| Time: | 7.30pm | Place: | Baldock Community Centre, Simpson Drive, Baldock |
| PRESENT: | Councillor M.E. Weeks (Chairman), Councillor John Harris (Vice-Chairman), Councillor S.K. Jarvis, Councillor Jim McNally, Councillor M.R.M. Muir and Councillor A.D. Young. |
| IN ATTENDANCE: | Stuart Izzard (Community Development Manager) Ashley Hawkins (Community Development Officer - Baldock/Royston) Claire Morgan (Community Development Officer - Hitchin/Letchworth) Susanne Gow (Committee and Member Services Officer) |
| ALSO PRESENT: | 4 members of the public, including 2 members of the Hertfordshire Constabulary and 2 speakers under Public Participation. |
| Meeting attachment |
Agenda Front Page |
| Item | Description/Resolution | Status | Action | |
| PART I | ||||
| 16 |
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE There were no apologies for absence, as all Members of the Committee were present. |
Noted | ||
| 17 |
MINUTES Minutes RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 9 June 2014 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chairman. |
Agreed | ||
| 18 |
NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS There was no additional business raised at this Meeting of the Baldock and District Committee. |
Noted | ||
| 19 |
CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS (1) The Chairman welcomed all present to the meeting. This included the two officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary, the Community Development Manager and his team, the speakers for Public Participation and two members of public; (2) He then reminded Members that any declarations of interest in respect of any business set out in the agenda should be declared as either a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or Declarable Interest and they are 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 a Declarable Interest which requires they leave the room under Paragraph 7.4 of the Code of Conduct, can speak on the item, but must leave the room before the debate and vote. |
Noted | ||
| 20 |
POLICE UPDATE Sgt Simon Turner introduced himself and his colleague Sgt Steve Oliphant. He explained that he represented the Hertfordshire Constabulary in the Letchworth and Baldock area, and Sgt Oliphant oversaw the team in the Royston, Sandon and Weston areas. Sgt Turner then outlined the staffing of his area and explained that the numbers had decreased to 18 PCs and 16 PCSOs. He presented the Committee with the up-to-date crime statistics for the area and explained how the National Crime Recording Standards slightly elevated the crime figures. Sgt Turner agreed that more CCTVs would be very useful in Baldock in deterring crime, especially at the western end of Hitchin Street, looking up it to the east and across to Knights Templar School. On being asked how Baldock crime figures compared to other parts of North Hertfordshire, Sgt Turner explained that he did not have these figures with him, but would forward them to all Members of the Baldock and District Committee as soon as possible. On being questioned, he confirmed that there was still a Police presence in the Baldock Community Centre, but that this was not ideal. Sgt Oliphant then explained that, as already mentioned by Sgt Turner, he led the team in Royston, together with Sandon and Weston. He ran through his staffing levels, explaining that his two colleagues were Chris Braybrook and Penny Tomsett, together with three PCs and three PCSOs. There was a measure of crime in rural areas, but it was not as severe as elsewhere in the District. He and his team considered that one measure to combat rural crime was to build up the Neighbourhood Watch organisation once more. Although figures relating to theft from garden sheds and theft of heating oil were lower than last year, the Police considered that more householders needed to install security for sheds, garages and oil tanks. The Chairman thanked Sgt Turner for his comprehensive update on Baldock and the surrounding area, and Sgt Oliphant for his report on the area including Sandon and Weston. He stated that he considered it to be one of the best and most illuminating reports he had received from the Hertfordshire Constabulary. RESOLVED: That the Baldock and District Committee thanks Sgts Turner and Oliphant for their informative update on the crime figures for Baldock and the surrounding area. |
Agreed | ||
