| Time: | 7.30pm | Place: | Committee Room, Royston Town Hall, Melbourn Street, Royston |
| PRESENT: | Councillor Fiona Hill(Chairman), Councillor P.C.W. Burt, Councillor Jean Green, Councillor Tony Hunter, Councillor R.E. Inwood and Councillor Gerald Morris. |
| IN ATTENDANCE: | Inspector Daniel Lawrence (Hertfordshire Constabulary) Sgt Jon Vine (Hertfordshire Constabulary) Vaughan Watson (Head of Leisure and Environmental Services) Daniel Kingsley (Service Manager - Waste Management) David Charlton (Senior Estates Surveyor) Alan Fleck (Community Development Officer) Susanne Gow (Committee and Member Services Officer) |
| ALSO PRESENT: | At commencement of the meeting approximately 10 members of the public, including three speakers under Public Participation. |
| Item | Description/Resolution | Status | Action | |
| PART I | ||||
| 4 |
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies were tendered by Cllr Bill Davidson. |
Noted | ||
| 5 |
MINUTES Minutes RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 6 March 2013 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chairman. |
Agreed | ||
| 6 |
MINUTES Minutes RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 16 May 2013 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chairman. |
Agreed | ||
| 7 |
NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS No additional business was notified to the Chairman for discussion at this meeting. |
Noted | ||
| 8 |
CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS (1) The Chairman welcomed everyone to the Meeting, including Members, the Committee officers, NHDC officers giving a presentation, the NHDC Community Safety Manager, representatives from Hertfordshire Constabulary and members of the public, including the 3 speakers under Public Participation; (2) She informed Members that regarding the Health Service in Royston, she had secured a meeting on 7 June which would include herself, Cllr Hunter, Oliver Heald MP and representatives of the NHS and Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), to try and get some answers to pertinent questions; (3) Members were reminded that 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 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 | ||
| 9 |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (1) Mr Graham Swann addressed the Royston and District Committee, objecting to the proposed sale of 1.2 acres of land at Windmill Close, as he stated that local residents used the site for recreational purposes and they all objected to its sale. Mr Swann declared that this matter had come before the Cabinet at a Meeting on 26 March 2013 and the recommendation at that time had been that, subject to the Royston and District Committee raising no substantive objections to the proposals, the 1.2 acre site at Windmill Close, Barkway, be offered for sale for development on the open market. It was also resolved to delegate the decision on which offer to accept, to the Strategic Director of Finance, Policy and Governance, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and IT. Mr Swann then proceeded to quote several inaccuracies in the facts contained in the report. He concluded by asking the Royston and District Committee to support the residents of Barkway who wanted to retain the site at Windmill Close as a public and recreational amenity. The Chairman thanked Mr Swann for his presentation and informed him that this subject was covered by Item 9 on the Agenda, when the Committee would be discussing the matter in detail. (2) Mrs Justine Brazil of The Friends of Therfield School addressed Members in support of a grant application which had been submitted to help fund a sensory garden and wildlife habitat on the playing field at Therfield School. These would be of benefit for the schoolchildren and those younger children attending Therfield Pre-School. She explained that offers of help with the planting and maintenance of the garden and wildlife habitat had been received, and investigation into prices of the tunnel, plants, fencing panels and benches needed had come to a total sum required of £997.00. The Chairman thanked Mrs Brazil for her address, and explained that the grant application to which she had referred would be dealt with later on the Agenda, at Item 11. (3) Mr Graham Palmer addressed the Royston and District Committee on behalf of the Royston Arts Festival. He spoke in support of a grant application which had been submitted to the Committee for funds to assist the Festival organisers with the cost of publicity, artists' fees, materials and room hire. Mr Palmer informed those present that Hertfordshire arts were the least financially supported in England, and any funding from the Royston and District Committee would be very welcome. He revealed that in 2012 feedback from the Royston Arts Festival had revealed that 98% of those attending or taking part had rated the function as either Good or Excellent. The Festival had expanded in recent years, and some of the funding requested would be used to provide free workshops for those attending. The Arts Festival Committee had plans to implement many more events in the future and they were pleased to reveal that more than 50% of Festival goers in 2012 had used shops and car parks in Royston and it was hoped that this percentage would rise in future years to benefit businesses in Royston. The Chairman thanked Mr Palmer for addressing the Royston and District Committee and reminded him that the grant application to which he referred would be considered and decided later on the Agenda, at Item 11. |
Noted | ||
| 10 |
