MINUTES OF A MEETING OF

AMPTHILL TOWN COUNCIL

held at the Council Offices,

66 Dunstable Street, Ampthill

on Wednesday 20^th January 2010 at 7.30pm

Present: Councillors R Holden (Chairman), Mrs A M Wright, Mrs S Bacon, R A D Chappell, P Eversley, Mrs P K Foster, M A Smith, G Summerfield, R Tebbutt, Mrs M E Wilson,          Mrs M Wright and Dawn Sutherns, Clerk.

Also present were P.C Element, Mr Stuart Palmer, Ampthill Festival Committee and one member of the public.

1. 239.          Apologies

Apologies were received from Cllr G Pascal and P Duckett (both with work commitments).

1. 240.          Period of Public Participation

Mr Stuart Palmer addressed Members on the Ampthill Festival Committee’s wish to hold a music event for younger residents on Friday evening on 25^th June 2010.

Members were provided with a supporting paper giving full details.

After the presentation it was:

 Resolved that the Council support this proposal in principal, but it will be discussed in greater depth at the Parks, Open Spaces and Burial Ground Committee meeting on 3^rd February.

1. 241.          To receive and record declarations of interest of a personal nature

Cllrs M Smith and G Summerfield declared a personal interest on the item concerning the Ampthill Festival as they are members of the Committee

Cllr Mrs M Wright declared a personal interest concerning the Visitors Centre as her husband is the architect.

1. 242.          To receive and record declarations of interest of a prejudicial nature

Cllrs M Smith and G Summerfield declared a prejudicial interest on the item concerning the Ampthill Festival as they are members of the Committee

Cllr Mrs M Wright declared a prejudical interest concerning the Visitors Centre as her husband is the architect.

Cllr G Summerfield declared a prejudicial interest concerning the Visitors Centre as the company he works for may be involved in the tender process.

1. 243.          To receive a report from a representative of Bedfordshire Police

 P.C Element gave the following information on crime figures for November:

• There has been an increase of eleven incidents. Fourteen in November to twenty five in December.
• Recorded Crime incidents have increased by six.
• Violence towards a person, there has been one incident in Maulden where a person has been arrested.
• House Burglaries there have been three, one was through a front door and two are neighbour disputes.
• There has been six incidents of thefts from motor vehicles. No incidents of thefts from motor vehicles this month.
• Other theft etc shows a decrease on last month from three to five, included in these figures are batteries stolen from the Tidy Tip and two mobile phones and wallets stolen whilst people were sledging.
• There has been one drugs incident this month. Possession of cannabis.
• Criminal damage has been recorded as nine incidents, including damage to windows in front doors in Arthur Street and Oliver Street, damage to a car in Spring Close and damage to the Rugby pitch in Woburn Street.
• Four section 176 tickets have issued.
• One fixed penalty ticket has been issued for a vehicle parking on zig zag markings. There have been two repeat offenders caught parking on pavements.
• Over Christmas and New Year there were no incidents and it appears that the CCTV cameras are working as a deterrent.
• The Control Room have called the Police twice to possible incidents caught on the cameras, once when a person was drunk and being refused entry, the Police being in evidence may have averted a possible problem. 

P.C. Element went on to advise that the PCSO’s are working with Alameda and The Firs Schools to raise awareness of the problems caused by inconsiderate parking on Station Road. A poster competition is to be launched whereby the winner will have their poster and flyers placed on car windows. The school children will do this so that it may have a greater impact on the parents. P.C. Element requested that the Town Council donate a prize of £20.00.

Resolved that P.C Element is to be invited to complete a grant application form for this funding.

P.C. Element advised that he is seriously concerned over the former children’s home at 14a Dunstable Street, although it has been boarded up the electricity is still on and youths have been setting fires in there. This causes a major health and safety hazard and he is not getting any satisfactory responses from Central Bedfordshire when this has been raised as a concern.

Resolved that the Town Council write to the owners of the building, thought to be Central Bedfordshire, to express the concern that a tragic accident is waiting to happen unless the building is properly secured and the electricity is turned off. Cllrs Summerfield and Duckett will also take this up at Central Bedfordshire.

Questions were then raised resulting in the following information being given.

