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2007–2008 Archives of Finance and Policy Minutes
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Reports and Minutes of a Meeting of the FINANCE & POLICY COMMITTEEHeld in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Berkhamsted On Monday 31st March 2008 at 7.30 p.m.
MEMBERS: Councillors D. Collins – Chairman S. Bateman – Vice Chairman (arrived at 8.05 p.m.) R.M. Cowie J. Lythgoe P. Matthews I. Reay NON-COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Councillors L. Foster Weinreb P.G. Gibbs G. Stevens OFFICER: Mr. C.R. Westwood - Town Clerk
25/08 APOLOGIES There were no apologies for absence. 26/08 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA The minutes of the meeting held on the 19th February 2008 were agreed and signed by the Chairman. 27/08 CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS A letter had been received from the interim Head of Admissions & Transport at Hertfordshire County Council in response to the Town Council’s letter regarding primary school admissions in Berkhamsted. The letter had been copied to all members of the Town Council. It was agreed that this item would be placed on the next Committee agenda. A letter had been received from NATS concerning Terminal Control North Proposed Changes to Air Space to the Chilterns & Luton Area. It was agreed that this item would be placed on the next Committee agenda. The following publications had been received: The Tring Town Crier for April 2008. The Spring Edition of the Alzheimer’s Society newsletter called Grapevine. The Town & Parish Standard for March 2008 issued by the Standards Board for England. The Local Council Review for March 2008. The Official Guide to taking part in “Enjoy England Celebrate St. George’s Day 2008”. The Chamber Pot the newsletter of the Berkhamsted & District Chamber of Commerce for February 2008. The London Luton Airport Town & Village Communities Committee newssheet for March 2008. A newsletter had been received from the Hertfordshire Heritage Fund advising of an opportunity to visit Reveley Lodge, a large Victorian/Edwardian house and garden in Bushey Heath on Wednesday 14th May at 2.30 p.m.
28/08 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Mrs. Freda Earl of Sunnyside Allotment Society referred to the application to the Town Council to pay 75% of the Allotment Society’s insurance premium for Public Liability. Her Committee was concerned that the partnership that exists between the Allotment Society and the Town Council should continue as one of its aims was to provide the best allotments at lowest cost. The Allotment Society had in the past provided free labour and the Town Council had provided the money, including money for the insurance premium. This had not been applied for as a grant and therefore the Committee had declined to provide details of the Society’s accounts. Her Committee felt that the relationship might be damaged if the request for accounts continued to be made. She was willing to answer questions. Mr. Ted Dyer said that in relation to the application by Sunnyside Rural Trust to put signs up that the Allotment Society may also want to put signs up in due course.
29/08 FINANCIAL MATTERS a. Accounts Sub-committee meeting 27th March 2008 It was RESOLVEDTo approve payments totalling £52,241.97 for the period 1st December 2007 to 31st January 2008 and to note receipts totalling £6,380.72 for the same period and to approve and adopt the minutes as circulated. Councillor Collins said that members of the Sub-Committee had agreed to invest sums of £60,000 and £100,000 (2) for varying periods of time at investment rates of 4.90%, 4.73% and 4.83% respectively. The report of the Internal Auditor dated 7th December 2007 was noted. b. To consider the payment of invoices received from Dacorum Borough Council for the costs of the May 2007 elections. It was noted that a reply had not yet been received from Dacorum Borough Council and the matter was deferred to the next Committee meeting. c. Christmas Lights i. To authorise repairs to the Christmas Lights The Chairman referred to a letter from Lamps & Tubes Illuminations Ltd. circulated with the agenda. Following discussion it was agreed to authorise repairs to the Christmas lights as described in the letter at a cost of £632 to be taken from budget. Action Town Clerk
ii. To consider replacing the conventional Christmas light bulbs with static LED lamps. Councillor Matthews as Chairman of the Climate Change Working Party referred to the report from the Town Clerk circulated with the agenda which invited the Committee to consider replacing the conventional 15watt bulbs in the Christmas lights with 1watt LED bulbs. Although the initial outlay would be high such an initiative would contribute to the reduction of the town’s carbon footprint and be popular with the townspeople. Following discussion it was RESOLVEDTo replace the conventional 15watt bulbs used in the town’s Christmas lights with 1watt LED bulbs at an approximate initial cost of £4,770 to be taken from reserves. It was noted that the initial outlay should be recovered in approximately 4 years by the reduction in electricity costs. Action Town ClerkGrant Applications (Annual budget £9900)c. Sunnyside Allotment Society – application for a Grant towards the cost of Public Liability Insurance. The Chairman referred to the application by Sunnyside Allotment Society for the Town Council to pay 75% of the cost of their insurance premium for Public Liability. The Town Clerk explained that this was the third year that the Council had been asked to contribute to this cost. The reason that the Allotment Society needed Public Liability insurance was to protect them when they were engaged in activities not related to Town Council business in respect of which the Town Council insurance would not apply. An example was an event held at Ashridge in which the Allotment Society wished to participate and the event organisers required them to have Public Liability insurance. The Allotment Society arranged cover for themselves and the Town Council at the time agreed to pay 75% of the premium. The first year that this was agreed it was not treated as a grant but the Town Clerk was now of the opinion that the only legal way of providing this money was by way of a grant under the Local Government Act and this was how the matter was treated in 2007. As a matter of good practice when grant applications were received the most recent accounts of the applicant were requested to enable the Council to judge if the application was justified. The Town Clerk had requested the accounts of the Allotment Society but this request was declined. There was sufficient money in the grant budget and the Committee needed to decide whether it was prepared to agree without having details of the Society’s accounts. Following discussion it was agreed that standard practice should be adopted and the decision as to whether or not to provide a grant to the Allotment Society was deferred pending receipt of the accounts. The Committee was not against making a grant in this case but agreed that standard practice should be followed. Action Town Clerk
30/08 POLICY MATTERS a. Dacorum 2010 – referred from last meeting (20/08) Councillor Foster Weinreb said that she had organised a meeting with representatives of Dacorum Borough Council to see if a Dacorum-wide festival was feasible. If not a smaller event focused on Berkhamsted would be more manageable. It was agreed that Councillor Foster Weinreb should report back to the next meeting of the Committee following which a small Working Group would be set up to take the matter forward. Action Councillor Foster WeinrebIt was further agreed that the suitability of Berkhamsted Castle to host a Berkhamsted-focused event should be discussed at the next meeting but it was recognised that if this was to proceed the policies of English Heritage would have to be challenged. b. Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation in the East of England Councillor Reay referred to the correspondence circulated with the agenda and said that in addition to the 15 pitches to be provided in Dacorum by 2011 there was reference in the consultation document to 3% growth per annum for which there was no justification. Councillor Reay agreed to prepare a draft response for the next meeting of the Committee. It was noted that the consultation period expires on the 16th May 2008. Action Councillor Reayc. Transition Towns Councillor Matthews explained the Transition Towns initiative which had been taken up by a number of the town’s residents who were launching the initiative at a public meeting to be held on the 17th April 2008 at All Saints Church, Shrublands Road. The residents group were asking for Town Council support. Following discussion it was agreed that: "Berkhamsted Town Council supports the residents' initiative to make Berkhamsted into a Transition Town, as one of a network of Transition Towns across the country. The Town Council will provide support and assistance to this initiative as appropriate, and this may include provision of information and contacts, help in finding meeting venues, news/information articles in Town Council newsletter and help in finding funding sources." Action Town Clerkd. Sunnyside Rural Trust – request to erect signs on land leased from the Town Council at Sunnyside Allotments. Following discussion it was agreed that the Town Council had no objection in principle to the installation of the proposed signs but there should be an acknowledgement on the main sign that the land was owned by the Town Council. A revised design for the main sign should be available at the next meeting of the Committee. Action Town Clerke. Annual Report 1st April 2007 to 31st March 2008 – To consider the format and content of the Annual Report, to be published by the 30th June 2008. Following discussion it was agreed that the format should replicate that of last year and that the Annual Report should be produced by the Town Council office by the 30th June 2008. It should include an item on the work of the Climate Change Working Party. Action Councillor Matthews / Town Clerk
31/08 LICENSING ACT 2003 a. To consider a Premises Licence Application for Verandah 333 – 337 High Street. The application was noted. b. To consider a Premises Licence Application for Gable Hall, Prince Edward Street. The application was noted.
32/08 BERKHAMSTED COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP a. Minutes of meeting held on the 15th January 2008 for discussion. The minutes of the meeting were noted. b. Report of meeting held on the 18th March 2008. The minutes of the meeting were not yet available. Councillor Foster Weinreb expressed her gratitude to the Berkhamsted Community Partnership for making river and canal projects possible through funding.
33/08 STRATEGIC PLAN & PRIORITIES To note those aspects of the plan allocated to the committee and agree an Action Plan. a. Community Safety Councillor Collins had attended the recent Police Locality meeting and had raised the issue of graffiti in the town which the Police were prioritising. Councillor Foster Weinreb said that she was looking into the possibility of providing solar lighting for the youth shelters on the skatepark b. Young People · To support Berkhamsted Raiders Community Football club in their search for new pitches Councillor Stevens said that a planning application had been submitted for a £1m project part-funded by the Football Foundation to provide an all-weather sports pitch and changing rooms at Ashlyns School which would be available for the Berkhamsted Raiders to use. However substantial funding would be needed from the community for the project to succeed. · To consider the needs of existing clubs for young people Councillor Lythgoe asked when the Youth Liaison Working Party would be set up. Councillor Foster Weinreb said that she would be undertaking this task very soon and apologised that it had not happened yet.
34/08 WORKING PARTY REPORTS a. Communications i. Berkhamsted Town Council News The Spring edition was being delivered and the Chairman congratulated Councillor Foster Weinreb on producing an excellent newsletter in respect of which he had received a number of compliments. ii. Town Council Website. Report from Working Party meeting held on the 6th March 2008. The report circulated with the agenda was noted. Work to revise the website was ongoing. b. Festival of Light 2008. It was noted that the 2008 event would be held on Sunday 23rd November 2008. c. Youth Matters i Youth Liaison Working Party To be set up by Councillor Foster Weinreb. ii. Youth Town Council – Minutes of last meeting The minutes circulated with the agenda were noted. Councillor Foster Weinreb said that the Youth Town Council was full of life and energy. iii. Swan Youth Project Councillor Foster Weinreb reported that the Swan Youth Project was going from strength to strength and paid tribute to the work of Clare Muir the Youth Officer. iv. Vide 75/07c iv - Youth Centre Lagley Meadow Councillor Collins referred to recent articles in the Gazette. He said that it was difficult to provide constructive help when the Trustees refused to meet with members of the Town Council. The Charity Commission had been provided with details of the Town Council’s concerns but had stated that the charity was too small for their involvement. It was agreed to make a further attempt to invite the Chairman of the Management Committee to a meeting. Action Town Clerk
d. Land Use Working Party (Policy) i. St. Peter’s Churchyard (detached). Progress report There was nothing to report. The Dacorum Borough Council Officer who had attended the first meeting had moved on and the Town Clerk was waiting to hear who would be replacing him.
