Meeting documents

Royston and District Committee
Wednesday, 22nd September, 2010 7.30 pm


Date:	Wednesday, 28th July, 2010	Time:	7.30 pm	Place:	Committee Room, Royston Town Hall, Melbourn Street, Royston

PRESENT:	Councillor Fiona Hill(Chairman), Councillor H.M. Marshall(Vice-Chairman), Councillor P.C.W. Burt, Councillor Bill Davidson, Councillor Paul Grimes, Councillor A.F. Hunter, Councillor R.E. Inwood
IN ATTENDANCE:	Alan Fleck, Community Development Officer Susanne Gow, Committee and Member Services Officer
ALSO PRESENT:	10 members of the public, including the Chairman and the Leader of North Herts District Council, three Royston Town Councillors, the Press and registered speakers.

Item	Description/Resolution	Status	Action
PART I
17	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE No apologies for absence were received, but Councillors Davidson and Inwood had sent their apologies as they would arrive late.	Noted
18	MINUTES Data/Royston and District Committee/201009221930/Agenda/Minutes RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Royston and District Committee Meeting held on 16 June 2010 be approved as a true record of the proceedings, and be signed by the Chairman. Matters arising were: â€žX Dog fouling in Royston (to be taken as part of Champion News) â€žX Newmarket Road/A10 and (to be taken as part of Highways Issues) â€žX Safety Issues in Tannery Drift.	Agreed
19	NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS The Chairman stated that an extremely disappointing letter had been received from Jeff Tucker, Head of Passenger Transport Operations at Hertfordshire County Council regarding the rerouting of Bus Service 331 from Tannery Drift, Royston and that this would be discussed at the end of the listed items on the Agenda.	Noted
20	CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS The Chairman welcomed everybody to the meeting, including the Chairman and the Leader of North Herts District Council, public speakers under Public Participation, Royston Town Councillors and all members of the Press and the public. She informed the Committee that a petition to reinstate the No 17 bus route had been presented to Royston Town Council by Mr Emblen. Royston Town Council had then passed it to her for consideration by the Royston and District Committee. Members were reminded 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 can speak on the item, but must leave the room before the debate and vote.	Noted
21	PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 1) Mrs Denise Graham, based at the Royston Volunteer Centre at Royston Hospital, addressed the Royston and District Committee. She gave an overview of the core functions of the Volunteer Centre, such as brokerage (matching volunteers to opportunities); marketing volunteering opportunities; good practice in volunteer management; development of volunteering opportunities; lobbying, policy response and campaigning; and strategic development of volunteering in the two-year run up to the London 2012 Olympics. Mrs Graham explained that the Royston Volunteer Centre is one of nine sporting champions who develop volunteering opportunities, including mentoring GCSE students at Meridian School. She covered points such as why people should volunteer, how to find out about volunteering locally and volunteering by unemployed persons, explaining that forms to volunteer for the 2012 Olympics could be found in the local library. The Chairman thanked Mrs Graham for her interesting presentation and informed her that she could apply to the Royston and District Committee for financial assistance if she wished. A Committee Member enquired whether there were any statistics on how many of the unemployed achieved employment, and was told that the figures showed approximately 30% to 40%. On being invited to speak by the Chairman, Councillor Mrs Lindsay Davidson confirmed that Royston Town Council was keen to promote the Olympics Â¡V it should give positive results for Royston. 2) Ms Clare Swarbrick represented Time Bank, and explained that they worked closely with the Royston Volunteer Centre. She explained the function of Time Bank, sharing skills, time and resources for credits with others in the local community. Skills on offer ranged from teaching a foreign language, cutting a lawn, help with filling out forms, or even having a cup of tea and a chat. She emphasised that it was open to everybody, regardless of age, race, religion, disability or gender and that the possibilities were endless. Communities were encouraged to Â¡Â§pull togetherÂ¡Â¨ and countered the isolation felt by some people in Royston and the local area. At present there were 35 different skills on offer and Time Bank had 22 members, which was 50% of their target number with membership continually growing. The launch had been very successful, and Ms Swarbrick thanked Councillor Hill for the financial help afforded from her locality budget, which had paid for insurance. 30 hours had been traded in the past three weeks, Time Bank had made an impact on the local community and the future looked bright. The Chairman thanked Ms Swarbrick for her excellent presentation and asked if people could drop in to the office, and if so for the times it was open. This information was to be sent to the Committee and Services Member for inclusion with the Minutes (NB: Social CafÃ© sessions are held on the third Wednesday of each month, with the next one being September 15th. More details were available from Dani Edwards, Time Bank Co-ordinator, North Herts Centre for Voluntary Service, Unit 30, Campus Five, Third Avenue, Letchworth, Herts, SG6 2JF; tel 07795 821163). The Committee were in favour of this initiative. 