MINUTES OF THE THIRY-SECOND AANUAL TOWN MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 19TH APRIL 2004 AT 8.00 PM IN THE TOWN HALL, BISHOP'S CASTLE.
Present: Councillor
J. M. Carroll, Mayor in the Chair.
Councillors: M. Davidson Stanley, R. A. Evans, S.A.Farr, N. Hird, J.A.Magill,
Dr. G.N. St John Penney and R. D. Wright
County Councillor P. Phillips and 16 members of the public.
Apologies were
received from Cllr. Morris, Cllr. Pinches and
District Cllr. Heather Kidd.
1. Matters arising
from the thirty - first Annual Town Meeting.
The minutes of the thirty-first Annual Town Meeting were approved as a true
record by full Council on Tuesday 27th April 2004.
Report on last meeting
(i). The Council were asked to help find a permanent Skate Board facility.
An area has now been earmarked in the playing fields and tenders have been sought
for the tarmac base. There have been three presentations of skateboard equipment.
(ii) The Council were asked to help to provide a climbing wall.
A letter was written to David Hinves at South Shropshire District Council suggesting
a climbing wall being part of SpArC. The recommendation was not to proceed for
the following reasons:-
a) A separate room would be the recommendation which would cost £60,000.
b) It would be too difficult for Bishop's Castle with no previous reputation
in the activity.
c) A potential mine field of litigation.
d) The District would prefer to support existing clubs rather than focus on
a new opportunity.
(iii) A request for more dog waste bins, and more "Clean up" notices.
More Clean up notices were put in Station Street and notices have been put on
ordinary rubbish bins to say dog waste can be put in them.
(iv). The Council were asked for information on the situation regarding the
Town Hall toilets. The current situation is that the Auction Yard toilets will
be closed until 19th July for refurbishment after which the District Council
will cease to run the Town Hall toilets. The Town Council have agreed to take
over the running of these toilets from this date.
(v). The Council were asked to put pressure on the Minister for Culture, Media
and Sports to improve digital signals.
A long letter has been received from Tessa Jowell saying that she understands
the Town's concerns and terrestrial analogue broadcasting signals will be maintained
until everyone who can currently get main public service broadcasting channels
in analogue form can receive them on digital signals.
(vi) The Council were asked to look into the road situation at Castle Green.
The Traffic lights have been removed and a white line scheme put in place. The
Town Council are still putting pressure on various bodies to have the electricity
pole removed and the complete road scheme finished
(vii) The Council were asked to have the emissions at the bark mill checked.
South Shropshire District Council has assured the Town Council that it is not
a potentially significant source of pollution and therefore it is not identified
as a matter of concern.
(viii) There was a request for the repair of the ramp in Welsh Street.
This has now been completed.
(ix) There was a request to have Oak Meadow landscaping finished. Seeding work
has now been completed but there are problems between Day's the developers and
the District Council before further work can be carried out. The Town Council
are continually monitoring the situation.
(x) A request for bollards outside Black lion House.
The bollards are now in place.
Councillor Wright expressed concern that the Living Villages Trust had still not organised the taking down of the telegraph pole and consequent opening of the Wintles road.
2. Questions and
comments from residents.
a) Mrs Gwen Green - School Lane
Mrs Green expressed her concern over the parking in Station Street. The bus
was unable to pass on more than one occasion because of parking on both sides
of the road. She expressed concern that the proposed change of priority at the
Boars Head would make things worse. The Mayor, Cllr Carroll advised that Roger
Drummond, Shropshire County Council had drawn up a scheme for Station Street
involving white lines and allowing parking on one side only. This should be
implemented this summer. The Clerk will contact the County Council asking for
the work to be completed as soon as possible.
ACTION TOWN CLERK
b) Bill Hendley
- Garden House, Union Street.
Mr Hendley was concerned about the piecemeal approach to parking in Bishop's
Castle. He commented that cars parked on pavements, alongside the bollards and
on double yellow lines. He felt a complete traffic management scheme was needed
as the present system did not work for pedestrians and public transport. The
Mayor Cllr. Carroll explained that the Town Council were operating a ticket
system and putting notices on cars parked in certain places. It is working reasonably
well as no car has received more than two notices. The problem was that it only
covered a small area and some Councillors were not happy at putting notices
on resident's cars. Bishop's Castle preferred an attitude of responsibility
rather than enforcement. She explained that the County Surveyor had looked around
and drawn up a highways and pavement scheme. This involved a change in priority
at the Boars Head and a shared surface in Welsh Street and Market Square for
cars and pedestrians. It was reported that at the last Council meeting Councillors
had shown that they were not happy with the idea of a shared surface. Cllr.