39/08 CLOSE OF MEETING
The meeting closed at 8.55 p.m.
Reports and Minutes of a Meeting of the FINANCE & POLICY COMMITTEEHeld in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Berkhamsted On Tuesday 19th February 2008 at 7.30 p.m.
MEMBERS: Councillors D. Collins – Chairman S. Bateman – Vice Chairman (arrived at 7.38 p.m.) R.M. Cowie SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS: Councillors K. Coleman J. Laws G. Stevens OFFICER: Mr. C.R. Westwood - Town Clerk 14/08 APOLOGIES Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Lythgoe, Matthews and Reay.
15/08 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA There were no declarations of interest regarding items on the agenda.
16/08 MINUTES The minutes of the meeting held on the 21st January 2008 had been agreed at Full Council and were signed by the Chairman. a. Vide 07/08a Review of Standing Orders and Financial Regulations (draft previously circulated) Following discussion it was agreed to amend the draft at paragraph 43 to read “The Chairman, ex-officio shall be a voting member of every committee. The Deputy Chairman, ex-officio shall be a non-voting member of any committee of which he is not a substantive member.” Subject to the above change it was agreed to recommend that the revised Standing Orders and Financial Regulations be adopted by Full Council. Action Town Clerkb. Vide 07/08b Access to The Moor by Travelling Fairs and Circus Amended agreement (condition 9) Following discussion it was agreed to approve and adopt the amended agreement. Action Town Clerkc. Vide 07/08d Consultation on School Admission Arrangements Report of the Working Party. The response to the consultation and the letter identifying the need for an extra first year class was noted and approved.
17/08 CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS A letter had been received from James Doe, Head of Planning & Regeneration, Dacorum Borough Council, concerning new developments in Berkhamsted in response to the Town Council’s letter of the 24th January 2008 (Vide F&P 07/08d). The letter had been copied to Committee members. The newsletter of the Berkhamsted Citizens Association had been received advertising their Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday 13th March 2008 at 8.00 p.m. Notification had been received from Berkhamsted Lions Club of the Berkhamsted & District Community Exhibition to be held in the Town Hall from 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. on Saturday the 29th March 2008. A stall had been reserved as in previous year’s for the Town Council display. It was agreed that the Town Council would participate in the Community Exhibition and that Councillor Foster Weinreb would be asked to prepare the display on the Town Council’s stall which should include material relating to the Canal & Riverside Partnership. Action Councillor Foster Weinreb
18/08 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION There was one member of the public present who chose not to participate at this stage. 19/08 FINANCIAL MATTERS: a. To consider the payment of invoices received from Dacorum Borough Council for the costs of the May 2007 elections. It was noted that a reply to the Town Council’s letter of the 24th January 2008 was awaited. Action Town Clerkb. Vide Allotment Management Team minute 08/6.2 – Request for £2000 to be transferred to the Allotments budget to cover anticipated overspend. Following discussion it was RESOLVEDTo transfer £2,000 from reserves to the allotments budget to cover an anticipated over-spend during the current financial year. Action Mr. Price
20/08 POLICY MATTERS a. Appointment of External Auditor – correspondence from the Audit Commission The correspondence circulated with the agenda was noted. b. Dacorum 2010 – referred from full Council (09/08) Following discussion it was agreed to defer this item to the next meeting of the Committee when proposals would be considered relating to the nature of the event to be held and the setting up of a Working Party to manage it. Action Town Clerk
21/08 BERKHAMSTED COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP a. Minutes of meeting held on the 15th January 2008 for discussion. The minutes of the meeting were not yet available. Councillor Collins said that it was necessary to nominate a second Councillor to represent the Town Council on the Berkhamsted Community Partnership in view of Councillor Foster Weinreb’s interest in the Community Boatyard Project. It was agreed that Councillor Collins would be the Town Council’s additional representative. Action Town Clerk
22/08 STRATEGIC PLAN & PRIORITIES To note those aspects of the plan allocated to the committee and agree an Action Plan. a. Community Safety It was noted that there were still problems with the opening hours of the Police Station, which were currently much reduced. This was one of the matters still to be resolved with the Police.
b. Young People It was noted that Councillor Foster Weinreb was still working on setting up the Youth Liaison Group. 23/08 WORKING PARTY REPORTS: a. Communications i. Berkhamsted Town Council News Councillor Collins said that the next edition was due in March and should be delivered in sufficient time to advertise the Annual Town Meeting. He would liaise with the Town Clerk to prepare a draft for circulation. Action Councillor Collins and Town Clerkii. Notice boards There was nothing to report. iii. Town Council Website A meeting of the Working Party had been arranged for 2.30 p.m. on Thursday 6th March 2008. iv. Market Stall A pitch for the Market Stall had been booked for Saturday 15th March 2008. b. Festival of Light 2008. Councillor Laws reported that a de-brief meeting had been held and ideas were being formulated for the 2008 event. It was intended to start meetings at the beginning of May. Berkhamsted Lions Club had indicated that they would like to take a more active role on the Committee. c. Youth Matters i Youth Liaison Working Party There was nothing to report. ii. Youth Town Council The minutes of the last meeting were noted. iii. Swan Youth Project There was nothing to report. iv. Vide 75/07 c iv - Youth Centre Lagley Meadow. Councillor Collins said that the Trustees and Chairman of the Management Committee had been invited to a meeting that day but had not appeared. It was agreed that an approach should be made directly to the Chairman of the Management Committee and an inquiry should be made with the Charity Commission to establish if they had any powers in this situation. Numerous requests had now been made for a meeting to establish how the facility was being used but the Trustees seemed unwilling to respond. Action Town Clerk
d. Land Use Working Party (Policy) i. St. Peter’s Churchyard (detached) – Report of meeting held on 24th January at 2.30pm. Councillor Collins reported on the meeting held on the 24th January 2008 which had been attended by Peter Snow from Dacorum Borough Council and Messrs Green and Morris from the Parochial Church Council. The discussion centred around converting the lower Churchyard in Rectory Lane to an area that could be used as community space. Peter Snow had agreed to make contact with someone who had expertise in such matters with a view to organising a further meeting. Further information would follow once that meeting had been held.
24/08 CLOSE OF MEETING The meeting closed at 8.09 p.m.
Reports and Minutes of a Meeting of the FINANCE & POLICY COMMITTEEHeld in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Berkhamsted On Monday 21st January 2008 at 7.30 p.m.
MEMBERS: Councillors D. Collins – Chairman R.M. Cowie J. Lythgoe P. Matthews I. Reay NON-COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Councillors P. Gibbs G. Stevens L. Foster Weinreb OFFICER: Mr. C.R. Westwood - Town Clerk
01/08 APOLOGIES Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Bateman.
02/08 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA Councillor Gibbs declared a personal interest in item 06/08c as a Trustee of Northchurch United Charities.
03/08 MINUTES The minutes of the meeting held on the 17th December 2007 were agreed and signed by the Chairman. a. Vide 104/07 – Adult Care Services Manor Street The Town Clerk read a response received from David Quirke-Thornton of Adult Care Services indicating that the Town Council’s comments would be considered by County Councillors before a decision was made. b. Vide 106/07 – Policing Plan 2008 – 2011 The Town Clerk reported that Councillor Allen had considered the Policing Plan and a response was not required at this stage.
04/08 CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS The HAPTC newsletter for December 2007 had been received and copied to Councillors. A letter had been received from Hertfordshire County Council inviting members to the Annual Employers Meeting of the Hertfordshire Local Government Pension Scheme to be held on the 9th April 2008 at the Fielder Centre, Hatfield. 05/08 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION There was one member of the public present who addressed the Committee later in the meeting.
06/08 FINANCIAL MATTERS: a. Accounts Sub-Committee – minutes of the meeting held on the 16th January 2008 for approval and adoption. It was RESOLVEDTo approve payments totalling £36,884.69 for the period 1st October to 30th November 2007 and to note receipts totalling £6,485.83 for the same period and to approve and adopt the minutes as circulated. Councillor Collins said that members of the Sub-Committee had agreed to invest a sum of £100,000 for twelve months from the 13th March 2008 and the investment rates obtained were now displayed on the financial forecast circulated with the agenda. b. To consider the payment of invoices received from Dacorum Borough Council for the costs of the May 2007 elections. Councillor Collins said that the increase in election costs to the Town Council compared with 2003 was 54% despite advice received prior to the election that the increase would be around 20%, therefore a letter had been sent to the Chief Executive asking for an explanation. It was agreed not to pay the invoices before considering the reply. Grant Applications (Annual budget £9900)c. Northchurch United Charities Following discussion it was agreed to provide a grant of £500 to Northchurch United Charities under Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972. Action Town Clerkd. Swan Youth Centre Following discussion it was RESOLVED to recommendTo provide a grant of £6,816 to the Swan Youth Centre to be used solely for the purpose of further training of existing staff and new training for volunteers to enable the Year 8 Drop-In to be expanded by opening on Thursday evenings and the Weekend Drop-In on Saturday afternoons. As a condition of the grant regular feedback on progress was to be provided to the Town Council along with a guarantee that the services described will be provided throughout the year. Grant to be taken from the monies refunded from the Skatepark grant. Action Town Clerk
07/08 POLICY MATTERS a. Review of Standing Orders and Financial Regulations – progress report. Councillor Collins reported that he and the Town Clerk had met and had produced draft amended standing orders and financial regulations based on the NALC model, which would be circulated to all members. Councillors were asked to send any comments to the Town Clerk before the next meeting of the Committee. Councillor Collins asked members to take particular note of a proposed change to enable the Mayor and Deputy Mayor as Ex-Officio Members of all Committees and Sub-Committees to be able to vote when attending those meetings. Previous standing orders did not provide the Mayor and Deputy Mayor with the right to vote. Action Town Clerk / ALL Councillorsb. Access to The Moor by Travelling Fairs and Circus Councillor Collins referred to the letter received from Mr. Holmes of 40 Castle Street, Berkhamsted pointing out that damage is regularly caused to the frontage of his property when large vehicles from the circus gain access to The Moor. Following discussion it was agreed to write to Hertfordshire Highways and the Police Traffic Management Officer to seek their advice on whether or not it is acceptable for large articulated vehicles of the type used by the circus and funfair to use narrow roads such as Castle Street and Mill Street for access. It was also agreed to inquire of Dacorum Borough Council as to whether the railings along side The Moor in Mill Street could be reconfigured to make access easier. Action Town Clerkc. Green Flag Status – Canal Fields Management Plan for discussion Councillor Collins referred to the draft management and action plans circulated with the agenda. Councillor Cowie suggested that the plans could be accepted but having attended the meeting with Borough Council Officers he felt that the Town Council should be reassured that the Officers and Directors of the Borough Council were wholly committed to bringing Canal Fields to Green Flag Status. Following discussion it was agreed to raise the following points with the Borough Council: q The Town Warden would require training to carry out Risk Assessments of the Canal Fields area. q There is no mention in the Management Plan of the need for a hedge to screen Canal Fields from the car park. q One agency should be responsible for litter-picking the whole of the Canal Fields area. q The effort required to maintain Canal Fields to Green Flag Standard should not detract from general maintenance work in other parts of the town. q There is no mention of the Canal Gym in the Management Plan. q A swing for disabled children should be installed in the Canal Fields playground. q The pathway to Canal Fields play area should be improved to cater for wheelchair users. q The Town Council questions the comment regarding ownership. It is believed that Canal Fields was gifted to the people of Berkhamsted by Lord Brownlow in the 19C. q The Town Council requires reassurance that the Directors and Officers of the Borough Council are wholly committed to bringing Canal Fields to Green Flag Status. Action Town Clerkd. Consultation on School Admissions Arrangements for 2009/2010 Councillor Collins referred to the letter circulated with the agenda and the associated report. It was agreed to set up a Working Party consisting of Councillors Collins, Cowie and Stevens to consider the report and respond by the 15th February 2008. Councillor Collins said that one matter that needed to be included in the response were the proposed admission numbers for Berkhamsted schools, in particular, Greenway, Swing Gate and Westfield which had no vacancies for 2008/9. It had been established that approximately 30 Berkhamsted children were having to go to schools in Hemel Hempstead due to lack of school spaces in Berkhamsted. Councillor Stevens said that this would eventually undermine the three-tier system, as children going to Hemel Hempstead schools were likely to remain in the conventional system. In addition to setting up the Working Party it was agreed to write to James Doe, the new Head of Planning & Regeneration, Dacorum Borough Council, to point out to him the consequences of building new developments in the town and the effect on the infrastructure in this case with particular reference to the school system. Action Town Clerk
08/08 BERKHAMSTED COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP a. Minutes of meeting held on the 27th November 2007 The meeting was adjourned to allow the Chairman of the Community Partnership, Mr. Statham, to comment on the minutes. He said that as far as the Canal Gym was concerned the final site and supplier had not yet been chosen. The meeting was reconvened. The minutes were noted.
