REPORT of the COUNCIL MEETING HELD in the ASSEMBLY ROOMS, THORNE on TUESDAY 17Thseptember

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REPORT OF THE COUNCIL MEETING HELD IN THE ASSEMBLY ROOMS, THORNE ON TUESDAY 17thSEPTEMBER 2013 AT 7.00PM.

Present: Cllr. L. G. Derx (Chair)

Cllrs. R S Durant,SJ.Durant, A.Farrand, M Houlbrook, A Jones and R.Walker.

2493. APOLOGIES

Apologies were received from:

Cllr C Blackham– holiday

Cllr J Blackham - holiday

CllrA Brookes – illness

Cllr R Porter - work

Cllr R Powell – work

Resolved: That the apologies be accepted.

2494. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST AND DISPENSATIONS

Cllr Houlbrook declared an interest in item 13/01760/FUL.

Cllr Walker declared an Interest in items 10 and 11

2495.MINUTES

(i) POLICY AND RESOURCES

Consideration was given to signing the minutes of the Policy and Resources Committee meeting held on Tuesday 9th July 2013, pages 4111-4116.

RESOLVED: That the minutes be accepted as a true record and signed.

(ii) EXTRA COUNCIL

Consideration was given to signing the minutes of the Extra Council meeting held on Tuesday 13th August 2013, pages 4117-4118.

RESOLVED: That the minutes be accepted as a true record and signed.

2496. PLANNING APPLICATIONS

i) 13/01670/FUL

Erection of 7 self contained living units in two blocks (five two-storey, three one-storey), erection of extension to ground and first floor level of existing building, erection of extension at second floor level and alterations to elevations at South Yorkshire Housing Association, Thorne House, St. Nicholas Road, Thorne for Autism Plus.

It was noted that the Council have previously provided a letter of support to Autism Plus for this proposal.

RESOLVED: No objections be raised

ii) 13/01720/FUL

Erection of single storey pitched roof extension to rear of semi-detached dwelling at 19 Dunstan Drive, Thorne for Ms V. Hall.

RESOLVED:No objections be raised

iii) 13/01760/FUL

Erection of pitched roof single/two storey extension to rear of detached dwelling following demolition of existing conservatory at 1 Swanland Court, Thorne for Mr M. Powell.

RESOLVED:No objections be raised

iv) 13/01762/ADV

Display of 3 non-illuminated fascia signs(all 0.6m x 1.2m), 1 externally illuminated hanging sign (0.6m x 1.0m) and 1 internally illuminated ATM tablet, replacing current signage at Halifax PLC 7 – 7A Market Place, Silver Street, Thorne for Lloyds Banking Group.

RESOLVED:No objections be raised

v) 13/01767/FUL

Retrospective application for 1.4m high brick perimeter wall at 27 Southfield Road, Thorne for Mr B. Cooke.

RESOLVED:No objections be raised

vi) 13/01908/COU

Change of use from vacant clothes shop (Class A1) to letting agent (Class A2) at 6-8 Fieldside, Thorne for Mrs H. Elworthy.

RESOLVED:No objections be raised to the change of use, but concern be raised with regard to the razorwire on the building

vii) 13/01906/FULFT

Erection of pitched roof extension to rear of detached house at 16 Waterside, Thorne for Mrs J. Reid.

RESOLVED:No objections be raised

viii) 13/01910/OUT

Outline application for the erection of detached house on approx. 0.02ha of land (Approval being sought for access and scale) adjacent to 35 Haynes Road, Thorne for Mr D. Key.

RESOLVED:No objections be raised

ix) 13/01927/CAC

Conservation Area Consent for demolition of garage in connection with erection of new detached dwelling with integral garage on approx. 0.06ha of land at The Peel Hill House, St Nicholas Road, Thorne

RESOLVED:No objections be raised

viii) 13/00355/FULM

Erection of 152 dwellings on approx. 4.12ha of land – (AMENDMENTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION) at Land off Grange Road, Moorends, Doncaster

It was noted that the amendments and additional information did not change the points of principle included in the Council’s previous objections to this application.

