| Time: | 6.30pm | Place: | Committee Room 1, Council Offices, Gernon Road, Letchworth Garden City |
| PRESENT: | Councillor D.J. Barnard (Chairman), Councillor Faye Barnard, Councillor Sal Jarvis (from6.55 p.m.) and Councillor Mrs C.P.A. Strong (from 7.10p.m.). |
| IN ATTENDANCE: | Councillor Tony Hunter (Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement and Rural Affairs), Liz Green (Head of Policy and Community Services), Stuart Izzard (Community Development Manager) and Hilary Dineen (Committee and Member Services Officer). |
| ALSO PRESENT: | At the commencement of the meeting 18 members of the public. |
| Item | Description/Resolution | Status | Action | |
| PART I | ||||
| 33 |
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Alan Bardett, John Bishop, Tom Brindley, Tricia Cowley, Jane Gray and Cathryn Henry. THIS MEETING OF THE SOUTHERN RURAL COMMITTEE WAS INQUORATE. |
Noted | ||
| 34 |
MINUTES Minutes THE CHAIRMAN REQUESTED: That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 26 September 2013 be submitted to the next meeting of the Southern Rural Committee, due to be held on 23 January 2014 for approval. |
Noted | ||
| 35 |
NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS There were no notifications of other business. |
Noted | ||
| 36 |
CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS (1) The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting, particularly those giving a presentation; (2) The Chairman advised that, as this meeting of the Southern Rural Committee was inquorate therefore Members present would be unable to make any decisions. In respect of grants, applicants would be asked whether there was any urgency and non urgent applications would be referred to the next meeting of the Committee for consideration. Urgent items would be referred to the relevant Officer with delegated powers in consultation with Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement and Rural Affairs. Applicants would be advised of the decision within 2 weeks; (3) 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 or Declarable 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 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 | ||
| 37 |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - KNEBWORTH TENNIS CLUB John Harris thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation. He thanked the NHDC Officers for their help in preparing the application for grant funding and for their continued support and advised Members that there was no urgency as any grant funding would be used in the final stages of fitting out of the Club. He introduced 2 of the younger members of the club, Ollie Harris and Faye Amstutz and advised that the club was proud that members ranged in age from 5 to 75 demonstrating that tennis was one of the activities that could be played by all ages. The club was situated in a public park, which maximised access and the fees charged were £85 per year for adults and £45 per year, including free coaching sessions for juniors. Mr Harris informed Members that the old club, which had been in a poor state, had been damaged in an arson attack and the replacement would provide improved facilities. The project cost was £23.000 of which £21,000 had already been raised, mainly through the Knebworth Trust and other internal fundraising. The Chairman thanked Mr Harris, Ollie Harris and Faye Amstutz for their presentation. |
Noted | ||
| 38 |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - PIRTON SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB The Chairman advised Members that the representative of Pirton Sports and Social Club due to give a presentation was unable to attend the meeting. |
Noted | ||
| 39 |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - WYMONDLEY PARISH COUNCIL Gil Seller, Chairman of Wymondley Parish Council, thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Committee. He advised that the project to provide 2 bus shelters, one on Grimstone Road and the other on Stevenage Road, had originally been drawn to the attention of the Southern Rural Committee in March 2013 and that any grant funding would be required as soon as possible and prior to the onset of the Midwinter month. A large number of residents in the village were elderly and facilities were limited with one pub an no shops which meant there was no option but to travel either to Stevenage or Hitchin to access services and to shop. Hertfordshire County Council, Highways would be undertaking the work, providing the bus shelters and paying for the maintenance costs and road improvements, adjustments and traffic orders. The total estimated cost of the project would likely to be in the region of £15,000 of which County Councillor Richard Thake had provided £1,000 from his County Locality Budget and Councillor Sal Jarvis £300 from her Ward Member Budget 2012/13 and Wymondley Parish Council would be providing £3,100. Councillor Seller informed Members that the Parish Council was looking for matched funding from this Committee. The Chairman thanked Councillor Seller for his presentation. |
Noted | ||
| 40 |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - KINGS WALDEN PARISH COUNCIL (BREACHWOOD GREEN YOUTH CLUB) Angela Hermann, Chairman of Kings Walden Parish Council, thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Committee. She informed Members that the heating system in the Youth Club building had broken down and that they had received and estimate of £10,000 to replace the main boiler and it had therefore been decided to install a system of 6 wall mounted 6kw electric heaters, which would cost in the region of £1,500. The Parish Council had been fund raising over the last few years and was hoping to utilise such funds for the proposed Multi Use Games Area in the village and were therefore reluctant to use any reserves, which would be allocated to that project. The Chairman thanked Councillor Hermann for her presentation. |