09/08 STRATEGIC PLAN AND PRIORITIES To note those aspects of the plan allocated to the committee and agree an Action Plan. a. Community Safety There was nothing to report. b. Young People Councillor Foster Weinreb said that the Young Peoples Working Party was to become a Partnership to coordinate everything that was on offer to the under 18’s in Berkhamsted by the production of a newssheet.
10/08 Working Party Reports: a. Communications i. Berkhamsted Town Council News The Town Clerk said that overall the new delivery service seemed to be satisfactory. There had been a problem with one area as a result of which certain roads had been re-done. Councillor Foster Weinreb reported that neither she nor her neighbours in Ravens Lane had received a newsletter. Quotation for delivery from Berkhamsted Living The quotation received from Berkhamsted Living was considered but the dates did not currently accord with the production of the newsletter. It was therefore agreed to proceed with the current deliverer and review the arrangements in 12 months time. The next newsletter was due for production in March 2008. ii. Notice boards There was nothing to report. iii. Town Council Web site There was nothing to report. iv. Market Stall A Market Stall pitch had been booked for Saturday 15th March 2008. b. Festival of Light 2008. i. To consider the Christmas Light contract for 2008 a. Estimates from Lamps & Tubes Illuminations Ltd Councillor Collins said that correspondence had been received from Lamps & Tubes and it was clear that the Town Council agreement with them did not expire until January 2009. They would therefore provide the Christmas Lights display for 2008/9. They had also provided quotations for the following 3 years, which would be considered at a later date. Action Town Clerkb. Oral report on the Borough wide Contract managed by Dacorum Borough Council Councillor Collins said that information had been received from Mr. Guiton, Town Centres Manager, that the Borough wide contractor could not provide Berkhamsted with Christmas lights unless he dropped another town, which he was reluctant to do. A quotation had been received which was far more than what the Town Council was currently paying. Joining the Borough wide contract was therefore not currently an option for consideration. c. Youth Matters i Youth Liaison Working Party See 09/08b. ii. Youth Town Council – Minutes of last meeting The minutes were noted. iii. Swan Youth Project See 06/08d. iv. Vide 75/07 c iv - Youth Centre Lagley Meadow Councillor Collins said that despite numerous telephone calls and letters a reply had still not been received from the Chairman of the Trustees. Members of the Committee were critical of the fact that it was taking so long to organise a meeting in respect of a facility, which belonged to the town, and in respect of which the Town Council had a right to know how it was being used. It was agreed to invite the Chairman of the Trustees to a meeting on a date set by the Town Council. It was also agreed to establish if the Charity Commission had powers to take action in a case such as this where it appeared that the Trustees were not accountable. Action Councillor Collins & Town Clerk d. Land Use Working Party (Policy) i. St. Peter’s Churchyard (detached) – meeting arranged for the 24th January at 2.30pm. The meeting would be attended by Councillors Collins and Cowie. e. Bridgewater Boats Site, Bridge Street To consider the following proposed resolution: The Town Council resolves to support the proposal to create a Community Boatyard on the Bridgewater Boats site, for community and educational use related to the preservation and enhancement of the Canal in Berkhamsted. Councillor Collins proposed that the Committee should recommend the resolution to Full Council. Councillor Lythgoe said the resolution lacked detail and more information was required regarding the proposed scheme. The meeting was adjourned to allow Mr. Statham, Chairman of the Berkhamsted Community Partnership, to explain that the East of England Development Agency had made funding available to Community Partnerships to enable them to acquire an asset for income generation. The boatyard might become available for purchase subject to the result of a forthcoming appeal by a developer. If the appeal failed the Community Partnership would consider acquiring and developing the boatyard as a multi-use centre including a service point for canal traffic, training allied to schools and apprentice workshops associated with the boat trade. The initial step would be to obtain a bursary for a feasibility study, which may be followed by an application for full funding and purchase. The meeting was reconvened. Councillor Reay proposed that the resolution be amended to “support in principle” and further proposed that the community and educational use should be sustainable. Following discussion it was RESOLVED to recommendThe Town Council resolves to support in principle the proposal to create a Community Boatyard on the Bridgewater Boats site, for sustainable community and educational use related to the preservation and enhancement of the Canal in Berkhamsted. Four members voted in favour of the resolution and one against.
11/08 Part II – CLOSED SESSION – Exclusion of the Press and Public It was RESOLVED That under Section 1 of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 the public and press be excluded during the items in Part II of the agenda for this meeting, because it is likely that publicity would prejudice the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business or for other special reasons stated in the resolution, arising from the nature of the business or proceedings. 12/08 TO REVIEW THE MANAGEMENT OF THE TOWN COUNCIL’S WEB SITE. Councillor Cowie said that in his opinion and the opinion of those he had consulted there were issues regarding the design of the Town Council’s website which needed to be addressed. Following discussion it was agreed to set up a Working Party to consider the existing design of the website, whether or not it needed to be changed and alternative sources of supply. The Working Party would consist of Councillor Matthews, Cowie and Foster Weinreb together with the Town Clerk. The Working Party was required to report to the meeting of the Finance & Policy Committee meeting to be held on 12th May 2008. Action Town Clerk Councillor Stevens said that the Working Party should obtain information from HAPTC regarding the design and construction of their website and suggested that the Working Party should consider obtaining a Berkhamsted Town Council email address for all Councillors. Action Working Party Members
13/08 CLOSE OF MEETING The meeting closed at 9.15 p.m.
Reports and Minutes of a Meeting of the FINANCE & POLICY COMMITTEEHeld in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Berkhamsted On Monday 17th December 2007 at 7.30 p.m.
MEMBERS: Councillors D. Collins – Chairman S. Bateman – Vice Chairman R.M. Cowie J. Lythgoe P. Matthews I. Reay NON-COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Councillors P. Gibbs J. Laws G. Stevens OFFICER: Mr. C.R. Westwood - Town Clerk
101/07 APOLOGIES There were no apologies for absence. 102/07 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA Councillor Stevens declared a personal interest in item 105/07b as the Chairman of HAPTC. Councillor Cowie declared a personal interest in item 106/07b as the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce. Councillor Gibbs declared a personal interest in item 107/07a as the Chairman of the Berkhamsted Castle Liaison Group. 103/07 MINUTES Minutes of the meeting held on the 19th November 2007 had been agreed at Full Council and were signed by the Chairman. i. Vide 95/07 Public toilets in Water Lane – progress report Councillor Laws said that a positive response had been received from Steve Tarbox of Dacorum Borough Council and a meeting had been arranged for 10th January 2008. Councillor Collins reported that the Manager of Waitrose had indicated that the toilets in the shop were for customer use only and she was not in favour of installing signs directing members of the public to those toilets. ii. Vide 98/07 Community Safety – mobile CCTV camera Councillor Collins reported that a negative response had been received from Town and Parish councils in Dacorum to the offer of sharing the cost of a mobile CCTV camera. The Police did not currently support the initiative in view of the low levels of reported crime and anti-social behaviour. There were also logistical problems to overcome were such a camera to be purchased. Following discussion it was agreed not to proceed until there was more justifiable evidence available that the purchase of a camera was necessary in the interests of public safety.
104/07 CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS Information had been received from Hertfordshire County Council Adult Care Services concerning the future use of the temporary building in Manor Street. A consultation document had been copied to all Councillors for return by the 11th January 2008. It was agreed that the Town Council should respond to the effect that an alternative location in Berkhamsted should be found for the Adult Care Services and that it would be extremely concerned if these facilities were lost. Action Town ClerkPublic participation There were no members of the public present.
105/07 FINANCIAL MATTERS: a. Annual Return year ended 31st March 2007 – report from Lubbock Fine i. Review of internal audit and control systems ii. Fidelity Guarantee Insurance The external auditor’s certificate and opinion were noted. A review of the effectiveness of the system of internal audit and control had been carried out for this financial year. Following discussion it was agreed that the Council’s Fidelity Guarantee insurance cover of £150,000 was adequate given the safeguards in-built to the accounting system. b. HAPTC Subscription – to note and approve the annual subscription for 2008/9 Following discussion it was agreed to approve payment of the annual subscription to HAPTC for 2008/9 in the sum of £1,670.97 subject to a full report being prepared for consideration in 12 months time on what use the Town Council had made of the services offered by NALC and HAPTC in order to identify the benefits of membership. It was further agreed to invite the County Officer to a future meeting of the Council to explain what the benefits of membership are. Action Town Clerkc. Sunnyside Allotments Water Infrastructure Project – to approve a further payment to the Allotment Society of £337.48 + VAT Following discussion it was RESOLVED To authorise a further payment of Sunnyside Allotment Society of £337.48 plus VAT to cover the overspend in respect of the water infrastructure at Sunnyside Allotments. Payment to be made from reserves. Action Town Clerk Grant Applications (Annual budget £9900)d. Northchurch United Charities Following discussion it was agreed to defer this application to the next meeting of the Committee and in the meantime to establish the criteria that Northchurch United Charities use to enable them to decide to whom disbursements should be made. Action Town Clerk
106/07 POLICY MATTERS a. Review of Standing Orders and Financial Regulations – progress report Councillor Collins reported that a meeting had been arranged with the Town Clerk for the 8th January 2008 and a report would be made to the next meeting of the Committee. Action Councillor Collins & Town Clerkb. Berkhamsted Chamber of Commerce - invitation for Membership Following discussion it was RESOLVED That the Town Council should apply for membership of the Berkhamsted Chamber of Commerce at an annual cost of £30. Action Town Clerk c. Licensing Act 2003 – Premises Licence application for the Olive Tree Restaurant The application for a premises licence for the Olive Tree Restaurant was noted. No objections had been received from members of the public and therefore the Town Council had no comment to make. d. Policing Plan 2008 to 2011 Following discussion it was agreed that Councillor Allen should be asked to liaise with the Town Clerk to determine the Town Council’s response, by the 21st January 2008. Action Councillor Allen & Town Clerk
107/07 BERKHAMSTED CASTLE LIAISON GROUP a. To confirm representation of the Town Council in accordance with the Constitution (3 members) It was agreed that the Town Council representatives on the Berkhamsted Castle Liaison Group would be: Councillors Collins, Gibbs and Matthews. Action Town Clerk
108/07 BERKHAMSTED COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP a. Minutes of meeting held on the 27th November 2007 The minutes of the meeting had not been received.
