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Minutes of the Town Council meeting held on 5th March 2007 in the Town Hall, Hungerford.
6.30pm Finance and General Purposes
Present: D. Small, G. Bullock, R. Ballard, P. Harries, R. Scorey, E. Cardwell, R. Hudson and J. Hutchings (Clerk)
Cheques in the sum of £9115.02 were signed by Cllrs Bullock and Hudson. Cllr Ballard audited.
The cheque made out to West Berkshire in the sum of £2100, the Council’s contribution to the cleaning and
maintenance of the public conveniences in Church Street Car Park, is withheld until the Clerk has spoken to
West Berks about a reduction in charge as the PCs were not open for two weeks.
7pm-7.15pm: Public Forum.
The Mayor welcomed members of the Hungerford Youth Council who were attending as observers.
Mrs Susan Fellowes was invited by the Mayor to address the Council on the issue of Global Warming.
Mrs Fellowes is a Management Reservoir Consultant and holds various Degrees, one of which is in
Climatology.
The Youth Council: its Chairman, Sam Elliot, addressed the Council. The Youth Council was set up in
November 2006. It has 13 members and meets once a fortnight. The Youth Council hopes for a two-way
communication/liaison between HTC and itself.
7.50pm The Town Council meeting commenced.
Present: G. Bullock (Chairman), R. Ballard, P. Harries, D. Small, W. Acworth, E. Cardwell, R. Hudson, D. Liddiard,
C. Ticehurst, M. Wilson, R. Desmeules, R. Scorey and J. Hutchings (Clerk).
Observer: C. Dod.
District Councillor’s Report
- District Councillor Gaines gave apologies on behalf of District Councillor James Mole.
- Library: neither the Property Dept (WBC) nor the building contractor have turned off the
heating and lighting supply. Work on the new Library has stopped as the Utilities Companies
cannot attend the site for about three weeks.
The delay on completion appears now to be approximately four weeks and, therefore, a completion
date cannot be determined. Cllr Gaines has spoken to various departments in West Berks and will contact
the Clerk as soon has she has further details.
- S106 monies: the list of Hungerford s106 monies is on its way to the Clerk. The list includes total amounts,
spends and amounts left etc.
- Footpath: from Aldbourne Close down to Fairview Road – work completed two weeks ago.
- A4 Pedestrian Crossing: still awaiting lining, all other requirements are in place and the lines will be
painted when the weather is drier.
- Playgrounds: WBC was successful in its bid for funding and there is now £50,000 available for the
Bulpit Lane Playground refurbishment.
- Prospect Road: ‘No through road’ signs have been requested.
- Parking Survey: letters regarding the study have been received by WBC – there is to be a meeting with Alec
Drysdale specific to Park Street.
- JOG: Cllr Gaines put in for capital funding for improvements, in particular for the sixth form. The
application was successful and there is now £2.2 million available over the next two years i.e. 2008-2009
and 2009-2010, for improvements to the sixth form and other areas of the school.
- District Councillors Gaines and Mole collected over 500 signatures in six hours for a petition asking for the
provision of plastics recycling in Hungerford. The petition was presented to West Berkshire Council and now
a reply is awaited from the Recycling Manager.
1) Apologies for absence
Apologies were received on behalf of Cllr Thompson who is on holiday.
2) Declaration of Interests
There were no declarations.
3) Minutes of the 5th February 2007
Civic Links with Marlborough – Cllr Cardwell requested that the links included Councillors
and other interested groups and not just the Mayors and Clerks.
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Amendment to minutes: Item 5) Youth Council – was to be invited to contact Cllrs Cardwell and
and Wilson and not as stated. The Mayor, in fact, did this in her letter to Thomas Isaac.
07/015 Proposed: Cllr Cardwell, second: Cllr Wilson, that subject to the above amendment the minutes be
signed as a true and accurate record. Vote: 8 in favour with 4 abstentions (through non-attendance at
the last meeting). The minutes were signed by Cllr Bullock.
Matters Arising:
i) Grants – letters of thanks from: Town Band, Citizens Advice, 14:21 Time to Talk
and MS Therapy Centre.
ii) Invitation from Neil Marney re training in use of defibrillator machine.
Cllrs Bullock, Ticehurst, Ballard and Hudson wish to take up the invitation.
The Mayor will contact Neil Marney. GB
iii) Leisure Centre Management Contract – letter distributed for information only.
iv) Teddy Bear Headstone: Cllr Cardwell reported that the RAWM committee had
approved the application for the headstone.
07/016 Proposed: Cllr Liddiard, second: Cllr Harries, that the Council approves the headstone.
Vote: unanimous. Clerk to write to inform the family that the headstone is acceptable. JKH
4) Formal Thanks to Mrs Pat Pamphlett
Mrs Pamphlett was unable to attend through illness.
07/017 Proposed: Cllr Liddiard, second: Cllr Wilson, that Hungerford Town Council thanks Mrs Pamphlett
for her work in keeping traffic under control, always with a smile and a pleasant word. She is
greatly missed. The Mayor to write a letter to this effect. Agreed unanimously. GB
5) Finance
Cllr Small informed the Council that the West Berkshire cheque is withheld until the Clerk has
contacted WBC about the two weeks when the public conveniences were closed. However, it was
07/018 Proposed: Cllr Small, second: Cllr Cardwell that the accounts in the sum of £9115.02 be authorized
for payment. Agreed unanimously.
