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Earley Town Council |
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EARLEY TOWN COUNCIL Minutes of the meeting of Earley Town Council held in the Council Chamber at the Council Offices, Radstock Lane, Earley, Berkshire on Wednesday, 4th October 2006 which commenced at 7.50 pm. Present Mayor – Councillor D Chopping Councillors J Armstrong, T Chambers, M Deegan, C Edmunds, M Firmager, T Holton, N Jorgensen, Mrs P Jorgensen, Mrs J Lissaman, Mrs F Rolls, C Rowden, A Spratling, Mrs E Spratling and M Thomas. Apologies for absence were received from Councillor M Ahmed (due to religious festival), Miss T Bauckham (due to family commitments), A Bradley (due to family commitments), T Lowe (due to work commitments), Mrs F Lumbar (due to ill health), Mrs C Swindells (due to family commitments), D Swindells (due to ill health), K Ward and G Woods (due to family commitments). 46. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The Minutes of the meeting of the Town Council held on 26th July 2006 were confirmed as a true record and signed by the Mayor. 47. MAYOR’S COMMUNICATIONS 47.1 Borough Status for Wokingham The Mayor announced that he had received a communication from Wokingham District Council indicating that it would be submitting a petition to the Queen in an endeavour to gain Borough status. 47.2 Green Fair The Mayor advised that he had attended the Green Fair on 5th August and he was pleased to report that it had, again, been extremely successful and that there had been an increase in the number of stallholders and visitors. He praised the efforts of officers and volunteers of the Council for all their hard work in making the event a success. 47.3 Fishing Competition The Mayor advised that he had attended the recent fishing competitions at Maiden Erlegh Lake, and had been accompanied by the Chairman of Wokingham District Council, Councillor Angus Ross, who had attended as the competitions were in support of the Berkshire Air Ambulance, which was the Chairman’s chosen charity for this year. The Mayor said that, as well as presenting some of the prizes, he had been very pleased to perform the official opening of the new disabled fishing bays. The Town Clerk reported that a representative of the Disabled Angling Association had been to the site and had highly praised the new fishing bays. 47.4 Air Training Corps The Mayor announced that he had attended the tenth anniversary celebrations of the Earley Air Training Corps. 47.5 Trinity Band Concert The Mayor announced that he would be attending the Trinity Band Concert on 21st October. 47.6 Wokingham District Cancer Care Trust The Mayor advised that he had been invited to attend the AGM of the Care Trust on 1st November but was unable to go due to work commitments. 47.7 Welsh Society The Mayor advised that he had attended the Welsh Society hymn singing event at St. Barnabas Church on 1st October. 47.8 Merger of Loddon Schools The Mayor announced that he had also attended the Merger event at Loddon Junior and Loddon Infants Schools on 28th September. It was confirmed that the new school would be known as the Loddon Primary School. 47.9 Wokingham District Council – Leisure Improvements The Mayor announced that he had received a communication from Councillor Malcolm Bryant, the District Council’s Champion for Youth, Leisure and Sport, indicating that the three tennis courts at Chalfont Park would be refurbished. 48.1 Planning Committee 48.1.1 Meeting of 18th July The Minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 18th July were presented by the Committee Chairman, Councillor Mrs P Jorgensen. On the proposition of Councillor Mrs P Jorgensen, seconded by Councillor J Armstrong it was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 18th July (Minutes 31-42) be approved. 48.1.2 Meeting of 15th August The Minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 15th August were presented by the Committee Chairman, Councillor Mrs P Jorgensen. Councillor Mrs E Spratling advised that she had attended the meeting, but had not been detailed as being present at the beginning of the Minutes. On the proposition of Councillor Mrs P Jorgensen, seconded by Councillor J Armstrong, it was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 15th August (Minutes 43-57) as amended be approved. 