Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor B Spurr.

(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 Harvey as a member of South Bedfordshire Friends of the Earth and Vice-Chairman of Ouzel Valley Steering Group.  Councillor Morris as Chairman of the Ouzel Valley Steering Group and member of the Greensand Trust and Councillor Snelling as a member of the Ouzel Valley Steering Group and member of the Greensand Trust . 

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).

Ross Bagni from the Leighton-Linslade Croquet Club gave thanks to Leighton Linslade Town Council for their support and help over the years with development of facilities for the club.  The club began in 2000 and now had 44 members who played in a variety of competitive leagues and also offered a social meeting place during the non-playing season.  The refurbishment of the pavilion had enabled the club to have their own club room which enhanced the facilities the club could offer.  The club would like to attract more members especially younger people and hoped that the top two lawns could be levelled to encourage membership and enable participation in higher leagues and be able to host events. 

Members thanked Ross Bagni for attending the meeting.

To receive and approve as a correct record the minutes of the Grounds & Environmental Committee meeting held on 2 December 2019.

The Committee received the draft minutes of the Grounds and Environmental Services Committee meeting held on 2 December 2019.

Minute reference 35/GE Review of the 2019 Anglia in Bloom Campaign – it was confirmed the Its Your Neighbourhood certificates were now available for collection and  the letters were being finalised with the Mayor ready for distribution.

Minute reference 40/GE Increased Memorialisation – it was confirmed the concrete foundations had been installed with the children’s section nearing completion in the next few weeks.

Minute reference 41/GE Leighton-Linslade Ouzel Valley Park Funding – the Ouzel Valley Park Steering Group were compiling a list of projects and would report back to Committee on their progress.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Grounds and Environmental Services Committee held on 2 December 2019 be approved as a correct record and were signed accordingly.

(a)  To receive and consider the Committee Objectives and Work Plan for 2019-2020. (attached).

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

(a)      The Committee received the objectives and workplan for the current municipal year.  Trialling of electric chargeable equipment would be taking place and details of this would be brought back to Committee in June 2020.

(b)      The Draft Work Plan 2020-2021 was noted with the objectives from the Council’s Five Year Plan embedded for members information. 

A question was raised regarding Tree Planting in the draft work plan and whether this could be linked with the Climate Change paper being created by Central Bedfordshire Council and their objectives considered.  It was confirmed that a public consultation would take place with the tree planting to take place in Autumn 2020 working in collaboration with local organisations and schools.

Members also questioned the car parking arrangements to be considered at the 14^th September 2020 meeting of the Committee and whether this included strategies for solving the problem of commuter parking especially at Linslade Memorial Pavilion.  It was requested that the Town Clerk write a letter to the Chief Executive at Central Bedfordshire Council to stress the importance of regulating parking at Linslade memorial Pavilion.

RESOLVED to note the reports.

To receive a demonstration of the waste management and recycling customer hub.

The Committee received a brief demonstration of the Veolia waste management and recycling customer hub.  Members agreed it was easy to process, update and working well.

RESOLVED to note the information.

To receive a nine-month budget monitoring report and the Grounds and Environmental Services Earmarked Reserves for the period April-December 2019 (attached).

The Committee received the nine-month budget monitoring report for the period 1 April – 31 December 2019.

RESOLVED to note the report.

To receive a report regarding the planters installed by Central Bedfordshire Council on Rosebery Avenue, Linslade (attached) and to consider the recommendation/s contained therein.

The Committee received and considered a report to undertake work to modify the planters in Rosebery Avenue by adding soil and living plants with £300 funded by Central Bedfordshire Council with future maintenance and on-going upkeep not the responsibility of the Town Council.

RESOLVED to accept £300 to modify 2 x planters installed by Central Bedfordshire Council on Rosebery Avenue, Linslade.  In doing so the Town Council accepts no liability for the plants or any work undertaken to them and the planters remain the full ownership of Central Bedfordshire Council.

To receive a report to seek Member endorsement on the wider play area improvement and safer surfacing replacement programmes (attached).

The Committee received an update on the wider play area improvement and safer surfacing replacement programmes within the parks in Leighton-Linslade. 

The potential refurbishment of Parson’s Close Recreation Ground was discussed at length and it was hoped that a public consultation will be undertaken simultaneously as the project progressed through Committees the work would begin in September 2020 and be completed before December 2020. 

RESOLVED

(a)             note the report

(b)             to endorse the updated wider play area improvement and safer surfacing programmes as per the Gantt charts.

To receive a report to seek Member endorsement to undertake an external review of the Leighton-Linslade Sports and Physical Activity Development Plan (to follow).

The Committee received a report to seek member endorsement to undertake an external review of the Leighton-Linslade Sports and Physical Activity Development Plan.  With a growing population of young families, Members agreed their requirements would need to be taken into consideration when developing sport and physical activities.   Also the inclusion of older people to help them stay healthy with opportunities to engage in activities to keep mobile.

RESOLVED

(a)     to note the report

(b)     endorse the external review of the Sports & Activity Development Plan and the Action Plan, with a maximum of £2,500 being allocated to fund the review from 4110/230 (Grounds Maintenance Budget).

To receive and consider a request from The Greensand Trust in extending the Higher Level Stewardship agreement with Natural England (attached).

The Committee received and considered a request from the Greensand Trust in extending their Higher-Level Stewardship agreement with Natural England.

The Committee wanted to express thanks to the Greensand Trust for their hard work in maintaining Ouzel Meadows for the benefit of the community in Leighton-Linslade.

RESOLVED

(a)      to note the report

(b)      to consider and approve as landowner the extension of the Higher-Level Stewardship held by The Greensand Trust for up to a further 3 years and contribute £3,270 per annum to The Greensand Trust.

To receive and consider a request from the Central Bedfordshire Council’s – Countryside Manager, regarding shared responsibility for clearing a section of the River Ouzel (attached).

The Committee received and considered a report from Central Bedfordshire  Council’s Countryside Manager regarding shared responsibility for clearing a section of the River Ouzel.  Central Bedfordshire Council had asked the Town Council to clear the section owned by W E Blacks twice a year with Central Bedfordshire Council clearing it twice more.  This area was highly visible to the public and would benefit from enhanced clearance.  Clearing of trollies and litter from the riverbank would be carried out by the Town Council but no clearing from the actual water as the Town Council did not want its staff carrying this out.  Members agreed that Central Bedfordshire Council could ‘deep clean’ twice a year with the Town Council completing a ‘lighter clean’ in between.

RESOLVED to consider and approve Central Bedfordshire Council’s request and to review on a one-year timescale.

To receive an update and holding report regarding the installation of drinking water fountains in larger parks and open spaces (to follow).

The Committee received a report to consider inviting quotations for the supply and installation of external drinking water fountains in our larger parks.

RESOLVED

(a)  to note the report

(b)  to endorse that quotations be invited for the supply and installation of external drinking water fountains in our larger parks and the final decision be taken by the Policy and Finance Committee at it’s meeting on the 20^th April 2020.

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: cleaning services.

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 Cleaning Services.

To receive a report regarding cleaning services (to follow) and to consider the recommendation/s contained therein.

The Committee considered a report to seek member endorsement to award a tender for the provision of professional cleaning services for a period of 3 years.

A question was raised regarding whether the staff within Company (A) would receive minimum or living wage.  The Head of Grounds would confirm with the company concerned.

On voting, the recommendation was carried with one abstention from Councillor Harvey.

RESOLVED to endorse that Company (A) be awarded the competitive tender for the provision of professional cleaning services for the period of 3 years.