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Minutes of the Meeting of the Council Held 23rd November 2011

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL HELD ON WEDNESDAY 23RD NOVEMBER 2011 AT 7.00 P.M. AT THE TOWN HALL, 9 DEVON SQUARE, NEWTON ABBOT

PRESENT: Councillors C N Parker (Mayor) Presiding

Mrs A Fry (Deputy Mayor)

Councillors

Mrs C Bunday

D J Corney-Walker

J A Gadie

M Hocking

D Howe

Ms M Jenkins

K C Lewis

Mr K Purchase

Ms L Roberts

M E Ryan

K Shantry

Mrs M Voaden

Mrs D Watts

Representative of the Press: Mr John Balment – Mid Devon Advertiser

By invitation: Ms Janet Jones, Home-Start Teignbridge

Ms Denise Ratcliffe, Home-Start Teignbridge

Ms Tracy Rowe, Deputy Town Clerk, Dartmouth Town Council

County and District Councillor Gordon Hook

In attendance: Mr H L J Cole – Honorary Freemen of Newton Abbot

Mr Philip Rowe – Town Clerk

The meeting opened with prayers by Councillor Mrs D Watts.

253. APOLOGIES

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Ms G D Antao, and N Wilson, District Councillor Mrs J Brodie and the Mayor’s Chaplain, The Reverend Edgar Daniel

254. MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 28th September 2011 were received and signed as a correct record.

255. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

None.

256. HOME-START, NEWTON ABBOT

The Mayor welcomed to the meeting Ms Janet Jones, Chair, and Ms Denise Ratcliffe, Organiser, of Home-Start Teignbridge.

Ms Jones commenced the presentation by introducing herself and her colleague who were both experienced volunteers and had been with Home-Start for a number of years. The meeting was then invited to arrange itself into pairs whereby the representatives distributed a list of 17 questions which the pairs were invited to answer. The information which was imparted through the interactive session included the following:-

Home-Start began supporting families in 1978
The charity operates in 22 countries
There are a total of 16,000 volunteers visiting families each week in the UK
Home-Start started to support families in Teignbridge in 1989
Families were referred to them for:-

- emotional support
- to make use of services/facilities in the area
- issues of isolation
- stress caused by conflict in the family

64% of referrals came from Health
In the current financial year they had received 5 self-referrals
Home-Start Teignbridge currently had 54 volunteers
21 volunteers are currently home-visiting
They had received 22 referrals in the current financial year that they had been unable to proceed (lack of resources)
There were currently 9 volunteers on the waiting list they could not train (lack of resources)
Since April 2011, their small fundraising team had secured £8,500 through donations and events
Volunteers receive safeguarding training on an annual basis
Home-Start Teignbridge employs four members of staff only equating to 62 hours per week
134 families were supported in 2010/11
318 children under the age of 5 were supported in 2010/11

During the interactive session Members asked questions of the representatives, including the following:-

 The criteria for a referral/involvement of Home-Start?
 How does Home-Start advertise its services?
 Details of volunteer training
 those referred becoming volunteers themselves
 CRB checks
 Interaction with other agencies and further referrals – sign posting
 Were the services provided focussed on any particular geographical areas of Newton Abbot or was it a general need?
 How did Home-Start learn of the location of families in need of support?

Following the interactive presentation, the Mayor thanked Ms Jones and Ms Ratcliffe for their enjoyable, informative and thought provoking presentation, whereupon they left the meeting.

257. REPORTS OF COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES

County and District Councillor G Hook reported on his involvement in the following:-

• Call-in of the District Council’s Core Strategy and Local Development Framework (LDF)
• On-street Pay and Display review
• Notice of Motion regarding charges at recycling centres.
• Fly tipping
• Grit bins
• Use of renewable energy in Devon County Council assets
• News regarding devon and Teignbridge Councils topping the recycling charts.

258. MAYORAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

A. The Council received the list of engagements (previously circulated) which the Mayor had carried out since 29th September 2011. He explained that although he had thoroughly enjoyed all the events he had attended, he made particular reference to:-

 The Civic Service 9th October
 Stover School Speech Day 19th October
 The two services of remembrance 11th and 13th November
 Ken Bellamy’s memorial service 18th November
 Christmas Lights Switch-on 19th November

B. The Mayor reminded Members that the Victorian Evening would be held on 7th December and his Carol Service on 14th December.

