Agenda and minutes

Schedule 12 of the Local Government Act 1972 requires a record be kept of the Members present and that this record form part of the minutes of the meeting. Members who cannot attend a meeting should tender apologies to the Town Clerk.

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillors Cursons and Yates and from the Town Clerk.

(i)     Under the Localism Act 2011 (sections 26-37 and Schedule 4) and in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct, Members are required to declare any interests which are not currently entered in the Member’s Register of Interests or if he/she has not notified the Monitoring Officer of it.

(ii)   Should any Member have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in an item on the agenda, the Member may not participate in consideration of that item unless a Dispensation has first been requested (in writing) and granted by the Council (see Dispensation Procedure).

Councillor Goodchild declared a personal interest as Chair of Salisbury House Patient Participation Group and Councillor Bowater declared a personal interest as a member of Leighton Linslade Rotary Club.

No pecuniary interests were declared or dispensations requested.

To receive questions and statements from members of the public in respect of any item of business included in the agenda, as provided for in Standing Order No.s  3(e)(f) and 3(g)(h).

There were no questions from members of the public.

(a) To receive and approve as a correct record the minutes of the Cultural and

Economic Services Committee meeting held on 13 December 2021 (attached), in accordance with Standing Order 12.

(b) To receive information updates on matters arising from the previous meeting (if appropriate).

(a)          The Committee received the draft minutes of the previous Cultural and Economic Services Committee meeting held on 13 December 2021. Although this had been held as an informal meeting remotely due to high cases of Covid, the agenda had already been published and therefore minutes had been created. Decisions had however been taken as delegated decisions by the Town Clerk following the informal discussion, with email approval from committee members.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Cultural & Economic Services Committee discussion held on 13 December 2021 be approved as a correct record and were signed accordingly.

(b)   Updates arising from the minutes:

Minute reference 109/CE (Sub-Committee and Task and Finish Groups):  it was confirmed that the four applicants who met the criteria had been accepted for grant funding through the 55UP grant scheme.

To receive the draft minutes of the following meetingsand to consider any recommendations contained therein:

(a) Older Persons Sub Committee 17 February 2022 (attached)

42/OP (a) To review 55UP grant applications ‘Round 2’ with a view to make recommendations for funding approval to Cultural and Economic Services Committee at its meeting on 14 March 2022.

(b) Market Sub Committee 24 February 2022 (attached)

The Committee received the draft minutes of Sub-Committee and Task and Finish group meetings for consideration.

Committee considered recommendations from the Older Persons Sub Committee meeting of 17 February 2022 (42/OP) to review 55up grant applications ‘Round 2’.

RESOLVED to meet the 55up grant applications ‘Round 2’ with funds left in the budget and ringfence the remaining amount.

RESOLVED to receive the minutes of the Market Sub Committee held on 24 February. 

The Committee noted and gave congratulations and thanks to the Leighton-Linslade Market team on their Award from NABMA being awarded the Best Local Council Market 2022.

A request was made to change the agenda order, to move item 8 Events Update Report and item 9 Tactic Work Update to follow Sub Committee and Task & Finish Groups.

To receive an update on the community events programme and to consider the proposals contained therein. (attached) 

The Committee received a detailed report and verbal update in respect of community events and on going projects for 2022 events.  The Thanksgiving and Reflection Event had taken place on Sunday 6 March with an LED screen in the High Street and featured photographs submitted to Leighton-Linslade Town Council alongside doorstep photography provided by Brad Gommon taken during the pandemic lockdown.  The printed book of photographs was available for members of the public to view  at The White House.

A view was expressed that it had been hoped the reflective part of the event could have been followed by more of a celebration about the end of Covid restrictions. However, it was noted that Covid cases remained high and its impact was not yet over.   A request was made for the video used on the day to be added to the Town Council website so members of the public could access it if wished. This would need permissions to be obtained for this purpose. 

A national day of reflection would be held on 23 March 2022 and this would be shared on social media, with the book of reflection available at the White House if members of the public wanted to record messages.

The next major event would be the Platinum Jubilee celebrations weekend which would include the Big Lunch on Sunday 5 June.  Officers were working alongside the Rotary Club and grounds team to ensure a varied programme of activities within the town centre and Parson’s Close Recreation Ground.  The Music in the Park band concerts would begin on 5 June after the Big Lunch event and run every Sunday  until 4^th September.

After two years without the Linslade Canal Festival, plans were now underway for this event to take place in July 2022.  Officers had met with members of the Friends of Tiddenfoot Waterside Park to begin initial preparations and invites had been sent out to traders, demonstrators and boats to register their interest in attending.

Members thanked the Events Team for their hard work organising and consistently delivering  these high quality events.

RESOLVED to note the information.

To receive an update report on TACTIC activities and consider the proposals contained therein. (attached)

The Committee received a written report and a verbal update on the work of the Teenage Advice and Information Centre including young persons drop in, mentoring, schools lunchtime drop-ins, building hire, easter and summer playschemes, chatty cafe and staffing.  A request was made for use of Community Safety budget to facilitate the delivery of Schools Offer workshops in September 2022.

Referral mentoring, as always, was an important and in-demand service with a waiting list. It was envisaged when the number of staff were back to full strength the waiting list would decrease and the delivery of satellite work could be reviewed and back in place by December 2022.  The mentoring and delivery of the Schools Offer sessions remained a priority as a long term prevention approach.

The Chatty Café was a new initiative held at the TACTIC centre every Tuesday led by Bassett Road Surgery Patient Participation Group and aimed at providing a meeting place for people to meet and chat over a cup of tea and a cake, in an effort to reduce loneliness.  A young person who volunteered at TACTIC had now begun to help at this café each week and both he and the customers benefitted from the experience.

