| Time: | 7.30pm | Place: | Baldock Community Centre, Simpson Drive, Baldock |
| PRESENT: | Councillor M.R.M. Muir(Chairman), Councillor I.J. Knighton(Vice-Chairman), Councillor John Harris, Councillor S.K. Jarvis and Councillor M.E. Weeks. |
| IN ATTENDANCE: | Liz Green (Head of Policy and Community Services) Ashley Hawkins (Community Development Officer) Susanne Gow (Committee and Member Services Officer). |
| ALSO PRESENT: | At commencement of the meeting , approximately 5 members of the public, including the registered speaker and a member of the Press. |
| Item | Description/Resolution | Status | Action | |
| PART I | ||||
| 20 |
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Andrew Young. The Chairman advised the Committee of the sad passing of Cllr David Miller, District Councillor for Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo. He asked the Committee and the public to stand for a minute in silence to remember Cllr Miller. |
Noted | ||
| 21 |
MINUTES Minutes RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 16 July 2012 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chairman. |
Agreed | ||
| 22 |
NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS With the Chairman's permission, the Head of Policy and Community Services (HPCS) had submitted a late item which was not on the published Agenda, and she attended the Baldock and District Committee Meeting to update Members on the progress to date with regard to the transfer of Baldock Town Hall from North Herts District Council to the Baldock Town Hall Group. This would be taken as Item 7, but the Chairman suggested that the HPCS present it before Item 5 on the Agenda. |
Noted | ||
| 23 |
CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS (1) The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting including the Members, officers, Press and the speaker for Public Participation, and thanked them all for attending; (2) Members were reminded that any declarations of interest in respect of any business set out in the agenda, should be declared as either a Disclosable Pecuniary interest, Other Pecuniary interest or Non-Pecuniary interest, and were required to notify the Chairman of the nature of any interest declared at the commencement of the relevant item on the agenda. Members declaring a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest must withdraw from the meeting for the duration of the item. Members declaring either an Other Pecuniary interest or a Non-Pecuniary interest, which required they leave the room under paragraph 16.3 of the Code of Conduct, could speak on the item, but must leave the room before the debate and vote. |
Noted | ||
| 24 |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Baldock Town Partnership Mr James Lunnon thanked the Chairman for giving him the opportunity to address the Committee and introduced himself. He outlined the function of the Baldock Town Partnership (BTP), covering the events it runs in Baldock, both for leisure and business purposes. These consisted of car boot sales, markets and other major events (fairs, fun days etc), together with the Membership Scheme for businesses in Baldock and the Baldock Network Group. These generated revenue for the BTP, and the Committee were informed of proposed forthcoming events as follows: - Halloween Day in Whitehorse Street - Business Football Tournament - 2 November in The Arena (£150/team) - Baldock Beast 2 Half Marathon on 18 November, now around the villages - Christmas Fair Weekend on the weekend of 1st and 2nd December. The BTP had submitted a grant application for funds to assist with printing publicity to advertise the Half Marathon and the Christmas Fair Weekend and the Chairman thanked Mr Lunnon for his comprehensive presentation and informed him that the Committee would consider the application for funds from the BTP later in the Agenda at Item 6. RESOLVED: (1) That Mr James Lunnon of the Baldock Town Partnership be thanked for his presentation; (2) That a decision on a grant award be made at Agenda Item 6 - Champion News and Finance Report. |
Noted | ||
| 25 |
CHAMPION NEWS & FINANCE REPORT REPORT OF THE HEAD OF POLICY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES Report Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 The Community Development Officer (CDO) for Baldock and District presented the report of the Head of Policy and Community Services and explained that there were a few updates to the report, as follows: July Car Boot Sale It was clarified that the July car boot was supported by seven stalls, not traders. Membership Scheme and Baldock Network Group It was hoped to recruit at least seven new members to the Scheme. Baldock Beast Big Brother Challenge This would take place on 18 November, but unfortunately Endurorunning.com had dropped out of this event. The course had been decided on - it would consist of two loops of 6.5 miles each, would start and finish in Newnham and go through Newnham and Ashwell to ensure that the local villages were involved. Hopefully more money would be raised for the Baldock Town Partnership. Balstock Community Fun Day Between 400 and 500 people had attended this event, which was very well received. Nightingale Park Fun Day Cllr Weeks reported that he had attended this on 2 September and it had done well, but could have been much better attended. He asked whether thought had been given to holding it during the first week of the summer holidays next year. Baldock Chartered Fair 2012 The Chairman requested that efforts be made not to block the access to Brown & Gammons this year, as it adversely affected their business. The CDO advised that access was possible between the hours of 8am and 3.30pm. Current Funding Applications Members were advised that funding support for Ashwell United Reform Church was currently being processed. Funding support for North Herts Crusaders rugby club, which included players from Hitchin, Baldock and Letchworth, to purchase equipment was currently ongoing. Funding support for Baldock Cricket Club to purchase equipment was also ongoing. Finally, funding support for St John's Ambulance to attend the Nightingale Park Fun Day on 2 September had been processed. The Committee then discussed the following grant applications: - The Committee acknowledged the Fast Track grant application to the Baldock Cemetery Group for £250 to assist with the printing costs of the questionnaire currently being produced for the consultation exercise; - The Committee also acknowledged the Fast Track grant application to Caldecote Church Friends for £320 to assist with the purchase of equipment, including three pop-up gazebos, tables and chairs; - In addition, the Committee acknowledged the Fast Track grant application for £170 to Hinxworth Parish Council to help with the purchase of salt bins for Hinxworth village; - Discussion touched on the grant award of £750 to the organisers of the organisers of the Balstock Community Fun Day to assist