Issue - meetings

To receive any verbal reports from Members regarding Ward matters and Outside Organisations.

A number of ward matters were raised by Members including:

Royston Christmas Tree

Royston Town Twinning

Royston BID

Royston Cinema.

The next meeting of the Royston and District Committee would be held on 4 December 2019.

Audio recording – 58 Minutes 43 Seconds

Councillor Ruth Brown updated the Committee on the following outside organisations:

·                Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) were required to make a mandatory pay award of 2% to all of their staff.  The funding was not index linked with North Herts District Council, however, the renewal for funding was due in March 2020 and the new administration would be looking at indexing at that time;

·                CAB had been experiencing more complex issues with clients than in the past;

·                There was a dedicated person from settle based at CAB;

·                Royston BID had been renewed.  However, due to the fact that Aldi and Marks & Spencer’s had not yet been assigned a rateable value, their income had been much lower than expected.   Long Term projects, including a high street deep clean, were on hold due to lack of income, resulting in inability to fund.

·                Royston BID would no longer be running the cinema, this would be taken on by Saffron Screen.

·                Royston Town Twinning – a quiz would be held on 19 October 2019 at Market Hill Rooms.  There was also a trip planned to visit Germany at the end of October.

Councillor Tony Hunter added that:

·                He had attended the North Herts Centre for Voluntary Service Annual General Meeting; with respect to the Year of Culture an interesting presentation had been provided.  North Hertfordshire Museum, who also had representation that evening, had produced a comprehensive Fact Sheet for which the Chairman informed that he would pass on to the Committee Clerk to attach to the next meeting Agenda for Members information; and

·                Whilst attending the Royston Working Party Meeting, pleasingly, it had been reported that whilst overdue, the electrical pit for Royston Christmas Tree had now been successfully moved back from the kerb line.