Camelford Association of Residents

Camelford Association of Residents

Minutes of the meeting held on 16 March 2006

at the Liberal Club, Camelford

Welcome – M Baber welcomed all those present
Apologies – received from J Pearce, M Stockwood, B Oliver, H Huntley
Minutes of the meeting 16 January 2006 – M Baber went through the main points of the minutes. Adoption proposed by J Hough, seconded by A McCormick, none against.
Matters arising – to be dealt with under other items.
Treasure report - £96.63 in the bank, details available for anyone to see.
Secretary’s report – nothing to report.
Report from Forum 15 March –

Road closure extended to 5 April; further work to be carried out in October.
Farmers’ market still being discussed.
Proposal for car boot sales in the car park on a Sunday. T Tague said that in Bodmin the car boot sales are successful and maybe the Residents Association would support this as a project. The Forum has passed it back to the Chamber of Commerce. The Town Council needs to agree.
The Forum newsletter has been produced.
Town Council reported plans for the children’s play area in Enfield Park.
There will be a book in the library for the Queen’s 80^th birthday, and ideas for a tea party.
Easter/Spring Fayre on 17 April.
Lyon Report – shake up in local government. B Ellison said that it is the District Council elections which may be postponed. B Lush has written to Dan Rogerson asking him to clarify the position.
Mount Camel and Highfield flats – to be tidied up.
Pre-School name changing to Little Acorns Nursery.

Car Park Review – there have been some 250 responses to the consultation form. The next meeting of the Car Park Sub Committee is on 20 March in the St John Ambulance Hall, Clease Road. The public is welcome to attend, but may not participate. J Pearce may be able to attend that meeting.
Fireworks and Fundraising – contract received from Starburst Illuminations and Sir James Smith’s School. Fundraising is ongoing.
Correspondence –

From E McCormick to M Williams re poster 27 February 2006
From D Pierce to H Huntley re public participation 7 March 2006
From H Huntley to members of the Town Council 21 February 2006 re public participation. (Both above read out at H Huntley’s request)
Car Park Review posters – meeting 20 March – available if needed.
Poster for meeting to discuss Sustainable Communities Bill, 6 April, Centenary Chapel, Camborne, 7.30 – 9.30 pm. ?Anyone like to go.
Sec to Town Council re our Vice Chairman 9 March 2006.
Sec to Town Council re Mediation 9 March 2006.
Sec to C Kearse re thanks for website work 20 February 2006.
Sec to Town Council re consideration of correspondence 17 February 2006.
Sec to Town Council re exempt information 20 February 2006.
Sec to Town Council re submissions to car park review 17 February 2006.
Sec to Town Council re invoice for copies of above 9 March 2006.
Agenda for Car Park Sub Committee meeting 20 March 2006.
Letter from J Pearce to J Finch re Options Form
Email correspondence between E MCormick and B Jordan re democracy, politics, ballot boxes and coercion. (Copies available)

J Finch stated that any changes were made with the full agreement of the council and in view of the public. The council also objected to the posters and disagreed with the use of collection boxes for the return of forms. J Finch said that had we wanted to use boxes one could have been placed in the library. A McCormick asked why the council had not suggested this. J Finch said that the council did not want to be seen to be preferring one trader above another by allowing a box in one shop. E McCormick pointed out that as this was not an election it was all immaterial. A McCormick asked why was it frowned upon to knock on doors. M Baber said that there had been some discussion that CAR would be happy to knock on doors, as the form was to be delivered by hand. It was completely in the spirit of item 5 of the conciliation document produced by Sally Lloyd-Jones. B Lush asked if anyone had imposed a box on J Harman – no. J Hough asked if the town council was so hell bent on having the forms returned to the clerk why did they not include a stamped addressed envelope. CAR had come up with a reasonable compromise to have boxes, and why is the clerk being so adamant about having a central collection point which the council had not thought about. We should not be going for Eddie (McCormick) over this. R Hart said that he had been told by the clerk to run off more copies of the form for other electors in his house. P Clark said that if people are concerned about photocopies being run off what steps have been taken a) to ensure that forms returned by post are not fraudulent and b) to ensure that the administration is above reproach. T Tague said that he personally resents this idea that you cannot trust a) the traders in this town and b) the electors. He thinks this is an implication to be resented. He had rung the clerk to ask what the problem was, but the clerk gives different stories to different people. The objection to having collection boxes in the town was total nonsense. S Elford said that she had had several people in the Spar shop who had not wanted to leave their forms at A1 and as long as they were in an envelope she had been happy to walk them up to the council offices.

