| Time: | 7.30pm | Place: | Committee Room 1, Council Offices, Gernon Road, Letchworth Garden City |
| PRESENT: | Councillor Cathryn Henry (Chairman), Councillor Alan Bardett, Councillor John Bishop, Councillor Tom Brindley, Councillor Tricia Cowley, Councillor Sal Jarvis and Councillor Mrs C.P.A. Strong. |
| IN ATTENDANCE: | County Councillor Nigel Brook, County Councillor Richard Thake, Stuart Izzard (Community Development Manager) and Hilary Dineen (Committee and Member Services Officer). |
| ALSO PRESENT: | At the commencement of the meeting 3 members of the public. |
| Item | Description/Resolution | Status | Action | |
| PART I | ||||
| 72 |
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Councillors David Barnard, Faye Barnard and Jane Gray. |
Noted | ||
| 73 |
MINUTES Minutes RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 7 February 2013 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chairman. |
Agreed | ||
| 74 |
NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS There were no notifications of other business. |
Noted | ||
| 75 |
CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS (1) The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting, particularly those giving a presentation; (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 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 | ||
| 76 |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - KNEBWORTH VILLAGE FESTIVAL Representatives of the Knebworth Village Festival were unable to attend the meeting. |
Noted | ||
| 77 |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - GREAT ASHBY COMMUNITY COUNCIL Community Councillor Neil Williams, a member of Great Ashby Community Council, thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation. He informed Members that the Great Ashby Community Council were requesting grant funding of £850 to help with the first phase of developing their Community Plan. This would involve data collection using Survey Monkey followed by evaluation of the data. The aim was to start data collection in June 2013, which would coincide with the publication of the quarterly newsletter "Gasbag" which would be used for publicity, in addition flyers would be produced to encourage responses. Members asked whether the cost free version of Survey Monkey could be used for data collection. Community Councillor Williams advised that the free version of Survey Monkey was very limited in the types of questions that could be asked. The Chairman thanked Community Councillor Williams for his presentation. |
Noted | ||
| 78 |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - ICKLEFORD SQUASH CLUB Keith Hooten, Chair of the Ickleford Squash Club, thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation. Mr Hooten informed Members that the squash club was part of Ickleford Sports Club. They had recently held two sessions with Ickleford Youth Club with the aim of encouraging new youth players and hoped to do more of these. The Squash Club was seeking grant funding of £554 towards the cost of training two members of the club as level one coaches. The selected members would require a CRB and the training would include protecting children issues. Members asked how many members the club had; how often did they play and whether fees were charged. Mr Hooten advised that the club had 70 members form Ickleford, Hitchin and Stevenage playing once a week and that there was an annual membership fee for playing squash, although the aim was to provide training session free of charge in order to encourage new members. The Chairman thanked Mr Hooten for his presentation. |
Noted | ||
| 79 |
HIGHWAYS ISSUES The Chairman welcomed County Councillors Brook and Thake and thanked them for attending the meeting. She informed Members that this was an opportunity to inform County Councillors of any highways issues in the Southern Rural area and to propose any specific schemes. Members discussed several highways issues including: GENERAL ISSUES - There were many roads with large potholes, which needed attention; - Speed humps were poorly marked, with the white marking having been worn off making them dangerous; - Would 20 is plenty be considered for villages; - Did the list of footpaths requiring work still exist: - The electronic traffic signs were not popular, people felt that the money would be better spent on repairing potholes; - Parking and traffic around schools was causing problems; Councillor Thake informed Members that the County Council had given an undertaking to look at road safety strategies, of which 20 is plenty would form a part, although this had not yet happened; the list of footpaths requiring work did still exist, however funding was only available for maintenance issues at present; the electronic traffic signs that had been erected throughout the County were part of a national scheme to direct traffic on and off motorways and he advised that the Integrated Work Programme and the Asset Management Programme were both available on the Hertfordshire County Council website. Members agreed that matched funding requests for highways schemes would be considered. ISSUES FOR COUNTY COUNCILLOR BROOK Members drew attention to the following: - The speed humps in Holwell were severe and poorly marked; - Was there a maintenance programme for humps in Ickleford; - Speed humps should be painted on both sides as people park over them causing the markings to be obscured; - The footpath at Royal Oak Lane, Pirton needed attention. Councillor Brook informed Members that there was no specific funding for humps; that the road narrowing priority signs in Pirton Road, Holwell would be cleaned and the road markings, particularly road humps, in Holwell Road, Holwell would be repainted Councillor Thake agreed to discuss the re-painting of speed humps with officers ISSUES FOR COUNTY COUNCILLOR HUNTER Members drew attention to the following: - Parking and verge parking was causing a problem in the general area of Great Ashby; - The Enviro Waste site in Jacks Hill, Graveley was causing damage to local highways as well as a lot of mud on the roads; - The yellow lines opposite the bus stop in Great Ashby Way has caused even more problems. ISSUES FOR COUNTY COUNCILLOR THAKE Members drew attention to the following: - Why was Rabley Heath Road, Welwyn gritted but not Cannonsfield Road, Welwyn - Valley Road, Codicote needed resurfacing at the top; - Bury Lane/Park Street, Codicote required junction protection in the form of double yellow lines; - Verge parking in Bentick Way and High Street, Codicote was causing problems; - There were