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Camelford Town Council – meeting 16th January 2007

 

In attendance – J Finch (JF - Mayor), J Bass (JB), B Lush (BL), P Clark (PC), D Pearce (DP), A Shaw (AS), L Crockford (LC), S Elford (SE)

B Jordan (BJ – Town Clerk)

 

Public Participation

Question or queries from members of public – none

 

Guests – Police Inspector Innes, Sgt Jones gave talk on PCSO’s

  • Funding withdrawn – PCSO’s should have been have been employed, Bude 4, Launceston 4, Camelford 3 now reduced by 1 in each location i.e. Bude 3, Launceston 3, Camelford 2
  • PC’s to remain at current staffing level but no promise that this will not change in the future
  • 2008 traffic will no longer be the responsibility of the Police
  • New PCSO’s will not have traffic as a priority
  • Inspector Innes not sure if traffic will become the responsibility of District or County Council
  • PCSO’s will have no power of arrest, can only detain (same as an individual)
  • PCSO’s main role as a link between the Police and the community
  • J Hough (member of public) asked Inspector Innes if PSCO’s will take on traffic duties
  • Inspector Innes replied that traffic would not be main role, this will be community intelligence.  Other issues will take priority
  • J Hough stated that Police drive by and take no action relating to traffic problems i.e. parking in loading bay outside Co-op
  • AS requested that PCSO’s numbers be posted on town notice boards
  • Inspector Innes said that the PCSO’s would drop cards to traders in town giving contact details and that emergencies should still be notified via 999 calls
  • Inspector Innes stated that crime in the area had dropped by 9.5% in 2006 from 2005
  • PCSOs will be dressed the same as regular police but can be identified by their blue epaulettes.
  • New PCSO, Sam Smith starts her new post in the town on Monday for 3 weeks and will be training for the following 3 weeks

 

 

BL – point of order – should the minutes of the Car Park sub-committee meeting not be shown in 13 – BJ said that they would be on the next agenda as they had not been received in time for this meeting.

 

  1. Apologies –M Williams (holiday), B Grills, B Ireland (ill)

Acceptance proposed AS, seconded BL, all in favour

 

  1. Receive Declarations of Interest – J Bass 12a, prejudicial.  L Crockford  and S Elford 12a, personal.

 

  1. Minutes of meeting held 4th January 2007 - BL - 9b the Mayor had requested that clerk provide a more controlled budget for this meeting.  BJ said that everyone had a copy.  BL said he was asking how much was needed between now and the end of the year, and an absent councillor had been concerned that this was not changed again between now and the end of April.  BJ said that the VAT is still to come back and ‘we have plenty of money’.  BL said that ‘it does not say that on the minutes’.  Acceptance of minutes with change proposed DP, Seconded AS – 7 in favour 1 abstention

 

  1. Items Carried Forward
    1. Traffic Monitoring – planning notice up in town re bollard and loading bay c/f
    2. Footway & Street Lights – awaiting Western Power, cable damaged – no repair yet in spite of three phone calls to Cornwall County Council.  Clerk to phone every day until resolved. c/f
    3. Seat in Victoria Road – DP looking for company to fabricate frame c/f

 

  1. Answers to Public Participation 4th January 2007 – none

 

  1. Questions or Observations from Councillors which notice has been given - none

 

  1. Items requiring a Decision
    1. Contract for grass cutting and footpaths 2007/8 BJ said Camelford is not a best value council.  It is a bit late to get tenders prepared.  P Soloman will maintain his current price (£450.83 pcm).  BJ thought council should go out to tender but there was no time this year.     BL stated that there are still benches in the Park in need of repair.  Five had been done, but from the waterfall to the top end of the park they had not been done.  BJ said he would look. JF stated that this item related to grass cutting only and that the issue of repairs would be eased when the maintenance person was appointed.  AS proposed that the offer made by P Soloman should be accepted, seconded by SE – 6 in favour BL abstained.  c/f to Oct 2007.
    2. C.A.L.C AGM – clerk to check if councillors not present at the meeting would like to attend.  BJ said what an interesting day it would be.
    3. Date and speaker for the Annual Parish Meeting – proposed date 30/04/07 in Clease Hall, BJ to check availability, if unavailable possible date 1 week earlier.  JF proposed that David Whalley be invited to speak on the planned Unitary Authority

