Monthly Meeting of the Council - 9th February 2009, Minutes

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411. PRESENT

Councillors:

Officers:

412. APOLOGIES

Councillors Mrs J Murphy (personal), Dr D Giaretta (work), Mrs S Crowther (personal), Mr K Murphy (personal), Mr A Thompson (work) and Mr B Griffiths (personal).

413. DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS

Members were reminded to declare any personal or prejudicial interests on any item on the agenda in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct.

(a) Councillor Mrs L Hood declared a personal interest in Minute 361 of the Arts and Grants Committee meeting dated 19th January 2009, as she is the Chair of the Didcot Arts Forum.

(b) Councillor Mr P Hayward declared a personal interest in Minute 376 of the Finance and General Purposes Committee meeting dated 26th January 2009, in Minute 417(a) the cheque run payment to SOLL Leisure and in Minute 418 the motion regarding Willowbrook as he is a Member of Didcot Town FC’s Management Committee and they have shared use of the Willowbrook Leisure Centre and lease the land it is built on to Didcot Town Council.

(c) Councillor Mrs M Davies declared a personal interest in Minute 418 as she is a member of the Sollutions Gym which is part of the Willowbrook Leisure Centre.

(d) Councillor Mrs E Hards declared a personal interest in Minute 418 as she is a member of the Sollutions Gym which is part of the Willowbrook Leisure Centre.

414. MINUTES

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting held on 12th January 2009 be approved and signed as a true and correct record.

415. ADOPTION AND AGREEMENT OF COMMITTEE REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

(a) Special Meeting of the Environment Committee – 13th January 2009; and Meeting of the Environment Committee 2nd February 2009

It was noted that Minute 359 of the 1st January meeting had been amended by Minute 401(b) of the 2nd February meeting.

RESOLVED that the report and recommendations contained therein be approved.

(b) Arts and Grants Committee – 19th January 2009

RESOLVED that the report and recommendations contained therein be approved.

(c) Planning and Development Committee – 21st February 2009

RESOLVED that the report and recommendations contained therein be approved.

(d) Finance and General Purposes Committee – 26th January 2009

RESOLVED that the report and recommendations contained therein be approved.

416. MAYOR’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

14/01/2009

Wednesday

Pantomine photo shoot

Mayor

26/01/2009

Monday 1pm

Unveiling of plaque by HRH The Princess Royal at Cornerstone

Mayor & Mayoress
26/01/2009 Monday 3.30pm Calorie burn challenge, Sainsburys Mayor
29/01/02009 Thursday evening Pantomine, Didcot Civic Hall Mayor & Moyoress

DEPUTY MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS

5/02/2009 Thursday 6.45pm We Will Rock You, St Birinus School Deputy Mayor & Guest

The Mayor reminded members of the upcoming Civic Ball on 27th February 2009.

417. FINANCIAL STATEMENT

(a) RESOLVED that the cheque run payments 15th January 2009 amounting to £32,693.48 and 2nd February 2009 amounting to £9.377.59 be authorised.

In response to a question it was noted that the payment of £882.06 to the Civic Hall on 4th December 2008 was hospitality for the Vauxhall Barracks Welcome Home Parade and the £165.00 on 18th December 2008 was for the hospitality at the John Eldridge Award Evening.

(b) RESOLVED that the list of all payments made between 1st January and 4th February 2009 amounting to £99,200.67 be authorised.

418. NOTICE OF MOTION

The following motion was proposed and seconded:

“That, as a matter of urgency, cross-party negotiations take place with all relevant bodies to explore and take forward plans from 1st April 2009 for the future of the Town Council’s Willowbrook Leisure Centre on Ladygrove”.

Councillor Mrs M Davies urged members to support this motion that would use the expertise of both groups for the advantage of the town. Councillor Davies went on that SOLL believes it has lost the SODC contract and that this would have a significant impact on Willowbrook’s future and that it would be foolish to cut this service for Ladygrove and the town as a whole.

The Leader, Capt J Flood, thanked Councillor Davies but said that the motion was superfluous as the Council was already doing what the motion suggested. An email had been received from SOLL stating its position and communication was ongoing. In addition, the Willowbrook management contract stated that SOLL would have to give six months notice if they intended to stop managing the centre. The Leader concluded by saying that if Willowbrook were to close it would be the fault of SOLL who only informed the Council that the amount of grant that they had been allocated was not enough to stay open after the budget had been set.

In seconding the motion Councillor Mrs E Hards commented that this was a major facility for Ladygrove and without it the only meeting place in the area would be the Ladygrove public house.

In summarising the motion, Councillor Mrs M Davies said that this was a constructive and forward looking proposal. So far no alternative plan had been put forward and if SOLL was not to continue running the centre how would the facility open? Councillor Davies concluded by stating that her group had plenty of ideas of how to keep Willowbrook open and would like the opportunity to share them.

A recorded vote was requested in accordance with Standing Order 8(b).

For accepting the motion: Councillors Mrs M Davies, Mrs E Hards and Mr B Cooper (3).

For rejecting the motion: Councillors Capt J Flood, Mrs L Hood, Mrs M Flood, Mr T Harbour, Mr R Hawlor, Mr P Hayward, Mrs A Service, Mr W Service, Mr G Collier, Mr C Daukes, Mrs M Turner and Mr L Elias (12).

The motion was NOT CARRIED

419. CORRESPONDENCE

(a) South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) – Waste Services (Details Tabled)

Update on the new waste service and an Invitation to the presentation ‘New Waste Services – Coming June 2009’. Presentations to take place 3rd, 4th and 5th March at SODC commencing at 6.30pm.

The Council has been offered three places for the presentation on Tuesday 3rd March 2009. The One Stop Shop Supervisor would be attending and nominations were requested for the two other places.

Members to let Deputy Town Clerk know.

(b) UKAEA (Details tabled)

Invitation to an open evening at the Culham Science Centre for an introductory talk and tour of the fusion experimental facility, Wednesday 22nd April 2009, 6.30 – 9.30pm.

Members wishing to attend should inform the Deputy Town Clerk.

420. QUESTIONS TO THE LEADER

(a) Councillor Mr W Service asked the Leader if he would consider asking the Clerk to write to the Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC) asking that something be done about the amount of litter which collected on the left hand side of the A4130 as you come from the Milton interchange to Didcot as this was a major gateway to the town?

The Leader responded by saying that he would ask the Clerk to write to the VWHDC asking that something be done about this. The Leader went on that he believed the reason the litter was bad on this side was that access was not as easy as the other side where there was a cycle path.

(b) Referring to the recent article in The Didcot Dynamo asking for residents views on a proposed bandstand, petanque court and summer carnival, Councillor Mrs M Davies asked the Leader whether he was able to tell us what the response had been?

The Leader responded no.

(c) Councillor Mrs M Davies asked whether the response to the previous question would be in writing?

The Leader responded that Councillor Mrs M Davies is fully aware that all she has to do is ask The One Stop Shop, Town Clerk or Deputy Town Clerk, but that he would provide a response in writing.

The Meeting commenced at 7.30pm and closed at 7.55pm


Mayor

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