parking issues in Grimstone Road and Butts Road, Little Wymondley, it may be possible to use part of verge for parking. Councillor Thake advised that gritting was completed according to the category of roads with primary routes being completed first followed by secondary routes and undertook to enquire about the category allocated to Cannonsfield Road, Welwyn. Valley Road, Codicote had been inspected last year and had been declared structurally sound. He would be considering a request for Locality Budget spending on bus shelters in Little Wymondley. Councillor Brook advised that this year had seen a record amount of gritting by Hertfordshire County Council. Members asked that the Committee and Member Services Officer be requested to send list of highways issues to each County Councillor, send Members web links to Hertfordshire County Council's Highways Work Programme and Asset Management Programme. RESOLVED: (1) That the Committee and Member Services Officer be requested to draw up a list of highways issues for each of the three County Councillors; (2) That the lists of highways issues mentioned in (1) above be sent to the Members of this Committee; (3) That the Committee Services Officer be requested to email links to the County Councillor's Highways Work Programme to the Members of this Committee. REASON FOR DECISION: To enable the Southern Rural Committee to bring any highways issues to the attention of County Councillors and enable feedback regarding any works undertaken or added to a work programme. |
Agreed | ||
| 80 |
CHAMPION NEWS AND FINANCE REPORT Report Appendix 1 - Budgets Appendix 2 - Work Programme Appendix 3 - Grant Application - Knebworth Festival Appendix 4 - Grant Application - Great Ashby CC Community Plan Appendix 5 - Grant Application - YOPEY Appendix 6 - Grant Application - Ickleford Squash Club 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: BUDGETS He advised Members that, as this was the final meeting of the financial year, they should consider whether to allocate available funds to specific projects. Members agreed that the £3,500 currently located in the Capital Visioning Budget be allocated to future highways projects and that the remaining £194 in the Discretionary Budget be allocated to Youth Activities. GRANT FUNDING Members were concerned at the number of organisations that made year on year funding requests for the same event. They felt that the Committee's role was to seed fund events to enable them to become self funding. The consensus was that each event should receive a maximum of 3 years funding, probably on a reducing scale and that to do this Members would require details of previous grant funding included on the paperwork presented. 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 £3,500 currently located in Capital Visioning Budget be allocated to future highways projects; (4) That £194 of the Discretionary Budget be allocated towards Youth Activities; (5) That the Community Development Manager be requested to include details of the previous 3 years of funding on grant request paperwork presented to the Committee. 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 | ||
| 81 |
GRANT APPLICATION - KNEBWORTH VILLAGE FESTIVAL Members were keen to support the Knebworth Village Festival, but agreed that the main aim of grants was to seed fund not repeat funding. They therefore agreed to award £500 in grant funding and requested that the Community Development Manager inform Knebworth Village Festival that the Committee would not expect to receive applications for funding of this event in the future. RESOLVED: (1) That grant funding of £500 be awarded from the Memorandum of Understandings Budget to Knebworth Village Festival as support funding towards the provision of a Fun Day as part of Knebworth Festival Week; (2) That the Community Development Manager be requested to inform Knebworth Village Festival that this Committee would not expect to receive applications for funding of this event in future years. REASON FOR DECISION: To improve services provided by local organisations and groups which are accessed by the community. |
Agreed | ||
| 82 |
GRANT APPLICATION - GREAT ASHBY COMMUNITY COUNCIL It was proposed and seconded that grant funding of £850 be awarded to Great Ashby Community Council, however they should be informed that the Committee would not expect to receive applications for further funding of the Community Plan. RESOLVED: (1) That grant funding of £850 be awarded from the Revenue Visioning - Parish Plans and Community Projects budget to Great Ashby Community Council as support funding towards the publication, preparation, distribution and collection of a community questionnaire the results of which will feed into the Community Plan; (2) That the Community Development Manager be requested to inform Great Ashby Community Council that this Committee would not expect to receive applications for further funding of the Community Plan. REASON FOR DECISION: To improve services provided by local organisations and groups which are accessed by the community. |
Agreed | ||
| 83 |
GRANT APPLICATION - YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE YEAR AWARD (YOPEY) Members were happy to support the Young People of the Year Award, and asked that the Community Development Manager provide feedback on the workshops and the award ceremony in due course. RESOLVED: (1) That grant funding of £300 be awarded from the Youth Activities Budget to Young People of the Year Award (YOPEY) as support funding towards the costs of provision of workshops in local schools; (2) That the Community Development Manager be requested to provide feedback regarding the Young People of the Year Award workshops and the awards ceremony. REASON FOR DECISION: To improve services provided by local organisations and groups which are accessed by the community. |
Agreed | ||
| 84 |
GRANT APPLICATION - ICKLEFORD SQUASH CLUB It was proposed and seconded that grant funding of £290 be awarded to Ickleford Squash Club towards the cost of coaching training and that feedback be requested in due course. RESOLVED: (1) That grant funding of £290 be awarded from the MOU Budget to Ickleford Squash Club as support funding towards the costs of two members of the club to attain the England Squash and Racquetball Level 1 Coaching Qualification; (2) That the Community Development Manager be requested to request feedback from Ickleford Squash Club regarding the Coaching Training. REASON FOR DECISION: To improve services provided by local organisations and groups which are accessed by the community. |
Agreed | ||