HERTFORDSHIRE CONSTABULARY - UPDATE ON NEW NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING STRUCTURE Powerpoint presentation at Committee Meeting Inspector Daniel Lawrence introduced Sgt Jon Vine, and gave the Royston and District Committee an update on the Safer Neighbourhood Policing structure. He explained that in each area he managed, he had one sergeant and a different number amount of constables and PCSOs according to the size of the area - for Royston he had four constables and three PCSOs. The areas in North Hertfordshire consisted of Letchworth and Baldock, Hitchin, Hitchin Rural and Royton and the restructure consisted of moving the manpower around while keeping total personnel numbers the same. At any time, any of the teams in North Herts could be sent to reinforce the others in the case of a major crime or an emergency. Sgt Vine stated that he had been working in the Royston area for approximately four years and he considered that he had fostered good relationships with the Royston and District Committee, as well as with local businesses, schools, youth and youth sports organisations and local young people in general. He used a robust stance when dealing with youth crime and this worked well. He proposed to regularly attend alternate Committee meetings to familiarise himself with matters raised at the meetings. The main message was that there was no major change, just minor adjustments to Police personnel and methods and that crime figures had been reduced. Suggestion boxes in the form of Waitrose "green pennies" would be used in rural areas to inform Police officers of what local residents would like done and of any concerns, and a major effort was being made to change the public's perceptions of the Police and to connect with them. The intention was to engage with the urban and rural communities, emphasising community safety. Through youth sports projects, he was already communicating with children and young people, promoting educational awareness. Members' discussion covered the fact that there was always a Police presence at the Royston Members' surgeries (the next one was on 27 July); use of ANPR vans was well managed and appeared to have engendered a reduction in vehicles speeding; the rate of house burglaries had decreased; and use of CCTV cameras were a deterrent as well as a method of crime research. Sgt Vine commented that SpeedWatch and DriveSafe were both working well and making an impact in rural areas. The Chairman thanked Inspector Lawrence and Sgt Vine for presenting the update and for answering Members' queries and looked forward to continuing the cordial working relationship with them in the future. RESOLVED: (1) That the contents of the verbal update on the new structure of the Safer Neighbourhood Team in Royston be noted; (2) That Inspector Lawrence and Sgt Vine be thanked for presenting the Update to the Committee and clarifying various points raised; (3) That the above officers be thanked for helping to maintain the excellent working relationship between the Hertfordshire Constabulary and the Royston and District Committee; (4) That the Royston and District Committee agree with, and support the proposal that an update on Police and crime matters be brought before the Committee on a quarterly basis, rather than annually as has previously been the norm. |
Noted | ||
| 11 |
NORTH HERTS NEW RECYCLING AND WASTE SERVICES Powerpoint presentation to Committee llr Burt declared a Non-Pecuniary Interest as he is Portfolio Holder for Waste, Recycling and Environment. The Head of Leisure and Environmental Services addressed the Royston and District Committee in order to give them an update using a Powerpoint presentation on the new changes in the recycling and waste services. He took the Committee through the stages of waste collection and preparation for recycling or disposal and the statistics of total waste generation, including household waste, in England, then compared the Alternate Weekly Collection (AWC) of waste when this method was introduced 2007, to the new methods about to be introduced. He covered the public perception of service pre-AWC and post-AWC and the4 performance of the NHDC Waste Streams. The Service Manager (Waste Management) went through the drivers for change and reassured the Committee that NHDC was continuing to be "greener". Organics and paper recycling generated a large income stream, although the majority of cardboard is unsuitable for composting and has to be sent to the landfill site at a cost to the Council. The new strategy will be removing cardboard from the material for composting and will prioritise landfill reduction. The Service Manager (WM) went through the tonnage of waste going to landfill and the tonnage being recycled, both currently and the estimated figures after the mixed service change. The current service of bins and recycling boxes supplied was compared to the sample representation of waste and recycling expected, with the comment that the estimated 33% of food waste shown would turn into methane and have a negative impact on the environment. The Service Manager then continued by updating members on the literature sent out advertising the forthcoming changes and the methods this had been distributed, giving the roll out programme, what was to be done about dealing with food waste for flats, the phasing out and removal of recycling banks, policy changes regarding larger families and those families with multiple babies and toddlers. The whole process of the changeover was thoroughly explained, and any queries from the Royston and District Committee, including the destination of cardboard waste, clothes and the handling of bins for blind and disabled persons were answered clearly and concisely. The Chairman thanked the Head of Leisure Management and Environmental Services and the Service Manager (Waste Management) for the comprehensive, clear and concise information given, and informed the SM (WM) that