Bishop's Castle Town Council Meeting 03/02/2009
Draft MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF BISHOP’S CASTLE TOWN COUNCIL HELD IN THE TOWN HALL ON TUESDAY FEBRUARY 3rd 2009 AT 8.OO PM.
PRESENT Councillor J. E. Gaffney, Mayor, in the Chair.
Councillors: J. M. Carroll, S.A. Farr, M. Furber, N. Hird, M. E. Holton, J.A. Magill, W. J. Morris, Dr. G.N.St.J. Penney, K.E.C. Pinches and R.D. Wright.
In attendance: Mrs. M. Denton
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE:
Resolved The following apologies were accepted: Cllr M Stanley (Unwell) Proposed by Cllr Wright, seconded by Cllr. Holton
2. DECLARATION OF INTEREST:
a) Declaration of personal interest:
Cllrs Carroll, Gaffney and Wright declared a personal interest in item 6a as they all have businesses in the town centre and this plan would remove potential shop premises.
Cllr Carroll and Cllr Dr Penney declared a personal interest in item 8 as they are members of the Town Twinning committee.
b)Declaration of prejudicial interest:
3. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS
The minutes were approved and signed by the Mayor.
4. MATTERS ARISING.
1.The clerk has contacted the residents of 13 Welsh Street about the new street light. They are happy to have it on their property.
2. The Clerk has received a cheque from Severn Trent for £33.85 as interest on monies paid for work on the allotments.
5. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO SPEAK: Mr Colin King spoke on behalf of The Marches Community Choir. He explained that the chorale and orchestra from St Marcel
will be visiting Bishop’s Castle in July. They had four requests: 1) Permission to use the Town Crest on a gift for each member of the French group. 2) To use the Town Hall as a venue for their welcome on Thursday 2nd July. 3) They wished the Mayor and other Councillors would attend the reception at Walcot Hall on Friday 3rd July. 4) They have a shortfall in their finances and would welcome a donation.
6. TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT:
a) 1/09/21497/F Planning permission (Full) Change of use, conversion and extension of ground floor commercial unit to form additional residential accommodation. 34 High St. Bishop’s Castle SY9 5BQ Mr R Davies.
Cllr Carroll proposed no objection, seconded by Cllr Magill and resolved.
b) Any other plans
c) Reports of Planning Applications.
1/08/21062/O Erection of a dwelling. Plot at the North East end of Station St Bishop’s Castle. J Bateson This application has been withdrawn.
d)1/08/21382/F Erection of extension and alterations to dwelling. Mr R Bunting 1 Station St Bishop’s Castle Granted, subject to conditions.
e) 1/08/21366/F Erection of extension to dwelling. The Mount Bull Lane Bishop’s Castle. Mrs H Willis. Granted, subject to conditions.
f) 1/08/21034/F Erection of extension to provide office accommodation and installation of a (replacement) external staircase. Enterprise House Station St Bishop’s Castle. SSDC Granted.
7. REPORT BY COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCILLORS
Cllr Ellis began by reminding Councillors that the proposals outlined in the Core Strategy on Issues and Options should be studied closely here as they have been in Shrewsbury and Ludlow. Of special concern is the matter of the 27,000 houses to be built in Shropshire. Cllr Ellis pointed out that the number of houses built would be proportionate to the existing size of the hamlet, village or town.
8 CHOIR VISIT FROM ST MARCEL.
Having considered the requests outlined in item 5, Cllr Dr Penney proposed that the Council agree to the first three, seconded by Cllr Carroll.
Cllr Pinches proposed a donation of £250.00, seconded by Cllr Magill and resolved.
9. SHROPSHIRE COUNCIL’S LOCAL JOINT COMMITTEES.(LJCs) FOR INFORMATION.
Cllr Gaffney explained that the LJC for the area of Bishop’s Castle, which will replace the Marches Partnership, could potentially be a very large committee as there would be representatives from all local Parish/Town councils. It will take over some of the functions of the Partnership, and will have a budget of around £20,000.
10 CORE STRATEGIES ISSUES AND OPTIONS
Councillors, having attended the meeting on the 29th January at the Community College, had considered the options. Cllr Dr Penney proposed that this Council’s response should be option E. Cllr Dr Penney felt this option was more flexible than the others. Bishop’s Castle needs a mixture of houses and with this option any housing development in Bishop’s Castle would be: “in proportion to (its) present size” therefore retaining the socio-economic balance of the Town. Seconded by Cllr Holton and resolved.
11.APPLICATION FOR LISTED BUILDING CONSENT FOR PHOTO-VOLTAIC CELLS ON THE TOWN HALL ROOF.
Cllr Hird explained that as yet there has been no reply from the company, Dulas, who have been carrying out a feasibility study on the roof. He proposed that this item is left on the table until a reply is forthcoming.
12 QUOTATION RECEIVED FOR REPAIRS TO THE ROOF.
The clerk has received a quotation from South Shropshire Roofing for £20,360. The clerk explained that other quotations were sought. Councillors read the description of work covered. Cllr Dr Penney proposed that the Council accept this quote, with the addition of a new, retractable flag pole. Seconded by Cllr Carroll and resolved.