48.1.3 Meeting of 12th September The Minutes of the Planning Committee held on 12th September 2006 were presented by the Committee Chairman, Councillor Mrs P Jorgensen. Councillors’ attention was drawn to the recommendation at Minute 59.7, when it was explained that the communication cited in the Minutes had been received after compilation of the main Agenda for that meeting which had, therefore, required that the Committee’s decision should be a recommendation to this Council. With regard to item 66, which dealt with the Examination In Public of the Draft South East Plan, the Committee Chairman advised that she would be unable to attend the preliminary meeting on 17th October due to work commitments. On the proposition of Council Mrs P Jorgensen, seconded by Councillor J Armstrong it was RESOLVED that1. Councillor D Chopping should represent the Town Council at the preliminary meeting into the Examination in Public of the South East Plan to be held in Reading on 17th October. 2. the Minutes of the Planning Committee held on 12th September 2006 (Minute 58-71) be approved and the recommendation at Minute 59.7 be adopted. 48.2 Amenities & Leisure Committee In presenting the Minutes of the Amenities & Leisure Committee meeting held on 6th September 2006, the Committee Chairman, Councillor N Jorgensen, drew particular attention to the recommendation contained at Minute 32.2.1 concerning the purchase of items of play equipment for Sol Joel Park. A Member present queried the maintenance of the Wokingham Road hedge in Sol Joel Park. The Town Clerk reminded the meeting that at a previous meeting of the Amenities & Leisure Committee, it had been decided that the hedge should be allowed to grow to try to close off the current “desire line” access into the park immediately opposite Maiden Erlegh Drive. The Town Clerk gave an update on the latest situation with regard to the infringement onto Town Council land of contractors working on behalf of Southern and Scottish Gas in the areas around Maiden Erlegh Local Nature Reserve. The meeting was advised by a Member that a local resident had suggested that the contractors had advised him that they had offered the Town Council £200 per week for the use of land at the Nature Reserve for the siting of their compound. A Member present expressed concern at the small number of Councillors present at the last Sol Joel Working Party meeting, and particularly as there were extremely important issues being considered. The Chairman of the Amenities & Leisure Committee requested that consideration should be given to formalising the dates of the meetings of the Sol Joel Working Party, and advised that the next meeting of the Working Party would be 1st November, with provisional dates of 17th January and 14th March. Concern was expressed by a Member that the architects had been asked to produce colour illustrations of elevations of the Pavilion in yellow and red brick but not in grey brick, which, it was felt, would match more closely with Earley St Peters Church in the background, which had been one of the major concerns of the conservation architect in respect of the outline planning application. It was suggested that the Chairman of the Amenities & Leisure Committee, Councillor N Jorgensen, should also be a Member of the Sol Joel Park Sub-Committee. It was suggested that potential supporters of the facility should be invited to future meetings of the Sub-Committee. On the proposition of Councillor N Jorgensen, seconded by Councillor T Chambers it was RESOLVED that 1. the future maintenance rėgime of the Wokingham Road hedge in Sol Joel Park should be discussed at the next meeting of the Amenities & Leisure Committee. 2. the Town Clerk should ascertain whether the District Council received an offer of financial remuneration from the contractors working on behalf of Southern and Scottish Gas for use of the Local Nature Reserve for the siting of its compound. 3. Councillor N Jorgensen be appointed to the Sol Joel Park Sub-Committee. 4. the next meeting of the Sol Joel Park Sub-Committee be convened on 1st November and provisional dates of 17th January and 14th March 2007 be earmarked for future meetings of the Sub-Committee. 5. the architects undertaking the Pavilion project be asked to supply full colour pictures of an elevation of the building in grey brick. 