109/07 STRATEGIC PLAN & PRIORITIES Following discussion it was agreed that various initiatives were underway in relation to the Strategic Plan. Councillor Reay said that now that Ward Councillors hold their own budget they may contribute to certain initiatives, for example, the installation of a swing for disabled children in Canal Fields. Councillor Stevens asked the Committee to note that the Civic Award for a young person would be presented at the Annual Town Meeting and that the Town Council should take an early view on who the recipient should be.
110/07 WORKING PARTY REPORTS: a. Communications i. Berkhamsted Town Council News Quotation for delivery from Berkhamsted Living Councillor Collins said that the Winter edition of the newsletter was now being delivered. A new delivery service was being used and it was agreed that the quote from Berkhamsted Living for delivery of the next newsletter by Royal Mail would be deferred until the success or otherwise of the new delivery service was established. ii. Notice boards There was nothing to report other than the fact that the new Charles Clark notice board was being well used. iii. Town Council Website It was agreed to defer any discussion on the future of the website to the next meeting and as it involved contractual issues it should be under Part II. Action Town Clerk
iv. Market Stall It was noted that a market stall pitch had been booked for 15th March 2008. b. Festival of Light 2007 i. Festival Report – Councillor Laws Councillor Laws said that despite the very wet weather she had received positive feedback from people attending the event where there was a good community spirit. The lights had come on and problems arising since were being quickly rectified. The display was impressive but she had been saddened by the damage to the Christmas tree lights over the weekend. Councillor Laws and the Town Clerk were thanked for their efforts in respect of the Christmas lights display. Youth Matters i Youth Liaison Working Party It was intended that this group would be activated early in 2008. ii. Youth Town Council The minutes of the meeting held on the 14th November 2007 were noted. iii. Swan Youth Project There was nothing to report. iv. Vide 75/07c iv - Youth Centre Lagley Meadow Councillor Collins said that the fact that there was still no response for the request of a meeting was unacceptable. It was agreed that a further letter be sent to insist on an early meeting with the Trustees. The Lagley Meadow Youth Centre was a resource for the youth of the Town and the Town Council does not know how it is being used. Action Town Clerkc. Land Use Working Party (Policy) i. St. Peter’s Churchyard Councillor Collins referred to the report from the Parochial Church Council circulated with the agenda proposing that more amenity use should be made of the churchyard in Rectory Lane. It was agreed to write to Dacorum Borough Council and the Parochial Church Council to request a meeting to discuss the opportunities presented. Action Town Clerk
111/07 CLOSE OF MEETING
The meeting closed at 8.47 p.m.
Reports and Minutes of a Meeting of the FINANCE & POLICY COMMITTEEHeld in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Berkhamsted On Monday 19th November 2007 at 7.30 p.m.
MEMBERS: Councillors D. Collins – Chairman J. Lythgoe P. Matthews I. Reay SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS: Councillor L. Foster Weinreb J. Laws NON-COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Councillor P.G. Gibbs G. Stevens OFFICER: Mr. C.R. Westwood - Town Clerk
89/07 APOLOGIES Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bateman and Cowie. 90/07 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA Councillor Gibbs declared a personal interest in item 96/07 as Chairman of the Castle Liaison Group. 91/07 MINUTES The minutes of the meeting held on the 15th October 2007 were agreed and signed by the Chairman. Vide 79/07 - Town Guide – progress report Councillor Collins said that a draft front cover had been received which was circulated to members and accepted. He said the format of the guide had also been agreed in principle and deadline for publication was the 2nd June 2008. Action Town ClerkVide 83/07 - Town Centre Sculpture – report of meeting held on the 30th October 2007.Councillor Collins said that he and Councillor Lythgoe had met David Woollacott and had agreed that his proposed sculpture was inappropriate. However Mr. Woollacott had agreed to produce designs for two welcome signs to be possibly placed at each end of the High Street. The designs were awaited. Vide 83/07 - Town Twinning – result of enquiries with local Schools Councillor Collins reported that letters had been received from Ashlyns and the Collegiate School. Ashlyns had confirmed that student exchanges still take place with Beaune. The Collegiate School had said that there was no current contact. It was agreed to inform Professor Coveney. Action Town Clerk
92/07 CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS The following publications had been received: Horizon 73 the newsletter of Hertfordshire University. The Annual Report & Accounts of Berkhamsted Town Hall Trust to the 31st July 2007. The Hertfordshire Association of Parish & Town Councils newsletter for October A letter of thanks had been received from the Cowper Society for the Town Council’s contribution of £1,500 towards the St. Peter’s Church organ appeal. A letter of thanks had been received from the Governors of Victoria First School for the Town Council’s donation of £5,000 towards the school’s new building project. A signed copy of a book entitled “A Town in the Country Berkhamsted 1939 – 1999” had been presented to the Town Council by its local author Jean de Lisle. It was agreed that a letter of thanks should be sent to Mrs de Lisle. Action Town Clerk
93/07 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Mr. Tony Statham of the Berkhamsted Community Partnership was present and was consulted during an adjournment to discuss the minutes of their last meeting. 94/07 FINANCIAL MATTERS a. Budget 2008/2009 Councillor Collins referred to the second draft of the budget circulated with the agenda. Following discussion it was RESOLVED to recommend adoption of the draft budget by Full Council at its next meeting. b. Correspondence from Dacorum Borough Council The correspondence from Dacorum Borough Council was noted. The concurrent services request within the draft budget was unchanged from last year. c. Minutes of the Accounts Sub-committee meeting held on the 15th November 2007 for approval and adoption. It was RESOLVEDTo approve payments totalling £27,574.07 for the period 1st August to 30th September 2007 and to note receipts totalling £16,112.94 for the same period and to approve and adopt the minutes as circulated including the internal audit review which had been carried in accordance with the Accounts & Audit Regulations 2006. It was agreed that the review of the effectiveness of the internal auditor had been satisfactorily concluded and that Dacorum Borough Council continue to provide the internal audit service. Grant Applications (Annual budget £9900)d. Berkhamsted Community Partnership Councillor Collins referred to the correspondence received from the Partnership requesting a grant towards the cost of the Project Officer for 2008/9. Following discussion it was RESOLVED to recommendThat the sum of £3,185 should be granted to the Partnership from the projects allocation in the Town Council’s budget for 2008/9.95/07 POLICY MATTERS a. Review of Standing Orders and financial Regulations – progress report. Councillor Collins said there was nothing to report but he would be meeting with the Town Clerk to carry out the review prior to the committee meeting in January 2008. b. Condition of the Public Toilets in Water Lane Councillor Laws referred to her report circulated with the agenda. There was general agreement that the Water Lane public toilets were unsatisfactory and in urgent need of refurbishment. Following discussion it was agreed to write to Mr. Steve Tarbox of Dacorum Borough Council to bring to his attention the Town Council’s concerns and to ask for provision to be made in next year’s budget for refurbishment to be carried out. The Town Council was also concerned at the lack of supervision of the toilets, which should be increased. It was further agreed to write to the Manager of Waitrose to request a discussion on the installation of signs directing members of the public to the toilets in Waitrose shop as an additional facility to Water Lane. Action Town Clerk
96/07 BERKHAMSTED CASTLE LIAISON GROUP a. Minutes of last meeting and Constitution Councillor Collins referred to the minutes of the last meeting circulated with the agenda and to the constitution. He identified that the Town Council could nominate three Councillors to the Group. It was agreed that the nominations would be decided at the next meeting of the Committee. Councillor Matthews referred to the section in the minutes headed Community Events and said that there should be a scientific explanation as to why it was not possible to penetrate the surface of the Castle grounds beyond 3 inches. Action Mr. BarnesCouncillor Matthews also said that the problems preventing the use of the Castle for community events need to be discussed and in his opinion could possibly be overcome. Action Mr. Barnes (next Group meeting) b. Letter from the Berkhamsted Local History & Museum Society The letter received from Mrs. Sherwood was noted. Councillor Collins said that the Town Council supported the efforts and aims of the Castle Liaison Group and was grateful for what they had achieved so far and for their future intentions. However, Councillors had a right to comment and would continue to do so in a constructive way. It was agreed that a reply should be sent to Mrs. Sherwood. Action Councillor Collins & Town Clerk
97/07 BERKHAMSTED COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP a. Minutes of meeting held on the 18th September 2007 The meeting was adjourned to allow Mr. Statham, Chairman of the Community Partnership, to be asked questions arising from the minutes. Councillor Stevens said that the Dacorum Environmental Forum had debated the use of plastic bags and asked what progress the Partnership had made. Mr. Statham said that he was exploring a jute bag made in India, which could be purchased at £1 per bag, and the Partnership was considering buying 3,000. There was also an alternative cotton bag, which might be cheaper. A survey had been carried out of retailers who were very supportive and he was encouraged that shops were now asking customers if they wanted a plastic bag. Mr. Statham expressed his concern that none of the shops in Berkhamsted had green bins. They cannot recycle cardboard and have to make their own arrangements for disposal. The meeting was reconvened. Councillor Reay expressed the thanks of the Committee for the work of the Community Partnership.