13. TOWN HALL RENOVATION.
Cllr Carroll explained that the Town Hall Renovation group has asked Evelyn Bowles and Richard Moulson to prepare the first stage of the Heritage Lottery Fund application. Evelyn and Richard are prepared to do this at a cost of approximately £2000.00. plus some expenses of around £200(Quotation and explanation circulated to Councillors prior to this meeting.) Cllr Carroll proposed that the Council should accept this quotation, seconded by Cllr Penney and resolved.
14. CASTLE GREEN PARKING.
Cllr Magill explained that she has received many complaints about the parking at this junction. She reminded Councillors that the whole junction needs re-aligning, but Shropshire Council do not think it is a dangerous junction. Cllr Magill proposed that the Clerk write to the residents advising them not to park right on the junction or on the bricked surface as that is specifically for lorries to use when rounding the bend from Montgomery Rd. Cllr Magill felt that the clerk should also write to Shropshire Council to ask them to re-align the junction.
Seconded by Cllr Carroll and resolved.
15.A REQUEST FOR NEW BINS.
The Clerk explained that Cllr Stanley had asked this to be on the agenda. Cllr Pinches proposed that there should be one outside the Co-Op, but not the one in the Market Square as there is one outside the Chinese Takeaway. Seconded by Cllr Dr Penney and resolved.
16 REQUEST FOR STREET SIGNS ON LABURNUM ALLEY.
Cllr Carroll explained that there are now two houses which are using Laburnum Alley as their address. Cllr Carroll proposed that the clerk ask the Highways department for a street sign. As the opening is narrow, the sign should preferably go on the wall of the Pink House. The residents of this house are happy for this to go ahead. Seconded by Cllr Dr Penney and resolved.
17.REQUEST FOR A NEW VACUUM CLEANER FOR THE TOWN HALL.
Cllr Carroll proposed the clerk should go ahead with this, seconded by Cllr Magill and resolved.
18.BISHOP’S CASTLE ALLOTMENTS CONFIDENTIAL.
Cllr Carroll requested that this item be moved to the end of the agenda.
19. TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF THE INTERNAL AUDITOR.
The clerk explained that Mr John Nicholls has offered his services again. Cllr Carroll proposed that the Council accept him seconded by Cllr Hird and resolved.
20. BISHOP’S CASTLE LIGHTFOOT COMPANY AND THE HOUSING ENERGY SURVEY
Mr Dave Tomlinson would like to give a 20 minute talk about the work of this company to support a bid for a £300 grant from the Council. Cllr Wright proposed 15 minutes before the next meeting (3rd March) i.e. at 7.45, seconded by Cllr Carroll and resolved.
21. GRASS CUTTING IN THE PLAYING FIELDS. (INFORMATION)
The clerk is to invite quotations from three companies for a three year contract.
22. DATE FOR THE ANNUAL TOWN MEETING.
Councillors agreed that this should be on the 7th April 2009
23. BCHRC: PERMISSION TO USE THE WATERCOLOUR OF THE TOWN HALL
The clerk explained that BCHRC would like to use this watercolour to appear on the cover of a SWSHAS/Logaston Press Booklet: Bishop’s Castle’s Jacobean Market Hall. Cllr Carroll proposed that the Council gives its permission, seconded by Cllr Hird and resolved.
24.REPORT OF RECENT MEETINGS ATTENDED BY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES.
Cllr Carroll reported that she had attended a Six Towns meeting where it was agreed that under the new unitary authority, Town Councils should not have to discuss with the County which parts of their service they were willing to abandon. This was not considered to be a reasonable way forward. Rather,Town Councils should be in a position to decide the appropriate services they could take on. Cllr Carroll proposed that this Council should write to the Implementation Executive drawing attention to this lack of consultation in the decision-making process.
18.BISHOP’S CASTLE ALLOTMENTS CONFIDENTIAL.
Cllr Carroll explained that the Allotment society has been awarded a grant of £7600 from Awards For All which could not be in the public domain until !0th February 2009. The Allotment Society need the Town Council’s permission for a compost toilet, a 14`x8` greenhouse, and a 7`x4` communal shed. No allotment space will be used by these developments. Cllr Carroll proposed that the Council gives its permission, seconded by Cllr Magill and resolved.
25a) CORRESPONDENCE.
i) Shropshire Core Strategy: Issues and Options. To download this go to:
www.shropshire.gov.uk/shropshire/planning.nsf
The clerk has a copy in the office.
ii) Clerk from Churchstoke requires help with allotments scheme.
iii) Lavender Bank path.
iv) SALC Courses
B) CIRCULATION
i) NALC Legal Briefing
ii)Shropshire Council Highways and Traffic Newsletter
iii) NALC Policy & Parliamentary Consultation
iv)Shropshire Council Update
v) Summary of Shropshire Council’s response to the Government Consultation Document: Prosperous Places....
vi) Powys Local Development Plan Newsletter
vii) Clerks and Councils Direct.
The Mayor declared the meeting closed at 9.32 p.m.
***PLANS/DETAILS OF ANY PLANNING APPLICATIONS BEING CONSIDERED WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO INSPECT DURING TWENTY MINUTES PRIOR TO THE MEETING, BETWEEN 7.40 P.M. AND 8.00 P.M., OR OTHER TIMES BY ARRANGEMENT WITH THE TOWN CLERK****
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