MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF DRONFIELD TOWN COUNCIL

HELD AT GOSFORTH LODGE, CLIFFE PARK, DRONFIELD

ON MONDAY 7^th JULY 2008

 

Present

 

Councillors: Mrs W Temple (The Town Mayor): I Pryce:  D Oxspring: A Memmott: G Gregory:  J McGrory: Mrs B Skelton: Mrs C Smith: G Baxter: M Wing: R Bull: S Temple: J Sorrill: P Blackburn:  Mrs K Marr: J Stocks: M Emmens. F Higgins:

 

Prior to the meeting, Claire Simmons of North East Derbyshire District Council addressed the meeting to give an update on the recycling initiatives that had been previously agreed by this Council. She gave a brief resume of what would take place on the composting day to be held in the Civic Hall on Thursday 10 July when compost advice and literature would be available for residents’ information.

 

Claire also reported on the previously agreed 5 requests from this Council concerning the siting of recycling facilities, most of which were s designated to be on land within this Council’s ownership.

 

She stated that it had been decided not to progress the requests for recycling amenities at Dronfield Woodhouse Recreation Ground, Hilltop Recreation Ground and that no decision had been reached concerning sites at Coal Aston or in Sainsburys Car Park. The only successful application was on the “car park” adjacent to Gorsey Brigg, which would require permission from Taylor Wimpy who own the land.

 

She informed members that financial budgets will ultimately determine where and how many new sites would be created in Dronfield but was reminded by members that Dronfield is almost 25% of the district and already has a much better record for recycling than other parts of the district and that this Council would wish to see that successful figure improving even more.

 

Public Forum on Planning Matters

 

No items of interest or concern were raised.

 

Public Forum On General Matters

 

No items of interest or concern were raised.

 

Model Code of Conduct

 

Members were reminded that any changes to their Declaration of Interests should be declared.  Members were also advised to declare, at this point, any items of the agenda where they may consider themselves to have a particular or prejudicial interest in the matter to be conducted.

 

024/08-09        RESOLVED

 

That this report be received and noted.

Apologies

 

025/08-09        RESOLVED

 

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

 

Councillor J Stocks       (Other Business)

Councillor D Gage        (Other Business)

 

Youth Matters

 

Scouts Council AGM Report:

 

Members considered the report of the District Council AGM and were impressed with the level of commitment and success undertaken by the young people of the town.

 

026/08-09        RESOLVED

 

That this report be received and noted.

 

Skateboard Park:

 

Members considered a tabled report setting out some ideas and objectives for a proposed skateboard park in Dronfield. Members were informed that a meeting of the Skateboard Working Group was scheduled to meet in two days time and it would therefore be more appropriate for members to consider a report of the Working Group at the next meeting of Council.

 

027/08-09        RESOLVED

 

That this report be received and noted.

 

Youth Bus in Civic Centre:

 

Members were informed that the youth bus, which attends at the Civic Centre on Friday evenings, had been replaced by a refurbished vehicle and was proving to be very popular with the young people who use this improved facility.

 

028/08-09        RESOLVED

 

That this report be received and noted.

 

Police Matters

 

Sergeant Siddall attended for this item and circulated the latest crime figures for the town, which showed once again that Dronfield was a very safe place to live and work

 

He gave a brief outline of changes that are to take place with policing in the Division, which will see Dronfield linked with Clay Cross and the newly appointed inspector, Alan Waterfall, will share his time between both centres. No stations will be closed and the same number of staff will be available to serve the newly defined areas that more closely resemble district council boundaries. He reported briefly on the last Community Partnership meeting and highlighted some of the local policing concerns that has been addressed, such a road safety at schools, anti social behaviour near to shops, vandalism and under age drinking in Cliffe Park.

 

Crime in Dronfield was very low when compared to other local areas but the police are not complacent and seek to introduce preventative measures to ensure that the statistics remain low. Theft from motor vehicles was a concern and ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) was being used locally to identify cross boundary offenders.

 

Members requested that the crime statistics be prepared showing six monthly rolling averages and figures which compared crimes on a year to year basis so that trends could be identified and possibly rectified.

 

029/08-09        RESOLVED   That this report be received and noted.

 

Council Minutes

 

Members considered the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of the Council held on 2 June 2008. (Pages 6-14)

 

030/08-09        RESOLVED 

 

1.      That the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of Dronfield Town Council held on 2 June 2008 be 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

 

Applications

 

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

 

031/08-09        RESOLVED 

 

1.                  That this schedule of planning applications be received and noted and that no further action was required.

 

Planning Decisions

 

Members considered a schedule of planning decisions submitted by North East Derbyshire District Council for information.

