MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF DRONFIELD TOWN COUNCIL

HELD AT GOSFORTH LODGE, CLIFFE PARK, DRONFIELD

ON MONDAY 1^st OCTOBER AT 7.30 pm

 

Present

 

Councillors:  W I Pryce (Town Mayor): F Higgins: Simon Temple: Mrs W Temple: D Oxspring:  A Memmott: G Gregory: J Sorrill: Mrs B Skelton:  Mrs C Smith:

P H Blackburn: G Baxter: Mrs K Marr: M Emmens: M Wing: R Bull: J M Stocks:

D K Gage

 

Plus 12 members of the public

 

Public Forum on Planning Matters

 

(a)        No items raised.

 

Prior to Mr Crowson addressing the meeting, it was agreed that agenda item 9 and 10 be brought forward and discussed after item No 2.

 

(b)        Mr Paul Crowson of North East Derbyshire District Council gave a brief presentation of the Community Partnership Initiative.

 

            Mr Crowson explained that neighbourhood partnerships were formed some five years ago but not all parish or town councils had participated.

 

            An independent review had been carried out by outside consultants and had set up parameters for the newly devised community partnerships.

 

            The new partnership should focus on delivery of services and not just be “talking shops”.

 

            The emphasis would be on pulling all local agencies together to create improved delivery of services following a detailed action plan.

 

            North East Derbyshire District Council has now linked senior officers with specific community partnerships to enhance progress.

 

            It is envisaged that each Community Partnership will have a small pump priming grant to get then off the ground.  Boundaries of each Community Partnership will ensure that geographic identities are retained.

 

            Community Partnership will work at two levels.

 

            The wider aim will be to involve as many local groups, organisations and individuals to ensure wide spread involvement and consultation.

 

            Each Community Partnership will also have a small executive body to implement action plans, liase with members and senior partners and should involve the voluntary sector.

 

            It is considered that both groups should meet three or four times each year.

 

            It is important to gather as much information of the community’s desires and needs and this could be achieved with focus groups, questionnaires, events, displays and the internet.

 

            The wider benefits of Community Partnership working should result in a better targeting of priorities that can be tailored to local needs, energise local and voluntary groups, lessen duplication, offer a better quality of life for local residents and lead to more efficient joined up local government.

 

            Community Partnership, if formed, should consult widely, identify key partners and stakeholders and set up executive steering groups in late November 2007 to set the ball rolling.

 

            Mr Crowson informed members that he would be the designated officer of North East Derbyshire District Council for Dronfield, should Dronfield Town Council wish to join the Community Partnership.

 

Members Code of Conduct

 

Members were reminded that any changes to their Declarations of Interest should be stated now and that if any conflicting items on the agenda affected them, they should now declare their particular interests.

 

77/07-08        RESOLVED    That this report be received and noted.

 

Apologies

 

78/07-08   RESOLVED 

 

That apologies be received, noted and accepted from the following member, for the reasons stated in brackets.

 

Councillor J D McGrory           (Other Business)

 

Community Partnerships

 

Prior to discussion of this item it was:

 

79/07-08        RESOLVED

 

That Standing Orders be now suspended so that speakers, other than elected members, may join in the discussion.

 

Following the earlier presentation members considered whether Dronfield Town Council should agree to enter into a Community Partnership with North East Derbyshire District Council.

 

 

80/07-08        RESOLVED

 

(1)        That Dronfield Town Council agrees in principle to enter into a Community Partnership initiative with North East Derbyshire District Council.

 

(2)        That a small working group comprising 2 Liberal Democrat and 1 opposition member be formed to participate in discussions with North East Derbyshire District Council prior to presenting a comprehensive report to a future meeting of this Council.

 

FairTrade Initiative

 

Members considered a report setting out the background together with the aims and objectives of the FairTrade initiative.

 

The FairTrade initiative involves several commitments to be undertaken by Dronfield

Town Council as a pre-requisite to becoming a FairTrade town.

 

81/07-08        RESOLVED

 

That Dronfield Town Council agrees to contribute to the campaign to increase sales of products with the FairTrade mark by striving to achieve FairTrade status for Dronfield Town Council as detailed in the FairTrade Foundations FairTrade Town Initative.