with costs including insurance, equipment hire, security and publicity materials. This award had been agreed at the Committee Meeting on 25 July. - Finally, the Committee considered and agreed to award the sum of £1,000 to the Baldock Town Partnership to assist with the costs associated with publicising the forthcoming Partnership events, including the second Baldock Beast Half Marathon and the Baldock Christmas Fair Weekend. The Chairman thanked the Community Development Officer for his report and for his efforts on behalf of the people of Baldock and the surrounding District. A comment was made regarding the White Lion Bike Show held on 2 September 2012. It was acknowledged that this event was of benefit to the Baldock in general, but it was feared that some of the motorcycles may be uninsured. On the whole the motorcyclists had been well-behaved, but some were seen speeding and "doing wheelies" on Baldock High Street, causing possible danger to motorists and pedestrians alike. The CDO offered to discuss the Committee's concern at this behaviour with the landlord of The White Lion public house. The HPCS suggested that she ask for advice on this matter from the Safety Advisory Group and the Committee agreed. RESOLVED: (1) That the budgetary expenditure, balances and carry forwards from the Development Budgets be noted; (2) That the recent Fast Track Grant Award of £250 to the Baldock Cemetery Group be acknowledged; (3) That the recent Fast Track Grant Award of £320 to Caldecote Church Friends be acknowledged; (4) That the recent Fast Track Grant Award of £170 to Hinxworth Parish Council be acknowledged; (5) That a grant award of £1,000 to the Baldock Town Partnership be agreed, to assist with the forthcoming events in November and December detailed above. REASON FOR DECISION: (1) To ensure that the Committee are kept informed of the work of the Community Development Officer; (2) This report is intended simply to inform Members of the financial resources available to the Committee. It draws attention to the current budgetary situation, assists in the effective financial management of the Baldock and District Committee's budget and ensures actions are performed within the Authority's Financial Regulations and the guidance in the grants procedure; (3) The awarding of financial assistance to voluntary organisations and the use of discretionary spending allows the Committee to further the aims and strategic priorities of the Council; (4) The allocation of funds will improve the services provided by local organisations and groups that are available and accessed by members of the community. |
Agreed | ||
| 26 |
BALDOCK TOWN HALL TRANSFER - UPDATE Update The Head of Policy and Community Services (HPCS) presented the update at this meeting, as the original report had been brought before the Committee in March 2012. If the report not been presented now, the Committee and public would have had to wait until the next Baldock and District Committee Meeting on 12 November 2012 for news of the up-to-date situation on the Baldock Town Hall transfer. Members were informed that a meeting with the Council's Property Services, Legal and Community teams was scheduled for the following week to commence lease negotiations. The HPCS declared that she had come to this Baldock and District Committee Meeting to ask Members to ring-fence existing S106 monies assigned for community buildings to Baldock Town Hall, which would show the Council's commitment to its refurbishment and increase evidence of ‘match funding'. The Chairman asked the HPCS to request Property Services to move fast on this project. On being asked how far the proposed £13,000 would go towards refurbishment, Members were told that to bring just the ground floor of Baldock Town Hall fully back into use would cost £50,000, but part of this related to works to increase accessibility; the Development and Conservation Manager supported (in principle) using the S106 funds for such capital works on the ground floor of Baldock Town Hall. It was noted that the £13,000 mentioned would be ring-fenced and the HPCS was asked whether the business plan for the ground floor was in place and also whether it had been approved. The response was that the proposals for the ground floor and modest investment were approved and facilities on other floors would be reviewed as the project developed. When questioned whether this would affect spending on other issues such as leisure, sport, children's facilities, parks and open spaces etc, it was confirmed that the amount to be ring-fenced was for community buildings only, so it would not affect those other separate ‘lines' of spend. All such S106 funds would be used, including Baldock Town and Baldock East Wards. One Member voiced his concern that the sum of £13,000 should be ring-fenced for this one project only and was told by the Chairman that there was likely to be more building in the area in future, which could result in the generation of further S106 funds. As the Chairman of the Baldock Town Hall Group, Mrs Alison Gentle, had attended this meeting, the Chairman, using his prerogative, asked her to say a few words. She began by thanking the Baldock and District Committee for their generosity and then revealed that several pledges to the project had also been received, together with a contribution from the recent Balstock Community Fun Day. Mrs Gentle informed Members that for the time being not much would change on the first floor of Baldock Town Hall, but that it was planned to make the ground floor DDI compliant, that the lift would be converted from a one-floor to a through-floor lift to enable access to the upper floor and that changes were required to the kitchen to achieve disabled access. The separate parts of the project had not yet been costed, but these were options towards which the grant could be of real help. The means to satisfy fire regulations was also a priority and Mrs Gentle assured the Committee that the Baldock Town Hall Group was working hard to get the Baldock Town Hall into shape. Mrs Gentle thanked the Chairman for giving her the opportunity to address the Baldock and District Committee and for their support with this project. RESOLVED: (1) That the Head of Policy and Community Services be thanked for bringing this update before the Committee; (2) That the progress being made with regard to the transfer of Baldock Town Hall be noted; (3) That it be agreed that all S106 and Unilateral Undertakings funding that is currently held by North Herts District Council towards community built facilities in Baldock be ring-fenced to accessibility works for the Baldock Town Hall project in due course, subject to their fulfilling individual statutory and aesthetic requirements. REASON FOR DECISION: (1) To ensure that local Members are aware of progress with this proposed scheme; (2) To provide the Baldock Town Hall Group with access to a small amount of funding to ensure suitable access. |
Noted | ||