07/019 Proposed: Cllr Small, second: Cllr Liddiard, that the Clerk produces a spreadsheet for all Councillors
showing Income.
Note from Clerk: This will not be available with the expenditure spreadsheet as the figures are rarely confirmed in time
for the monthly Council meeting.
6) Parish Meeting 22nd March 2007
It was decided that the meeting would start at 7pm and not 7.30pm as originally stated.
07/020 Proposed: Cllr Ballard, second: Cllr Wilson. Agreed.
Agenda: 2010+ no more than 10 minutes, Police and Twinning Association no more than 4 minutes,
Global Warming no more than 10 minutes. Mayor’s report and Chairmen’s reports no more than
5 minutes each.
Timing of each item to be shown on the agenda.
The Youth Council is to be invited to attend.
7) Global Warming
i) Meeting with Chamber of Commerce: Cllr Acworth had nothing to add to the report already
made.
ii) Conference: Rural Housing and Regeneration.
Cllr Acworth found the Conference extremely enlightening. The key-note speaker was
not present and so the Chairman of the Housing Association gave an impromptu and
most informative speech.
There is a definite need for rural housing. The ratio of earnings/dwelling in rural areas is
1:10 and in urban areas 1:4 ½.
In the U.S.A. a system of Community Land Trusts has been set up and Scotland and England
are moving in this direction.
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The system is reliant on the generosity of landowners as the land is purchased at a little over
its agricultural value and then put in Trust. Low cost housing is then built on the land, the value of
which is approximately 50% land and 50% building. A satisfactory way of providing such housing
to local low-income families has yet to be determined and there are still many legal questions
to be answered.
The Housing Association Chairman stated that planning departments are often about development
control. There is a need for planning departments and planning officers to be pro-active and be
encouraged to support low-cost housing on rural development sites.
A report on Rural Housing and Regeneration has been given to Government which generally is
being ignored.
Cllr Harries referred the Council to NALC’s DISExtra document which covers many of these issues.
iii) ‘An Inconvenient Truth’: Cllr Hudson suggested that there should have been a question and answer
session after the showing.
It was agreed generally that a group of councillors and public should be formed to tackle local
Global Warming issues.
Cllr Acworth stated that pressure should be brought to bear on politicians and Government to
deal with Global Warming.
Cllr Ticehurst congratulated Cllr Bullock on arranging the showing of the Al Gore film which
contained accurate scientific facts.
07/021 Proposed: Cllr Cardwell, second: Cllr Ballard, that a request is sent to West Berkshire Council for a
plastics recycling facility for Hungerford. Agreed unanimously.
The Mayor will write a letter to this effect. GB
8) CHAIN
07/022 Proposed: Cllr Harries, second: Cllr Ticehurst, that Cllr Wilson should attend CHAIN meetings on
behalf of the Council. Agreed unanimously.
9) Hungerford Newtown Notice Board
The Notice Board has now arrived. Cllr Harries will install it and there will be an official unveiling
by the Mayor. Date to be arranged.
10) Committee Structure
The last Environment and Planning meeting discussed the need for separating the subjects of Environment
and Planning into separate committees as the Chairman, Cllr Scorey, said that in view of the increased
demands in both areas she and future Chairmen will have difficulty dealing with the work-load.
Views were expressed :
i) that Environment should be a full Council committee not a sub-committee
ii) the difficulty of accommodating members of the public that would want to
be on that committee
iii) more expertise needed re Global Warming and the subject should be put
forward at the Parish Meeting.
iv) a separate group of people (not Council) should be formed to drive Global
Warming issues forward
v) Hungerford needs a ‘Climate Pledge Group’ similar to that of Marlborough.
vi) the Council should take note of what is said at the Parish Meeting and then
act accordingly.
Action: Cllr Scorey will raise the issue at the Parish meeting and ask if there is any interest among
the public in forming a group which may also have interested Councillors as members.
11) Mayor’s Report
The Tuesday Club was put forward by the Mayor for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
It has just been confirmed that the Club has received the award.
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Arts Centre: suggestions as follows
i) use existing building for jazz, band, theatre – with on-site car parking
ii) Arts interests to lobby for an area around the John O’Gaunt School for either
a separate build or for use of the school’s facilities.
The Mayor will open a charity shop on behalf of the Prospect House Hospice.
The Mayor appealed to Councillors to complete the delivery of the Town Guides before the end of
this month.
The Mayor suggested that the next administration might like to organise a celebration for St George’s
Day as time is too short for it to be accomplished by this Council.
It was suggested that the next Open Door issue should have an article on Albert the Milkman.
Cllr Cardwell suggested that the Council should put people forward for Honours as there are several
people in the Town worthy of recognition.
12) Chairmen’s Reports
i) Finance and General Purposes No meeting on which to report
ii) Triangle Field Development Cllr Harries
iii) Highways and Transport Cllr Hudson
iv) Recreation, Amenities and War Memorials Cllr Cardwell
v) Environment and Planning Cllr Scorey
Meeting closed: 9.20pm
Date of next meeting: Monday 2nd April 2007
Signed………………………………..
Mayor
2nd April 2007