98/07 STRATEGIC PLAN AND PRIORITIES To note those aspects of the plan allocated to the committee and agree an Action Plan. a. Community Safety Councillor Collins said that a meeting had taken place with Chief Inspector Paul Newell of Dacorum Police. Matters discussed concerning Berkhamsted included staffing levels, shift patterns and the deployment of PCSO’s and Special Constables. The provision of a mobile CCTV camera had also been discussed and Chief Inspector Newell had said that the Joint Action Group of which he was the Chairman would consider in principle matched funding for such an initiative if the costs were not prohibitive and it could be justified. The Town Clerk summarised some work that had taken place with the Community Partnership during 2006 where the cost of such a camera had been identified as between £15,000 and £20,000 but it had been difficult to justify the expenditure in view of the low levels of anti-social behaviour and crime. It was agreed that the purchase of a mobile CCTV camera should be explored with other local Councils for example Tring and Bovingdon to see if a joint application was feasible. Action Town Clerk Councillor Collins informed members that Chief Inspector Newell had agreed to speak at the Annual Town Meeting on the 3rd April 2008 on the subject of Policing Berkhamsted. b. Young People Councillor Collins mentioned initiatives that were on-going including discussions with Berkhamsted Raiders, the Extended Schools Initiative, the provision of a swing in Canal Fields for disabled children and the improvement of the Canal Fields footpath. Councillor Reay suggested that the footpath improvements could be linked to the Green Flag scheme.
99/07 WORKING PARTY REPORTS a. Communications i. Berkhamsted Town Council News Councillor Collins said that the next edition would be distributed before Christmas. A discussion took place regarding the effectiveness of delivery, which had not been good. Alternative methods should be sought including a further inquiry with David Guest of Berkhamsted Living. Action Town Clerkii. Notice boards It was noted that the new Charles Clark notice board was installed and in use. iii. Town Council Website Councillor Collins said that a meeting had taken place with the Webmaster. It was agreed that more press releases should be included and that the Committee Chairman should provide a précis of the noteworthy topics discussed at their meetings to the Town Clerk for inclusion on the website. Action Committee Chairmaniv. Market Stall Councillor Reay said that Mr. Barnes had provided a breakdown of issues referred to the Help Point from the Market Stall. It only identified issues, which could have been reported direct to the Help Point. Councillor Stevens said that the main advantage of the Market Stall was that Councillors were seen on the street and were accessible to the public. It was democracy at work. Following discussion it was agreed that the Town Council should have a Market Stall on the 15th March 2008 to invite topics from the public for the Annual Town Meeting. Action Town Clerkb. Festival of Light 2007. i Minutes of the meeting held on the 17th October 2007 Councillor Laws spoke to the minutes, which had been circulated with the agenda and were noted. The Christmas lights were in the process of being installed and would be tested in the presence of Councillors when complete. The Christmas tree was to be installed on Wednesday 21st November. The Festival of Light members were thanked for their efforts. c. Youth Matters i Youth Liaison Working Party There was nothing to report. ii. Youth Town Council – Minutes of last meeting held on the 10th October 2007 The minutes were noted. iii. Swan Youth Project Councillor Collins said that he had visited the project and had been very impressed by what he saw. Members thanked Youth Officer Clare Muir for all her hard work. iv. Vide 75/07 c iv - Youth Centre Lagley Meadow Councillor Collins said that a reply had been received from Mr. Andrew Horton one of the Trustees. A meeting was essential to establish what their plans were. It was agreed to respond to Mr. Horton to the effect that either a daytime or evening meeting would be acceptable and that one hour should be allowed. It was agreed to ask Mr. Horton to propose some dates. Action Town Clerkd. Land Use Working Party (Policy) i. East Meadow (Dacorum Borough Council) The letter received from Peter Snow was noted. ii. Land at Bridle Way There was nothing to report.
100/07 CLOSE OF MEETING The meeting closed at 9.07 p.m.
Appendix The meeting was preceded by a discussion with Susan Lyus, the newly appointed Extended Schools Co-ordinator for the Berkhamsted area. Her role was to open up schools in the town for use by children and the community up to 6.00 p.m. She was based at Greenway, which was the hub school for Berkhamsted and was undertaking the following investigations. q After-school care. q Extra curricular activities. q Family/parental learning. q Community learning. q Access to specialist services. It was intended that by 2010 all children should have access to these activities from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. She was aware of a previous Town Council initiative to introduce a round-the-town bus service to incorporate schools at the extremities including Bridgewater and Thomas Coram. The history of this initiative was explained to Ms. Lyus. It had not been introduced due to lack of public support and the need for it to be subsidised. Councillor Collins suggested that Ms. Lyus could come back to the Town Council with further proposals on this matter once they had been developed.
Reports and Minutes of a Meeting of the FINANCE & POLICY COMMITTEEHeld in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Berkhamsted On Monday 15th October 2007 at 7.30 p.m.
MEMBERS: Councillors D. Collins – Chairman Bateman – Vice Chairman (arrived at 7.45 p.m.) R. Cowie J. Lythgoe I. Reay SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS: Councillor J. Laws NON-COMMITTEE MEMBER: Councillor P.G. Gibbs OFFICER: Mr. C.R. Westwood - Town Clerk
77/07 APOLOGIES Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Matthews. 78/07 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA Councillor Gibbs declared a personal interest in 84/07 as Chairman of the Berkhamsted Castle Liaison Group.
79/07 MINUTES The minutes of the meeting held on the 17th September 2007 had been agreed at Full Council and were signed by the Chairman. Vide 67/07 - Financing Youth Projects The letter received from Peter Snow, Dacorum Borough Council, indicating that he would be happy to discuss future projects for young peoples outdoor recreational activities was noted. Vide 71/07 - Town Guide Councillor Collins provided a progress report on the meeting with David Guest of Rosewood Publications who was to produce the new Town Guide for publication in May 2008. A provisional list of contents had been provided which it was agreed would form the structure of the Guide. Further meetings would take place. Action Town Clerk
80/07 CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS The following publications had been received: The Public Sector & Local Government magazine for October 2007. The Annual Report & Accounts for NALC 2006/07. The Town & Parish Standard September 2007. Age Concern newsletter for Autumn 2007. The London Luton Airport Town & Village Communities Committee news sheet for Autumn 2007. An invitation had been received to the Annual General Meeting of the Hertfordshire Heritage Fund to be held at the Bushey Museum & Art Gallery on the 23rd October 2007 at 2.30 p.m. An invitation had been received from Fairtrade Berkhamsted to the celebration of achieving Fairtrade Town Status to be held on the 20th October 2007 outside St. Peter’s Church at 2.15 p.m. Details of the People & Places Project from the Chilterns Conservation Board had been received requesting volunteers to carry out research, write profiles and identify places for public visits in respect of raising the awareness of famous people associated with the Chilterns. Suggestions and offers to volunteer to be sent to Councillor Reay. The correspondence had been copied to all Councillors.
81/07 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION There were no members of the public present.
82/07 FINANCIAL MATTERS: a. Budget 2008/2009 . Councillor Collins asked for comments on the first draft of the budget circulated with the agenda. Councillor Gibbs questioned the amount allocated to surgeries and said that if the Civic Centre was to be used it would be insufficient. Councillor Lythgoe said that the £300 allocated to Councillor training was meagre. Councillor Collins stressed that there would be no increase in Council Tax. It was agreed to defer the draft budget to the next meeting of the Committee for further discussion. Action Town Clerk
Grant Applications (Annual budget £9900)b. The Parish Church of Great Berkhamsted Organ appeal Following discussion it was agreed to provide a grant of £1,500 from budget under Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972 towards the costs of the new organ for St. Peter’s Church. It was further agreed that the Committee would consider an application from the 2008 budget if funds were still short. Action Town Clerk
83/07 POLICY MATTERS a. Vide 59/07 c Town Centre Sculpture A model of a proposed sculpture by David Woollacott was available at the meeting together with written details of his proposal. Following discussion it was agreed that: q The proposed design was not appropriate for the town centre, in particular, the Conservation Area. q Would interfere with market stalls on a Saturday. q Due to its design was possibly a risk to health and safety. q An entrance feature similar to that at Tring would have been more appropriate. It was also considered that planning permission would be required as would consent from Hertfordshire County Council and an estimate of the costs. It was agreed that Council would offer a meeting to Mr. Woollacott to discuss an alternative scheme, to be attended by Councillors Collins and Lythgoe. Action Town Clerkb. Town twinning Councillor Collins referred to a letter received from Professor James Coveney proposing a twinning arrangement with the town of Beaune, France. Following discussion it was agreed that a twinning arrangement could not be sustained and in any event had been refused by the Mayor of Beaune when it was suggested in 1994. It was agreed to inquire of the Collegiate and Ashlyns Schools if the student exchanges were still being carried out. Action Town Clerk
c. Draft Open Space Study Stakeholder consultation Councillor Collins referred to the consultation paper parts of which had been circulated to Councillors. It was agreed to refer the document to the Transport & Environment Committee for a response to be prepared and also to the Town Planning Committee for them to note applications, which might encroach on Green Space, which was in short supply. The Town Planning Committee was also asked to note that when the Durrants Lane Development Brief is published it should make provision for Open Space. Action Town Clerk
d. Review of Standing Orders and financial Regulations – progress report. The Town Clerk reported that together with the Chairman a review would be carried out of Standing Orders to ensure they complied with the new Code of Conduct and as far as possible with the model issued by NALC. He would report further to Committee when the review had been completed. Action Councillor Collins and Town Clerk
84/07 BERKHAMSTED CASTLE LIAISON GROUP a. Approval of Agreements with: i. Tom Gibson (Student) ii. University of Hertfordshire The documents circulated with the agenda were approved. Action Mr. Barnes
b. Vide 72/07 - Report of a meeting held with the Chairman of the CLG. Councillor Collins said that a meeting had been held with Councillor Gibbs and it had been agreed that there was a need to consider a more formal structure along with the Town Council and a constitution. This was needed in order to kick-start a quicker and more fruitful process with English Heritage. David Gauke, MP, had offered to meet with English Heritage to promote the work of the Castle Liaison Group. Councillor Gibbs said that Mr. Gauke should meet with the Liaison Group first to find out what had been done so far. It was agreed that Councillor Collins would attend the next meeting of the Castle Liaison Group and that a constitutional structure should be put to the next meeting of the Committee. Action Councillor Gibbs and Mr. Barnes
85/07 BERKHAMSTED COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP a. Minutes of meeting held on the 18th September 2007 The minutes of the last meeting had not yet been published. A summary of East of England Development Agency and Action for Market Towns funding details for 2007 was circulated at the meeting.
86/07 STRATEGIC PLAN AND PRIORITIES To note those aspects of the plan allocated to the committee and agree an Action Plan. a. Community Safety Councillor Collins said that a meeting had been held with Inspector Claire Smith who had confirmed that the CCTV coverage in the town was acceptable and that the need for a mobile camera was being kept under review. Funding for the PCSO would continue. There were currently three PCSO’s in Berkhamsted, one of whom specialised in schools liaison. There were also two neighbourhood Police Constables supervised by a Sergeant who also covered Tring. In addition the intervention team should provide a double-crewed car but this was not always the case. The enquiry office was not always staffed and the current Officer was moving on. It was agreed that a second meeting should be held with the Chief Inspector, in particular, with regard to the strength of the intervention team and the opening hours of the enquiry office. The meeting would be attended by Councillors Collins, Allen and Cowie. Action Town Clerkb. Young People Councillor Collins said that the Town Clerk had written to a Trustee of the Lagley Meadow Youth Centre requesting a meeting and a reply was awaited. Councillor Cowie reminded members of the Extended Schools Initiative designed to make schools more usable by the public. He would keep members up-to-date on progress.