| 21 |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (1) Mrs Anne Taylor from the North Herts Centre for Voluntary Service (NHCVS) addressed the Committee on Furniture Link, an organisation that had been set up in 1992 to collect unwanted good quality furniture and display it in their showroom. From there it could be bought at a low cost by unemployed people or those on benefits, and distributed to their homes. NHCVS bore the costs arising from this process, and 286 deliveries had been made to households recently. 90% of those buying the furniture were unemployed or on a low income. She explained that the van currently in use was 15 years old and not likely to be of use for much longer. The total cost of the new van under consideration, which was approximately five years old, was in the region of £14,000, and Furniture Link was asking all five Area Committees for a donation from their budgets towards the cost. Letchworth had contributed £2,900 and Hitchin had awarded them £550. All the other Area Committees had been asked for a contribution of £363 or slightly less. The Hertfordshire Community Foundation had contributed £1,000, NHCVS had given them £464 and they had received £2,900 from Herts County Council Locality budgets. It was pointed out that Furniture Link depended heavily on the use of the van and it was vital that a replacement was bought as soon as possible. The Chairman thanked Mrs Taylor for her presentation, and wished her, and the Furniture Link Manager Tom, who had accompanied her to the meeting, the best of luck in obtaining a suitable vehicle in order to carry on their good work. He explained that the grant application relating to this award would be discussed later on the Agenda. (2) Mrs Emma Becks thanked the Committee for allowing her to address them, and told them of her concerns regarding the lack of vehicle parking in Nightingale Way, Baldock. She explained that, as most of the houses had at least two people owning cars, the area was very congested, leading to the roads becoming narrower for both car and emergency vehicle access. She stated that she had been told by North Herts Homes that they owned the grassed area outside her residence and that she must not park there, as if she parked on the grass it may affect the terms of her tenancy. This problem affected four streets and those vehicles which were parked on the footpaths severely obstructed pedestrians. She asked the Committee if they could help by suggesting a solution to the problem. One Member who was also a Hertfordshire County Councillor, commented that he was aware that some cars could pass in the road, but that emergency vehicles could not, as he had visited this area for observation purposes with a Herts County Council (HCC) Highways engineer. He explained that the whole of his annual HCC Locality Budget would be taken up by putting in just 5 laybys on the estate, which was the worst in Baldock for parking problems. He revealed that residents could apply for the kerb in front of their homes to be dropped so that they could then park in their front gardens, but unfortunately they would have to pay for this to be done themselves. He agreed that accessing the grassed area from the road was illegal, but it was not illegal to access the grass from a neighbour's dropped kerb. Mrs Becks was advised to scrutinise her tenancy agreement with North Herts Homes to see if there was any mention of parking. The Committee agreed that the problem of parking that she faced was very frustrating and wished her good luck in finding a solution. RESOLVED: (1) That Mrs Anne Taylor from the North Herts Centre for Voluntary Services be thanked for giving a presentation to the Committee in support of the grant application submitted by the Furniture Link; (2) That the grant application relating to Furniture Link be considered later on the Agenda at Item 24 below; (3) That Mrs Emma Becks be thanked for her address concerning issues regarding lack of car parking space in the area of Nightingale Way, Baldock. |
Noted | ||
| 22 |
GRANTS POLICY REVIEW Grants Policy Review The Community Development Manager (CDM) introduced his team of Community Development Officers and explained that, in practice, Ashley Hawkins supported both Baldock and District and Royston and District Committees. Claire Morgan supported both the Hitchin and Letchworth Committees, whilst he supported both officers in their roles and the Southern Rural Committee, and dealt with Parish and Rural matters. The CDM then introduced the report of the Head of Policy and Community Services on the Grants Policy Review and explained that, as well as an outline of the review of the Council's Grants Policy, it incorporated proposals for improvement arising from relevant financial management and governance issues, an internal audit on the effectiveness of Area Committees and the Overview and Scrutiny Task and Finish Committee recommendations, originally presented to Cabinet on 30 July 2013. He also stated that several changes were proposed, and it was recommended that some of them commence within the current financial year and others be lined up with the start of the following year (2015-2016). The report incorporated more recent recommendations arising from the Draft Grants Policy Review as submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 29 July 2014 and their submission to Cabinet on 5 August 2014. The CDM