| Time: | 7.30pm | Place: | Committee Room 1, Council Offices, Gernon Road, Letchworth Garden City |
| PRESENT: | Councillor D.J. Barnard (Chairman), Councillor Cathryn Henry (Vice-Chairman), Councillor Tricia Cowley, Councillor Jane Gray, Councillor Sal Jarvis and Councillor Mrs C.P.A. Strong. |
| IN ATTENDANCE: | Stuart Izzard (Community Development Manager) and Hilary Dineen (Committee and Member Services Officer). |
| ALSO PRESENT: | At the commencment of the meeting four members of the public. |
| Item | Description/Resolution | Status | Action | |
| PART I | ||||
| 32 |
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Tom Brindley. |
Noted | ||
| 33 |
MINUTES Minutes MINUTE 26(4) - 26 JULY 2012 Members requested that Officers confirm with County Councillors Brook, Hunter and Thake that the proposed annual timetable regarding Highways Issues was acceptable. MINUTE 27 - 26 JULY 2012 Members requested that reports detailing S106 contributions for the Great Ashby and Graveley areas be sent to the relevant Ward Members. RESOLVED: (1) That the Committee and Member Services Officer be requested to confirm with Councillor Brook, Hunter and Thake that the proposed annual timetable regarding Highways Issues (see Minute 26(4) - 26 July 2012) is acceptable; (2) That the Development and Conservation Manager be requested to send reports detailing S106 contribution for the Great Ashby and Graveley area to the relevant Ward Members; (3) That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 26 July 2012 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chairman. |
Agreed | ||
| 34 |
NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS There were no notifications of other business. |
Noted | ||
| 35 |
CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS (1) The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting, particularly those giving a presentation; (2) The Chairman advised Members that he would, with their permission, offer the condolences of this Committee to the family of Councillor David Miller who passed away on 9 September 2012; (3) The Chairman reminded the Members that any declarations of interest in respect of any business set out in the agenda should be declared as either a prejudicial or personal 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 prejudicial interest should leave the room and not seek to influence the decision during that particular item. |
Noted | ||
| 36 |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - KIMPTON PRE-SCHOOL Ms Claire Clark, Voluntary Director of Kimpton Pre-School, thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Committee and informed them of the following: - The Pre-School had been registered with Ofsted since 1992; - The Pre-School was run by volunteers for the benefit of the community; - Fund raising took place to cover essential costs of £3,000 per annum; - The outside area had previously been turfed, however this did not take root and had ended up as an extremely muddy area; - The aim was to provide an artificial grassed area, which could be used by the children year round; - So far over £1,000 (including £300 from County Councillor Thake) had been raised towards the £4,212 total cost of the project; - The Parish Council had been approached for grant funding, but had informed them that their funds were fully committed this financial year, however the Parish Council had pledged support in future. Members asked whether Ofsted had commented on the outside area and why they had chosen to install an artificial surface. They asked whether charges were made to the users of the Pre-School, how much had been raised so far, whether qualified staff were employed and who owned the premises Ms Clark advised that the outside area had been usable at the time of the Ofsted visit, but it had recently deteriorated due to the bad weather and that a lot of thought had been given to replacement of the surface and the wish to keep it looking as natural as possible, yet be dry and able to be used year round. Children were charged per session and for the lunch club with charges ranging from £4.00 to £12.50 per session and that £1,185 had been raised so far mainly through Dad's Curry Nights and a Ball. Qualified staff were employed to run the sessions, which formed the Pre-School's largest expenditure along with the premises which were leased from Hertfordshire County Council on a 5 year lease. The Chairman thanked Ms Clark for her presentation. |
Noted | ||
| 37 |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - WYMONDLEY MEADERS FC Mr Alex Foreman, a representative of Wymondley Meaders FC, thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Committee and informed them of the following: - He was representing the three teams who played football on Queen Elizabeth II Playing Fields at Tower Close, Little Wymondley; - Had been playing football at this location for 7 years; - The teams played in the Northern Home Counties Sunday League; - The teams had invested in the grounds and developed some of the facilities; - Changing rooms, inside a converted container, had been purchased with the support of a loan from the Parish Council; - The pitches were marked out by the teams; - The Parish Council owned the playing field, which was part of the National Playing Fields Association, and they cut the grass; - The goal posts were about 30 years old and, although have been repaired in the past, were now beyond repair; - Funding was being sought to replace goal posts, purchase new nets and corner flags and a line marking machine. Members asked several questions including how was money raised and what were the future fundraising plans. They expressed concern regarding the ownership of the current equipment and any replacements purchased which would appear to be a Parish Council asset when they had not made the application for grant funding. Mr Foreman advised Members that money was raised through subs, signing on fees and match fees as well as Christmas Meals, Awards evenings and Football tours, which raised about £100 last year and that they had received some funding from the Parish Council and County Councillor and hoped that the players would contribute towards any shortfall. The Community Development Officer advised that the goal posts belonged to the Parish Council, as would any replacements and that they would remain in position for the whole community to use. The Chairman thanked Mr Foreman for his presentation. |
