MenuMinutes of a meeting of Amble Town Council held on Tuesday 11th April 2013 at 6.30pm in the Council Office, The Quayside, Harbour Road, Amble.
PRESENT: Cllrs Hinson, Arckless, Bilboe, Palin, Mrs Lewis, Mrs Dargue, Miss Morrison and Rev’d Nicholson, together with the Clerk.
County Councillor Jeff Watson, Reporter James Willoughby and from Northumberland Wildlife Trust; Sandra King and Alex Lister.
2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Cllr Weir (holiday) It was RESOLVED the apologies be accepted.
3. ACCEPTANCE OF DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST: Cllr Mrs Lewis declared an interest in items 10.1, 11.2 and 11.3
4. PUBLIC QUESTION TIME: (maximum 15 minutes)
The Chairman welcomed Sandra King and Alex Lister of the Northumberland Wildlife Trust who had come along to inform of the plans for the Hauxley Nature Reserve up to 2018. Mr Lister gave a short presentation regarding their project aims and funding, a copy of the presentation is attached. It was RESOLVED that the Council would submit a letter of support to the project.
5. MINUTES: TOWN COUNCIL
5.1: To confirm for approval and adoption the minutes of the meeting held 14th March 2013. It was RESOLVED that the minutes be accepted. Members were reminded to submit written reports from meetings attended whenever possible (electronically to the Clerk would be helpful). The Clerk was requested to attach all Councillor reports to members’ minutes in the future.
6. CLERK’S REPORT:
The contents of the Clerk’s Report were noted.
6.1: Letter to Neighbourhood Services re: litter and dog fouling 18/03/13
6.2: Response to LDP sent to NCC
6.3: Notice of election displayed 22/03/13
6.4: Parking review meeting arranged for 1st May at 2.30pm in Town Council Office
6.5: Base for planter installed on the grass verge at Rivergreen
6.6: Update requested on High Street wall 05/04/13
6.7: Email to Ian Coe requesting update on bus services 05/04/13
6.8: Travellers located on the Braid car park report to NCC
6.9: Statement of Persons Nominated displayed.
6.10: Community litter pick to be organised for week commencing 13th May, with use of chewing gum removal machine.
7. AGENDA ITEMS FROM CLERK’S REPORT:
7.1: Update on High Street wall – despite several emailed requests for updates, no further information had been received. The Clerk would send a letter to the solicitors and also telephone for a response as the Council felt the matter should have been completed by now.
8. CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS and REPORT:
The Chairman thanked Cllrs Bilboe and Palin for their service as Councillors, this being their last Town Council meeting as members of the Council.
The Annual meeting of the Council was rescheduled to take place on 7th May at 6.30pm in Fourways 2, Dilston Terrace.
9. REPORTS FROM COUNTY COUNCILLORS:
County Councillor Arckless submitted a written report; a copy is available upon request.
County Councillor Watson reported that litter/fibreglass was blowing across the road from the former food factory site. He also reported that Warkworth Parish Council had objected to the planned private housing within their parish.
10. REPORTS FROM COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES ON OUTSIDE BODIES & REPORTS OF MEETINGS ATTENDED BY MEMBERS AS PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS:
To receive the report of Councillors who represent ATC on outside bodies
10.1: Cllr Miss Morrison circulated a written report on Amble Puffin Festival, it was RESOLVED that a puffin board be fixed to the bus shelter to advertise this year’s event as an interim measure, the mural would be painted when the school had time available.
10.2: Cllr Mrs Dargue circulated notes of the LMAPS meeting which were confidential.
11. AGENDA ITEMS:
11.1: To consider making representations to Northumbria Police regarding the siting of temporary speed cameras – Cllr Palin having received correspondence from a tourist suggested that this was unnecessary but there should be temporary warning signage informing of the presence of the speed camera van. Cllr Arckless informed that this had been discussed by County Councillors in the past as speeding at this location was raised as an issue. It was RESOLVED that discussions would be held with Northumbria Police and Warkworth Parish Council regarding the speeding on the Wynd and the most effective methods to curb this.