3) Mr David Wherrell of Royston and District Community Transport thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Committee, and explained that the RDCT was started in 1994, principally to help patients get to their hospital appointments. It was a registered charity. Drivers were all volunteers and journeys were booked through the office based at Royston Hospital. An extremely large area was covered, including the surrounding villages. An minibus had now been acquired which could accommodate a wheelchair and a MPV had been donated to RDCT. The cars in use had covered 155,000 miles over the past year, and the minibus and MPV 20,000 miles in the past year. Mr Wherrell emphasised that anyone could use the service, it was for the Â¡Â§walking wounded, those in wheelchairs and not just for the elderly. He touched on the fees charged for each type of vehicle and declared that the minibus could also be hired out privately, but only with its current driver Â¡V it was not a self-drive hire vehicle, and 48 hoursÂ¡Â¦ notice was required. In these times of increasing social exclusion, demand was high and rising, with the scheme being very well used and a welcome alternative to taxis. A significant number of referrals were made from GPsÂ¡Â¦ surgeries and four new drivers had been taken on from the ranks of the unemployed. The Chairman thanked Mr Wherrell for his interesting address, and the Committee unanimously commended this very important service.	Noted
22	DISCUSSIONS ON VOLUNTARY WORK The Chairman declared that following the presentations at Item 5 on the Agenda, the Committee had discussed each of the presentations made, and that there was no need for any further discussion on this subject.	Noted
23	GROUNDS MAINTENANCE CONTRACT SPECIFICATION OPTIONS FROM 2012 ONWARDS Report The Parks and Countryside Development Manager presented the report of the Head of Leisure and Environmental Services. He explained that it was proposed that the Grounds Maintenance Contract remains the same except for the points outlined under Key Considerations. These would be built into the Contract instead of each one continually going out to tender, which should result in a cost saving. The Committee then discussed the report, and points were raised/questions asked, such as: what work would be done for snow clearance off the roads and highways (cemeteries would be cleared first if a burial was due, public pavements and footpaths were the responsibility of Hertfordshire County Council); versatility was needed within the Contract for grass cutting (it was the contractorsÂ¡Â¦ responsibility to keep the grass to a certain height); would grass cutting and snow clearing be done in the villages in the Royston area (this was the responsibility of Hertfordshire County Council, except for properties belonging to North Herts Homes); what savings were likely to be made by having a reduced specification for grass cutting (Â£5,000 p.a., without affecting the quality of the work); there were not many river culverts in the Royston area; who approves the herbicide treatment of shrub borders (NHDC Grounds Maintenance - the treatments used were the safest on the market, and regular application would not affect the local wildlife). The Chairman thanked the Parks and Countryside Development Manager for his presentation and the Royston and District Committee unanimously agreed the recommendations. RESOLVED: 1) That the Parks and Countryside Development Manager be thanked for his presentation; 2) That the Committee note the proposed new contract arrangements for Grounds Maintenance and put forward any additional comments and suggestions to the proposals given in the report, within 2 weeks, to the Service Manager Â¡V Grounds, andrew.mills@north-herts.gov.uk; 3) That officers were authorised to proceed with preparations to produce the new contract documents; 4) That a report be presented to Cabinet at their next meeting on 28 September 2010, to inform Members of the results of the tendering process and to seek approval for award at that time.	Agreed
24	LEASING OF LAND TO THE HERTS AND MIDDLESEX WILDLIFE TRUST Report The Senior Estates Surveyor presented the report of the Head of Finance, Performance and Asset Management for Committee consultation and comments. He went through the report, informing Members that the land in question consisted of two old chalk pits at Barkway Nature Reserve, Barkway and Hill End Nature Reserve, Langley, both of which had been managed by the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust under licence from North Herts District Council for many years at a peppercorn rent. The Trust had also taken over, from North Herts District Council, the management of PryorÂ¡Â¦s Wood Nature Reserve at Great Ashby. The Senior Estates Surveyor reminded Members that this was potentially a management agreement. The Committee discussed and in general agreed, that granting a longer term lease would be a good progression. A Member asked for the previous history of PryorÂ¡Â¦s Wood, but as this was not immediately available, voiced the opinion that it would be prudent to be aware of the history. On being asked what management currently existed at the Barkway chalk pits, the Senior Estates Surveyor offered to find out and inform the Committee. The Chairman thanked him for his presentation and looked forward to receiving the information requested. RESOLVED: 1) That the Senior Estates Surveyor be thanked for his presentation to the Royston and District Committee; 2) That Members of Royston and District Committee be consulted on the proposals in the report and that their comments be reported to the relevant decision maker; 3) That the Senior Estates Surveyor inform Members of the previous history of PryorÂ¡Â¦s Wood and the management currently at the chalk pits in Barkway Nature Reserve.	Agreed
