| Time: | 7.30pm | Place: | Committee Room, Royston Town Hall, Melbourn Street, Royston |
| PRESENT: | Councillor Fiona Hill (Chairman),Councillor Bill Davidson (Vice-Chairman), Councillor Jean Green, Councillor A.F. Hunter and Councillor R.E. Inwood. |
| IN ATTENDANCE: | Andrew Mills (Service Manager - Grounds) Alan Fleck (Community Development Officer) Susanne Gow (Committee and Member Services Officer) |
| ALSO PRESENT: | At commencement of the Meeting 3 members of the public, including the registered speaker and Royston Town Councillor Bob Smith. |
| Item | Description/Resolution | Status | Action | |
| PART I | ||||
| 30 |
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Councillors P.C.W. Burt and G. Morris. |
Noted | ||
| 31 |
MINUTES Minutes RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 25 July 2012 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chairman. |
Agreed | ||
| 32 |
NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS There was one additional item of urgent business raised by Cllr Inwood, which the Chairman allowed at her discretion. She stated that it would be taken at the end of the rest of the items on the Agenda. |
Noted | ||
| 33 |
CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS (1) The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting including the speaker for Public Participation, and thanked them for attending; (2) She asked everybody present to stand and observe one minute's silence in memory of Cllr David Miller, a past Chairman of the Council, who had recently passed away. She expressed the Committee's condolences to Mrs Pauline Miller and the Miller family; (3) She conveyed the Royston and District Committee's best wishes for a speedy recovery to Cllr Lorna Kercher who had recently been ill; (4) The Chairman informed those present that the Committee Clerk was due to take part in a 10km Starlight Hike to raise funds for Sue Ryder Care St John's Hospice at Moggerhanger. She asked that those who wanted to, sign the sponsor sheet that was being passed around the Committee table; (5) It was announced that the Royston Town Mayor was having a quiz shortly. Teams of 8 were wanted and the Chairman asked if anybody would like to make up a team; (6) The Chairman reminded Members that any declarations of interest in respect of any business set out in the agenda should be declared as either of Disclosable Pecuniary interest, Other Pecuniary interest or Non-Pecuniary interest, and Members 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 either an Other Pecuniary interest, or a Non-Pecuniary interest which requires they leave the room under paragraph 16.3 of the Code of Conduct, can speak on the item, but must leave the room before the debate and vote. |
Noted | ||
| 34 |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Mr Phil Townsend thanked the Chairman for giving him the opportunity to address the Committee. He gave the background to the Royston BMX Racing Club and confirmed that the sport had grown into an Olympic sport. The Club is the only one with a dedicated track in Hertfordshire at present, one of only 50-60 in the United Kingdom. Funding was currently needed to demolish and remodel the whole track. £50,000 was required to upgrade the existing facilities and this had the backing of Sport England from whom a grant had been requested. It would be December before the Club knew whether this grant would be awarded. Mr Townsend admitted that the lease for the land was proving to be a problem, which had to be solved before the funding was obtained. It was hoped that some Section 106 monies could be used for this purpose. But first it was necessary to flatten and rebuild the race track; rebuild the start hill; and redo the runs using tarmac. It was also necessary to move a water supply onto the track from the boundary and ascertain the cost for this, to be completed by April/May 2013. The water pressure from the side nearest the Coombes Community Centre was very low, although the pressure was higher from the direction of the housing estates. Membership of the Club had grown since the sport had been admitted to the Olympics - from 15 there were now more than 40 young members, and a fourth coach was required. Things looked positive, but the track needed to be upgraded and refurbished to cope with the growing demand. The Chairman thanked Mr Townsend for his presentation and Members asked whether the numbers of young people from the villages using the track had grown. They were informed that these numbers had gone up, starting at the time of the Beijing Olympics and rocketing during the 2012 Olympics, as interest in British cycling had grown enormously. The water supply had to come from the housing estates because of the lower pressure on the other side and it was promised that provision from the Coombes side would be looked into. Finally, Mr Townsend announced that the East Anglian Open Championships would be held on 14 October 2012 at the Royston BMC track and invited the Committee to come along and even to bring their own bikes! The Chairman thanked Mr Townsend once again for his informative presentation and assured him that the grant application would be considered later in the Committee meeting. RESOLVED: (1) That Mr Phil Townsend of the Royston BMX Racing Club be thanked for the presentation; (2) That the Royston BMX Racing Club be congratulated on the excellent service they provided for the Royston community; (3) That a decision on the grant application be made at Agenda Item 8 - Champion News and Finance Report. |