11.2: To consider the placement of a wooden puffin sculpture in High Street Garden – Cllr Miss Morrison informed that a sculpture was being made as part of the Puffin Festival. It was RESOLVED in principle that the sculpture be located in the High Street Garden.
11.3: To consider covering TEN licences for puffin festival events– the 4 TEN licences were agreed to be covered from the remaining funds in the Amble Action Group budget.
11.4: To consider the report of the Amenities working group meeting dated 25/03/2013- It was RESOLVED that the rotten window frame on the Chrurch Street bus shelter be removed and the gap filled in.
11.5: Consideration of map printing showing Parish ward boundaries – It was RESOLVED that the Clerk investigate and return costs to the Finance Committee.
11.6: To consider a letter of support to Coquet Yacht Club re: lease and land extension – It was RESOLVED that a letter be sent supporting a longer lease and land extension.
11.7: To consider the formation of an Amenities Committee (For Annual meeting of the Council) – It was RESOLVED that consideration of the formation of this committee be considered at the Annual meeting of the Council before consideration of committee structures and membership.
11.8: To consider Amble’s contribution to the WW1 Centenary – It was RESOLVED that Cllr Mrs Lewis’s report be accepted. Cllr Mrs Lewis was delegated with the Clerk and the Administration Assistant to start planning the event.
12. REPORT FROM THE CEMETERIES MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE:
12.1: No meeting was held during March. The next meeting of the Cemeteries Management Committee would be held on 18th April, commencing with a site visit at the West Cemetery at 5.30pm.
13. REPORT FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE:
13.1: It was RESOLVED to adopt the reports and recommendations of the Meeting held Thursday 28th March 2013.
14. REPORT FROM THE PLANNING COMMITTEE:
14.1: It was RESOLVED to accept the reports in the month of March.
15. REPORT FROM THE RECREATION COMMITTEE:
15.1: It was RESOLVED to accept the report from the month of February.
16. COMMUNICATIONS:
16.1: NCC – Public access live date – The Clerk informed that NCC were transferring all records from their current document management system to a new one.
16.2: Royal British Legion Branch communications – The Branch’s next meeting would take place on 23rd May and they were to hold an Annual Dinner Dance on 1st June.
16.3: NCC Highways High Street consultation; yellow line removal – The Town Council supported the removal of the ‘no waiting 9am to 6pm Mon – Sat’ restriction.
17. INFORMATION ITEMS AND ITEMS FOR CIRCULATION:
RECOMMENDATION – That the Council note the information items.
17.1: Local Councils Update – April 2013
17.2: Community Action Northumberland News Spring 2013
17.3: Regeneration Funding Bulletin 38, 39
The information items were accepted.
18. DATE & TIME OF NEXT MEETING:
18:1 The date & time of the next Meeting will be on Thursday 16th May on the rising of the Annual meeting in the Town Council Meeting Room, The Quayside, Amble
Under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public will be excluded from the Meeting during consideration of the following items on the Agenda due to sensitive
Public version of Private
P01. To consider quotations for improvements to East Allotment Walkways – The Clerk requested that this item be deferred as a further quote had not yet been received.
P02. REPORT FROM THE RECREATION COMMITTEE:
It was RESOLVED to accept the report from the month of February.
P03. To consider a preferred contractor for the Radcliffe Memorial Restoration
The Clerk informed that the listed building planning application had been sent regarding the proposed restoration and despite requests for quotations only a limited number of contractors had responded.
The Clerk outlined the details of the quotations received and the fees applicable.
Having seen the excellent quality of work on the panels of the Amble Memorial, it was RESOLVED that this company would be the preferred contractor.
P04. To consider the Police Report regarding the travellers located on the Braid car park.
The Clerk read out the report.
The meeting closed at 8.20pm