• Known areas are continuing to be targeted for drug offences.
• CCTV recordings have been requested to establish whether it has caught an image of the thief who took a paper boys bike from outside Martins Newsagent.
• CCTV recordings have also been requested for the incident of youths using the Kings Arms Garden and Bowls Club as a short cut and for cars being damaged at the top of Oliver Street. The success of the CCTV system is to be recorded in Around the Pump.

P.C Element closed by advising all crime figures are now available on the Police Website under crime mapping.

1. 244.          Town Mayor's Announcements

Cllr R Holden had two events to report:

• 21^st December Carols around the Christmas tree
• 24^th December Carol service in St Andrew’s Church.

1. 245.          Minutes of the Council meeting held on  16^th December 2009 pages 65 to 72

The minutes having been circulated to Members prior to the meeting were taken as read and signed as a true copy.

Cllr G Summerfield advised Members that he was not aware of the request under minute no 222 before his meeting with Highways Officers and therefore bollards on Woburn Street were not discussed.

Cllr G Summerfield also advised that the BEAR project meeting to be held on 8^th January advised under minute no 225 was cancelled due to the snow.

Matters arising from previous minutes for note.

1. 239.          One way into car park from Church Street (see minute 215)

The bad weather has held this up and until clear sight of the roadway is available it is not going to be taken any further. There are also plans to dig up this stretch of roadway to investigate the drainage problems in the car park.

1. 240.          Fencing along Kings Arms Path (see minute no 216)

The Health and Safety Executive and Central Bedfordshire Enforcement team have both advised that after a visit to the site a risk assessment has been given as “low risk” and therefore no further action can be taken. Members expressed their dismay over this assessment. The path is used by young, old and visually impaired residents and it is felt that there is a high risk of injury. It was then:

Resolved that the Clerk requests that a representative from Central Bedfordshire Enforcement Teams meets Town Councillors on site in order that their concerns can be discussed.           

1. 241.          Baikie Wood Consultancy Ltd (see minute no 220)

Members were referred to an e-mail from Miranda Smythe showing Baikie Wood Consultancy fees.

1. 242.          Treasurer’s Report

Current Balances as at 31^st December 2010.

            Resolved the report as appended to these minutes be noted.

1. 243.          To consider the Budget comparison of expenditure and income against estimates month 9 – December

Members were provided with a copy of the estimates showing the expenditure and income for month nine against the budget, as appended to these minutes.

Resolved the report as appended to these minutes be noted.  

1. 244.          To consider the payment of all monies on the list of Supplier Invoices Due to the 19^th  January 2010

Members were provided with a copy of the list of Supplier invoices due as appended to these minutes.

            Resolved that:

i)                      All monies on the list be paid.

ii)                    The salary payments be authorised by two Councillors.

To approve and adopt the Committee report as follows:

1. 245.          Planning Committee meeting held on 5^th January 2010.

Councillor Mrs Bacon presented the report and asked for its adoption.

Resolved that the report be adopted.

1. 246.          Finance Policy and General Purposes Committee of 6^th January 2010.

Councillor Holden presented the report and asked for its adoption.

In relation to unite no 10 (i) the wording “and Kings Arms Path” is to be added to the list of areas to be salted by the Park Staff.

Resolved that the report be adopted as amended.

Written Meeting Debriefings

1. 247.          To receive a report from Cllr G Summerfield after meeting with Basil Jackson of Central Bedfordshire on 11^th January 2010.

Cllr G Summerfield advised that he had met with Basil Jackson and David Bowie and talked through the following issues:

i)              Shared Space, a Highways Working Group meeting is to be held on 27^th January whereby Members, the Ampthill Community Safety Group and David Bowie can talk through the pros, cons and whether the scheme could work or not. There is only this matter on the agenda.

ii)             Condition of pavements in St Andrew’s Close.

iii)           Staggered parking along Church Street, David Bowie is to work on a report to see if this is a feasible working scheme.

iv)           Yellow lining – because of comments and objections the schemes will have to    be redesigned which will take five to six weeks and then will go out to consultation again.

v)            Salt bins, if Members can provide Cllr Summerfield with a list of areas that could benefit from a new bin being installed he will pass this on to Basil Jackson.