she and the Committee had appreciated his support and good work over the past years and they wished him all the very best for the future on his leaving North Herts District employment. The Committee agreed that the new changes were very welcome and the NHDC officers involved were to be congratulated on the smooth and well thought out changeover. RESOLVED: (1) That the Head of Leisure and Environmental Services and the Service Manager (Waste Management) be thanked for the comprehensive and informative presentation on the new Recycling and Waste Services; (2) That the Chairman thanked the Service Manager (Waste Management) for the support he had shown her over the past years and for his work during his time at North Herts District Council. She wished him all the best for the future from herself and from the Members of the Royston and District Committee; (3) That the Royston and District Committee welcome the new Services and congratulate the Council's Waste and Recycling department on their hard work in implementing the changes so smoothly and efficiently. |
Agreed | ||
| 12 |
LAND AT WINDMILL CLOSE, BARKWAY Report Appendix A Cllrs Burt and Hunter declared a Non-Pecuniary Interest, as both were Portfolio Holders and therefore Cabinet Members at North Herts District Council. They would remain in the room, join in the debate, but would abstain from voting. The Senior Estates Surveyor (SES) presented the report of the Head of Finance, Performance and Asset Management. The SES explained that he was seeking the views of the Royston and District Committee on a proposal to sell approximately 1.2 acres of land at Windmill Close, Barkway as outlined on the location plan appended to the report. The object of selling off the land was to provide finances to help fund the NHDC 2013 to 2016 Capital Programme and to reduce ongoing liabilities for North Herts District Council. The SES explained that at the meeting on 22 March 2011 (Min. 124 refers), Cabinet had, in principle, declared the 1.2 acre site as surplus to requirements, subject to a further report back to Cabinet, and on 26 March 2013 (Min. 150 refers) Cabinet resolved that this site be offered for sale on the open market for development subject to the Royston and District Committee raising no substantive objection to the proposals and also subject to the normal approvals (e.g. planning), which may include provisions such as affordable housing and amenity space. At the Cabinet meeting of 26 March 2013, it was also agreed that, following the receipt of offers for the site and after consultation with the local Ward Councillor (Cllr Gerald Morris), it was agreed to delegate the choice of purchaser to the Strategic Director of Finance, Policy and Governance in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and IT. However, the site was currently used by a number of residents as an open space and local residents also used it to access their rear gardens in the vicinity. Signs giving permission for this usage had been erected by NHDC in 2007, with the proviso that the permission could be withdrawn at any time. The local Ward Councillor then addressed Members in support of the residents of Barkway and reminded them that at the Cabinet Meeting of 26 March 2013 (Min. 150 refers), Cabinet had proposed that the land be sold off in its entirety. However, since that decision made by Cabinet, he had noticed several inconsistencies, which he outlined to the Committee. The Member proposed that the Royston and District Committee should ask Cabinet to reconsider its decision to sell off the whole site and suggested that some of it be retained for use by the residents as a green open space or "pocket park". At the conclusion of the debate the Committee, by a majority vote, agreed to request that Cabinet reconsider their decision to sell off the land in its entirety at Windmill Close, while retaining at least one third of the site as an amenity/green open space for residents of Barkway to enjoy. RESOLVED: (1) That the information concerning the potential sale of the asset known as Windmill Close, Barkway, be noted; (2) That the Royston and District Committee agreed to recommend to Cabinet that a portion of this asset (at least one third of the area) should be retained and that any final document should contain the condition reflecting this request. RECOMMENDED TO CABINET: (1) That the Royston and District Committee agreed that there were substantive reasons for requesting Cabinet to reconsider its decision on the sale of land at Windmill Close, Barkway and to ensure that at least one third of this site be retained as an amenity/green open space "pocket park"; (2) That subject to any sale of this asset, Cabinet should apply a condition requiring the retention of land for the purpose stated in (1) above. |
Agreed | ||
| 13 |
HIGHWAYS ISSUES Committee discussion The Chairman introduced this item and asked Members to raise any relevant issues to be dealt with. - Parking - Free after Three - It was confirmed that this would be going ahead once more. - High Street, Royston - problems with the granite setts had apparently been reported but not repaired. The High Street had already been inspected by Ringway and they were considering the action to be taken. The Chairman advised that any urgent repairs are carried out once reported and it was agreed that a long-term solution should be found; - Stop sign at the exit of the car park at the bottom of Fish Hill - this was required urgently as a safety measure, as cars were exiting the car park without the drivers stopping to consider passing traffic; - Final schemes for Phases 1 and 2 were imminent and will be fully reported at the next Royston and District Committee Meeting; - Corner of John Street - action should be taken to prevent illegal parking in this spot; - Dog bins - one was urgently needed opposite Roysia School in the vicinity of the bus stop. It was proposed that more dog bins be situated near the Royston Underpass; - Baldock Road/Baldock Street crossing(s) - it was confirmed that a feasibility study into crossing(s) in this area had been carried out, using funds from the Highways Locality Budget. Subject to funding, the crossing(s) are likely to be provided; - The Chairman confirmed that Garden Walk will be resurfaced under the Integrated Work Programme (IWP); - Officers were to carry out a site visit to Farrier Court and Titchmarsh Close to consider parking restrictions. |