6. the Minutes of the meeting of the Amenities & Leisure Committee held on 6th September 2006 (Minutes 28-41) be approved and the recommendation at Minute 32.2.1 be adopted. The minutes of the meeting of the Policy & Resources Committee held on 20th September 2006 were presented by the Committee Chairman, Councillor M Deegan. Attention was drawn to a typographical error at bullet point 2 of Minute 27.1 where, at the beginning of the second sentence the word “work” should be replaced with the word “word”. Attention was drawn to the recommendation contained at Minute 30, in respect of the proposals to improve site security at Maiden Erlegh School campus. Councillor Deegan read out a report received from the Crime Reduction Officer concerning the latest proposals put forward by the Education Committee for improved site security, which, in the main, supported the proposals but made a number of recommendations. Concern was expressed at the extent of the fencing around the site, and the Town Clerk was asked to clarify this. On the proposition of Councillor M Deegan, seconded by Councillor C Edmunds it was RESOLVED that 1. the Town Clerk be requested to clarify the extent of the fencing proposed around the Maiden Erlegh School site. 2. the Minutes of the Policy and Resources Committee held on 20th September 2006 (Minutes 25-37) be approved and the recommendation at Minute 30 be adopted. Councillors T Holton, N Jorgensen, Mrs P Jorgensen, Mrs J Lissaman, A Spratling and Mrs E Spratling requested that their abstentions to the vote taken on the recommendation be recorded. 49. REPRESENTATIVES TO OTHER BODIES 49.1 Reports of Representatives Councillor J Armstrong reported on the most recent meeting of the Neighbourhood Action Group which had taken place at Loddon Valley Police Station. He advised that the meeting had been very poorly attended, and that the newly elected Chairman had resigned subsequent to that meeting and the Secretary had now also resigned. He expressed the view that the Group seemed unable to fulfil its Terms of Reference due to the very poor attendance at its meetings. He also expressed concern that the Group had changed venue from the very comfortable surroundings of the Council Chamber to the Loddon Valley Police Station, and particularly since no reference had been made about the change to the Town Clerk. 49.2 Wokingham District Sports Council Councillors noted details of a report prepared by Councillor M Firmager of the meeting of the Wokingham District Sports Council which had taken place on 4th September, and which he had attended on behalf of Councillor T Holton. Councillors attention was also drawn to the report appended to the Supplementary Agenda of the meeting held on 2nd October, which had been prepared by Councillor T Holton. In particular, Councillors’ attention was drawn to the form attached to the Supplementary Agenda which was seeking nominations for the Wokingham District Sports Council Sports Awards. Councillor Holton also reminded Councillors to attend the AGM of the Sports Council if at all possible which, this year would be on Friday, 17th November at Blue Coat School. 50. APPOINTMENT OF SCHOOL GOVERNORS The Town Clerk drew Councillors’ attention to the various vacancies which currently existed on the school governing bodies of local schools and reminded Councillors that application forms, copies of which he had in the Council Offices, should be forwarded to the District Council for any nominations in respect of community vacancies. RESOLVED that the various accounts as set out in the list attached to these Minutes (Vouchers 143-176) be paid in the sums as stated and details of the Imprest Vouchers (054-075) be noted. 52. PUBLICATIONS It was noted that the following publications had been received and were held in the Council Offices.
53. PRESS RELEASES It was RESOLVED that the proposed refurbishment of the tennis courts at Chalfont Park should receive special press attention. Furthermore, it was requested that photographs of the Bailiffs at the opening of the Disabled Fishing Bays should be displayed within the Town Council facilities. 54. DISTRICT PARISH CONFERENCE – 19th OCTOBER Councillors’ attention was drawn to an item which appeared on the Supplementary Agenda, indicating that, since compilation of the main Agenda, a request had been received from the District Council asking for any questions for consideration at the above conference. It was RESOLVED that the District Council be requested to give an update on its proposed actions in respect of the Borough Council’s intention to apply for a Traffic Regulation Order to make the Inner Distributory Road one way. It was noted that Councillor J Armstrong had given his apologies and would be unable to attend the District Parish Conference. 55. TERMINATION OF MEETING The meeting was declared closed by the Mayor at 9.23 pm. |