Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Kharawala (substituted by Councillor Dodwell) and by 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).

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. No pecuniary interests were declared.

Councillor V Harvey declared a personal interest as a member of South Bedfordshire Friends of the Earth.

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(h).

No questions from the public.

(a)  To receive and approve as a correct record the minutes of the Committee meeting held on 14 September 2020 (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 Grounds and Environmental Services Committee meeting held on 14 September 2020.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Grounds and Environmental Services Committee held on 14 September be approved as a correct record and would be signed at a later date when safe to do so.

(b)      Minute ref 75/GE Tree Planting Schemes – members were informed this consultation would commence when in a position to take it forward.

To receive and consider the Committee Work Plan for 2020-2021 (attached).

The Committee received the Committee Objectives and workplan for

2020-21.

Members were informed that car parking arrangements had been moved to the March meeting.  A question was raised regarding the Tree Planting scheme; this had been added to the workplan for the new municipal year from May 2021.  The Head of Grounds and Environmental Services informed Members he would aim to bring this forward to the March 2021 meeting as an important environmental issue.

A question was raised regarding the future demand for allotments and how the council would meet this demand. It was confirmed that within the eastern development four more possible sites were being considered and these would help improve capacity. 

Members asked whether the inclusion of ‘on-going’ on the workplan was informative and should it be updated to show if the item had progressed or if unrealistic removed from the work plan until it could progress further.  It was agreed to look at this for future work plans.

Members also agreed that the achievements of the Grounds and Environmental Services team regarding being peat-free and not using pesticides should be shared with the public via the Council’s social media platforms.

RESOLVED to note the Committee objectives and work plan.    

To receive a six-month budget monitoring report for the period April-September 2020 (attached).

The Committee received the six-month budget monitoring report for the period 1 April – 31 September 2020.

A question was raised regarding the high percentage cost of repairs and maintenance and whether this would be within budget by the end of the financial year.  It was confirmed the spending was on target at present.

Water usage in Parson’s Close Recreation Ground was questioned but it was confirmed this could balance out by the end of the year and going forward the prediction for next year could be revised.

RESOLVED to note the report.

To consider fees and charges from 1 January 2021

The Committee received and considered a report to extend the temporary amendments to the previously agreed fee structure for pavilion hire,  to support the re-introduction of community activities in Town Council pavilion buildings.  This was largely in recognition of the reduced capacities that hirers were having to work with in order to comply with Covid-19 health and safety requirements.

RESOLVED to continue temporary amendments to fees and charges for pavilion hire for the period 1 January – 31 March 2021 (i.e. a 50% reduction in the fee structure for 2020-21 which had been agreed by Committee in December 2019).

To review the draft Committee revenue budget for 2021-22 and consider recommending approval thereof to Policy and Finance Committee.

The Committee received and considered the draft Committee budget for  2021-2022.  It was hoped that income would increase once restrictions due to the COVID pandemic reduced and the tax base increased. 

RECOMMENDED to the Policy and Finance Committee to approve the proposed budget for Grounds and Environmental Services for the financial year 2021-2022.

To consider the Motion proposed by Councillor V Harvey: Leighton Linslade Town Council  in support of  CBC’s  temporary pedestrianisation of the High street  due to COVID will  make a one off intervention  to plant up  the four planters provided by CBC   that are  presently positioned in Lake Street, Market Square and Church Square in order to  support the work being done by LLTC to make the  make the High Street more attractive and to attract in a greater footfall to support the local businesses and market.

A motion was proposed by Councillor Harvey regarding the Town Centre Planters and a one off intervention to plant up the four planters provided by Central Bedfordshire Council positioned in Lake Street, Market Square and Church Square, to enhance the High Street and make it more attractive, encouraging greater footfall and support of the local businesses and market.  Members emphasised this would be a one-off intervention and would be overseen by the Head of Grounds and Environmental Services.

RESOLVED to support the motion to plant the four planters provided by CBC as a one-off intervention to enhance the appearance of the High Street.

To receive a report and to consider the recommendation/s contained therein.

The Committee received a report to review the 2020 Anglia in Bloom campaign.  The Town Council continued to oversee this year’s Leighton-Linslade in Bloom initiative even though the judging was cancelled due to the on-going COVID pandemic.  Discussions were underway as to whether this campaign would take place in 2021. 

The Committee wanted to give thanks to the volunteers and community groups for their hard work as open spaces had been so important to everyone during the lockdown and throughout the COVID restrictions.

RESOLVED:

(a)   To note the report.

(b)   To formally thank all the local volunteers involved in this year’s Leighton-Linslade in Bloom campaign, especially The Friends of Leighton-Linslade in Bloom.

To receive a report and to consider the recommendation/s contained therein.

The Committee received the judges report for Linslade Memorial Playing Fields and Garden of Remembrance which was broken down into two sections: desk assessments and management plan. Additional sites entered for Green Flag judging included Pages Park, Parson’s Close Recreation Ground and Vandyke Road Cemetery and all retained their Green Flags for 2020 and received positive reports.

Thanks were given to the Grounds Team for their work in clearing huge amounts of litter during the summer months when the parks were being used during COVID restrictions.

RESOLVED to note the reports.

To receive the minutes of the last meeting of the Ouzel Valley Park Steering Group and a verbal update from its Chair.

The Committee received the draft minutes of the Ouzel Valley Park Steering Group meeting held on 9 November 2020 for consideration.

Councillor Morris, Chair of the Ouzel Valley Park Steering Group, spoke of the work the group had undertaken with other agencies in putting forward the Green Wheel Masterplan to the town council for adoption and their commitment to help provide better cycle ways and footpaths linking areas of the town together.

The footpath along the Clipstone Brook behind Woodman Close was an important link from the Eastern development.  Funding for this had not been realised with £20,000 of earmarked reserves allocated to this and members felt it should continue to be pursued and not allowed to slip off the agenda.  Steve Lakin, Central Bedfordshire Council, would continue to work on this project and research ways to create a path without causing residents concerns.

RESOLVED to receive the draft minutes of the Ouzel Valley Park Steering Group meeting held on 9 November 2020.

To receive a verbal update on the first year of the Council’s new waste management contract.

A verbal update was given on the first year of the Council’s new waste management contract.  Members agreed the review was positive and an improvement on previous years with a chance to look at our environmental ambitions and review what would be wanted and could be achieved.

Councillor Harvey requested that the teracycle bin for recycling of crisp packets be made more visible to the public at the market. She also noted that putting litter in bins was not seen as “cool” by older children/teens and whether any thought could be given to how to encourage this behaviour from that age group. It was suggested that a specific report on town centre/market waste be given to the Market Sub Committee or Cultural and Economic Services Committee. A suggestion was made to have a notice displayed at the market regarding the amount of food waste recycled. 

RECOMMENDED to the Cultural and Economic Services Committee:

(i)     to receive specific information on waste collected from the market and to look at ways in which to promote these figures.

(ii)  to look at ways to maximise the opportunities for the market to embed at the market. and promote recycling

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: concession fees 2020-21.

RESOLVED 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: ten year planned maintenance programme.

To receive documentation (attached) and to consider any recommendations therein.

The Committee received and considered an update report on the ten-year maintenance programme for all pavilion buildings and key assets and how to move forward within a reasonable time frame.

RESOLVED

(a)      To note the report.

(b)      That a second professional opinion be obtained.