 

Standing Orders were then resumed.

 

Youth Matters

 

Members considered various aspects of youth provision in the town and the Gosforth Pre School’s eco school initiative was warmly praised.

 

Members then considered the youth club services in the town and expressed concern about the long-term youth service provision.  The two youth facilities at Gosforth and Gladys Buxton were owned, managed and maintained by Derbyshire County Council and it was thought that both locations needed more work and money spent on them.  It appeared to members that there seemed to be a reluctance by Derbyshire County Council officers to answer some of the concerns.

 

82/07-08   RESOLVED

 

That Derbyshire County Council be asked for clarification on how youth service provision operated in Dronfield and what priorities and strategies are currently in force and what does the future hold for the provision of these services.

 

Members then considered the much requested skateboard park initiative which had been discussed previously.

 

 

 

 

83/07-08   RESOLVED

 

That this matter be discussed as a matter of urgency by the Properties Working Group and a report submitted by January 2008 on whether the Council should go ahead with a scheme to provide skateboard facilities.

 

That Councillors Sorrill and Gage be co-opted onto the Properties Working Group to offer their advice, guidance and expertise in this matter.

 

Police Matters

 

Due to other duties, the local police constable was unable to attend.

 

Members considered matters of concern in the town which included.

 

(a)                Broken glasses and bottles on Dronfield Station and its environs.  It was thought that the police may consider instructing local hostelries to serve beer in plastic glasses for outside consumption and that local bye-laws prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in public streets be investigated.

 

(b)                Speeding on Eckington Road.  The police should be requested to attend with mobile speed cameras, which would act as a deterrent.

 

(c)                The riding of horses on grass verges by young people, some as young as 13 years old.  What powers do the police have to stop this practice and make pavements and verges safer for pedestrians.

 

(d)                It was suggested that certain licensed premises were serving alcoholic drinks to under age persons and how can the local police enforce the law on under age drinking.

 

84/07-08   RESOLVED    That this report be received and noted.

 

Council Minutes

 

Members considered the draft minutes of the meeting of Dronfield Town Council held on 3 September 2007 (pages 21-31).

 

85/07-08   RESOLVED

 

That with the addition of Councillor Philip Blackburn’s name as a representative in Minute 66/07-08, these minutes are received, accepted  and approved as a true record of events and that the Town Mayor be duly authorised to sign them as such.

 

 

Planning Matters

 

Prior to any discussion taking place, Councillor Pryce declared a prejudicial interest on item 2 of the schedule and vacated the chair and withdrew from the meeting.

 

Councillor Mrs Wendy Temple assumed the chair for the next items on the agenda.

 

Members then considered a schedule of planning applications submitted by North East Derbyshire District Council for comment and opinion.

 

86/07-08    RESOLVED

 

1.                       That North East Derbyshire District Council be requested to conduct a site visit concerning application 07/00993/FL by Persimmon Homes for residential development comprising 16 dwellings with associated roads, garages and parking areas at the site of the Old Gosforth School on Stubley Lane.

 

2.                       That North East Derbyshire District Council be requested to provide further information concerning application 07/00998/AD for advertisement consent for an illuminated signage scheme a The Chequers on Eckington Road.

 

3.                       That concern be expressed regarding application 07/01086/FL for the siting of a mobile fridge unit to the rear of 1 Barnes Lane, if the equipment was intended to operate in situ.

 

Councillor J Sorrill declared a personal interest in this matter and did not speak or vote upon it.

 

Town Clerk’s Report

 

(a)                Outside Services

 

Members considered this matter and following discussions it was.

 

87/07-08   RESOLVED

 

That the damaged wall at Hilltop Recreation Ground be fenced off and repairs effected as quickly as possible.

 

(b)                Road Safety Working Group

 

Members considered arrangements for the next meeting of the Road Safety Working Group which asked them to raise any matter of concern to the attention of any member of that group.

 

88/07-08   RESOLVED     That this report be received and noted.

 

(c)                Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE)

 

Members considered correspondence from Derbyshire County Council regarding decriminalised parking enforcement to be known in future as CIVIL PARKING ENFORCEMENT.