Hire of the TACTIC premises had increased and was booked 5 days a week by the NOAH group and Jobs 22 which provided extra income for the centre. A question was raised regarding how this income could be used.  One possibility could be to use it towards reducing the carbon footprint of the centre by investing in the actual building and insulation. The Head of TACTIC confirmed she was continuing to research counselling at the centre after it ceased last year. Earmarked reserves were being held for this work.  

RESOLVED:

(a)  To note the report.

(b)  To endorse the annual workplan for 2022/2023.

RECOMMENDED to Council to endorse that remaining unused funds from budget lines 104/4014 (projects) and 104/4300 (equipment) be carried forward into earmarked reserve 970/9020 – TACTIC.

RECOMMENDED to the Community Safety Sub-Committee to consider the allocation of £3,880 from the Community Safety budget, to facilitate the delivery of Schools Offer workshops to support prevention activity, and for this funded work to commence in September 2022.

To receive and formally note the decisions taken since the previous discussion meeting by delegation to the Town Clerk with email approval from a majority of Council members in accordance with Standing Order 15 (c) (vii).

Recommendations of 13 December 2021 (attached)

The Committee received the approved decisions taken since the discussion meeting on 13 December 2021, by delegation to the Town Clerk with email approval from a majority of Committee members in accordance with Standing Order 15 (c)(vii).

RESOLVED to note the decisions.       

To receive and consider the Committee workplan for 2021-2022 (attached).

(b) To receive and consider the draft Committee workplan for 2022-2023 (attached).

(c) Further to the resolution made by Council on 29 November 2021, to receive a report and discussion document regarding current Five Year Plan objectives and to consider the recommendations contained therein. 

(a)      The Committee received the Committee Workplan and Objectives for 2021-2022.

RESOLVED to note the Committee Workplan and Objectives for 2021-2022.

(b)      The Committee received the draft Committee workplan for 2022-23. It was agreed that past/ongoing comments regarding completed actions and achievements should be retained on the work plan from year to year, as a record of what had been completed.

RESOLVED to note the draft workplan and objectives for 2022-2023.

(c)   Further to the resolution made by Council on 29 November 2021, the Committee received a copy of the current Five Year Plan and Objectives (as last updated July 2021) and the proposed revisions contained in a discussion document submitted by the Liberal Democrat group.

It was generally agreed that objectives remained ongoing and should not be deleted. Following discussion, a number of proposed amendments were recommended to be put forward to the Policy and Finance Committee for consideration.

RECOMMENDED to the Policy and Finance Committee to consider proposed amendments to objectives 17-27a of the Five Year Plan and Objectives as set out in the attached document.

The Committee discussed two proposed additional objectives. It was felt that jobs for young people was referenced in the TACTIC work plan and that the Good Neighbour scheme already existed (known locally as Helping Hands). It was suggested that these could be given further consideration by the Policy and Finance Committee if additional detail could be provided by the Liberal Democrat group.

To receive an update report on Service activity and consider the proposals contained therein.  (attached)

The Committee received and considered an update report on various projects and activities which included the town centre Wi-Fi, town centre footfall, Children’s Trail, Black History Month, Welcome Back Fund. S106 Public Art Contribution, Town Centre signage/waymarking and promotion and staffing.

It was noted that this year would be the 10^th anniversary of the Children’s Trail and Cedars School was finalising the artwork for this 10^th anniversary trail.  A suggestion was made to use QR codes on the trails, to enable members of the public to access interesting facts at various points on the routes. 

Concerns were raised regarding the cleaning of the High Street and whether this could be carried out by the Town Ranger and Grounds Team  at regular intervals.  The Head of Cultural & Economic Services to liaise with the Head of Grounds on this matter. 

RESOLVED:

(a)      To note the report.

(b)      To extend the deadline for completing pigeon management installation works to 30 June 2022.

(c)      To liaise with the Head of Grounds regarding increased cleaning of the High Street.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL to carry forward unspent funds Buzzard Trails (101/4509), into earmarked reserves 970/9018 and to create a single earmarked reserves budget line for Buzzard Trails to ensure adequate funds are available for the upkeep of all trail assets and to carry forward any unspent funds from Christmas Lights (101/4412) into earmarked reserves 970/9044 to ensure adequate funds are available for infrastructure maintenance and ongoing delivery of the scheme.

To receive an update report on service budgets inclusive of earmarked reserves and consider the recommendations therein (attached).

The Committee received an update report on service budgets inclusive of the half year detailed income and earmarked reserves and considered the recommendations therein.

RESOLVED:

(a)  To note the report.

(b)  To revoke the commitment to allocate £1000 (970/9018) from earmarked reserves, to the Best Bar None Award scheme which was rolled over from 2020-21 and held in abeyance awaiting confirmation of need which has not been received.

(c)  To revoke the commitment to allocate £2,400 (970/9026) from earmarked reserves, for the Youth Film Club pilot which was rolled over from 2020/21 and held in abeyance awaiting partner review of the project.

RECOMMENDED to Council to carry forward into unspent funds from Community Access Defibrillator (101/4554) into earmarked reserves 970/9022.

The Committee may consider it appropriate to consider the following resolution should they consider that any discussion would be prejudicial to the public interests: that, under the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960, the public be excluded on the grounds of the confidential nature of the business about to be transacted which involves the likely disclosure of exempt information.  The public and press to withdraw from the meeting during consideration of detailed discussion regarding: Security Provision at Events.

To receive a report on procurement of Event Security Services and consider the    recommendations therein (attached).

The Committee received a report on procurement of Event Security Services and considered the recommendations therein.

RESOLVED TO AWARD SRM Security, a trading name of DKL Training Services Limited, the contract to undertake the provision of security services at the events programme in calendar year 2022.