 

 032/08-09       RESOLVED:   That this report be received and noted.

 

 

Town Clerks Report

 

(a)               Outside Services

 

Members were informed that all the summer beddings displays had now been planted up using 10,000 bedding plants and 4,000 litres of peat free compost in well dug beds. All the hanging baskets had now been installed and the watering regime implemented. Footpath strimming was due to take place over the following weeks. The external contractor continues to meet the stringent requirements of his contract and several complimentary letters had been received from bowlers and cricketers.

 

033/08-09        RESOLVED:              That this report be received and noted.

 

 (b)       North of Chesterfield Environmental Weight Limit

 

Members were informed that DCC had recently resolved not to accede to this Council’s objections and suggestions for alternative routes and that the above order would be implemented in the near future.

 

034/08-09        RESOLVED:             That this report be received and noted.

 

(c)        BT Proposal to Re-align payphone provision.

 

Members considered correspondence from NEDDC concerning a consultation exercise for the proposed programme of payphone removals that would involve 4 payphones in Dronfield being removed.

 

035/08-09        RESOLVED:  That this report be received and noted and that NEDDC be requested to contact BT to ascertain the usage numbers for the four payphones in Dronfield that are proposed to be removed.

 

(d)        Dronfield Fairtrade Group.

 

Members considered correspondence and a progress report concerning the recent Fairtrade event to which the Council had made a grant towards the operating costs. Members were informed that over 300 local residents had attended the event in March 2008 to learn more about the principles and benefits of Fairtrade.

 

 036/08-09       RESOLVED :            That this report be received and noted.

 

(e)        William Lee Foundry: Donation:

 

Members considered a letter from Graham Cooper, the MD of William Lees expressing the company’s appreciation for the support of this Council in the development of the company’s new foundry scheme. As a further gesture of his company’s community commitment, he is willing to donate £2,000 to a mutually agreed project within Dronfield. Some discussion then took place with one suggestion being that the donation could fund an engineering library at The Dronfield School, whist other ideas were for a more specific project within Cliffe Park being more appropriate

 

037/08-09        RESOLVED:

 

1.         That William Lee Ltd be thanked for their kind offer and that the matter be

            deferred to the next meeting of this Council for further consideration.

 

2.         That Wm Lee Limited be consulted and asked for their input into what they would wish to see the donation used for.

 

(g)        North East Derbyshire: Local Accessibility Strategy:

 

Members considered a report from Derbyshire County Council concerning the above strategy outlining barriers, which prevent access (issues) and proposed solutions to address those issues(options)

 

038/08-09        RESOLVED

 

1          That this report be received and noted.

2.         That in Objective 3, DCC be requested to include the Dronfield-Chesterfield corridor when improving rail passenger facilities and links.

3.         That in Objective 2, DCC be asked to consider improving the highway surfaces in Dronfield to make them more suitable for cyclists and to encourage cycle to work schemes by offering the “buy a bike at half price” incentive that has proved so successful in other areas.

3.         That in Objective 7, DCC be requested to ensure that all bus timetables show which bus serves which hospital and that a bus link is provided from areas of Dronfield to serve Dronfield Station’s much improved stopping pattern of rail services in December 2008.

 

(h)        Publications Received

 

Members considered a list of publications received which are available in the Town Council offices.

 

039/08-09        RESOLVED     That this report be received and noted.

 

Reports From Dronfield Town Council Representatives on Outside Bodies

 

The Council’s representative on Dronfield Woodhouse Sports and Social Club gave a brief outline of their recent AGM. He stated that the club’s finances were much more stable than in recent years due to the hard work of the committee, members and volunteers. He also reported that some drivers were causing a nuisance by driving down the ramp from the playing fields onto the car park at high speed.

 

040/08-09        RESOLVED     That this report be received and noted.

 

 

 

 

 

Notes of Working Groups of the Town Council

 

Members considered the notes of a meeting held between the Town Clerk, Lea Brook Valley Volunteers and Keyland Developments concerning proposals for the wet area at the south end of the valley.

 

041/08-09        RESOLVED : That this report be received noted.

 

Schedule of Payments

 

Members considered a schedule of payments for the month of May 2008 in the amount of £56,509.58 paid from the Council’s No 1 account.

 

042/08-09        RESOLVED

 

That the schedule of payments in the amount of £56,509.58 for the month of May 2008, be received noted and approved.

 

Schedule of Receipts

 

Members considered a schedule of receipts for May 2008 in the amount of £27,321.10 and paid into the council’s No 2 account.

 

043/08-09        RESOLVED

 

That the schedule of receipts in the amount of £27,321.10 for the month of May 2008 and paid into the Council’s No 2 account, be received noted and approved.