Noted | ||
| 35 |
CEMETERY CAPACITY WITHIN ROYSTON Update The Service Manager - Grounds (SMG) presented the report of the Head of Leisure and Environmental Services on the proposed new cemetery facility in Royston and how the remaining burial space in Royston should be used. He confirmed that the Strategic Director of Customer Services (SDCS) had agreed that he should work on this project with Royston Town Council (RTC) and then report back to the Royston and District Committee, which he was here to do. He announced that progress was positive and that RTC had identified a site at Wicker Hall as their new cemetery. Key issues for planning had been overcome and RTC was negotiating the site purchase from the landowner. Councillors Hill and Hunter were on the Cemetery Working Party, so did not contribute to the Committee debate, but merely noted Members' remarks that this was what the residents of Royston wanted and that an excellent job had been done so far. On being invited to speak by the Chairman, Royston Town Councillor Bob Smith, Leader of Royston Town Council, stated that the Service Manager - Grounds had been very helpful and the purchase was now proceeding, despite the conditions applied to the planning application by NHDC Planning officers. Councillor Smith revealed that when the consultation questionnaire was issued, 87% of residents were in favour of the proposed new Royston cemetery. The Chairman thanked Cllr Smith for his input and the clarification for this item. RESOLVED: (1) That the Chairman thanks the Service Manager - Grounds for bringing the updated progress report before the Royston and District Committee; (2) That the Royston and District Committee notes the progress made by Royston Town Council regarding this issue and comments on the proposal to extend the current burial practice until the current cemetery is full or when the Royston Town Council cemetery is open; (3) That the Service Manager - Grounds undertakes an annual review of the situation and reports his findings to the Royston and District Committee, including any proposals relevant at that time regarding the future management of the existing cemeteries in Royston. REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure that a consistent and highly valued burial service is delivered to the residents of North Hertfordshire in the future. |
Noted | ||
| 36 |
HIGHWAYS ISSUES The Chairman introduced this item and asked Members to raise any relevant issues to be dealt with. To start with, she brought up the subject of car parking in areas surrounded by Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs). She explained that she and Cllr Green had visited and monitored Titchmarsh Close, where a considerable amount of problems were being caused by parked cars. This also extended to vehicles parking dangerously on yellow lines and on street corners and bends in the road, as there were no road signs specifically prohibiting this. There is also a lay-by in the area. It was proposed that the matter be dealt with in advance of the review and that costings be investigated as soon as possible and that residents be consulted. The Chairman asked Members to endorse the proposal that parking issues in Titchmarsh Close be dealt with in advance of the review, together with Farrier Court off Green Drift, as parking in this location is causing the same problems as in Titchmarsh Close. The Committee agreed to endorse the proposal. Members commented that: the King James Way project is progressing and will need funding shortly; the Royston underpass is very well used and that litter and dog fouling issues in that location are being addressed; bins have been requested in the area as soon as possible; and a safety audit is to be carried out on the cycle path. RESOLVED: That the Committee proposes that parking issues in Titchmarsh Close be dealt with in advance of the review, together with Farrier Court, off Green Drift. |
Agreed | ||
| 37 |