Noted | ||
| 38 |
CHAMPION NEWS AND FINANCE REPORT Report Appendix 1 - Budget Appendix 2 - Work Programme Appendix 3 - Grant Application - Kimpton Pre School Appendix 4 - Grant Application - Wymondly Meaders FC The Community Development Manager presented the report of the Head of Policy and Community Services entitled Champion News and Finance Report and drew attention to the following: PARISH COUNCIL SUPPORT - PLANNING CONTRIBUTION FUNDING The Community Development Manager informed Members that the Community Development Officers were assisting Parish Councils with projects which may be eligible for Section 106/Unilateral Undertaking payments and drew attention to the list of projects receiving support as detailed at Paragraph 3.1 of the report. He advised that Officers were continuing to work with Community Groups to identify projects that could be funded by S106 funding. Members expressed concern that S106 funding may be diverted from being spent in villages to Hitchin Swim Centre (Minute 27 - 26 July refers) and asked that the Chief Executive attend the next meeting of this Committee to explain the situation in greater detail to Members. Members were advised that village funds had not yet been allocated to Hitchin Swim Centre but this was, at the moment, a suggestion that would benefit people living in surrounding villages. OTHER SUPPORT TO PARISH COUNCILS/RURAL BASED GROUPS AND INITIATIVES The Community Development Manager drew attention to Paragraph 3.2 of the report which detailed initiatives receiving support. NORTH HERTS ASSOCIATION OF TOWN, PARISH AND COMMUNITY COUNCILS The Community Development Manager advised that the Annual Town Parish and Community Councils Conference would take place on Wednesday 24 October 2012 and that the agenda was currently prepared, which would include a talk from Brickenden Liberty Council within East Herts about the processes involved in the developing a local plan. CODICOTE AND WYMONDLEY - SUMMER VISITS OF THE WHEELS MOBILE YOUTH PROJECT The Community Development Officer advised that, as a result of visits by the Mobile Youth Project, volunteers had been identified in Wymondley to run a Wednesday Night Youth Club and 2 Volunteers had been identified in Codicote. Pro-Action would undertake CRB checks and would also offer training. WASTE NOT WANT NOT Members asked for an update on Waste Not Want Not. . The Community Development Officer advised that he was working with a number of agencies, including Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation and Herts CDA to identify potential sites, although sadly it may be that a new site may be outside of North Herts. RESOLVED: (1) That the actions taken by the Community Development Officer to promote greater community capacity and well being for rural communities be endorsed; (2) That the Committee's budgetary expenditure, balances and carry forwards from the Ward Development Budgets and the allocated Visioning Budgets be noted; (3) That the Chief Executive be requested to attend the next meeting of this Committee due to be held on 29 November 2012 to explain the allocation of S106 funding from a number of villages to the Hitchin Swim Centre project. REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure that the Committee is kept informed of the work of the Community Development Officer and to inform Members of the financial resources available to the Committee. |
Agreed | ||
| 39 |
GRANT APPLICATION - KIMPTON PRE-SCHOOL It was proposed and seconded that grant funding of £1,500 be awarded. RESOLVED: (1) That grant funding of £1,500 be awarded from the 2012 - 13 Discretionary Budget to Kimpton Pre-School towards the provision of an artificial grassed outside area; (2) That the Community Development Officer be requested obtain photographs of the area, once work had been completed, to circulate to Members of this Committee. REASON FOR DECISION: To improve services provided by local organisations and groups which are accessed by the community. |
Agreed | ||
| 40 |
GRANT APPLICATION - WYMONDLEY MEADERS FC Members were concerned about the ownership of the proposed new goals and felt that the Parish Council should be requesting the funds for this. The Community Development Officer advised that it may be possible to secure S106/Unilateral Undertaking funding for the provision of the goal posts and other equipment and that he would undertake to discuss this with the Parish Council. Members agreed that the Parish Council should be approached and that they would support the release of £1,800 S106/Unilateral Undertaking funding to the Parish Council for the provision of goal posts. If S106/Unilateral Undertaking funding could not be released then this Committee would fund £1,002 for goal posts to the Parish Council and a further £422 for equipment to be released to Wymondley Meaders FC. RESOLVED: (1) That the Community Development Officer be requested to liaise with Wymondley Parish Council with a view to applying for access to S106/Unilateral Undertaking funding towards the provision of Goal Posts; (2) That this Committee supports the release of £1,800 of S106/Unilateral Undertaking funding to Wymondley Parish Council for the provision of Goal Posts and pitch equipment; (3) That, should S106/Unilateral Undertaking funding not be released, grant funding of £1,002 be awarded to Wymondley Parish Council from the 2012/13 Discretionary Budget towards the costs of replacement goal posts; (4) That, should S106/Unilateral Undertaking funding not be released, grant funding of £422 be awarded to Wymondley Meaders FC from the 2012/13 Discretionary Budget towards the costs of replacement nets and corner flags; (5) That the Community Development Manager be requested to give an update regarding which funding route was employed to the next meeting of this Committee due to be held on 29 November 2012. REASON FOR DECISION: To improve services provided by local organisations and groups which are accessed by the community. |
Agreed | ||
| 41 |
OUTSIDE ATTENDANCE AT SOUTHERN RURAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS Members noted that Community Councillors from Great Ashby Community Council were normally in the public gallery during Southern Rural Committee meetings and thanked them for their regular attendance. |
Agreed | ||