B Ellison introduced himself as a member of the District Council. He apologised for the fact that if it had not been for him and a colleague ‘you would not now be having this argument’. The district council had made the decision to take back the car park and served notice on the town council, with a view to introducing pay and display. Through a colleague they found a loophole in the way the matter had been handled. It was then decided to offer the town council to purchase the car park at an agreed price. If this had not happened there would be no argument. As a town councillor at the time and at a meeting the minutes of which were only available to town councillors he made a special resolution to purchase the car park. At the following meeting which he had been unable to attend, the issue was discussed. He had recommended that no councillor had a mandate to take on such a very costly asset to the town. No councillor could do that without going to the public and holding a form of referendum. The council should also carry out and develop a business plan for the car park. The recommendation and referendum were voted against, but it had been decided to buy the car park. It is time to stop fighting and sort this out – stop the argy bargy. ‘I felt that we should buy the car park and keep it free, but a lot of cost implications have come to light. I have changed my tune and now want a pay and display car park’. E McCormick reminded B Ellison that we are here for democracy. B Ellison said that to sort this out we must get the question right. E McCormick said that there is now due process. B Ellison continued, saying that he is going to defend the town council. Members have worked hard, mostly without anyone knowing what they were doing, and we are scrapping among ourselves. What is going on now is a joke. E McCormick said that CAR would not have been formed if the results of the referendum had been taken seriously. B Lush said that it had all gone downhill since the referendum, and if the town goes into a decline the value of property will go down.

E McCormick brought out the article in today’s Cornish Guardian. The figures given show a reduction of 53p per week per household.

J Hough talked about public participation at council meetings. Could we (CAR) write as a unit with the fact that the letters get edited before they are presented to the town council. Sec to write. J Finch said that the clerk had a right to edit letters. B Lush said that if you want an answer then you have to give notice. From reading the minutes, you can still stand up and say what is on your mind. J Finch said no, it was to stop people standing up and personally abusing councillors. This distracts councillors from council business. Questions about councillors will be dealt with under the handling of complaints procedure. P Clark said that people should write to individual councillors, then everyone will get a copy of correspondence.

Website – there are still some teething problems, but the site can be accessed. More work is to be done to improve things on 18 March.
Any other business –

T Tague reported on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. The survey ran between July and October. Another four months have gone and, keeping my ear to the ground I find it distressing to report that four businesses are seriously considering their future in the town. These decisions are not being taken lightly – you have to evaluate whether or not you can go on trading – and it is a sad thing to report. This seemed to start with the car park. Nationally there is a downturn, but we must as quickly as possible return to free car parking which would help us try to regain the trade which has been lost. E McCormick said that the results of the consultation may influence the town council and added that he hoped that businesses do not choose to close before the results are known. If the majority sought a return to the precept the town council should look at it again. T Tague said that you have to be an optimist to be a small trader in Camelford, but they are hitting a brick wall.. B Ellison said that we must not overlook the fact that the town is being dug up. The Chamber of Commerce wanted this work done, so it is not entirely down to the car park. T Tague said that the effects of the last five weeks had been expected by the traders and that they did support the work, but this was not evident from the town council. The downturn started on a day in July last year. A Shaw commented on the amount of revenue being received from the car park. B Ireland said that he can see the car park from the house and it is practically empty. A Shaw said he walks through the car park every day. B Lush said that the clerk had told him he was making more in fines than car parking. J Finch said that this was not so. T Tague said that there is no doubt in anybody’s mind that the car park is a successful business, but is this for the good of Camelford. M Baber said that her personal issue is that she has seen the number of people in town dwindle. B Ellison said that Helstone is also very much quieter.

J Hough said that it was nice to see so many members of the council here today. J Finch said that non council members can say whatever they wish, but this can leave a very nasty taste. We as councillors cannot answer as we would like. Whatever you think we have done wrong we introduced pay and display for the good of the district. M Baber said that the issue has come up because we wanted the choice. B Lush said that everyone thinks the council is money grabbing. J Finch said that had that been the case we would have increased the charge, but we never considered it. M Baber said again that we wanted to be given the choice. As a community this is our council tax and if we wanted to pay the extra we should have been given the choice. That decision should not have been taken away from us. We should have a choice in this instance because of the effect it is having on our town. A Shaw said that other towns have much greater precepts per household. P Clark said there should have been three options – keep, increase, remove. E McCormick said that the council has the ability to review the documents and reflect on the results. If the electorate show an overwhelming preference it gives the town council the opportunity to go back and change, or stay, whatever the result.

There was further discussion about the form and the availability of guaranteed parking places. B Ireland said that people had been asked to vote on options which they may or may not get. At which J Finch and her husband left the meeting, saying she wanted a drink, in spite of being urged to sit down by M Williams.

K Harris said that as an ordinary ratepayer he and his wife understood what the form was all about. He said he was amazed at what had gone on this evening and most people would have sent the form in as required. CAR had created the situation.

M Baber closed the meeting, giving the date of the next meeting (incorrectly, with apologies from the secretary).

Date of next meeting – Thursday 20 April 2006, 7.30 at St Thomas’s Church Hall

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