Noted | ||
| 14 |
CHAMPION NEWS AND FINANCE REPORT Report Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E Appendix F Appendix G Appendix H The Community Development Officer (CDO) presented the report of the Head of Policy and Community Services. He updated the Committee on and gave a brief summary of, the activities with which he had been involved since the last meeting on 6 March 2013. The majority of activities reported needed no updates, apart from the following: Royston BMX Track The BMX track has at last been completed and conforms to national BMX standards. Citizenship Classes These were held between 23 January and 19 March 2013 and were attended by various councillors and the Royston Town Council Markets Manager. The list of comments made by the 170 children seen was attached to the report as Appendix G. Royston Youth Network This group still meets informally to share information and the last meeting was held on 18 April 2013 and was attended by County/District and Royston Town councillors, the CDO and Play, Youth Development and School Family workers detailed in the report. Among the issues discussed were ‘sexting' and the dangers of unsupervised access to the internet at home. It was noted that the popularity of the smart phone enabled children to access the internet and the difficulty of protecting children was exacerbated as there was no way of blocking mobile telephones. The CDO then tabled Appendix A, the budget spreadsheet which had not been available at the time of publishing the Meeting Agenda. He took Members through the budgetary expenditure, balances and carry-forwards from the Development Budget, together with up-to-date figures for the Memoranda of Understanding. Grant Funding The Committee considered the grant application from Royston Arts Festival for funding in the sum of £1,000, towards the cost of publicity, artists' fees, materials and room hire; The Committee considered the grant application from the Ignite Youth Group in the sum of £430 for funding support; The Committee considered the grant application from Budgetary Support, Royston Area Committee in the sum of £1,000 for the Royston Underpass mural; Councillor Inwood declared a Non-Pecuniary Interest as he is a Scout Leader with this unit. He advised that he would not leave the room for the discussion, but would abstain from the vote. The Committee considered the grant application from 10th Royston Scouts for £1,200 to assist with DDA compliant access to their Scout hut; Cllr Hill declared a Non-Pecuniary Interest as she is a member of the Committee for Friends of Therfield School and her child attends the School. She would leave the room. It was proposed, seconded and agreed that Cllr Burt would chair this item and the Chairman would return to the room after the vote. The Committee considered the grant application in the sum of £497 from Friends of Therfield School for the provision of a sensory garden and wildlife habitat on the playing field. RESOLVED: (1) That the Committee thanks the Community Development Officer (CDO) and endorses 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 the Committee agrees to make a grant award of £1,000 to Royston Arts Festival for support funding; (4) That the Committee agrees to make a grant award of £430 to Ignite for financial support; (5) That the Committee agrees to make a grant award of £1,200 to 10th Royston Scouts to assist with DDA compliant access to their Scout hut; (6) That the Committee agrees to make a grant award of £1,000 to Budgetary Support, Royston & District Committee for the Royston underpass mural, subject to funding from other sources being forthcoming; (7) That the Committee agrees to make a grant award of £497 to Friends of Therfield School for the provision of a sensory garden and wildlife habitat. 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. (5) 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 Royston and District Committee on six occasions per annum, in line with the Civic calendar. |
Agreed | ||
| 15 |
OUTSIDE ORGANISATIONS - MEMBERS' REPORTS Oral update Royston Town Twinning Association Cllr Jean Green informed the Committee that members of the Association had already visited their twin towns in Germany and Spain this year, and had hosted a delegation from France. The AGM of the Royston Town Twinning Association would take place on 6 June 2013 at 8pm in Room 11 of Royston Town Hall, Melbourn Street, Royston. Royston Volunteer Centre Cllr Green then commented that the Volunteer Centre had settled into its new premises and new courses were in the process of being organised. Royston Day Centre The Chairman confirmed that the Day Centre was running well. Coombes Community Centre She informed the Committee that the Coombes Community Centre was also running well. Cllr Burt stated that Royston in Bloom would be organising a clean up in the Town and that the date for this was 15 September (after the school summer holidays). Volunteers will shortly be called for. The Chairman thanked the Community Development Officer for presenting the report and for his hard work for the people of Royston. |
Noted | ||