DRAFT MINUTES 2362
Minutes of the Town Council meeting held on Monday 6th June 2005 in the Town Hall, Hungerford
Present: M. Morgan (Mayor), E. Cardwell, R. Scorey, M Meddings, C. Ticehurst, P. Harries, R. Hudson,
G. Bullock, D. Liddiard, J. Hutchings (Clerk)
D. Gaines – District Councillor, 4 electors
Before the District Councillors Report and the Agenda items the following:
Co-option
05/030 Nominated: Maurice Barletta Proposed: Cllr Morgan Seconded: Cllr Bullock.
Elected unanimously.
Cllr Gaines is now the Deputy Opposition Member at West Berkshire Council.
Cllr Gaines reported that the official opening of the Church Croft Nursery School would take place on Saturday 25th June 2005.
New speed restriction gates are now at Eddington Hill. Cllr Cardwell asked if cleaning could be carried out
around the gates.
Cllr Gaines requested use of the Council office for one Saturday morning a month for the purpose of holding
a surgery and also expressed the wish that one Councillor also be in attendance. The Council agreed to
this request. Cllr Hudson informed Cllr Gaines of a meeting that he has arranged at the Primary school on
June 15th at 5p.m. and asked if she could attend.
1) Minutes of 9th May 2005
These were not ratified as the Council required the following amendment to Item 7) Co-option:
05/031 ‘A lengthy discussion ensued as to how and when we should co-opt new Councillors’
Cllr Scorey proposed the amendment, seconded: Cllr Barletta. Agreed.
1a) Apologies
Apologies were received on behalf of Cllrs Wilson, Desmeules, Acworth and Ballard.
2) Declaration of Interests
Cllr Meddings – Primary school – Personal, wife employed there.
Cllr Cardwell – Primary school – Personal, employed there.
Cllrs Scorey & Liddiard – Standards Board for England – Personal.
3) Mayor’s Report
The Mayor was guest speaker at the Football Club Annual Dinner.
Visited Ligueil as part of the 25th Anniversary celebrations of Twinning. Return visit
scheduled for 23rd August 2005.
Has arranged monthly meeting with the Police – one attended already and there will be
another in approximately two week’s time.
The Mayor informed the Council that the IT centre is threatened with closure.
05/032 Proposed: Cllr Liddiard, seconded: Cllr Hudson – that a letter expressing the concerns of
the Council should be sent to the Principal of Newbury College. Agreed.
Cllrs Morgan and Meddings are looking to produce the first Hungerford Town Council Newsletter
in mid September and thereafter every three months. i.e mid December, mid March 2006.
Estimates will be sought re printing costs. Cllr Scorey has given the disc containing the first
draft of her newsletter to Cllr Meddings.
4) Matters/Arising
1) WBC Speed Limit Order – dealt with in District Councillors Report.
2) Code of Conduct Training – 28th June 2005: 4.30p.m. session Cllrs Bullock, Harries and Ticehurst,
6.30p.m. session Cllr Hudson.
3) Planning Road Show – 16th June: Cllrs Scorey, Harries and Bullock to attend.
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Matters Arising Cont/d…
4) Letter to Nana Kusi Aboadom Anouyau IV – the Mayor explained the link with the John O’Gaunt
school.
5) South-East Plan – Cllr Bullock expressed her opposition to the proposed housing allocation for the
South-East and feels that there will be little consultation in regard to the placement of the required
houses. Cllr Hudson believes that the ‘Western Corridor’ will see the highest growth in the
South-East.
Cllr Bullock referred to the minutes of 9th May 2005 and asked that item v) of the Mayor’s
report is deferred. Council agreed.
5) Accounts for payment
In the absence of Cllr Small, the Chairman of Finance & General Purposes, the Mayor presented the
accounts for payment.
05/033 Proposed: Cllr Hudson, seconded: Cllr Meddings, that the accounts in the sum of £11,620.06
are authorised for payment. Agreed.
6) Cricket Club Lease
It was decided to refer this to the next meeting of the Recreation, Amenities & War Memorials
committee.
7) Standards Board for England
Cllr Ticehurst wants this subject on the July agenda.
The Adjudication hearing in regard to Cllr Morgan has been reduced from two days to one day.
05/034 Proposed: Cllr Ticehurst, seconded: Cllr Meddings – that the Council will take action appropriate to
the findings of the Adjudication Panel. Agreed.
Cllr Morgan informed the meeting that he had withdrawn his complaints against two councillors
and that this had been done in the interest of unity of the Council.
Cllr Scorey stated that when the complaints were made there was no in-fighting in the Council.
Cllr Bullock said that she is very impressed by the work that councillors do as volunteers, and
is looking forward to the next two years.
8) Tragedy Memorial
Cllr Morgan explained the reasons for the suggestion that the Memorial should be used –
e.g. mis-used and not respected.
This would need to go to public consultation. Cllrs Barletta and Meddings said that the families of
those commemorated should be consulted before the public.
Cllr Bullock supports the public consultation and thinks that the Memorial should be placed with
the War Memorial.
Cllr Cardwell reminded the meeting that there is a Memorial in St Lawrence Church and in her
opinion the Tragedy Memorial should be placed with the War Memorial.
Cllr Liddiard stated that moving the Memorial is not the answer – it just needs leaf shrubs.
Cllr Scorey believes that the Memorial in its present position is impossible to maintain.
Cllr Harries had spoken with someone who had been involved in the Tragedy and he was
appalled at the condition of the Memorial.
Public consultation would be via the Newsletter and the website; Cllr Scorey said that the
Council should write to the families.
Clerk: To ask WBC for the names of the Tragedy trustees and the amount of money left in the Tragedy
fund.
9) WBC Standards Committee – Parish Representation
Cllrs Bullock and Meddings to be put forward as Parish Representatives.
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10) New License Arrangements & Open Space in the Public Realm
This item to be discussed at the Recreation, Amenities & War Memorials committee meeting
on Tuesday 28th June 2005.
11) 2010+ Plan
The meeting received assurance from Cllr Hudson that the final draft would be submitted to
the Council and WBC before going to the public prior to publication.
Meeting closed: 8.50p.m.
Date of next meeting: Monday 4th July 2005 at 7.15p.m.
Signed………………………………
Mansil Morgan
Mayor, 4th July 2005