GP Committee and grant funding application as recommended. |
| 104/13 | MINUTES OF THE LAST ALLOTMENTS COMMITTEE MEETING RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting of the Allotments Committee held on 23rd October 2013 (previously circulated) be received. FURTHER RESOLVED: that the confidential minutes of the meeting of the Allotments Committee held on 23rd October 2013 (previously circulated) be received. |
| 105/13 | ACCOUNTS Payments and receipts, current balances, financial activity against budgets and earmarked funds were noted. RESOLVED: to authorise payments as presented |
| 106/13 | BRIEF REPORTS BY MEMBERS • Cllr Flavell reported attendance at a meeting of the Harwich Festival of the Arts Committee. He confirmed this year’s festival as a success, and that plans were underway for next year, which included specific events to appeal to younger members of the community in an attempt to appeal to all age groups, and that the programme will cover Dovercourt as well as Harwich. • Cllr C Powell reported attendance at a recent Parish Transport Meeting and will report back once the minutes have been published. |
| 107/13 | CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED IN THE POST OR RAISED BY MEMBERS • The Chairman informed members of notification from TDC of a temporary rolling road closure on 8th December for the purposes of the Harwich Residents Association Kings Head Christmas Craft Market. • The Chairman alerted members to the new signage posts that had been erected in the town centre, stressed concern over the level of adoption of Pattricks Lane and informed members of the meeting of the Crime Prevention Panel on 31st October. • Cllr Calver referred to the Extraordinary meeting of the Council on 11th October and was pleased that since HTC, TDC and Cllr I Henderson (as Essex county councilor) had all stated their wish to retain all existing services within the Harwich maternity unit, and this was supported by Bernard Jenkin MP, at the meeting, all elected representatives for Harwich is of one mind regardless of political persuasion. • Cllr C Powell reported that a number of the sockets in the new lamp posts in the town centre had been installed upside down. Cllr Calver confirmed that having made enquiries with TDC, it was the responsibility of the installation company to correct the fault and measures were being taken to undertake the necessary works, which should be completed prior to the need to use the sockets. He stressed that there had been no health and safety issue as a result of the faulty installation. • Cllr Flavell was pleased to report the completion of the repairs to the properties in West Street, which were fire damaged in December 2011. And also that the map had been successfully positioned on the external wall of the public conveniences near to the High Lighthouse. |
| 108/13 | DATE OF NEXT MEETING The next meeting of Harwich Town Council will be held on Wednesday 11th December 2013 at The 1912 Centre, Cow Lane, Harwich, at 7.00pm, or at the rise of the Town Planning Committee, whichever is the later. |
| 109/13 | EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC Pursuant to Sub-section 2 of Section 1 of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1906, the meeting if closed to the press and public for the transaction of the under-mentioned business: • To receive the Confidential minutes of the meeting of the Finance & General Purposes Committee held on 2nd October 2013. |
The Chairman closed the public part of the meeting at 7.57pm.