87/07 WORKING PARTY REPORTS: a. Communications i. Berkhamsted Town Council News Delivery was taking place and all members reported that they had received their copy. David Guest of Rosewood Publishing had been asked for a quote for delivery of the newsletter with Berkhamsted Living. The Service Clubs and Youth Club had also been asked if they could assist but had declined through lack of resources. ii. Notice boards The Charles Clark notice board was ready to be installed but a plan of the underground services was awaited from Hertfordshire Highways. iii. Town Council Website – Code of Practice The Code of Practice was noted. Councillor Cowie had raised a question regarding accessibility of the site under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. A colleague who was a website designer had indicated that the Town Council website might not be compliant. The question had been raised with the Town Council Webmaster whose understanding was that the Act did not apply to private, voluntary societies and Government at Town/Parish level where a web facility was a duplication of, not a sole means of communication. iv. Market Stall - referred from full Council Vide 76/07 c Councillor Reay said that there was a need to think hard how to organise surgeries and the costs involved. One solution could be to combine Town Council surgeries with those held by the Member of Parliament. Councillor Gibbs said that he preferred the Market Stall approach. It was cheaper and a better way to get to know more people. The Town Clerk confirmed that contact sheets were completed at the Market Stall and forwarded to the Help Point for action. It was agreed to identify the type of issues raised at previous Market Stalls through information held at the Help Point. Action Mr. Barnes
b. Festival of Light 2007. i Minutes of the meeting held on the 19th September 2007 The minutes of the meeting held on the 19th September 2007 were noted. ii. Christmas tree options – referred from Full council Vide 76/07 c. Following discussion it was RESOLVED To provide a traditional Christmas tree in the usual place. The cost would be between £1,500 and £1,750 bearing in mind that new lights and a transformer would have to be purchased and barriers hired. Action Town ClerkIt was noted that Dacorum Borough Council had trimmed the Alder tree, which stood next to where the Christmas tree will be sited. Councillor Cowie confirmed that the Berkhamsted Chamber of Commerce would be unable to collect contributions from Shopkeepers to the costs of the Christmas lights due to lack of resources. Following discussion it was agreed that Councillors Collins and Laws would draft a letter from the Town Council to retailers in the High Street and Lower Kings Road asking for a contribution and that the letters would be delivered by the Town Warden. Action Councillors Collins and Laws / Town Wardenc. Youth Matters i Youth Liaison Working Party There was nothing to report. ii. Youth Town Council – Minutes of last meeting held on the 10th October 2007 The minutes were noted and in particular the initiative to put two more litter bins at the skate park. iii. Swan Youth Project There was nothing to report. iv. Vide 75/07 c iv Youth Centre Lagley Meadow A reply from the Trustees was awaited. d. Land Use Working Party (Policy) i. East Meadow (Dacorum Borough Council) A reply had been received from Peter Snow indicating that no decisions with regard to Green Space would be made until 2008 when the result of the Green Space Strategy was known. ii. Land at Bridle Way There was nothing to report.
88/07 CLOSE OF MEETING
The meeting closed at 8.42 p.m.
Reports and Minutes of a Meeting of the FINANCE & POLICY COMMITTEEHeld in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Berkhamsted On Monday 17th September 2007 at 7.30 p.m.
MEMBERS: Councillors D. Collins – Chairman R. Cowie J. Lythgoe SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS: Councillor K. Coleman Lindy Foster Weinreb NON-COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Councillor G. Stevens OFFICER: Mr. C.R. Westwood - Town Clerk
65/07 APOLOGIES Apologies for absence were received from the Town Mayor and Councillors Bateman, Matthews and Reay. 66/07 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA Councillor Collins declared a personal interest in item 70/07c as a representative of the Town Council on the Market Fund. Councillor Cowie declared a prejudicial interest in item 70/07c as Chairman of the Town Hall Trust. He left the room when this item was discussed and took no part in the debate. Councillor Cowie declared a personal interest in item 71/07b as he was a friend of the Directors of Rosewood Publishing. Councillor Foster Weinreb declared a prejudicial interest in item 75/07ciii as a Trustee of the Swan Project. 67/07 MINUTES The minutes of the previous meeting held on 6th August 2007 were agreed and signed by the Chairman. Vide 58/07 a ii Town Council’s grant towards the costs of the Skate Park (£7,106.47) The Town Clerk reported that the Borough Council had confirmed that the surplus of the Town Council’s grant was being refunded. It was agreed that there should be some consultation with the Youth Town Council and the Swan Project as to how the refunded money might be spent. It was further agreed to ask Dacorum Borough Council if they would consider spending their share of the unspent money on youth projects in Berkhamsted. Action Town ClerkVide 58/07 e Quotation for the supply and installation of ‘No Public Right of Way ‘ signs for Sunnyside Allotments Following discussion it was RESOLVEDTo accept the quotation from Lionel Tomkins Signs for the supply of ten “No Public Right of Way” signs for Sunnyside Allotments at a cost of £82.50 per sign. The Town Clerk reported that the signs would be installed free of charge by the Town Warden and Sunnyside Allotment Society. Action Town ClerkVide 58/07 g Sunnyside Allotments water infrastructure The draft letter of agreement was approved. Action Town Clerk
68/07 CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS A letter had been received from Dacorum Hospital Action Group thanking the Town Council for its donation towards their legal costs and drawing attention to the Public Consultation, which it was agreed should be copied to all Councillors. The Town Clerk reminded Councillors of the Healthcare Public Consultation meeting to be held in Berkhamsted Civic Centre on Monday 24th September 2007 at 7.00 p.m. Details had been received from Three Valleys Water of three Stakeholder Discussion Meetings to discuss their plans for the future. Details had been copied to all Councillors. 69/07 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION The meeting was adjourned to allow Mr. Dyer to speak in relation to the Strategic Plan Community Safety Initiatives. He hoped the Town Council would continue to provide funding for the PCSO. At a recent meeting of the Berkhamsted Crime Prevention Panel Inspector Clare Smith had been informed of local concern at the direction policing was taking in Berkhamsted in relation to reduced staffing levels and public dissatisfaction with police response. The meeting was then reconvened. 70/07 FINANCIAL MATTERS a. Minutes of the Accounts meeting held on the 13th September 2007 . The minutes had been previously circulated for approval. It was RESOLVEDTo approve payments totalling £48,545.60 for the period 1st May to 31st July 2007 and to note receipts totalling £9,674.05 for the same period and to approve and adopt the minutes as circulated. Public Participation There was no public participation. Grant Applications (Annual budget £9,900)
b. Vide 58/07 c Victoria School The meeting was adjourned to allow Mrs. Brown from Victoria School who was accompanied by Rowena Pike and Alex Evans to address the Committee in relation to future use of the new building by the Extended Schools Consortium and availability of use of the old building by the community. The meeting was reconvened. Following discussion it was RESOLVED To provide a grant of £5,000 to the Governors of Victoria First School for general use in relation to the new building project. Grant to be made under Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972. Action Town Clerk
c. Berkhamsted
Market Fund – application to cover the cost of a Planning The Chairman referred to correspondence received from Mr. Sherwood of the Berkhamsted Market Fund. Following discussion it was agreed to make a grant of £265 from the budget being the cost of the planning application made by the Market Fund to Dacorum Borough Council to enable market traders to use the Civic Centre car park on Saturday mornings. Grant to be made under Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972. Action Town Clerk
71/07 POLICY MATTERS a. To identify a Policy for the use of material in respect of which the Town Council has copyright Councillor Collins referred to a recent request by a film company for permission to use a Harry Sheldon print in respect of which, copyright was owned by the Town Council. He said there should be some basic guidelines to cover such situations. Following discussion it was agreed that as a guide the Town Council should make a charge of £125 for commercial use and £100 to charities. It was further agreed that each request would be individually considered and if agreed would be for a specific purpose and limited to one usage only. On-going use by third parties would not be permitted. It was however noted that images reproduced on the Internet would be difficult to control. b. Town Guide 2008 – 2010. i. Offer to publish from Local Authority Publishing ii. Proposal from Rosewood Publishing Ltd Following discussion it was agreed to accept the proposal from Rosewood Publishing Ltd. for a publication of the new Town Guide by May 2008. It was agreed that members of the Communications Working Party would manage the process. Action Town Clerk and Councillors Cowie, Collins, Coleman and Town Mayor c. Quality Status The report circulated with the agenda was noted. It was agreed to await the results of the Review conducted by NALC / Defra and in the meantime to maintain the set criteria. d. Prior approval for attendance at Conferences/Seminars Councillor Collins proposed and it was agreed that when Councillors wish to attend a conference or seminar approval must be given by the Finance & Policy Committee. Councillors should initially make application via the Town Clerk who will either place the application on the next available agenda or confer with the Chairman if time is constrained. Action ALL Councillors
72/07 BERKHAMSTED CASTLE LIAISON GROUP a. Progress Report on the Bursary to the University of Hertfordshire A status report had been provided by Councillor Matthews and circulated to members at the meeting. Two outstanding issues were identified in the report, namely, the production of a project brief, which should be considered by Full Council on The 24th September 2007, and the question of Intellectual Property Rights in respect of the material to be produced by the student funded by the Town Council bursary. The contents of the report were noted. b. Castle Liaison Group Status report The report circulated with the agenda was noted. Councillor Coleman said that the Group needed a formal constitution. It was agreed that Councillors Coleman and Collins would meet with the Chairman of the Group to discuss drawing up a draft for consideration at their next meeting. Action Councillors Coleman & Collins
73/07 BERKHAMSTED COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP a. Minutes of meeting held on the 9th July The minutes of the meeting held on the 9th July 2007 and the agenda for the next meeting were noted. Councillor Foster Weinreb said that she would be monitoring the green gym initiative and would report back to the next meeting of the Committee. Action Councillor Foster Weinreb
74/07 STRATEGIC PLAN AND PRIORITIES To note those aspects of the plan allocated to the committee and agree an Action Plan. a. Community Safety b. Young People Aspects of the Strategic Plan allocated to the Committee in relation to Community Safety and Young People were noted. Councillor Collins said that draft action plans would be drawn up for approval. He had already arranged a meeting with Berkhamsted Raiders and a meeting with the local community Police Inspector would be organised as soon as possible. Action Town Clerk Councillor Foster Weinreb said that Clare Muir the Youth Officer at the Swan Project would welcome visits by Town Councillors to see how successful the project was.