 

  1. Items for Information
    1. Letter for Cllr Ellison re a request for council to ‘identify specific issues in and around Camelford’ i.e. stating problems proposed solutions, Cllr’s to let clerk know anything to add to list.  BL pointed out issue of gullies in Chapel Street, JF said weed spraying should be the responsibility of NCDC.  DP said it would be better to wait until the building work had been completed and the scaffolding down. 
    2. Report of Court Proceeding and letter from Council’s Solicitors (copies provided to Cllr’s but not read out to public).  BJ asked the mayor if he could ask a question.  Councillors had all had a copy of the judgment and letter from Council’s solicitors.  He asked if he could have two minutes to ask questions – all he was interested in was the truth.  He then said to BL ‘your statement which was used in the court was signed by you.  How long have we known each other?  Nine, ten years.  BL said ‘vaguely, not personally’.  BJ ‘when did you come to the office?’  BL ‘In January, soon after you had taken over.  BJ ‘I can remember what you said.’  BL ‘I said I could not swear if you said ONE word’.   BJ ‘What was that?’ BL ‘I could not remember if you swore, but what I did say I stand by’.  BJ said that he had been on probation at the time and this could have put his job at risk.  BJ ‘did you report what I said to the mayor?’  BL  ‘No’.  BJ ‘to another councillor?’  BL ‘No’.  When asked who he had told about this BL said that he had been talking to the previous clerk and someone had overheard a private conversation.  He had not considered it important, but nine months later he realised how important it was.  BJ ‘IT IS A PACK OF LIES’.  BL ‘I want it minuted that I am being bullied by the clerk‘.  PC said ‘and harassment’.    BL  ‘I wouldn’t go that far’  BJ ‘if Cllr Lush thinks I am bullying him I apologise.’   JF ‘if you think you have been bullied you should make an official complaint to the Standards Board’.  BL replied that he did not want to play their games.  BJ reiterated that he had not threatened BL.  The clerk sat down, but stood up again and started to re-open his tirade against Cllr Lush, but the mayor tapped with the gavel and said ‘enough’.

 

  1. Finance – AS proposed acceptance of cheques for payment, seconded DP, all in favour.

 

  1. Resolutions or recommendations from Councillors – none

 

  1. Correspondence – none

 

  1. Planning Applications
    1. Change of use – 32 Fore Street – proposed Kebab House – BL & AS voiced concerns over access, parking, loading, rubbish and opening hours – AS proposed letter to planning stating no objection, but voicing concerns, DP seconded – 3 in favour, BL, PC against, LC, SE abstained.
    2. Erection of garage – 11 Trefrew Road – AS proposed no objections, DP seconded, all in favour

 

12.1 Planning Approval Notices – None

 

12.2 Planning Refusal Notices – None

 

  1. Committee Reports – None

 

  1. Reports
    1. Forum – meeting 17th January
    2. CDCDT – AS reported meeting last week, still working on land for Community Land Trust, possibility of land in Delabole and land in Camelford next year.
    3. Youth Club – extension going ahead
    4. HERS – builders using car park between Darlington and Library need to complete by 17th February 2007 as County will be working on that area
    5. Mayors report – attended meeting of north and east Cornwall mayors about the White Paper.  Very real concerns had been voiced that if the Unitary Authority bid is successful the standard of services will drop and most of the money will go ‘west’, not to the north and east of the county.   There would be 300 redundancies and savings would come from the sale of assets.  The move would be towards having fully paid full time county councillors.  Proposed letter to Janey Comber expressing concerns about the unitary bid, has she had a chance to read it, does she understand the implications and how will it affect North Cornwall.  AS seconded, all in favour.

