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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF CAMELFORD ASSOCIATION OF RESIDENTS

held on Thursday, 15 March 2007

 

Emma Rowse from the Electoral Services Department at NCDC was our speaker and Mel Baber welcomed her.   She brought with her a booklet entitled ‘All about parish and town councils, a booklet for anyone wanting to know more about parish and town councils and the role of local councillors’.  She advised prospective town council candidates to look through it. 

Emma also went through the nomination process and important diary dates.  Nomination papers will be available from 27 March, but in fact can be obtained from the middle of next week – 20/21 March.  Emma will send a number to Clare, secretary.  They have to be returned by noon on 4 April.

If you are not on the Register of Electors there is still time to go on it – the deadline for that is 18 April. 

To stand for council you must :

In addition you must :

Candidates are advised to complete as many of the qualifications as possible on the Consent Form in case anything needed to be changed. 

The Nomination Paper must be signed by two other people, relationship irrelevant.  Those proposing or seconding a candidate must not sign more than (in the case of Camelford) eleven papers.  This will be checked by NCDC.  For town and parish councils a description (such as ‘pro wind farms’) can be used, restricted to six words.  This can be anything you like.

Candidates will be shown on the ballot paper in alphabetical order by surname.  You will be given an Electoral Register for the area 2H.  Check your own entry in that and use it exactly like that on the forms.  Following the election you are allowed to do nothing with the Electoral Register – it should be destroyed.  Or it can be returned to NCDC.  Its only purpose from then on is to check if people at meetings are eligible to participate and vote.  Fill in all the criteria, put in your date of birth (this is new) and sign in the presence of a witness.  Do this in advance and give yourself plenty of time to return the form in case it needs to be re-signed.

The form must be returned to NCDC between 27 March and noon on 4 April.  If you have a change of heart you have until noon on 11 April to withdraw your nomination.

Postal votes must be applied for before 18 April.  Phone the Electoral Services Department at NCDC (01208 893354) about this.  Since the problems in Birmingham there is now a code of conduct about postal voting and candidates are advised to do nothing for people who have applied for a postal vote.

Candidates expenses are not reclaimable and stand at £600 plus 5p per elector.  Emma was asked if candidates could pool resources for canvassing, printing etc.  Yes, that was OK.

The count following the election on 3 May will be held on Friday, 4 May, starting at about 9 am.  The District count will be first, followed by the Parish and Town council votes, starting at about 1 pm.

Successful candidates must :

·         Sign an Acceptance of Office, before or at the first meeting after the election, and

·         Complete the Declaration of Members Interests, when any affiliations must be declared.

The period of office is 4 years.

Emma was thanked for coming to the meeting.

  1. Welcome -Mel Baber welcomed residents.
  2. Apologies – Julian Harman
  3. Chairman’s Report – Mel read the minutes of the previous meeting.  The date of the Parish meeting was noted – 30 April.  Acceptance proposed by Mark Stockwood, seconded John Hough.  3 abstentions, remainder in favour.  Mel reported on English Nature and the river clean-up.  No formal consent was needed, but they did want to know dates.  5/6 May suggested, to be confirmed.  The quiz on 4 March raised £75.  Many thanks to Eddie for giving us a great evening again.
  4. Treasurer’s Report – there is now £129.78 in the kitty which will keep us coasting along.
  5. Secretary’s Report – nothing to report.
  6. Dental services in North Cornwall – emails received from Peter Knibbs and Adrian Tyas, saying that five applications have been shortlisted for NHS dentistry in North Cornwall.  Presentations to be given on 3 April 2007, 6.30 pm at the Parkhouse Centre, Bude to which CAR will be invited.  Clare would like to go to that.  Because no such service will be available until August people suffering dental pain can get help in Bodmin, Launceston, Stratton and Wadebridge.  This service can be accessed on the Dental Helpline 0845 500230 or the Call Centre Direct for the Salaried (Dental) Service on 01872 354375.
  7. Parking/fines outside the Library – reply received from the clerk :

Q   What guarantee can be given to the people of Camelford and others who use the parking area that the clerk’s camera is tamper proof?

A   None

Q   Does the parking attendant also use a camera?

A   Not yet.

Q   Could the clerk and attendant prove their identity?

A   Clerk produced identity cards with photo and telephone number.

Q   Verification of clerk’s identity?       

A   The clerk would give the number of the mayor, deputy mayor or any other councillor.

Q   What version of the time would be taken if no photograph taken?

A   The time recorded on the ticket based on the clock on the machines, the clerk’s watch and mobile phone.

Q   Why does the parking notice in that area not give the full story?

A   New notices have been put up and the clerk will get prices for new signs.