RESOLVED:The Council’s objections to this application agreed at Planning and Amenities Committee on 9th April 2013 (minute 2423i) be reconfirmed

2497. MATTERS RAISED BY THE PUBLIC

The Mayor had received letters from the Thorne Colliery Bowling Club and with regard to a Macmillan Coffee morning in the Park that were read out at the meeting.

The Mayor was thanked for the contribution to the new Gazebo for Thorne Needs You.

2498. VACANCY

Councillor Kevin Abell last attended a meeting more than 6 months ago, so ceases automatically to be a Member of the Council. Councillor Abell absence has been a result of serious ill health. Absences have been recorded during this period, but the Council have not agreed any extension of this period. This means that there is now a casual vacancy.

RESOLVED that:

1. The Council declare the vacancy in Thorne Ward and the Clerk contact the Elections Officer at Doncaster MBC to commence the process for filling the vacancy
2. The Clerk write to Cllr Abell thanking him for his contribution to the Council and wishing him a speedy recovery

2499. FINANCIAL REPORT

The Clerk presented a report on the current financial position which included a year end forecast. All expenditure is currently within budget, though future adjustments will be needed to cover additional costs associated with the Cemetery paving works, and swing bridge repairs.

RESOLVED: that the report be noted

2500. ANNUAL RETURN

The Annual Return has been approved by the External Auditor, with a number of comments:

1. Accounting Statements not approved by 30th June - the revised return was 9 days late.
2. Risk Assessment – this was an issue also raised by the Internal Auditor
3. Asset Register – additional information should be included
4. Internal Auditor’s Recommendations – the majority of recommendations were dealt with as part of the revisions to the Annual return.
5. Minutes – the most recently submitted minutes had not been signed.
6. Financial Regulations and Standing Orders need updating – these were updated in November 2012 based on the recommended formats and wording provided by the YLCA. YLCA have advised me that the council’s financial regulations can be brought up to date by adding the words ‘as amended 2006 and 2011’ after ‘2003’. This should suffice until the new model is produced which should not be too far ahead.

RECOMMENDED that:

1. The Annual return be approved
2. The Risk Assessment be completed and reported to Council on 12th November
3. The Asset Register be updated by the end of September 2013
4. The Financial Regulations be amended to include “as amended in 2006 and 2011” after reference to the Accounts and Audit regulations 2003.

2501. ACCOUNTS PAYABLE

Consideration was given to the Statement of Accounts Payable to 31st July 2013, Vouchers 114 to 156.

RESOLVED: That the Accounts Payable be approved.

2502. CEMETERY EXTENSION LAND ADJACENT TO THORNE CEMETERY

There has been previous consideration at Council about the acquisition of land to the east of the current cemetery from Doncaster MBC to increase the lifetime of the Cemetery. Doncaster MBC has offered a site of 0.39ha adjacent to Haynes Close to the Town Council for £1.00.

The site will need planning consent, an assessment of ground conditions undertaken and consent from the Water authority and Public Health before it can be used as a Cemetery. The Council would also become responsible for maintenance should the site be acquired, though these costs would be modest.

The land will not be required for a number of years so it is probably better to acquire the site at this stage, and deal with the consents nearer to the time that they are needed.

There is another area of land adjacent to Nursery Close which would also be useful for Cemetery extension, and is also being considered by Doncaster MBC. If it was possible to also acquire this land it would then be best to progress both sites together.

RESOLVED:That the Council progress the acquisition of the site next to Haynes Close on the basis of the Terms and Conditions provided by Doncaster MBC

2503. CEMETERY ACCESS

At Policy and Resources Committee on 9th July 2013 a request was raised during the public session with regard to the Council reconsidering its policy on vehicle access to the Cemetery. The particular request was that registered disabled (Blue Badge) vehicles are allowed to use the Cemetery as otherwise it is difficult for these people to access their graves.