A Member asked if the Parking Survey for the whole of Ampthill had been finalised as David Bowie had only presented an interim report. Cllr Summerfield advised that a future meeting of the Highways Working Group could take this matter up.

            Resolved that the report be noted.

1. 248.          To receive a report from Central Bedfordshire Councillors on matters pertaining to Ampthill.

Cllr G Summerfield gave a report containing the following information:

• At the Development Control meeting concerning traffic speed limits the increase of limit to 40mph between Ampthill and Maulden was deferred to next month to allow objections to be considered.
• The disruption to waste collections should be sorted by Saturday 24^th assuming no further snow and ice occurs.
• Swaffield Close, at the Central Bedfordshire meeting Cllr Holden and a representative of Bidwells spoke to request that Swaffield Close be re-included in the site allocations for the Local Development Framework. Cllr Summerfield spoke against the re-inclusion as he felt that it is up to the residents to decide whether they want the site included. The Portfolio Holder, Tom Nicols advised that he did not want anything added or taken away from the report and therefore the site was not included.

Cllr R Holden advised that his main concern was that Central Bedfordshire had not made Ampthill Town Council aware of the removal of this parcel of land from the site allocations.

1. 249.          To consider requesting additional salting bins to be installed on roads in Ampthill and road salting  – Cllr M Smith.

Cllr M Smith advised that the action taken by Cllr G Summerfield had tackled the introduction of further bins and urged Members to identify areas as requested.

1. 250.          To receive a copy of the audited accounts for Ampthill Festival dated September 2009.

Resolved that the accounts be noted.

1. 251.          Covanta & Bear Project update: Cllr Pascal proposes that ATC countersigns letter from 'Our Marston Vale' group to local press.

            Members were provided with a copy of the letter as proposed.

Cllr Pascal attended the BEAR Project Parish Council Involvement Group on 13 January on behalf of ATC and reported that Central Beds have abandoned their previous plans (because Luton and Bedford have pulled out of BEAR, and because they failed to get their PFI funding) and are now proceeding alone to provide a waste treatment facility for 70,000 tonnes of waste a year at Brogborough. The full minutes of the meeting will be circulated shortly by the BEAR team.  If anyone has any questions please feel free to contact Cllr Pascal.

Cllr G Summerfield advised that as well as the letter going to the press a flyer is to be prepared urging residents to object to the project, one will be done for Ampthill residents.

Resolved that Ampthill Town Council countersigns the letter.

1. 252.          To consider a request from Ampthill Farmers Market traders to move the market to the third Saturday of the month.

Members were provided with a report as appended to these minutes.

The reason for the proposed date change is based on the fact that the last Saturday of the month clashes with bank holiday weekends (May and August) and changing to the third Saturday would also enable a market to be held in December.

Resolved that permission is given for the Farmers Market to be held on the third Saturday of each month effective from February 2010. If a positive response is received from Central Bedfordshire the relocation to Bedford Street can be explored.

1. 253.          Correspondence

a)                  CPRE Bedfordshire Matters- Winter 2009

1. 254.          Consideration of whether any Press Releases are to be made.

Resolved that a press release is prepared for the change in dates for the Farmers Market.

1. 255.          Cllr Mrs Wilson then passed the following motion:

“That in view of the confidential nature of the business about to be transacted relating to staff and financial matters, it is advisable in the public interest that the public and press be temporarily excluded and that they are instructed to withdraw”

            To approve and adopt the confidential minutes of the following meetings:       

1. 256.          Confidential minutes of the Town Council meeting held on 16^th December 2009 Councillor Holden presented the report and asked for its adoption.

This minute is appended for members only.

1. 257.          Confidential minutes of the Extra Ordinary Town Council meeting held on 6^th January 2010

             Councillor Holden presented the report and asked for its adoption.

This minute is appended for members only.

1. 258.          Confidential Staffing Panel meeting held on 13^th January 2010

This meeting was cancelled due to the heavy snow fall on 13^th Jan; it has been rearranged for 15^th February at 6.00pm

1. 259.          To receive correspondence from Kimbells Solicitors regarding a property matter.

This minute is appended for members only.

1. 260.          To receive the elevation drawings for the Visitors Centre and correspondence from Mr Barry Wright, Architect.

This minute is appended for members only.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.40pm.

CHAIRMAN                                       DATED