75/07 WORKING PARTY REPORTS a. Communications i. Berkhamsted Town Council News Distribution of the newsletter would commence this week. ii. Notice boards There was nothing to report. iii. Town Council Website It was agreed to organise a meeting with members of the Communications Working Party and the Webmaster. Action Town Clerkiv. Market Stall The report circulated with the agenda was noted. Councillor Collins said it was not thought the Town Council would carry on with the market stall initiative.
b. Festival of Light 2007. i. Report from the meeting held on the 17th September 2007 Councillor Collins said that a meeting had been held that afternoon with Stephen Manley of Lamps & Tubes Illuminations Ltd. It had been agreed that the festoons and frame decorations would be installed as in previous years. Installation would take place at least two weeks before the switch on and Councillors would be invited to attend a test to demonstrate they were all in working order. In relation to the Christmas tree Mr. Manley confirmed that in order to comply with the Code of Practice new low voltage lights would have to be purchased together with a transformer which would be housed underground in the tree pit. The Town Clerk confirmed that Hertfordshire County Council had agreed that barriers would only need to be placed on the pavement in order to protect the public from the cables. It was noted that there was a large tree next to the Christmas tree pit, which would dominate and mask the Christmas tree. Councillor Collins said that two options had been discussed. Option 1 Option 2 Following discussion it was RESOLVED to recommend To Full Council that Option 2 should be adopted but without the two illuminated trees on the front of the Civic Centre.
ii Minutes of the meeting held on the 12th July 2007 The minutes of the Festival of Light meeting held on the 12th July 2007 were noted.
c. Youth Matters i Youth Liaison Working Party There was nothing to report. ii. Youth Town Council – Minutes of last meeting held on the 12th September 2007 The minutes circulated with the agenda were noted. iii. Swan Youth Project Councillor Foster Weinreb said that the project was achieving a great deal and there was a need to support it for the future. Large numbers of young people were attending the after school centre and using the computer room. It was agreed that a comprehensive proposal should be presented to the Town Council for future support of the project. This would be needed to inform the budget process commencing in October 2007. Action Councillor Foster Weinrebiv. Youth Centre Lagley Meadow Councillor Collins said that some initial inquiries had been made to establish the current status of the facility. It was agreed to set up a meeting with the Trustees to discuss the future use of this resource for young people. Action Town Clerkd. Land Use Working Party (Policy) i. East Meadow (Dacorum Borough Council). ii. Land at Bridle Way There was nothing to report. These matters would be discussed at the next meeting of Full Council.
76/07 CLOSE OF MEETING The meeting closed at 9.00 p.m.
Reports and Minutes of a Meeting of the FINANCE & POLICY COMMITTEEHeld in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Berkhamsted On Monday 6th August 2007 at 7.30 p.m MEMBERS: Councillors D. Collins – Chairman R. Cowie J. Lythgoe I. Reay SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS: Councillor K. Coleman Lindy Foster Weinreb NON-COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Councillors P. Gibbs G. Stevens OFFICER: Mr. C.R. Westwood - Town Clerk
54/07 APOLOGIES Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bateman and Matthews. The minutes of the last meeting had been agreed at full Council and were signed by the Chairman.
55/07 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA Councillor Foster Weinreb declared a personal interest in item 61/06 c iii as a Trustee of the Swan Project. 56/07 CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS Details had been received of the Graham Greene Festival to be held from the 27th – 30th September 2007. Hertfordshire County Council had provided details of the year 1 update to their 2006/2009 Corporate Plan that could be accessed at www.hertsdirect.org/corporateplan. The Public Sector & Local Government Magazine for July/August 2007 was available for reference. Notification has been received from the Service Personnel & Veterans Agency of a free conference to be held in Watford on the 25th September 2007 to inform key agencies of the assistance available from Statutory and Voluntary Organisations for the benefit of vulnerable and hard to reach veterans. 57/07 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION There were three members of the public present. The meeting was adjourned to allow Mr. Dyer to offer clarification if needed regarding the Water project at Sunnyside Allotments. The meeting was then reconvened. 58/07 FINANCIAL MATTERS:. Vide 48/07 CCTV in Canal Fields i. Proposed partnership regarding capital and revenue funding. 50% Capital Cost £12465 50% Revenue Cost £3300 Following discussion and taking into account information received from the Police, it was agreed to inform Dacorum Borough Council that funding would not be provided towards the costs of a CCTV camera in Canal Fields, as the level of reported incidents had substantially decreased and a camera was considered to be unnecessary. The situation would be kept under review. Action Town Clerkii. Town Council’s grant towards the costs of the Skate Park It was agreed to ask Dacorum Borough Council for a refund of £7106.47 as the unused balance of its contribution towards the costs of the Skate Park. Action Town ClerkGrant Applications (Annual budget £9900)Vide 48/07-ii e - To consider an application for a Grant from Dacorum District Citizens Advice Bureau towards replacement computers and equipment. Following discussion and taking into account further correspondence received, it was agreed to provide a grant of £250 as a contribution towards replacement computers and equipment. Grant to be made under Section 137 Local Government Act 1972. Action Town ClerkThe Governors of Victoria First School – application for a grant towards the costs of a new multi - purpose educational block to replace the Nursery. The meeting was adjourned to allow Alex Evans to elaborate on the report provided by the Governors of Victoria First School. The meeting was then reconvened. Following discussion it was agreed in principle to provide a grant under Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972 of £5000 from the Grants budget towards the costs of the New Buildings Project. The grant would be made subject to proposals for making the facility available for Community use being received from the Governors at the next meeting of the Committee. Action Town Clerk Other Financial Matters Accounts & Audit (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2006 – Review of the effectiveness of Internal Audit. To consider correspondence from NALC. The correspondence circulated with the agenda was noted. It was agreed to incorporate the requirements of the new regulations and the review of the work of the Internal Auditor into a meeting of the Accounts sub-committee to be held following the Internal Auditors annual inspection in November. Action Town Clerke. To consider a quotation from DTTS Ltd. For the supply and installation of 10 ‘No Public Right of Way’ signs for Sunnyside allotments. Following consideration of the estimate provided by DTTS Ltd and consideration of the legal advice received from NALC, it was agreed that whilst it was desirable in principle for the signs to be installed, a second estimate should be obtained to establish if a more acceptable cost could be obtained. Action Town ClerkIn the meantime, the Town Warden is to ensure that temporary laminated signs are placed on notice boards at the public entrances to all allotment sites. f. To consider replacing the Town Council’s stand alone fax machine with a fax communication module attached to the photocopier. Following discussion it was agreed not to proceed with the quotation from Panasonic but to purchase a stand alone fax machine to replace the existing one, which was not in good working order. Action Town Clerkg. To consider funding the proposed replacement of the water infrastructure at Sunnyside Allotments. The Chairman referred to correspondence from Sunnyside Allotment Society circulated with the agenda. Following discussion it was RESOLVEDTo proceed with the replacement of the water infrastructure at Sunnyside Allotments in accordance with the reports provided by Sunnyside Allotment Society, including the Risk Assessment. The Project Manager to be John Driver, vice Chairman of the Allotment Society. All materials to be purchased by the Town Council except those provided by the plumber. A letter of agreement to be drawn up and signed by both parties. Public Liability cover to be provided by the Town Councils Insurer. Action Town Clerk
59/06 BERKHAMSTED CASTLE LIAISON GROUPVide 48/07 (f) and (g) Bursary and Re-decoration Progress report Redecoration Work due to start on the 13th August 2007 and it was hoped that the Information room would be opened on the 24th August by the Town Mayor and Mrs. Sherwood of the History and Museum Society. Bursary A meeting had been held and a Project brief would be presented to the Town Council on the 24th September 2007. Short listed candidates would be interviewed at the beginning of October.
60/06 POLICY MATTERS a. Renewal of the Lease of the Town Council Offices - progress report. A draft lease had been received by the Town Council, which had been checked by the Town Clerk and the Town Council solicitor. There were significant omissions from the previously agreed conditions. Mr. Frostick had annotated the draft and had requested a meeting with the Town Council. This had been arranged for 22nd August 2007 at 10am in the Council Chamber. The annotated lease had been copied to those Councillors attending the meeting. b. Berkhamsted Community Partnership – minutes of meeting held on the 22nd May 2007 The minutes of the meeting were noted. Vide 49/07 b – Membership. It was agreed to apply for membership by completing the letter provided by the Partnership. Action Town Clerkc. Vide 49/07 d - Town Centre feature – to consider a proposal from David Woollacot. Deferred to the next meeting as a proposal had not been received. d. To consider an application from Artsmagic Ltd to use a Harry Sheldon print of Geoffrey Chaucer in a programme called ‘Gawain and the Green Knight’ to be produced as a DVD. Following discussion it was agreed to request the following further information: i. Was this a commercial enterprise or non -profit making? ii. If commercial the Town Council would require an agreement concerning the payment of Royalties. iii. The ownership of Copyright by the Town Council must be acknowledged iv. If permission was given it would be for single purpose use only and could not be sold on v. The connection of Geoffrey Chaucer to Berkhamsted (Bursar of Berkhamsted Castle) must be mentioned. Action Town Clerk/Information Officere. Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 – to consider whether or not to adopt the powers made available. Following discussion it was agreed that the Town Council should not adopt the powers provided by the Act but should seek to work more effectively with existing partners to improve the environment. Action Transport & Environment Committeef. Dog Fouling – to consider a request from the Conservation Area Residents Association of Berkhamsted to fund a dog bin at the junction of Chapel Street and Ravens Lane. Following discussion it was agreed to provide a grant under Section 137 Local Government Act 1972 to CARAB to enable a dog bin to be purchased for installation on the grassed area at the junction of Chapel Street and Ravens Lane. Action Town Clerk
61/06 WORKING PARTY REPORTS: a. Communications i. Berkhamsted Town Council News The Chairman announced that the August newsletter had been drafted and would soon be sent for printing. It was agreed to accept an estimate from weprint4less for 10000 copies, 8 page, A5 size, and four colour, at a cost of £630 to include delivery to the distributor. This edition would be distributed by Front Door Marketing of Chesham but consideration would be given to the local Service clubs and Youth Town Council delivering future editions to enable delivery costs to benefit the local community. Action Councillor Foster Weinreb/Town Clerk. ii. Notice boards There was nothing to report iii. Town Council Web site There was nothing to report iv. Market Stall The Communications Working Party had agreed not to have a Market Stall but would arrange consultations with the public in the Civic Centre. The dates would be advertised in the Gazette.
b. Vide 50/07 b - Festival of Light 2007. To decide on the Christmas lights display for 2007. i. The correspondence circulated with the agenda was noted. The contractor, Mike Taylor of Lamps & Tubes Illuminations Ltd had confirmed that the questions raised by Hertfordshire Highways concerning festoons could be answered satisfactorily. He had also provided details of a company that would carry out strength tests of the lampposts to enable the framed roundels to be hung. The Christmas tree was a problem as it was not possible to install a 2-metre barrier around it due to its closeness to the road. It was agreed to ask Hertfordshire highways if this requirement could be waived on the roadside. A 2-metre barrier could protect access from the pavement. Action Town Clerkii. To authorise repairs to be carried out in accordance with the letter from Lamps & Tubes. Details of the costs had been requested but not yet received. A meeting was to be arranged with Lamps & Tubes to discuss all aspects of the display. Action Town Clerk
c. Youth Matters i Youth Liaison Working Party There was nothing to report ii. Youth Town Council – Minutes of last meeting were noted iii. Swan Youth Project Councillor Foster Weinreb paid tribute to the excellent work of the Youth Officer Clare Muir.
d. Land Use Working Party (Policy) i. East Meadow (Dacorum Borough Council). There was nothing to report. A reply was awaited. ii. Land at Bridle Way There was nothing to report. A reply was awaited.