25	HIGHWAYS ISSUES Report The Community Development Officer presented the report of the Head of Policy, Partnerships and Community Development, the purpose of which was to advise Members of the possible revised Area Committee funding arrangements in relation to various Highways works schemes within the Royston and District area and to seek the CommitteeÂ¡Â¦s decision on the reallocation and further commitment of Committee funds to each of the listed Highways projects. He declared that the table at para 3.9 of the report showed a shortfall of Â£375 and asked Members to commit this sum to the Royston projects. The Committee discussed the report and agreed the reallocations it contained. It was agreed that a further report on the A10 south of Royston would be brought back, with exact funding requirements, to the next meeting of the Royston and District Committee on 22 September 2010 for further discussion. Newmarket Road There were noise and speeding issues in Newmarket Road, and Herts Highways had been requested to investigate and propose possible solutions. They had confirmed that they would consider using quieter road surfaces when this area was next due for resurfacing. In addition the Police had stated that they would check on the speed of lorries and it was hoped that these measures would be adequate for alleviating the problem. It was proposed that the local residents who had presented the original petition regarding problems with the A10 Newmarket Road to the Royston and District Committee be sent a letter explaining the measures to be taken, and this was agreed unanimously by Members. RESOLVED: 1) That the Royston and District Committee reallocate Â£2,500 from Committee Funds to pay for the associated Highways works at Briary Lane; 2) That Members allocate a further Â£2,000 from Committee Funds to pay for the proposed Highways works at Garden Walk; 3) That Members allocate Â£1,875 from Committee Funds to pay for the proposed Highways works at York Way; 4) That a report on the A10 south of Royston should be brought back, with exact funding requirements, to the next meeting of the Royston and District Committee on 22 September 2010 for further discussion; 5) That the residents who had presented the original petition regarding problems with the A10 Newmarket Road to Members be updated and informed that the matter will continue to be progressed by the Royston and District Committee. REASON FOR DECISIONS: 1) To ensure that the Royston and District Committee is kept informed of the relevant issues relating to Highways works schemes within the Royston and District area; 2) To realign Area Committee funds with the respective Highways Works Scheme listed in the CommitteeÂ¡Â¦s budget spreadsheet in order to inform Members of the financial resources available to the Committee.	Agreed
26	CHAMPION NEWS Main report Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E Appendix F Appendix G Appendix H Appendix I The Community Development Officer (CDO) presented the report of the Head of Policy, Partnerships and Community Development. The items on Swift Close, the MembersÂ¡Â¦ Surgery of 12 June 2010, Fish Hill Square Enhancement, Youth Shelter and Community Development Grants Database required no updating. The Committee were informed that under Youth Council, Barkway School had expressed an interest in joining. Resulting from the CDOÂ¡Â¦s contact with the NHDC Animal Warden regarding Dog Fouling in Royston and the provision of dog waste bags, he had been informed that pre-printed bags were expensive (10,000 dog waste bags for Â£1,000). The Committee discussed various methods of distributing the bags, the need to advertise them and the potential risk to children if the bags were available to users near dog waste bins, and the CDO was requested to investigate and report back to the next Royston and District Committee Meeting on 22 September 2010. On being asked to contribute to the discussion, the Leader of North Herts District Council commented that responsible dog owners usually took the appropriate bags with them from home and the Vice-Chairman agreed, adding that signs displaying the possibility of a Â£1,000 act as a deterrent to those dog owners not as responsible. It was agreed that the CDO look into renewal of signs in hotspotsÂ¡Â¦ such as Newmarket Road and York Way. The Community Development Officer informed the Committee that a design project for Angel Pavement had been requested at a cost of Â£3,500 and that the North Herts Highways Partnership-Joint Member Panel had agreed to fund this. He declared that the Angel Pavement Working Party had selected a sample of paving and the street furniture had been removed, thus reducing the cost by Â£1,000. A final estimate was expected shortly and would be Â¡Â¥honed downÂ¡Â¦ and all materials to be used had been approved. 