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 Councillor Bowater (substituted by Councillor Berry) and Councillor Snelling (substituted by Councillor Owen).

(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).

Members were asked to declare any interests, including the nature of those interests, which they had in any of the items under consideration at this meeting.

Councillor K Cursons declared an interest in agenda item 12  as a member of All Saints Church and Councillor M Freeman declared an interest in agenda item 10 Remebrance Day 2020.

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(f) and 3(g).

There were no questions from the public.

To receive and approve as a correct record the minutes of the Cultural and Economic Services Committee meetings held on 7 October 2019.

The Committee received the draft minutes of the previous committee meeting held on 7 October 2019.

Minute reference 23/CE Community Events - the Committee were informed

a band concert would take place on the Sunday of the August Bank holiday weekend.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Cultural and Economic Services Committee held on 7 October 2019 be approved as a correct record and were signed accordingly.

To receive the draft minutes of the Market Sub-Committee meeting held on 21 November 2019 (attached) and to consider any recommendations contained therein.

The Committee received the draft minutes of the Market Sub-Committee meeting held on 21 November 2019 for consideration.

RESOLVED to receive the draft minutes of the Market Sub-Committee meeting held on 21 November 2019.

To receive the service update report and to consider any recommendations contained therein. (attached).

The Committee received and considered  a report to update members of work undertaken at TACTIC during September 2019 to October 2019, including attendance statistics.

Members were informed that the grant funded Youth Crime Project had commenced and TACTIC had attended assemblies about knife crime alongside the St Giles’ Trust to middle and upper schools. Workshops would continue until May 2020 for students the school considered to be at risk of becoming involved in crime or being criminally exploited.

Further workshops had taken place in Brooklands and Cedars Schools as lunchtime drop in sessions where students could talk about a variety of weekly topics including relationships, online safety, crime and anti-social behaviour.  In response to the Council’s environmental ambitions TACTIC would be implementing a programme of activities to ensure young people were aware of the difference they could make to the environment.

The VERU (Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit) bid for funding had not been successful to launch a Pad Boxing group but the Council  hoped to use the underspend from Operation Dodford to support this project.

The Committee were informed that the older persons Christmas meal at Astral Park was fully booked with 41 residents attending and TACTIC was asked to explore the viability of extending this event next year to more residents.

RESOLVED

i)      to note the report

ii)     to forward the Youth Survey results to Policy and Finance for consideration.

To receive the service update report and to consider any recommendations contained therein (attached).

The Committee received a progress report on all of the annual community events and was given a verbal report on recent highlights, including Living History Day and Christmas Festival Weekend.  It was noted that officers were working towards meeting the nine objectives of the environmental policy in conjunction with traders and suppliers throughout the year’s events programmes.  Water coolers had replaced bottled water on site and staff had been provided with re-usable drinking containers.  From 2020 traders would be encouraged to use recyclable packaging for their products and provide environmentally friendly cutlery and cartons.

The next scheduled event would be the Business Networking Event April 2020 and the Band Concerts were being organised for the summer months.

Thanks were given by the Committee to the Events Team for their hard work in producing events within the town to such a high standard.

RESOLVED to note the report.

To receive a report tabled by Councillors regarding older people, along with a report providing background context in respect of Town Council objectives and to consider the recommendations contained therein (attached).

The Committee received and considered a report in respect of older people submitted by Councillors S Owen and R Goodchild.  After lengthy discussions the motion put forward by Councillors Owen and Goodchild was put to a vote. 

A recorded vote was suggested but as this was not a Full Council meeting, it was agreed to instead record votes in favour of the proposal.

On being put to the vote, the motion was not carried (two votes in favour (Councillors Owen and Goodchild), six against and one abstention). 

Members agreed that more scoping work would be needed to progress this scheme and the Committee agreed to form a Task and Finish Group to look into schemes suitable for elderly people in the town with a view to inclusion within the 2021/2022 budget. 

The Task and Finish Group to consist of Councillors Cursons, Goodchild, Owen, Morris, Freeman and Bowater.

RESOLVED to form a Task and Finish Group to look into schemes for elderly people with a view to recommendation for the 2021/22 budget.

To receive a letter from Central Bedfordshire council with regards to the provision of a Changing Places facility and consider the recommendations therein.

The Committee received a report to consider the implications to the Town Council of Central Bedfordshire Council installing a Changing Places facility in the public conveniences, West Street.

RECOMMEND to Policy and Finance that subject to final details being agreed, to write to Central Bedfordshire Council and indicate the Council’s willingness to proceed with the management of the new changing Places facility in the public conveniences at West Street.

To receive the Budget update report inclusive of proposed draft budget for financial year 2020/21 and consider the recommendations contained therein (attached).

The Committee received a budget update report for the revenue and earmarked reserves.

After discussion the Committee proposed allowing market traders to have access to dedicated Wi-Fi provision subject to costs being agreed.

RESOLVED

i)      To note the report

ii)     To recommend to Policy and Finance Committee the Cultural and Economic Services Draft annual budget for financial year 2020/21.

iii)   To recommend to Policy and Finance Committee that Events budgets and associated Event salary budgets receive a year on year increase in-line with inflation going forward from 2021/22.

iv)   To endorse the allocation of £1,000 for Remembrance Sunday 2020, from earmarked reserves (970/9057).

v)     To endorse the allocation of earmarked reserves (970/9026) to fund Council led 2020 VE Day celebrations up to £5,000.

vi)   To endorse the contribution of £1,000 partnership funding towards delivery of the 2020 Best Bar None schemes from earmarked reserves (970/9018).

vii)  To endorse the allocation of earmarked reserves, (970/9018), to fund the updating of the market web pages in keeping with the Council’s new web site to the sum of £2,600.

viii)To endorse the allocation of earmarked reserves, (970/9018) to update and print the Town Centre Shopping and Services Map and Directory, up to the sum of £2,000.

ix)The agreed savings from Street Market budget to be reallocated as an annual budget line to fund Market dedicated Wi-Fi provision subject to confirmation of costs.

To receive the Committee objectives and work plan for 2019- 2020 (attached).

The Committee received the Committee Workplan and Objectives for 2019-2020. 

RESOLVED to note the Committee Work Plan for 2019-2020.

To receive verbal updates on on-going work themes:

(a)  Market Town Regeneration Fund (MTRF) projects

(b)  S106 projects (WiFi, relocation of Christmas Tree, road barriers, Bell Alley resurfacing).

The Committee received verbal updates on a number of ongoing projects.

Architectural Lighting: the Planning Department at Central Bedfordshire Council had been contacted and awaiting feedback.

S106 projects: -

Town centre WiFi was timetabled to launch on the 2 January 2020 with a press release at the end of December and a letter sent to each retailer to inform them of this. 

Road barriers – a feasibility study for the installation of road barriers would be explored with Highways at Central Bedfordshire Council.

Christmas Tree – this had been relocated to the bottom of the High Street.

Bell Alley – would be levelled and resurfaced with tarmac and quotes requested early in the new year.

Best Bar None – Central Bedfordshire Council would take back the co-ordination of the scheme in April 2020.  A concern was raised as to how the scheme would progress and it was confirmed the Head of Cultural and Economic Services would continue to sit at the partnership steering group table to ensure the town continued to benefit from the scheme.