Deal Town Council

Town Hall, High Street,

Deal, Kent. CT14 6TR.

Tel: 01304 361999

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The minutes of the full Council meeting held on 19 January 2015
in Deal Town Hall Chamber starting at 7.15pm.

Present:
Cllr D Murray Cllr D Cronk

Cllr W Elliott Cllr K Blackburn

Cllr Mrs C Stickler Cllr B Hawkins

Cllr J Cronk Cllr M Cosin
Cllr B Frost Cllr Mrs E Rowbotham

Cllr I Kilberry

Officers in attendance: Others:

Town Clerk: Lorna Crow 8 Members of the public

Responsible Finance Officer/Deputy T/Clerk: Paul Bone Ann Carruthers (KCC, Head of Strategic Planning and Policy)

Secretary: Joanne Harper Stephen Gasche (KCC, Principal Transport Planner – Rail)

Deputy Premises Officer: David Morris

1. / Chairman’s opening remarks: Cllr Murray welcomed everyone to the meeting and advised of the fire regulations. / Actions
2. / Apologies for absence: Cllr B Gardner, Cllr B Bano, Cllr M Burnham and Cllr C Tough
3. / Declarations of interest: None received.
4. / The minutes of the previous full Council meeting: RESOLVED: To accept the minutes of the previous meeting held on 18 November 2014 as a true and accurate record.
(P) DC (S) BH Agreed. The minutes were duly signed by the Chairman.
5. / Public Participation: A member of the public asked if there had been any follow up to the street light switch off and what was the view of the Council re the prospect of increased crime he also referred to section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and asked how the council had carried out their legal obligations. Following a brief discussion with members the Mayor advised that Deal Town Council were awaiting a report from the local police that would show if there had been an increase in crime in Deal due to the street light switch off initiative.
6. / Local Police Report: No report received.
7. / Presentation from KCC on Thanet Parkway Engagement: Kent County Council Officers, Ann Carruthers and Stephen Gasche gave a presentation to members on the Thanet Parkway Engagement. Following a brief discussion and queries from members, Cllr Killbery thanked the officers for their presentation. Members RESOLVED: that Deal Town Council seeks to promote improvements in access to Deal Station, making best use of the surrounding areas especially on the western side to encourage people to use their local station rather than drive to Thanet Parkway. (P)IK (S)ER Agreed
Following further discussion the KCC officers confirmed that services through Deal would remain unchanged until 2018
Members agreed that the proposed resolution to be sent to Dover Joint Transportation Board, DDC, KCC (P)MC (S)IK Agreed / Town Clerk
8. / KCC Councillor update: Cllr Mike Eddy read out the following report:
Training: Since your last meeting in November, I attended training on budget scrutiny, finance and the Care Act. With Pam Brivio, county councillor for Dover Town, I spoke to an assembly and a smaller group of students at Dover Boys Grammar School about the work of a councillor as a belated part of Local Democracy Week. Full Council: The meeting considered two reports on the move to becoming a commissioning council. Neither of these was particularly informative. UKIP members moved a motion to retain the community warden service, even though the proposal to reduce it had been withdrawn. Neighbourhood Forum: The November flooding meeting went extremely well and we have begun planning for the next meeting. Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee: At the main meeting of the HOSC we considered reports on Maidstone and Medway Hospital Trusts and the patient transport service (or lack of it!). We held our two final briefing sessions on hospital financing and planned the way in which the results would be brought back to the full committee. Fire Authority: The Planning and Performance Committee received a presentation on the Kent Resilience Team’s work (basically rescue from floods) and there was an update on marine operations, particularly the fire on the Dover ferry – information on the ferry fire off Calais is awaited from French colleagues. The following issues were considered at the main meeting of the Authority - charging arrangements for working across borders (mainly with London); performance (fires still above the general trend); collaboration with the police; and industrial action by the FBU. We also received a report on road safety covering the type of information that was collected, following requests made to the Planning and Performance Committee.
Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee: Since the Town Council's last meeting there has been two meetings of this Committee. Before Christmas, we considered future waste contracts; the 2013/14 floods (again!) with interesting exchanges about the Council Leader's commitment to funding flood prevention work around Yalding; the Canterbury Local Plan and Transport Strategy; drainage; and performance. Proposals to replace existing street lights with LED lights through a loan were supported. There was a presentation and discussion on Gatwick Airport's proposals to change flight plans in West Kent. After Christmas, we considered the wardens' service which is different from what the original announcement of a change of heart suggested. The number of wardens would be reduced from the original establishment of 101 to 70. However, it was clear that, with the need to train new wardens, we would be looking at an actual establishment of about 65 at any one time. The budget for environment and highways was examined. A further 30% reduction in road safety measures is proposed for the coming financial year. This is on top of the 70% reduction since 2010. Investment in flood defences was also considered with an agreement to invest in part in defences around Yalding. There was considerable heat generated by a petition calling for "frack-free" status for Kent. The majority party decided, on the casting vote of the Chairman, that, though the petition was on the agenda, it couldn't be discussed because KCC was the planning authority! I understand that there may be a legal challenge to this decision. Joint Transportation Board: Few of the items affected Deal directly, though the winter service plan and some of the highways works programme contain information of interest to some residents. Members' Highways Fund: Work on the improved lay-by parking on St Richards Road by the shop at the top of Mill Hill has begun. No HGV signs for part of Freemens Way are being consulted on. Design work has been commissioned or is in the process of being commissioned for sites in all three wards of Deal.
Cllr Rowbotham advised that she had attended a meeting of the Quality Bus Services and updated members.
9. / Town Clerks report: Cllr Cosin thanked the Town Clerk and all the staff for the success of the Christmas event and Cllr Blackburn also said it was very good and she was really impressed, Council agreed with their comments. RESOLVED: To note the Town Clerks report
(P)MC (S)DC All Agreed
10. / Market Working Group: Members RESOLVED: to continue holding the Wednesday and Friday markets and increase the charges from March to the end of September to £9.00 for a 6ft table and £6.80 for a 4ft table. Members also agreed to charge traders half price for tables and suspend paying a week in advance from October to the end of February
(P)IK (S) DC All Agreed / Wednesday Market Officer
11. / Committee Reports:
(i) The minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 6 November 2014 for information purposes only, already signed and approved. RESOLVED: Agreed to note
(P)DC (S)BH All Agreed
(ii) The minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 8 December 2014 for information purposes only, already signed and approved. RESOLVED: agreed to note
(P)DC (S)BH All Agreed
12. / Amendment to current standing orders: Members RESOLVED: to amend the wording on Rules of Debate 1f to read “If an amendment to the original motion is carried, the amended motion becomes the substantive motion upon which further amendment (s) may be moved. (P)MC (S)DC All Agreed / Town Clerk
13. / Finance:
(i) List of payments made between 1 November 2014 and 31 December 2014 – for approval and signing. RESOLVED: to note the list payments made between 1 November 2014 and 31 December 2014 (P)IK (S)MC All Agreed
(ii) Lists of individual payments exceeding £500.00. RESOLVED: to approve the list of payments and list of individual payments exceeding £500 (P) IK (S) MC All Agreed. The Chairman duly signed the lists of payments.
Following discussion members RESOLVED: that a draft ethical purchasing policy is considered by the new council after the elections. (P)BH (S) ER 7 for, 3 against. / Town Clerk
14. / Town Council Events:
