YARMOUTH TOWN COUNCIL
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF YARMOUTH TOWN COUNCIL HELD AT THORLEY CHURCH ON TUESDAY 8 MARCH 2011.
PRESENT: Councillors S Cowley, (Town Mayor), A. Ingram, S. Mence, S. Poston and B. Tongue.
IN ATTENDANCE: J.C. Medland, (Town Clerk), Gareth Hughes (locum Clerk), CC Stuart Dyer, PC Campany, Harbour Commissioner Martyn Collinson and 8 members of the public.
39/11 APOLOGIES: Councillors R. Goodridge, R Corbett, P. Garlick.
40/11 DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS
Declarations of personal interest
Councillors Cowley and Poston on WWLP, Mence and Tongue on the Advisory Committee and Mence for the YHAC.
Declaration of prejudicial interest
Councillor Cowley on “anything relating to buses or Lee Farm”.
41/11 PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
The Mayor received Council approval to move an item from Correspondence (Appeal against an Enforcement Order on Lee Farm) to Other Planning Issues and for any public comment to be taken at that point.
Mrs Averil Fermer asked about progress with the state of the roads. The IW Council have sent a letter acknowledging the complaint. She also made points on the flooding of Hill Place Lane and incomplete clearance of Thorley Brook by the bridge.
RESOLVED: That the Clerk will write to the Environment Agency.
Mr Bernard Turner queried why the Agenda dealt with the Town Trust both in the public meeting and in the private part of the meeting. The Mayor explained that the private part was to deal with the appointment process for the replacement of Council appointed Trustee Peter Scott.
Mrs Ferezina Russell requested a bus shelter and litter bin opposite the Old School in Thorley.
RESOLVED: To be an agenda item for the next meeting.
42/11 MINUTES
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 25 January and 7th February 2011 (Part 1) to be taken as read, confirmed and signed as being an accurate record of the proceedings.
43/11 POLICE MATTERS
PC Campany reported that there had been six offences in the last month, one of criminal damage and five thefts.
44/11 HARBOUR ISSUES
Harbour Commissioner Martyn Collinson reported on the continued progress with the construction of the new facilities assisted by two grants from the Leader fund.
45/11 FINANCE
45.1 Payment of Accounts
RESOLVED: That the following accounts to be authorised with the alteration that the proposed amount to be paid to the Trust for room hire be reduced from £375 to £350 and that the phrase “without prejudice” be used.
08.03 1016 Isle of Wight Council Room Hire Yarmouth CEP 73.32 08.03 1017 IW Beacon February edition 90.00
08.03 1018 St Swithins Room Hire 25.20
08.03 1019 Brighstone Landscaping Ltd Grass cut of football pitch 24.00
08.03 1020 A Newbold Works at Yarmouth Play Area 3,456.00
08.03 1021 Sandham Office Services Set up Network printing 10.80
08.03 1022 Yarmouth Town Trust Room hire, storage & electricity 350.00
08.03 1023 IW Council Clerks salary 432.22
Total 4,461.54
45.2 Financial Statement.
RESOLVED: That the Financial Report and Bank Reconciliation are accepted.
45.3 Draft Budget 2011-2012.
No confirmation yet received on cemetery cost. Budget was approved.
45.4 Children’s play area on the Recreation Ground:
RESOLVED: to approve provision of a safety apron for the see-saw at a cost of £220.
45.5 To appoint an Internal Auditor for the Annual Return & Accounts 2010/11.
RESOLVED: Deferred to next meeting.
45.6 Royal Wedding: Request for financial assistance towards a children’s street party in Yarmouth.
RESOLVED: To make a grant of £200 from the 2011-2012 Grant Budget.
45.7 West Wight Multi – Use Games Area (MUGA): request from Freshwater Parish Council for assistance with caretaking costs.
RESOLVED: To defer the decision until more information has been provided.
The Locum Clerk was thanked for his services during the Clerk’s recent holiday.
46/11 PLANNING ISSUES
46.1 Planning Applications
There are no current planning applications.
46.2. Other Planning Issues.
Appeal against the Enforcement Order on the owners of Lee Farm, Wellow
The Mayor declared a prejudicial interest and left the meeting. The Chair was taken by Councillor Mence who suspended Standing Orders for this item and asked for any comments from the public.
Mrs Sue Langford asked if the Council would write to the appeals office in Bristol to express local concerns about the impact on Thorley roads of buses stored at Lee Farm. She referred to the large increase in traffic and the narrow width and lack of footpaths of the roads. The residents would be making another traffic count to send to the Inspectorate.
Mrs Jill Cowley declared an interest and made the case for the appeal, saying that planning approval had been agreed in 2003 and that the additional traffic amounted to 5% of total traffic through the village. The police had said there had been no accidents. Many residents were in favour of the bus parking, especially those with children and workers without private transport, as it ensured the retention of their bus service.
The families of both Mrs Langford and Mrs Cowley used the bus service and referred to the courtesy of the bus drivers.
During the discussion by Councillors, Councillor Mence read out the Council’s submission in September 2010 to IWC Planners.