39 service points had been rationalised, which would lead to some disturbance in the area and two power bollards were to be installed. The proposed York stone paving would match that in the High Street. Morrisons Wall Â¡V Morrisons had indicated that they may rebuild the wall to their car park and claim against Herts Highways. This was moving very slowly. The CDO first went through the budget spreadsheet and then the grant applications, as follows: a) Â£1,250 was requested by Royston Town Youth Football Club to help set up three new Under-10 girlsÂ¡Â¦ teams and support them for one year. The Committee considered this grant application and agreed it; b) A personal interest was declared in this item by Councillor Bill Davidson, Councillor Paul Grimes and Councillor Fiona Hill as Members of the Royston Community Association. They stated that they would remain in the room and vote. The sum of Â£1,200 was requested by the Royston Community Association to help fund the replacement of 150 broken and shabby stacking chairs. The Committee agreed this grant application; c) The Barley Town House requested Â£964 to assist with replacement of the existing fluorescent and incandescent light fittings in the Town House, a Listed Building, to comply with Health and Safety requirements. The Committee considered the application and agreed it unanimously. d) Councillor Peter Burt declared a personal issue in this item as he is on the Royston Museum Sub-Committee. The sum of Â£500 was requested by Royston Museum to help with the costs of a reminiscence project, recording the experiences and opinions of local groups, and the purchase of a flat screen monitor/television and a microphone. The Committee considered and approved this grant application; e) Councillor Robert Inwood declared a personal interest in this item, as he works closely with the Depression Alliance co-ordinator. The Depression Alliance requested the sum of Â£460 towards their promotional and hall hire costs. This was considered and agreed by the Committee; f) The sum of Â£250 was requested by the North Herts Over 50s Forum to assist with recruitment costs. The Committee considered the application and agreed the grant application; g) Councillors Fiona Hill and Paul Grimes declared a prejudicial interest in this item as they are both members of Friends of Therfield School, and would leave the room for the Committee debate. The sum of Â£200 was requested by the Friends of Therfield School to help towards provision of two disabled parking spaces outside the School. Councillor Grimes stated that he believed there was ample space to park outside the School, but Councillor Hill, while agreeing with him, pointed out that this is Â¡Â§first come, first servedÂ¡Â¨. Both Members then left the Committee Room, and the Vice-Chairman presided over the debate. A Member commented that this could be rolled out in the area, as Herts County Council wanted to bring disabled children back into mainstream schools. The principle had been agreed by the Committee, who agreed the grant application; h) The sum of Â£90 was requested by Royston Town Council to support a one-day drop-in art session in Market Hill Rooms on 19 August, organised by the Extended Schools Co-ordinator for Royston. The Committee considered and agreed this grant application. The Chairman thanked the Community Development Officer for his hard work and efforts for the residents of Royston and for his support for herself and for the Royston and District Committee. RESOLVED: 1) That the Committee noted the reports under Paragraph 3 of Champion News; 2) That the Committee noted the budget and carried-forward expenditures set out in Appendix A; 3) That Members considered and agreed the grant applications from Royston Town Youth Football Club, the Royston Community Association, The Barley Town House, Royston Museum, the Depression Alliance, the North Herts Over 50s Forum, Friends of Therfield School and Royston Town Council; 4) That the Committee endorsed the actions taken by the Community Development Officer to promote greater community capacity and well-being and thanks him for all his hard work for the residents of Royston and the surrounding villages. REASON FOR DECISIONS: To ensure that the Committee are kept informed of the work of the Community Development Officer.	Agreed
27	OUTSIDE ORGANISATIONS - MEMBERS' REPORTS There were no reports available for presentation at this meeting.	Noted
28	OTHER BUSINESS - BUS ROUTE IN KNEESWORTH STREET The Chairman reminded the Committee that a letter had been sent to Herts County Council requesting the reinstatement of the No 331 bus route that had been temporarily moved from Kneesworth Street to Tannery Drift. The Committee regarded reinstatement of the No 331 bus route to Kneesworth Street as vital for the safety of pedestrians and the children attending the school in Tannery Drift. However, the reply received from Jeff Tucker, Head of Passenger Transport Operations at Herts County Council revealed that in his opinion there was no evidence of safety problems in the vicinity of Tannery Drift and that the bus route would remain as it was for the time being. The Committee expressed their disappointment and indignation at this response, which they believed put at risk the safety of mothers and children, elderly people and other pedestrians using the narrow pavements in Tannery Drift. RESOLVED: That a further letter be sent to the Head of Passenger Transport Operations at Herts County Council expressing the Royston and District CommitteeÂ¡Â¦s disappointment at his response and informing him that the Kneesworth Street area is now being visibly enforced and the Committee would like the bus route changed from the dangerous route of Tannery Drift back to Kneesworth Street.	Agreed

Published on Friday, 10th September, 2010

9.35 p.m.