The current policy on vehicle access to the Cemetery was taken at Planning, Environmental, Amenities and Leisure Committee on 13th December 2011 when it was agreed that the vehicle gates be permanently closed except for use by Council maintenance staff and for funerals from 16th January 2012.

The policy clearly disadvantages some Cemetery users who will find it difficult to access parts of the Cemetery without using a vehicle.

The design of the Cemetery does not allow extensive vehicle use. It was laid out from the 1920’s. The only roadways consist of the main access drive which passes the Chapel of Rest on both sides, and goes down to turning circle, and a drive parallel to Southfield Road which also has a turning circle at the end. These drives vary in width, but are typically around 3 metres (a standard residential road would be 5.5m). There are no separate footways along these drives. No parking provision is available.

The current decision was taken on Health and Safety Grounds due to concerns that vehicle use in the Cemetery would be hazardous to Cemetery users on foot. There is no set policy for this – in the end it is a value judgement that must be taken by the Council.

There needs to be some vehicle access to the Cemetery for Council maintenance vehicles/ digger etc, funeral parties, and masons. In these circumstances access is monitored by Council staff, and in other circumstances gates are kept closed.

There is some pedestrian vehicular segregation near the main entrance with a separate pedestrian gate and footway with handrails. However there is a particular problem once vehicles reach the Chapel as visibility is poor, and the driveways also do not allow for parking etc.

The Cemetery is not a suitable place for general vehicle access. It was never designed for this, and creates conflict with users.It is necessary and possible for limited vehicle use to take place. This is essential for the operation of the site, and is supervised by Council staff

In an ideal world the Cemetery would have been designed to allow better access for less mobile people. However all sensible improvements and modifications have already been carried out so current limitations will remain.

The Council decision must balance the Health and Safety concerns for the pedestrians using the Cemetery against the disadvantage caused to people who have problems accessing their graves.

RESOLVED:that the Policy for vehicle access to the Cemetery remains unchanged

2504. ELECTORAL REVIEW

The Local Government Boundary Commission has announced the start of the electoral review with the initial consultation closing on 14th October 2013.

It was agreed that the response should include:

1. Support for a reduction in the number of DMBC Councillors
2. The creation of a single Ward to cover Thorne and Moorends
3. The opportunity to recognise the importance of Town and Parish Councils as community representatives
4. The need for a closer working relationship with DMBC Councillors

The draft response can be considered at the next meeting.

RESOLVED that the Clerk prepares a response to this consultation for consideration at the next meeting

2505. COMBINED AUTHORITY FOR BANSLEY, DONCASTER, ROTHERHAM AND SHEFFIELD

A consultation from DCLG regarding a proposal to replace the South Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority with a combined authority with responsibility for transport, economic development and regeneration has been received. At the moment these functions are co-ordinated more informally through the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, and the Sheffield City Region Leaders Group.

Concerns were raised about the creation of a body that removes decision making from local areas.

RESOLVED: That the Clerk in consultation with the Council Leader submit an objection to the proposal on the grounds that it would disadvantage fringe areas, would result in a loss of democratic control, and would increase concentration of activity on Rotherham and Sheffield

2506. NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING

A government support package for the production of Neighbourhood plans was launched in May 2013, managed by “Locality”. An application for support was submitted on behalf of the Neighbourhood Planning Working group and I am pleased to say that it has been successful.

The offer from “Locality” includes the following:

a.A grant of £7,000 to cover development of the evidence base, consultant support, website development, documents and printing. This is the maximum grant available. b. Direct support from Planning Aid.

The Council needs to consider this offer and the authorisation of this expenditure.The funding would be added to the £7,000 allocation for 2013-14 for the production of the Neighbourhood Plan that was agreed by Council on 11th September 2013.