Noted | ||
| 41 |
CHAMPION NEWS AND FINANCE REPORT Report Appendix 1 - Budgets Appendix 2 - Work Programme Appendix 3 - Grant Application - Knebworth Tennis Club Appendix 4 - Grant Application - Wymondley Parish Council Appendix 5 - Grant Application - Pirton Sports and Social Club Appendix 6 - Grant Application - Kings Walden Parish Council 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: UNALLOCATED FUNDS The current level of unallocated funds within the Committee's Development Budget was £17,550; the current level of unallocated funds within the Committee's MoU Budget was £5,370; and the current level of unallocated funds within the Committee's Ward Member Budgets is £4,751. NHDC RURAL GRANTS FUND 2013 The Community Development Manager advised that the applications for funding were currently oversubscribed and that the Member Parish Challenge (Rural Grants) Panel was scheduled to sit on Wednesday 4 December 2013. UUs/S106 CONTRIBUTIONS AND FUNDING ADVICE The Community Development Manager drew attention to Paragraph 8.6 of the report which gave details of 4 schemes being considered for S106/Unilateral Undertaking funding. CDA HERTS - RURAL HOUSING ENABLER, SHARON OSHUNIYI The Community Development Manager advised that the CDA Housing Enabler had requested permission to present to the next meeting of this Committee due to be held on 23 January 2013. THE CHAIRMAN REQUESTED: (1) That the activities and schemes with which the Community Development Officer has been involved with, as set out in the report, be noted; (2) That the budgetary expenditure, balances and carry forwards within the Area Committee Development Budget Spreadsheet, as attached at Appendix 1 to the report, be noted. |
Noted | ||
| 42 |
GRANT APPLICATION - KNEBWORTH TENNIS CLUB The Members present were pleased that young people were being encouraged into sport through the Knebworth Tennis Club and were generally supportive of the grant application. As funding was not required urgently: THE CHAIRMAN REQUESTED: That the application for grant funding from Knebworth Tennis Club, together with the notes of this meeting, be referred to the next meeting of the Committee for consideration. |
Noted | ||
| 43 |
GRANT APPLICATION - WYMONDLEY PARISH COUNCIL The Community Development Manager advised that Section 106 contributions of £1,200 under Sustainable Transport was being sought, which would reduce the amount required in grant funding for the 2 bus shelters. It was noted that Hertfordshire Highways may provide recycled shelters rather than new and therefore any grant funding should reflect the cost of the shelters. The Members present supportive of the proposal that maximum grant funding of £2,500 should be awarded from the pre-allocated Highways Projects Budget, subject to the S106 contributions being released for this project and subject to advice as to whether recycled or new bus shelters would be provided. THE CHAIRMAN REQUESTED: (1) That the application for grant funding from Wymondley Parish Council, together with the notes from this meeting, be referred to the relevant Officer with delegated powers in consultation with Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement and Rural Affairs for consideration; (2) That the Community Development Manager be requested to inform Wymondley Parish Council of the outcome of (1) above within 2 weeks. |
Noted | ||
| 44 |
GRANT APPLICATION - PIRTON SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB The Community Development Manager advised that the total cost of the project was estimated to be £8,290 and that Officers were seeking the possibility of releasing S106 contributions to part fund the proposed works. The Members present were supportive of the project and that grant funding of £1,000 be awarded towards the extension of kitchen facilities. THE CHAIRMAN REQUESTED: (1) That the application for grant funding from Pirton Sports and Social Club, together with the notes from this meeting, be referred to the relevant Officer with delegated powers in consultation with Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement and Rural Affairs for consideration; (2) That the Community Development Manager be requested to inform Pirton Sports and Social Club of the outcome of (1) above within 2 weeks. |
Noted | ||
| 45 |
GRANT APPLICATION - KINGS WALDEN PARISH COUNCIL (BREACHWOOD GREEN YOUTH CLUB) Members were generally supportive of the project and that maximum grant funding of £750 be awarded from the pre-allocated Youth Projects Budget, however fully completed paperwork and quotations must be submitted. THE CHAIRMAN REQUESTED: (1) That, subject to receipt of fully completed paperwork and quotations, the application for grant funding from Kings Walden Parish Council (Breachwood Green Youth Club), together with the notes from this meeting, be referred to the relevant Officer with delegated powers in consultation with Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement and Rural Affairs for consideration; (2) That the Community Development Manager be requested to inform Kings Walden Parish Council of the outcome of (1) above within 2 weeks. |
Noted | ||