Meeting 11 January called by Jonathan Holt with John Craig about the proposed new medical centre.  NCDC still has to approve the design, as do other bodies. 

New parking places order in effect.  Signs up on Town Trust land.  Reportedly this has been welcomed by disabled drivers and businesses.   BL asked if the same rules would apply to the Town Trust land as to the Churchfield car park.  Should the rules and regulations not be displayed?  BJ said it would cost another £500 to do that.  He said the same rules apply as to Churchfield.

JF said work in the town should be completed by Easter.  BL said that he had been disappointed that tarmac was being used in the opeways.

AS said CAB had asked for funding.  CDCDT can offer them the use of a room with access to the internet.  Charles Whitehead would be writing to CAB so they can come into Camelford.

    1. North Cornwall CALC, meeting 10 January, report by BL.

1.      24 January Planning Conference, Clease Hall

2.      Decision to be made 14 March that Bowithick tip will remain open for three years, at weekends and one or two days during the week, subject to consultation with parish councils.

3.      Planning needed for DIY solar panels and windmills.

4.      B3314 closed on 19 February for one month.

5.      Jim Meakin being asked to speak on 25 April.

6.      A30 dualing, meeting at Cardinham Hall on 26 January at 7.30.  DP proposed BL should represent the council as well as NC CALC.  AS may be able to go but cannot promise.

    1. AS – NCDC to be asked to repair the holes and re-line Clease Car Park.
    2. AS - Parks for People – the application date is coming up – need to form a committee.  JF – could it not be Amenities?  AS – up to council.  JF – would council like another committee?  She continued that they had barely scratched the surface because they were forced to advertise for a project manager, so they had had to start from the beginning.  When someone has been taken on (interviews 2 February) as project manager then they can go (gallop) forward.  JF proposed Amenities take on Parks for People.  AS said that as long as council will join them, and they will co-opt as necessary.  Seconded DP, 5 in favour, one abstention.  LC and BL gave apologies and left.

 

  1. Newsletters – Cllr's (not public) provided with draft copy of ‘Camelford Town Crier’ number of items requested by PC be removed.  AS, DP, PC all voiced issues relating to comments printed about Court case between Council and J Harman.  PC stated he had spoken to someone in the legal profession who had informed him that even though the case had been dismissed in the Councils favour, Council may still be liable for some of the costs incurred through the case as the Judge had not, as yet, confirmed the costs to be reclaimed from J Harman, and that the Judge may still only award minimal costs.  The article should not state that ‘no financial cost’ was incurred by the Council in the case.  BJ stated that the Insurance had taken over liability for costs when they took the case on.  PC said that they may well have a way out of that – because of a private statement the insurance company may be able to wriggle out of paying anything.  .  BJ said that the most the Council could be liable for would be 10%.   PC said he did not think the newsletter should say anything.  It says here (in the judgment) that costs will be subject to detailed assessment on the standard basis if not agreed.  JF said that what happens is that the insurers instruct the solicitors to apply for costs.  The judge may decide it is not reasonable.   DP said he thought it should finish after ‘dismissed his claim’.  AS said it should be left in ‘and the council was awarded costs’.  A paragraph of text from the article was removed.

 

  1. Items for next meeting 1st February 2007 – Camelford Dentist – PC.  (BJ said that the way to get free dental treatment is to present yourself at hospital with toothache.  They treat the toothache and then give you a complete check-up.  When you need another check-up you do the same.)

Apologies from JF (holiday).

 

  1. Exempt information – Car Park Attendant/Town Maintenance.  Public and press requested to leave. Proposed AS, seconded DP 5 in favour, PC against.  PC also left and stated that he did not want to be a part of secret meetings.

 

End of notes taken by Ada McCormick and Clare Ireland

 

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