RESOLVED: The Council to write to the Planning Inspectorate to state that there are concerns by some residents of Thorley over the impact on Thorley roads of the bus parking at Lee Farm, due to the increase in traffic on the narrow roads which lacked footpaths.
46.3 Planning Permission granted:
TCPL/28503/D:Shandon, High Street, Yarmouth. Two storey extension.
TCPL/18667/B: Mulberries, High Street, Yarmouth. Relocation of window and introduction of French door.
46.4 Planning Permission withdrawn:
TCPL/10862/D: Harwoods (Yarmouth) Ltd
47/11 THORLEY ISSUES
Leaking roof on Thorley bus shelter.
RESOLVED: To investigate the ownership of the bus shelter.
48/11 YARMOUTH ISSUES
A public leaflet based on the Report of the Yarmouth Coastal Defence Working Group is to be delivered to all local addresses at the beginning of April.
49/11 YARMOUTH AND THORLEY COMMUNITY PLAN
The Minutes and advice of the Advisory Committee of 14.2.11 were noted, including the award of a £13,300 grant from West Wight Landscape Partnership and £1,500 from the Delphie Lakeman Memorial Trust for the Historical Yarmouth Promotion project..
RESOLVED: That the Council approve annual insurance cost of the Information Boards.
RESOLVED: That the Mayor sign the Contract of Grant with the IW Council, the accountable body for WWLP, relating to the Historical Promotion project.
RESOLVED: That an accounting system be agreed at the April meeting for the Historical Promotion project.
RESOLVED: To obtain a high quality street map and copyright use for Council projects.
The Mayor declared a prejudicial interest and left the meeting for discussion on the FYT part, and on items 50/11 and 51/12. Councillor Mence took the chair and suspended Standing Orders for those items.
50/11 WIGHT COMMUNITY ACCESS Ltd: FYT PROJECT and LOCAL SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT FUND (LSTF paper distributed in February).
Michael Craig, Chairman of the FYT bus project amplified the report given by the Advisory Committee. He said the route plans and business plan would be drafted by the end of the month and that capital and revenue grant applications were being submitted.
RESOLVED: Council will make a grant of £300 to support the funding bids by the FYT subject to those bids being successful and on sight of the FYT business plan.
51/11 IWC LOCAL CONSULTATION ON LOCAL BUS SERVICES
RESOLVED: Councillor Mence was delegated to complete the Council’s recommendations, including a reference to the FYT project.
52/11 IWC COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE REVIEW
RESOLVED: As the parish/ward boundaries are historic they should not be altered.
53/11 WEST WIGHT LANDSCAPE PARTNERSHIP: REPORT
Councillor Poston gave a verbal report on the progress being made by the WWLP.
RESOLVED: That the report was noted.
54/11 APRIL BEACON ARTICLE
RESOLVED: To include information on the Information Boards and on the Town Trust.
55/11 IWC CUTS IN SERVICES
RESOLVED: That the Council withdraws its declaration of interest in the toilets on the Common due to the high level of costs implied in the proposed 125 year lease.
RESOLVED: To seek clarification on the expression of interest made by the Harbour Commission in the Bridge Street Toilets.
RESOLVED: To advise Southern Vectis to consult the IWC Planning Department concerning the conversion of the bus station into the new Yarmouth Tourist Information Centre.
RESOLVED: To follow up our expression of interest in the former Railway Station/Youth Club and approach local trust funds.
56/11 YARMOUTH TOWN TRUST
The Mayor made a statement relating to the legal stalemate between the Town Trust and the Town Council over the appointment of Council trustees to the Trust. Both sides have received conflicting legal advice, the Council’s being free of cost to local residents due to membership of the Isle of Wight Association of Local Councils. One of the Council’s appointees, Mr P Scott has resigned from that appointment in the hope this would help to resolve matters.
57/11 ISLE OF WIGHT COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
RESOLVED: The report of CC Dyer was received and noted.
58/11 CORRESPONDENCE
RESOLVED: To reply to the complaint on the removal of the slide to explain that this is due to the near expiry of the lease of the play area from the Trust in 2012.
59/11 TOWN CLERK’S REPORT
RESOLVED: The Town Clerk’s report was noted with the addition that the hedging work on the Recreation Ground will have to be postponed into the next financial year due to the start of the bird nesting season in late February.
60/11 REPORTS ON OUTSIDE BODIES
There were no reports.
61/11 ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ANNUAL TOWN MEETING 24 MAY 2011
RESOLVED: To advertise and prepare the Annual Town Meeting.
62/11 FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
No items were proposed.
63/11 DATE OF NEXT MEETING
To note the date, time and venue of the next meeting, Tuesday 5 April 2011 at 6.30pm at Yarmouth Town Hall.
64/11 EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC AND PRESS
To move the following motion: “That in view of the confidential nature of the business about to be transacted it is advisable in the public interest that the public and press be temporarily excluded and they are instructed to withdraw.”
Signed...... Date......
(Town Mayor)
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