a)  RESOLVED: To agree the arrangements for Holocaust Day on Tuesday 27th January (P)WE (S)ER All Agreed
b)  RESOLVED: For the International Women’s Day event to be held on Sunday 8th March 2015 with a budget to spend up to £250, and to delegate the decisions for the event to the Town Clerk in liaison with the Event Co-ordinator (P)ER (S)WE All Agreed / Event Co-ordinator
Town Clerk/ Event Co-ordinator
15. / Fly the Flag for Armed Forces Day: Members RESOLVED: to host the Fly a Flag for the Armed Forces Day event on Monday 22nd of June. (P)MC (S)WE All Agreed / Town Clerk
16. / Risk Management Schedule 2015-16: Cllr Cosin said she was pleased to see excellent news and thanked the staff, which was followed by a vote of thanks from all members.
(P)DM (S)DC All Agreed
Members RESOLVED: To agree the Risk Management Schedule 2015-2016
(P)DC (S)BH All Agreed / Town Clerk/RFO
17. / Correspondence received:
a) Cinque Ports Hundred Organising Group. RESOLVED: to defer the decision of granting free use of the Town Hall to the Cinque Port Hundred Organising Group & Long Distance Walkers for the 100 Mile challenge walk in 2018 to the new council. (P)JC (S)CS Agreed
b )Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum. RESOLVED: The Mayor and Town Clerk to compose and send a letter to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum.
(P)DM (S)WE All Agreed
c) Dover, Deal and District Citizens Advice Bureau. Members considered the request from the Trustees of Dover Deal and District CAB and RESOLVED: That Council representatives on outside bodies do not have voting rights. (P)MC (S)DM All Agreed / Town Clerk
Cllr Murray/
Town Clerk
Town Clerk
18. / Update on representation at outside bodies: Following discussion Members RESOLVED: to note and thank Cllr Burnham for the report (P)ER (S)CS All Agreed
Members further RESOLVED: to instruct the Chairman of the Council to write to the Dover Joint Transportation Board and raise concern on the safety of the lampposts on Deal Seafront. (P)JC (S) DC All Agreed. / Cllr Murray
19. / Correspondence requests:
a)  Southern Water reports: Following discussion Members RESOLVED: Cllr Murray write to Dover District Council and Southern Water on behalf of Deal town Council to request copies of the Southern Water reports that would have been submitted for Dover District Council’s consideration on applications DOV/10/01012 and DOV/10/01065. (P)ER (S) KB All Agreed.
b)  Heritage Lottery Fund: RESOLVED: Cllr Murray to send a letter to the Heritage Lottery Fund to support St John’s Church, grant application for funding for the restoration and installation of an historic 1842 pipe organ. RESOLVED: (P) BH (S) ER Agreed. / Cllr Murray
Cllr Murray
20. / Mayor’s Engagement report: Cllr Murray asked everyone present to observe a minute’s silence for former Councillor Irene Wanstall who recently passed away. A minute silence followed.
Members RESOLVED: to note the report (P)JC (S)ER Agreed
Cllr Murray advised Members that he had attended the annual ACE Christmas lunch and would like to write to them thanking them for all their hard work. He also informed members that he had received an invitation from the IUT University in St Omer to attend an event to represent the Town on Saturday 24th of January. RESOLVED: members agreed that Cllr Murray attends the University of St Omer as Mayor. (P)JC (S) WE All Agreed. / Cllr Murray
Resolution to exclude the public:
Public Bodies (Admission to meetings)Act 1960 s1 (2) – on the ground that the information to be discussed is of a confidential nature taken at 9.00pm (P) JC (S) WE All agreed
Members of the public left the meeting
21. / Staff Liaison Working Group: The Chairman of the working group Cllr Killbery stated that the staff appraisals had all been completed. Unfortunately, due to a family emergency he had been unable to be at the Town Clerks appraisal however, the Deputy of the working group Cllr J Cronk had done this and he was now awaiting the paperwork.
The Town Clerk advised that council policies were now being reviewed and updated, members RESOLVED: That the first drafts of the policies are considered by the Staff Liaison working group. Final drafts to be presented to full council. (P) DC (S) WE All agreed / Town Clerk
Date of next meeting: 16th February 2015
Joanne Harper – Secretary 20th January 2015

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