emphasised that it was vital that this was looked at now, as if it was adopted/approved it would alter how each Area Committee dealt with administering budgets and awarding grants. The Chairman commented that he didn't see the difference between three years or annual grants - the Committee would make a decision and matters would be standardised. Cllr McNally enquired about Section 106 monies and Unilateral Undertakings, and the CDM explained the process to him, and how these sums of money could be accessed regarding local projects of a capital nature. Cllr Young then declared that he totally disagreed with the majority of the Grants Policy Review. He was adamant, and the Committee unanimously agreed with him, that the Constitution should conform to the Committee's wishes and not vice versa. He firmly believed that the Grants Policy should enable Councillors to help organisations and not make the grant-giving process more difficult. It was assumed by District Councillors that NHDC officers processed the grants as they were requested to. The rest of the Baldock and District Committee agreed with Cllr Young and the opinion was voiced that a lack of trust had been shown in Councillors, which appeared to be an attack on their integrity. The fact that each grant was checked showed consistency. The CDM informed Members that each Committee used the same system for grant applications and that it had been proposed that a District Grant "pot" of £10,000 be formed, with a proportionate amount being contributed by each Area Committee. Members disagreed with this proposal, considering that this would discriminate against the smaller Area Committees. It was agreed, however, that the grant application processes should definitely be "tightened up". To summarise, the Baldock and District Committee: - totally disagreed with most of the report's content of the; - accepted that there had to be a change in the system for Memoranda of Understanding, to ensure that there would be no reductions; - proposed that there be no change in the fast track amounts and process of awarding grants and that it could be triggered by Members if they so wished; - expressed their disappointment, as they considered that the report removed the reason for awarding grants and focused on the process, rather than the achievement, making it a more difficult and lengthy process for relatively small grants to be awarded to small organisations or new groups/projects; - believed that the option to split Area budgets into Ward budgets should remain and that the Constitution should reflect this; - consider that the Constitution should reflect the needs and opinions of Area Committees and the local community; - request that the Head of Policy and Community Services revisit the Baldock and District Committee at their next scheduled Meeting, to bring comments from the other Area Committees on the Grants Policy Review and to present a re-Draft of the report. RESOLVED: (1) That the Members of the Baldock and District Committee unanimously express their extreme concerns and are vigorously opposed to the majority of this report, finding themselves unable to support it; (2) That the Committee believe that the option to split Area Committee budgets into Ward budgets should remain and that the Council's Constitution should reflect this; (3) That the Committee believe that the Council's Constitution should reflect the needs and opinions of the Area Committees and the local communities; (4) The Committee consider that the provision for fast tracking and the release of grant awards under £500 in between the scheduled Area Committee Meetings should be included in any new Grants Policy adopted by the Authority. |
Agreed | ||
| 23 |
COMMUNITY UPDATE AND GRANT APPLICATIONS Report Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 Appendix 5 Appendix 6 The Community Development Officer (CDO) for Baldock and District presented the report of the Head of Policy and Community Services. He went through the budget Spreadsheet and the Area Committee Work Programme for 2014/2015, reviewing the progress of the schemes and events held in the past and also those proposed for Baldock and the surrounding area. The CDO ran through the projects, activities and schemes, giving an update on the Weekly Markets and reported that although the market was located on the pavement from Mansfield Road onwards and cars could now use the car park on the High Street, the lorries and other vehicles supporting the market stalls parked on the grass and it was becoming badly churned up. The Committee recommended that the grass is reinforced in designated pathways for the vehicles to use, which would cost in the region of £7,500. Cllr Muir stated that he would ask his contact in Herts Highways to take a look and give his opinion before proceeding. As there was no longer a Baldock Town Manager, several members of the Baldock Town Partnership (BTP) were fulfilling various roles, e.g. looking after Events, Markets, Partnership, etc. The works in Sale Drive were to be programmed as soon as possible, following receipt of a formal quotation from Hertfordshire Highways for the installation of adequate lighting and the formalising of the footpath at the rear of the road. The CDO touched on the Baldock Cycle Challenge held on 22 June 2014, stressing that 200 riders had registered to take part, and mentioned that currently 145 runners had registered for the Baldock 10km race to take place on Sunday 14 September 2014. Two more helpers were required to help marshal the event. The Committee were informed that the Balstock Music Festival had grown from one to two days and would be held over the weekend of 13 and 14 September, in conjunction with the Baldock Family Fun Weekend. Local talent would be performing, as well as bands from farther afield. The Ashwell Half Marathon had been taken over by Baldock Rotary Club, due to changes within BTP, and would be run as a fundraiser each year, commencing in April 2015. Finally, the Baldock Firework Display would be held again on 25 October 2014 in the grounds of Hartsfield JMI School and it was expected to be even bigger and better than last year. There would be live music, funfair rides and a range of food vendors available, as well as a laser show. Grant Funding The Committee was requested to note the list of funding applications at para. 7.10 as well as the recent funding releases via delegated authority as follows: - £300 to Caldecote Church Friends for the purchase of external lighting and a replacement key; - £240 to Hinxworth and Edworth Village Hall Management Committee for printing and publicity costs for the first Hinxworth Horticraft and Grand Fete event. The CDO requested the Committee's approval for two grant applications which, subject to the appropriate paperwork being produced, required the funds to be released via delegated decision. The grants were as follows: - £150 to Wonderers for start-up costs for a new group of Baldock over-55s at Baldock Town Hall; - £200 to Ashwell Academicals to assist with the purchase of new goal posts. Members agreed to support these on receipt of the paperwork. The Chairman thanked the Community Development Officer for his report and for his efforts on behalf of the people of Baldock and the surrounding area. RESOLVED: (1) That the activities and schemes with which the Community Development Officer has been involved be noted; (2) That the budgetary expenditure, balances and carry forwards within the Area Committee Development Budget spreadsheet attached at Appendix 1 be noted. 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 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 Policy; (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) Production of this report is a requirement of the ‘Priorities for the District' in which the Community Development Officer is required to produce a formal report to the Area Committee in line with the Civic Calendar. |
Agreed | ||
| 24 |
GRANT APPLICATION - FURNITURE LINK RESOLVED: That the sum of £363 be granted to NHCVS Furniture Link to assist with the cost of purchasing a good quality second hand van for furniture collection and delivery. The sum will be split in the usual proportion between all the Wards. REASON FOR DECISION: (1) 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; (2) 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 | ||
| 25 |
GRANT APPLICATION - BALSTOCK MUSIC FESTIVAL RESOLVED: That the sum of £1,000 be awarded to Balstock Music Festival for the 2-day Festival and Family Fun Weekend on 13/14 September 2014, split between Baldock Town, Baldock East and Weston and Sandon. This will assist with publicity costs, security costs, St John Ambulance, the hire of inflatables and Public Liability Insurance. REASON FOR DECISION: (1) 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; (2) 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 |
GRANT APPLICATION - BALDOCK TOWN PARTNERSHIP RESOLVED: That the sum of £1,500 be awarded to Baldock Town Partnership to assist with costs related to the 2014 Baldock Firework Display, to be held on Saturday 25 October 2014 at Hartsfield JMI School. The sum will be split between Baldock Town and Baldock East ward budgets. REASON FOR DECISION: (1) 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; (2) 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 | ||
| 27 |
GRANT APPLICATION - 1ST ASHWELL BROWNIES RESOLVED: That the sum of £418 be awarded to 1st Ashwell Brownies to assist with the purchase of a Unit flag, a large parachute for games and a Brownie handbook for each girl in the Pack. This sum will be provided from the Arbury Ward budget. REASON FOR DECISION: (1) 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; (2) 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 | ||