  1. Footway and street lights, Delavue Terrace to Valley Truckle  - following the CAR meeting on 15 February letters were written to Rob Constance, Area Surveyor at Cornwall County Council and NCDC Development Control, Barn Lane, Bodmin.  Reply received from NCDC Development Control saying that our views will be taken into account during planning decision making on the land at Park Lane Motors.  It is understood that this application has been withdrawn.
  2. Pedestrian Scheme update – letter to Camelford Town Council as agreed at the February meeting, asking for the suspension of parking charges during the HERS work.  Decision to be made at the town council meeting on 20 March 2007.  .  Brian Lush said that someone had been injured negotiating the high kerb outside the Spar.  There are no markings and there is a slope on it.  Terry Tague said it was not new, but much steeper, a bit of nonsense.  There have been lots of complaints in the Spar.  Terry will have a word with Oskar van Winden.  Now is the time to get it sorted out.  Sec to write to Oskar van Winden as well.
  3. Letterbox, council offices – letter written to Camelford Town Council as agreed at February meeting asking for clear marking of the Council letterbox outside their offices in College Road.  Decision to be made at the town council meeting on 20 March 2007
  4. A30 dualing, letter to Dan Rogerson – as asked at the last meeting a letter has been sent to Dan Rogerson asking for his continued support for dualing of this dangerous bit of road.  No reply needed.
  5. Easter Fayre update – letter received from the clerk asking us to say what we would like to use our table for to raise money for our charity (this will be the 2007 Fireworks).  Mel happy to do face painting with a friend of hers and, possibly balloons.  Sec to write to council to confirm.  Mike Williams pointed out that the Easter Fayre is on 7 April, not 8th as in our letter.  Mel thanked him.  Jenny Finch said that the idea was to raise money for charity and she would like to have the tables as individual as possible.  Barbara Hough asked Jenny Finch how you get a stall.  The Women’s Institute has no information on this and they had just had a committee meeting, the last opportunity when this could be discussed.  Jenny Finch said they would be put on the list for next year.
  6. CAR Newsletter No 6 – on the table and on the CAR website, camres.org.uk.
  7. New entrances/exits on Roughtor Road – nothing further back from Bob Ellison.  Sec to write to Chris Legatt, NCDC, Planning Investigation Officer.  John Hough said there was mud on the road in that area.
  8. Town council’s apparent willingness to vote on meeting minutes where the copy they have is different to the clerk’s copy which the mayor then signs as approved by council – Frank Samuel said his letter had been read out by the mayor.  As far as he could see it was not put formally to council members. And there was no investigation to ensure it would not happen again.  The only copy which mattered was the one which was signed.  Ada McCormick said that if it is not read out it is not known if it is right.  Mel Baber asked if Frank Samuel wanted to take it any further.  Frank Samuel said he thought it would be sorted out by the residents.  Eddie McCormick said that you still have to think about how to ensure that the version signed is the true one.  If councillors have another version it puts both sides in jeopardy.  John Hough said that if a copy of the signed minutes were circulated to councillors then the issue could be raised.  Even if it was signed it could be re-opened to correct the error.  Ada McCormick said that that had not been offered.  John Hough reiterated that you could check it against the minutes and re-open the subject for debate.  Bob Ireland said he had checked with NCDC legal department and they had said that the signed one was the right one.  Sec to write to ask the Town Council to bring this matter back to council, to have copies of minutes put in the Library and for a copy of the signed minutes to be sent to CAR as soon as available.  Frank Samuel pointed out that when you write to council it does not necessarily go to the councillors for debate.  Ada McCormick asked if anyone had checked if the minutes are in the Library.  Frank Samuel said they had not been there a week ago.  The Librarian said they had not been put in since last July.  Philip Clark said it had always been the draft minutes in the Library.  Mel Baber said that the only way to see the minutes was on the website.
  9. Loss of Assets Register – Frank Samuel said that council is trying to find it.  Then council was asked if anyone remembered what was in it.  This is such an important document – leave the subject on the table.
  10. Jason and Natalie Harper – things are coming on in their new home and Jason is still decorating.  Their son Jack arrived just over a week ago – congratulations to them.  Sec to write to Bob Ellison to thank him for his prompt help.
  11. Date of Parish Meeting – 30 April 2007 at 7.00 pm.  If there are two many people for the conference room at Camelford Hall, then at 8.00 pm the meeting can move into the main hall.
  12. Any other business :
    1. John Hough – Inns Park and the town infrastructure.  He has written to the planning people and the council and had nothing back, and building has started at Inns Park.  The hedges have gone and the diggers are there.  Can we write to the town council again asking for something to be sorted out.  A lot of people at Trevia are suffering because of the sewage.  More houses means more council tax.  The planning consent should not be released unless these points have been addressed.  Philip Clark said he thought you would find you can building anything you like.  Brian Lush said that the way the affordable homes on the Poltair estate have been built in one area has caused a ghetto.
    2. Terry Tague said he had made a broadcast on Radio Cornwall.  Barry Jordan had also been interviewed and had said things which were untrue.  He had met Barry Jordan this Tuesday in Camelford and asked him about it.  He said he did not need to justify this and walked off.  As a resident Terry Tague felt he should be able to talk to the town clerk.  Surely as a resident he should be able to engage with the town clerk in discussion.  He believed Barry Jordan’s behaviour to be simple misconduct.  Mel Baber suggested Terry complain to Barry Jordan’s employer.  Terry agreed that he would write to the town council, and hoped his letter would get through the gatekeeper.  In the past messages had not got through.
    3. Mark Stockwood asked about the signing at the crossroads at Camelford Station.  The secretary apologised that she had not brought it to the meeting and said she had written and had received a reply.  She would let him have the information, but the reply had said that they would inspect the signage in that area.
  13. Next meeting – 19 April 2007, 7.30 pm, Camelford Hall.

End of notes.

 

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