259. INTERESTS

None received at this stage.

260. PROCEEDINGS OF COMMITTEES

A. The Minutes of the Meeting of the Planning Committee held on 11th October 2011 as presented by the Chairman, Councillor D Howe, were received and approved;

B. The Minutes of the Meeting of the Amenities Committee held on 26th October 2011 as presented by the Chairman, Councillor M Hocking, were received and approved;

C. The Minutes of the Meeting of the Planning Committee held on 1st November 2011 as presented by the Chairman, Councillor D Howe, were received and approved;

D. The Minutes of the Meeting of the Finance & Resources Committee held on 9th November 2011 as presented by the Chairman, Councillor David Corney-Walker were received and approved, subject to the following:-

Arising from minute 237A, the Mayor reported in detail on the failed Business Improvement District (BID) Ballot which had been announced on 18th November.

E. The Minutes of the Meeting of the Planning Committee held on 22nd November 2011 as presented by the Chairman, Councillor D Howe, were received and approved.

261. GRANTS

Arising from minutes 232 B & C of the meeting of the Finance & Resources Committee held on 9th November 2011, further consideration was given to requests for grant funding on behalf of:-

a) Teignbridge Homeless Action Today (THAT) – contribution to its Crisis Packs Scheme;

b) Shaldon Road Methodist Church – financial assistance with the purchase of tables and chairs for use at the recently re-opened Shaldon Road Methodist Church.

Arising from consideration of the requests it was

RESOLVED that grants in the sums of £250 and £264 be hereby made to Teignbridge Homeless Action Today and Shaldon Road Methodist Church respectively.

Councillor M E Ryan declared a prejudicial interest in the request by Shaldon Road Methodist Church and took no part in the discussion or voting thereon.

262. PROCEDURAL STANDING ORDERS – GRANT OF THE TITLE OF FREEMAN OF NEWTON ABBOT

Arising from minute 236(b) of the meeting of the Finance & Resources Committee held on 9th November 2011, the Council gave consideration to adopting the following new Standing Order:-

“GRANT OF THE TITLE OF FREEMAN OF NEWTON ABBOT

36 The Council has formally adopted Section 29 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 allowing it to grant the title of Honorary Freeman of Newton Abbot (minute 387/03/10).

A decision to bestow such an honour is required to be made at a meeting of the Council specifically called for that purpose. Additionally, at least two thirds of the Council must vote in favour of the proposal.

The rights attached to the honorary position are not stipulated in legislation, accordingly, this Council will invite its Honorary Freeman/Woman to all town and civic events and offer an open invitation to attend meetings of the Council and to speak (but not vote). A scroll and badge of honour will be presented to the Honorary Freeman/Woman.”

In supporting the proposed new Standing Order, the meeting expressed the view that a small group of Members should give consideration to

formulation of detailed criteria relating to the receipt of requests to become a Freeman/Woman and the basis on which such an award could be granted.

Accordingly it was

RESOLVED

(a) that a New Standing Order number 36 be hereby adopted as follows:-

GRANT OF THE TITLE OF FREEMAN OF NEWTON ABBOT

(b) that a Working Party consisting the Mayor and Deputy Mayor and the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the Amenities and Finance & Resources Committees be appointed to consider and report back to the Council on proposals for the formulation of detailed criteria relating to the receipt of requests to become a Freeman/Woman and the basis on which such an award could be granted.

263. LATE CORRESPONDENCE

The Council’s attention was drawn to the following:-

 The Mayor reported that he had written on the Council’s behalf to South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Torbay Hospital, congratulating it on being named Acute Healthcare Organisation of the Year 2011 at the Health Service Journal (HSJ) awards.

 The Town Clerk drew to the Council’s attention the Localism Act had received Royal Assent on 15th November 2011 and was likely to have an impact on all parish and town councils, not least by virtue of the General Power of Competence and its application to local councils; and the reform of the planning system.

 Councillor D Howe reported on a letter received regarding a motion to be put to NALC’s (National Association of Local Councils) Larger Councils Committee for debate suggesting that local parish and town councils have too many members. The Council requested Councillor Howe to feed back that Newton Abbot Town Council could not support such a motion.

264. DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The next meeting of the Council will be the meeting to be held on Wednesday 25th January 2012 (Precept).

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Chairman

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