 

This function will be transferred from the police to Derbyshire County Council and had been the subject of detailed consultation between Derbyshire County Council and all the district and borough councils within the county.

 

88/07-08   RESOLVED    That this report be received and noted.

 

 

(d)                Young Achievers Award

 

Members were appraised that Derbyshire County Council was running this scheme again and members were asked to consider whether they would wish to nominate any young person from Dronfield who had shown.

 

·                       Bravery in fighting illness or living with a disability.

·                       Kindness in helping other s

·                       Commitment to improving their school community or local environment.

·                       Sporting, musical, artistic or academic success or achievement.

 

Members were informed that nomination forms were available at the Town Council Offices.

 

89/07-08   RESOLVED    That this report be received and noted.

 

(e)                Bahias Faith – Wild Garden Creation

 

Members of the above faith requested the Council to consider areas in the Council’s ownership for the creation of “wild life gardens” that would attract wild life and increase the bio-diversity of the areas in question.

 

90/07-08   RESOLVED

 

That this report be received and noted and that the matter be referred to a future meeting of the Properties Working Group.

 

(f)                 Land Adjacent 18 Church Street, Dronfield

 

Members were informed that the solicitor for the late Mrs Margaret Heselwood of 18 Church Street, Dronfield had contacted the Town Clerk informing him that Mrs Heselwood had gifted a portion of the rear garden at 18 Church Street, to Dronfield Town Council and wished to know if the Council wished to accept this gift of land which is also adjacent to land in the Lea Brook Valley within the ownership of this Council.

 

Currently, an “unofficial” path from the lower car park runs through the garden of 18 Church Street, exiting on the pathway adjacent to the Grange.

 

It was suggested that if Dronfield Town Council accepts this gift of land, then the “footpath” could be re-located to run from the car park lower down the site across what will become Dronfield Town Council owned land if accepted

 

91/07-08   RESOLVED

 

1.                     That Dronfield Town Council graciously accepts the gift of land from the late Mrs Margaret Hazelwood’s estate and that the Town Clerk now liase with her solicitor and the Council’s solicitor to carry out the legal conveyancing.

 

2.                     That upon acquisition of the gifted plot of land, a footpath from the lower car park to the footpath adjacent to the Grange is installed and maintained.

 

Schedule of Payments

 

Members considered a schedule of payments for the month of August 2007 in the amount of £82,020.56 drawn on the Council’s No 1 account.

 

92/07-08   RESOLVED   

 

That the schedule of payments in the amount of £82,020.56 for the month of August 2007 be received accepted and approved.

 

Schedule of Receipts

 

Members considered a schedule of receipts for the month of August 2007 in the amount of £21,964.50 paid into the Council’s No 2 account.

 

93/07-08   RESOLVED

 

That the schedule of receipts in the amount of £21,964.50 for the month of August 2007 be received accepted and approved.

 

Public Forum

 

Mrs Keeble of 57 Marsh Avenue complained about Rykneld Homes using the plot of land adjacent to the recreation ground as a “mini depot” with vans, lorries and skips causing a nuisance for local residents.

 

It was explained that this land does indeed belong to North East Derbyshire District Council and that these comments would be passed on to them for investigation and action.

 

Mr Clive Gill commented that he did not agree that the Community Partnership representations being allowed to become a political issue.

 

He again reported that drivers were speeding along Hollins Spring Avenue and Hilltop Road and that this had been reported to the police.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exclusion Of Public And Press

 

94/07-08   RESOLVED

 

That the public and press be now excluded from the meeting during the discussion of the following items of business to avoid the disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended by the Freedom of Information Act (2004).

 

Staffing Matters

 

The Town Clerk gave a verbal briefing of staffing matters and reported that the post-holder of the Outside Services Foreman position had tendered his resignation and would leave the Council’s employment on 28 September 2007.

 

The Town Clerk also reported that the Outside Services Function had been operating for the past three months with two members of staff not being available.

 

Advertisements will now be placed to recruit a replacement Outside Services Foreman and Outside Services General Assistant.

 

95/07-08   RESOLVED    That this report be received and noted.