Considerable progress has been made on informal consultation with large numbers of comments received via the website, and through the engagement events at the Summer Fayre and Moorends Gala. There has also been engagement with local organisations and agencies, together with landowners and developers. All this is being recorded for inclusion in the consultation report that will be submitted with the final plan.

RESOLVED:that the grant offer of £7,000 from Locality be accepted, and the expenditure approved

2507. TOILETS – THE GREEN

Following the recent transfer of ownership from DMBC, a refurbishment scheme for the toilets at The Green has been prepared. The desire of the Council has always been to carry out a quality refurbishment of these toilets so that they can properly serve the Town in future years. In particular there was a desire to avoid the basic “industrial” approach that is sometimes taken for these facilities. The design is however robust, and taken into account potential misuse.The Council’s Architect, working with the Clerk and Chair/ Vice Chair of Planning and Amenities Committee has developed a scheme. The approach agreed was to develop a scheme, invite quotations, and then amend the scheme so that it falls within the available budget.

The scheme includes new sanitary ware and sinks, retiling, new doors, hand dryers, heating and hot water, and re-wiring, together with some repairs to the building.

The only funding currently available is the £10,000 provided by Doncaster MBC at the time of the site transfer. However other sources of funding have previously been discussed.The Architects estimate for the scheme was £36,126. Quotations have been invited for the scheme with the lowest valid submission being £47,194.89. This means that with the addition of Architects fees, a budget of about £50,000 would be needed to deliver the scheme.

Potential sources of funding are as follows:

1. Doncaster MBC - there is £10,000 already offered. DMBC can be approached about S106 funding or any other sources. S 106 is normally available for defined activities so may not be available for Toilets.
2. TMTC Capital – some of the remaining Capital funding can be used.
3. Awards for All – the Council have previously received funding for the Community Centre stage project so would not be able to submit an application until November (as there needs to be a 12 month gap between projects). This however can be prepared in anticipation, and has a fairly quick turn round.

The Clerk will also work with the Architect to identify savings within the project.

RESOLVED: that the Clerk explore grant availability (including the submission of an Awards for All grant application), and cost savings and report back to Council.

2508. THORNENSIANS R.U.F.C. CARPARK

A request has been received from Thornensians requesting support for a project to resurface their car park. The total cost is estimated at £30,000.The car park, which is next to the Council owned Coulman Bungalow site, is in poor condition and in need of resurfacing.

The Council has no budget to provide financial assistance for projects of this nature. In addition there are projects that the Council has responsibility for (such as the Toilets in the Green) that I would consider would have higher priority for any available resources.

Thornensians have also requested a letter of support for a grant application they are submitting to refurbish the toilets in their clubhouse.

RESOLVED that Thornensians be advised that the Council is unable to provide any financial support for works to the Car Park, and the Clerk be authorised to provide letters of support for grant applications for the Car Park and Toilet refurbishment

2509. STANDING ORDER 1C – ADMISSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS

Consideration was given to the implementation of Standing Order 1c (exclusion of press and public) in view of the confidential nature of the business about to be transacted.

RESOLVED: That Standing Order 1cbe invoked due to consideration of a financial offer, and issues affecting staff pay and conditions.

2510. COULMAN BUNGALOW

At Planning and Amenities Committee on 9th April 2013 it was agreed to put the above property

on the Market. The property has been marketed by an agent since shortly after that date. The property has been valued by the District Valuer at £130,000.

The progress on the marketing has been as follows:

1. Autism Plus have approached the Council about working with them so that they can bid for an Asset Transfer Grant for the acquisition of the property. Their scheme would be eligible for this grant, but the property would need to be taken off the market whilst the application was prepared and considered.
2. Autism Plus has subsequently submitted a conditional offer for the site (below the current valuation), subject to a tree survey.
3. There have been no other expressions of interest.

The Council’s agent feels that a higher value could be achieved if the site had the benefit of planning permission for housing. The cost of fees, plans and documents to achieve planning consent would be in the order of £5,000 to £7,500.