CHAMPION NEWS AND FINANCE REPORT Report Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E The Community Development Officer (CDO) presented the report of the Head of Policy and Community Services. He stated that Highways had been sent a report from the Chairman of Royston and District Committee, that dog fouling was not a huge issue and could be solved by using CCTV in the area and providing more dog bins. Members were also reminded that the Community Hub had now ceased operating and the money awarded to them as a grant award would therefore not be drawn down. The Chairman said that in her opinion it was a great loss and thanked everybody concerned for their hard work. The Committee was asked to consider reallocating the balance of £1,756 into the budget, which was not now needed for works on Royston Town Hall, as funding for this had been supplied by Section 106 monies. The CDO reported that the meeting of the Royston Youth Network had been successful with a lively meeting, attended by both Youth Connexions and the Police. The grant of £50 to Royston Rotary Club for a tactile map had also not been drawn down, so the money would be put towards the cost of a new flagpole. A Member then noted that the additional application received from Royston 2012 Committee could not be dealt with in an appropriate timeframe due to quorum and conflict of interest issues, so it had been suggested that alternative solutions were being examined, such as the grant possibly being signed off by the Chief Executive. The Committee considered and agreed to award the sum of £1,000 for the fees required for a solicitor which the Royston BMX Racing Club needed to hire to negotiate the land lease with NHDC. The Chairman reminded Members that the next meeting, on 28 November 2012, would be preceded by an informal feedback from grant beneficiaries during the year, together with light refreshments. She thanked the Community Development Officer for presenting the report and for his hard work for the people of Royston. Declarations of Interest: Grant Application - Royston Town Council (Appendix B) Councillor Inwood declared a Non Pecuniary Interest as a member of Royston Town Council. He advised that he would take no part in the debate and would not leave the room. This Fast Track grant was seeking ratification in the sum of £130 for a DVD/TV screen to display scenes from the Royston tapestry. Grant Application - Friends of Greneway School (Appendix D) Councillor Hill declared a Non Pecuniary Interest, as a close friend of hers is a member of Friends of Greneway School Committee. She advised that she would not take part in the discussion and would not leave the room. The grant application had been Fast Tracked and was agreed by the Members. The CDO then distributed to the Committee a version of the Potential Community Projects 2012-2013 list updated from that issued in the Agenda. RESOLVED: (1) That the Committee thanks the Community Development Officer (CDO) and endorsed the actions he has taken to promote greater community capacity and well-being; (2) That the budgetary expenditure, balances and carry-forwards from the Development Budgets be noted; (3) That Members were informed that grants totalling £1,806 would not be drawn down, as these projects had been withdrawn or completed and the monies were no longer required. They agreed that this sum be returned to the Committee's budget; (4) That the Committee considers and ratifies a grant award of £130 to Royston Town Council for purchase of museum display equipment; (5) That the Committee considers and agrees to grant £1,000 to Royston BMX Racing Club to help with funding solicitors' fees; (6) That the Committee acknowledges the recent Fast Track Grant Award, agreed by the Chairman, of £500 to Friends of Greneway School for a cookery course for young carers. REASON FOR DECISION: 1) To ensure that the Committee is kept informed of the work of the Community Development Officer; 2) To inform Members of the financial resources available to the Committee. The report draws attention to the current budgetary situation, assists in the effective financial management of the Royston 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 | ||
| 38 |
OUTSIDE ORGANISATIONS - MEMBERS' REPORTS Royston Town Twinning Association Cllr Jean Green informed Committee Members that the number of members of the Royston Town Twinning Association Committee had dwindled; the new sign (including mention of the Spanish twin town) could well be funded by a Herts County Council Locality Budget; a Casino Night had been postponed; a Hog Roast was to be organised for the German visitors; and the RTTA Annual Dinner was to be held on 24 November 2012. Royston Day Centre Cllr Bill Davidson reported that the Day Centre was operating well. Sports Council Cllr Peter Burt had left a report for the Committee Meeting when he went on leave, saying that the Sports Council was becoming increasingly productive as more sports clubs joined. Coombes Community Centre Cllr Bill Davidson informed Members that the Centre was running reasonably well. Negotiations were progressing with NHDC to renew the lease before 30 November 2012. |
Noted | ||
| 39 |
FAIRVIEW HOMES - COMMENT BY COUNCILLOR INWOOD The additional item of urgent business raised by Cllr Inwood, was that Fairview Homes will renew the grass where contractors' vehicles had been parked. |
Noted | ||