Dr. Penney suggested details of this report should be put in the next newsletter.
Pascoe Needle explained that in some areas of the country the pavements have
been enlarged and the roads narrowed so that cars cannot park and this has worked
very well for pedestrians but causes parking problems.
Ray Pahl commented that mothers with young children and pushchairs from Oak
Meadow had great problems walking along Welsh Street safely.
c) Ray Pahl - Welsh
Street.
Prof. Pahl commented that he felt there were difficulties with civic pride and
civic spirit. He explained that there was an important meeting at the Church
on the same evening as the Annual Town Meeting. Action should have been taken
to avoid the clash of these meetings as it was undermining the Town Councils
sense of responsibility. He felt that the centre of the Town's activities should
be the Town Hall. He was also concerned about the way the Church Tower Appeal
had been operated. He felt it should have been seen as a general Town Appeal
and not a Church appeal. The surplus money should go to the Town and not to
the Church. Prof. Pahl suggested that the surplus money had gone to the
Re-Pitching the Tent Appeal. Cllr. Carroll responded that the Rev. Paul Collins
was very civic minded and that the Church Newsletter, the Link, was e-mailed
weekly to the Clerk. She said she had been given definite assurances that no
money raised for the Church Tower Appeal would go into the Re-Pitching the Tent
Appeal. She continued that she was not in favour of the Church and Town Council
sharing a newsletter as the Town Council should not be associated with one particular
religion but the Town Council did support the work on the tower.
d) Kaye Chambers
- Welsh Street
Kaye Chambers expressed concern over the amount of dogs mess on the pavements
on the Oak Meadow approach to the school. Cllr. Carroll explained that if the
dog owner can be identified the District Council will take action. It was agreed
that the Clerk would put notices on the fence and that it might be possible
to have a bin installed. ACTION TOWN CLERK
e) Pat Morrison
- New Street
Mrs Morrison expressed concern over the amount of water pouring down Station
Street. Mrs Gaynor Pinches of High Street informed the meeting that it was a
natural spring which comes out of the rock below the old school. The Clerk will
bring the problem to the attention of Ian Rutherford at the County Council Highways
Department. ACTION TOWN CLERK
f) Pascoe Needle
- Church Street.
Mr Needle expressed concern about the young car drivers who meetAuction Yard.
They make a lot of noise with radios and engine noise and then race round the
town at great speed. He believes there is a competition to see how fast they
can go. He believes there should be restrictions on the meeting place with maybe
a lockable gate. Cllr. Dr. Penney commented that these incidents must be notified
to the police as at the Community Safety Committee Meeting the Police said that
no incidents had been reported since October. Before they can take action there
has to be a print out of several complaints. Cllr. Carroll emphasised the importance
of ringing the Police to report any incidents and if possible to take registration
numbers. The Council agreed to make representations to the Police. ACTION TOWN
CLERK
g) Mrs Gwen Green
- School Lane
Mrs Green requested a street sign for School Green. Cllr. Carroll replied that
signs had been ordered for several streets. The Clerk will chase them up.
ACTION TOWN CLERK
h) Laurie Stanley
- Market Square
Mr Stanley suggested a Town Plan should be drawn up so that any future developments
could be looked at as an entirety, rather than piecemeal. This would include
new roads, new development, lighting, drains etc.
Cllr. Carroll informed the meeting that a Parish Plan had been drawn up in draft
form and was about to be published in its completed form. This could be used
as a starting point.
i) Bill Hendley
- Garden House, Union Street.
Mr Hendley suggested a Town Plan should look to see where would be the best
place for civic life to happen. He suggested a design statement could be drawn
up.
j) County Cllr.
Peter Phillips
Cllr. Phillips reported that he had copies of his annual report if people would
like one. He said he had enjoyed the close relationship with the Town over the
last four years.
The meeting closed
at 9.00 pm.
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