62/06 CLOSED SESSION – EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC It was RESOLVED That under Section 1 of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 the public and press be excluded during the items in Part II of the agenda for this meeting, because it is likely that publicity would prejudice the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business or for other special reasons stated in the resolution, arising from the nature of the business or proceedings. 64/06 CLOSE OF MEETING The meeting closed at 9.01pm.
Reports and Minutes of a Meeting of the FINANCE & POLICY COMMITTEEHeld in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Berkhamsted On Monday 25th June 2007 at 7.30 p.m. MEMBERS: Councillors D. Collins - Chairman S. Bateman – Vice Chairman J. Lythgoe P. Matthews I. Reay SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS: Councillor Julie Laws NON-COMMITTEE MEMBER Councillor K. Coleman OFFICER: Mr. C.R. Westwood - Town Clerk
41/07 ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN AND DEPUTY CHAIRMAN FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS On the proposal of Councillor Reay, seconded by Councillor Laws, Councillor Collins was elected Chairman of the Committee until the Annual Meeting of the Town Council in May 2008. On the proposal of Councillor Laws, seconded by Councillor Reay, Councillor Bateman was elected Vice Chairman of the Committee until the Annual Meeting of the Town Council in May 2008.
42/07 TO AGREE MEMBERSHIP OF THE FOLLOWING WORKING PARTIES: Membership was agreed as follows: a. Communications Councillors Mrs. C. Green, Town Mayor Collins Cowie Coleman b. Festival of Light Councillor Laws Mrs. Phillipa O’Shea (co-opted)
c. Youth Liaison Councillor Foster Weinreb
d. Support Services Councillors Mrs. C. Green, Town Mayor Collins Lythgoe Reay
e. Land Use (Policy) Deferred to the next meeting of the Committee.
f. To appoint a Town Councillor to the Standards Committee for 12 months Councillor Cowie
g. Accounts Sub-committee Councillors Bateman Collins Cowie Laws Lythgoe
43/07 APOLOGIES Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Cowie.
44/07 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA There were no declarations of interest.
45/07 CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS The Annual Report & Accounts for 2006 of the Open Spaces Society were available for reference. Correspondence had been received from Hertfordshire Forward concerning a new Sustainable Community Strategy for Hertfordshire and advertising a number of workshops in different parts of the county. Correspondence had been copied to all Councillors.
46/07 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION There was one member of the public present and the Chairman adjourned the meeting to allow Mr. Dyer to question the Terms of Reference of the Committee, which said that the Deputy Mayor as ex-officio should be a non-voting member. The Town Clerk explained that the Town Mayor and Deputy Town Mayor were ex-officio members of all committees and were only deprived of a vote when they were attending in that capacity. If they were attending as a Committee member they had full voting rights and if they were the Chairman they also had a casting vote. Mr. Dyer said that he was unhappy at the prospect of the Town Council paying £21,000 to Dacorum Borough Council to purchase East Meadow when it was clear that that piece of land and other green space in the town belonged to the Urban District Council until 1974 when it was transferred without charge to the newly formed district council upon local government re-organisation. It should be returned to the Town Council free of charge. The meeting was then reconvened.
47/07 TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE COMMITTEE The Terms of Reference circulated with the agenda were approved and adopted.
48/07 FINANCIAL MATTERS:. CCTV in Canal Fields i. Proposed partnership regarding capital and revenue funding 50% Capital Cost £12465 50% Revenue Cost £3300 Following discussion it was agreed to make further inquiries of Dacorum Borough Council to establish if the camera at Waitrose car park belonged to them and if so whether it could be re-sited to include coverage of Canal Fields and the skate park. It was further agreed to establish if the Police still supported the siting of a CCTV camera in Canal Fields following the introduction of the alcohol free zone. Action Town Clerk
ii. Town Council’s grant towards the costs of the Skate Park It was noted that there was a surplus of £7,106.47 from the Town Council’s contribution to the skate park. No decision was made regarding the use of these surplus funds, which would depend on the answers received to item 48/07a.
Final Account 2006/2007 To consider recommending the draft final account to full Council for approval The Chairman referred to the draft final accounts circulated with the agenda. Following discussion and clarification it was RESOLVED to recommendThat the draft accounts for year ending 31st March 2007 be recommended for approval and adoption. Action Town ClerkIt was noted that Section 2 of the Annual Return (Annual Governance Statement) required the Council to carry out a review of the effectiveness of the system of internal audit. Due to late notification this had not been completed this year. It was agreed to refer the review to the Accounts Sub-committee. Action Town Clerk Grant Applications (Annual budget £9900)To consider an application for a Grant towards the running costs of the 1066 Club for blind and partially sighted people. Following discussion it was agreed to provide a grant of £115 to the 1066 Club to cover the cost of their annual insurance premium. Action Town ClerkTo consider an application for a Grant from Sunnyside Allotment Society to pay 75% of their premium for Public Liability Insurance Following discussion it was agreed to provide a grant of £74.62 (representing 75% of the premium for Public Liability Insurance for the Sunnyside Allotment Society). Action Town ClerkTo consider an application for a Grant from Dacorum District Citizens Advice Bureau towards replacement computers and equipment Following discussion it was agreed to request the following further information from the Dacorum District Citizens Advice Bureau. q To establish if they have researched the use of “open sourced software” which can be downloaded from the internet and will run on older computers or will the software they require only run on machines requiring increased power. Councillor Matthews said that this was an area of expertise familiar to him and he would be happy to meet representatives to discuss. q What percentage of their total workload was Berkhamsted-based? q Request the most up-to-date accounts. q To ask for an analysis of the £1,500 required during this financial year to bring them up-to-date. Action Town ClerkBerkhamsted Castle Liaison GroupTo consider awarding a Bursary of £500 to enable the production of a 3D virtual reality tour of Berkhamsted Castle by the University of Hertfordshire Following discussion it was agreed to provide a bursary of £500 to the University of Hertfordshire subject to an initial payment of £250 followed by a second payment of £250 upon the successful completion of the project and Royalty-free Rights being awarded to the Berkhamsted Castle Liaison Group for use of the material. Also subject to English Heritage agreeing to issue a licence to the Town Council for six months from 1st April 2008 to enable all works required to be completed and full value to be gained from the investment. Action Mr. Barnes To consider paying for the redecoration of the Visitor Centre at Berkhamsted Castle Following discussion it was agreed in principle to pay for the costs of redecoration of the Visitor Centre subject to a second quote being obtained and the agreement of English Heritage to issue a licence to the Town Council for six months from 1st April 2008 to enable all works required to be completed and full value to be gained from the investment. Quotes for redecoration to be considered at the next meeting of the Committee. Action Mr. BarnesArts Education Partnership – To note details of the Partnership between Arts Education and Berkhamsted Town Council. The correspondence circulated with the agenda was noted. i. Bank Mandate – to determine who should be the authorising signatories to the Town Council’s Bank Accounts. Financial Regulations require that cheques are signed by two Councillors and the Clerk or Assistant to the Clerk. It was agreed that Councillors Collins and Bateman would be added to the Bank Mandate to enable them to sign cheques. Action Town Clerk
49/07 POLICY MATTERS a. Renewal of the Lease of the Town Council Offices - progress report. The Town Clerk said that he had not yet received a reply to the letter sent following the Town Council meeting held on the 14th May 2007.
b. Berkhamsted Community Partnership The minutes of the meeting held on the 22nd May 2007 had only just been received and would be circulated. It was agreed to investigate with the Chairman of the Partnership the terms under which the Town Council could become a full voting member. Action Town Clerk
c. Castle Liaison Group – Licence with English Heritage. Vide Full Council minutes 55/07 of the 14th May 2007. It was agreed that the Town Council would pay the minimal costs associated with the licence from English Heritage in relation to business rates, electricity and the purchase of a small portable sign subject to the agreement of English Heritage to issue a licence to the Town Council for six months from 1st April 2008 to enable all works required to be completed and full value to be gained from the investment. . d. Town Centre feature – to consider a proposal from David Woollacot. Following discussion it was agreed to ask Mr. Woollacot to produce some preliminary discussion plans for consideration by the Town Council without obligation at this stage. Action Town Clerk
e. To consider an application to hold a funfair on The Moor on the 14th and 15th July 2007. The Town Clerk reported that the application forms had been sent to Mr. Lee Meech but they had not been returned. The preliminary application was approved subject to receipt of a satisfactory full application. Action Town Clerk
50/07 WORKING PARTY REPORTS: a. Communications i. Berkhamsted Town Council News It was agreed that the next newsletter would be issued in August 2007. Action Town Mayor & Councillors Collins, Cowie & Coleman ii. Annual Report The draft Annual Report was approved for publication. iii. Notice boards There was nothing to report. iv. Town Council Website There was nothing to report. v. Market Stall It was agreed that the Working Party would consider use of a market stall at its first meeting. Action Town Mayor & Councillors Collins, Cowie & Coleman
b. Festival of Light 2007. To decide on the Christmas lights display for 2007. i. Report attached Following discussion and to enable a decision to be made on the Christmas lights display for 2007/8 taking into account the requirements of the Code of Practice for the Installation, Operation and Removal of Seasonal Decorations being implemented by Hertfordshire County Council actions were agreed as follows: q To clarify whether or not pull-tests were required on all fixings to which festoons are attached. The County Council had yet to provide an answer to this question, as they were unable to decide whether the decorations were permanent or temporary. q To establish details of the borough-wide Christmas lights contract being offered by Dacorum Borough Council and the effect that it would have on the current contract with the Town Council’s supplier. Action Town Clerk – to report to the next meeting of the Committee Members expressed their concern and surprise at the onerous and potentially expensive burdens placed upon the Town Council by the Code of Practice. ii. To authorise repairs to be carried out in accordance with the letter from Lamps & Tubes Decision deferred pending the results of item 50/07bi.
c. Youth Matters i Youth Liaison There was nothing to report. ii. Youth Town Council The minutes of last meeting were noted. iii. Swan Youth Project Members noted the written report provided by Councillor Foster Weinreb.
d. Land Use Working Party (Policy) i. East Meadow (Dacorum Borough Council). To discuss the current situation with regard to the agreed purchase. Following discussion it was agreed to recommend that the Town Council should not proceed with the purchase of East Meadow but should request a concurrent services agreement from Dacorum Borough Council and Hertfordshire County Council to cover the maintenance of all green space in the town including the roundabout at the junction of Chesham Road and Kingshill Way and the Bridle Way Dell. Action Town Clerk
ii. Land at Bridle Way Licence Heads of Term . To decide if the Heads of Term are acceptable to the Town Council to enable legal documentation to be prepared. Following discussion it was agreed to delay the signing of the licence as the Town Council would prefer a concurrent services agreement with the County Council to maintain Bridle Way Dell. It was agreed to respond to the Land Agent acting for the County Council to that effect. Action
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