Monthly Meeting of the Council - 13th October 2008, Minutes

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236. PRESENT

Councillors:

Officers:

237. APOLOGIES

Councillors Dr D Giaretta (work), Mr B Griffiths (personal), Mr R Hawlor (sick), Mr K Murphy (personal) and Mr G Collier (personal).

238. 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) The Mayor, Councillor Mr T Harbour declared a personal interest in Minute 242(a) the cheque run payment for the 15th September 2008, as he is a member of the Royal British Legion.

(b) Councillor Mrs A Service declared a personal interest in Minute 242(a) the cheque run payment for the 15th September 2008, as she is a member of the Royal British Legion.

(c) Councillor Mr W Service declared a personal interest in Minute 242(a) the cheque run payment for the 15th September 2008, as he is a member of the Royal British Legion.

239. MINUTES

Referring to Minute 195 the Notice of Motion, when checking for accuracy, it was noted ‘Councillor Davies had left the Working Group early’ was amended to read ‘Councillor Davies left the Working Group after an hour’,

RESOLVED that, subject to the above amendment, the Minutes of the Meeting held on 8th September 2008 be approved and signed as a true and correct record.

(a) Referring to Minute 191(a), groups using the Willowbrook facility whilst it is closed during weekdays, Councillor Mrs E Hards asked whether the meeting between the Town Clerk and Willowbrook had been fruitful and whether any progress had been made?

Councillor Capt J Flood responded by stating that Willowbrook were now negotiating directly with groups who were interested in using the facility during the hours it was closed and that the Town Council would not be liable for any costs as was previously suggested.

(b) Referring to Minute 192(e), the question regarding the proposed waste incinerator at Sutton Courtenay, Councillor Mr B Cooper asked whether the statistics quoted relating to potential traffic movements and the incinerator included potential train movements and whether existing permissions would be transferred to the new facility should it be given the go ahead?

Councillor Mrs M Turner, Chair of Planning and Development, stated that she was not able to provide any further information at the this time.

Clerks Note: Councillor Mr B Cooper has passed the question(s) to the Clerk about the incinerator and he is investigating the matter to provide a response.

240. ADOPTION AND AGREEMENT OF COMMITTEE REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

(a) Environment Committee – 15th September 2008

Referring to Minute 210, Notice Boards, clarification was sought as to whether Councillor A Service or E Hards were to be responsible for the notice board at Ladygrove and also who was looking after the notice board at Mendip Heights?

Councillor Mrs A Service thanked Councillor Hards for volunteering but stated that she would continue to look after the Notice Board at Ladygrove.

Clerks Note: Councillor Mrs A Service has volunteered to be responsible for keeping the Notice Board at Mendip Heights up to date.

RESOLVED that the report and recommendations contained therein be approved.

(b) Planning and Development Committee – 24th September 2008

RESOLVED that the report and recommendations contained therein be approved.

(c) Environment Committee including estimates – 6th October 2008

Referring to Minute 232 Estimates it was noted that ‘Broadwalk’ should have been ‘Boardwalk’.

RESOLVED that, subject to the above amendment, the report and recommendations contained therein be approved.

193. MAYOR’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

12/09/2008

Friday 7.30 - 9pm

MY...OXFORDSHIRE SCHOOL'S ART EXHIBITION

Mayor

13/09/2008

Saturday 9.30am

Start of Shovel Walk, Thong Rangers

Mayor & Mayoress
14/09/2008 Sunday 10.45am Battle of Britain Sunday, Banbury Mayor & Mayoress
18/09/2008 Thursday 5.45pm Opening of Health Centre Mayor
27/09/2008 Saturday 10am - 1pm The Big Tidy up, Didcot Mayor
27/09/2008 Saturday 6 - 9pm Fund Raising Auction on behalf of SSNAP Mayor & Mayoress
30/09/2008 Tuesday 1.30pm Funeral of WO2 Gary O'Donnell GM, Leamington Spa Mayor & Mayoress
04/10/2008 Saturday 7.30 - 10pm Help for Heroes, Northbourne Centre Mayor & Mayoress
10/10/2008 Friday 12.30 - 2pm Didcot Community Lunch, Civic Hall Mayor

DEPUTY MAYOR'S ENGAGEMENTS

27/09/2008 Saturday 7.30pm Didcot Twinning Society, Barn Dance Deputy Mayor
02/10/2008 Thursday 10.30am Grand Opening of the Children's Centre, Stephen Freeman School Deputy Mayor

The Mayor reported that he had attended the funeral of WO2 Gary O’Donnell who had been killed whilst on active service with 11 EOD Regiment RLC in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The Council observed a minutes silence in memory of WO2 O’Donnell who was based at Vauxhall Barracks, Didcot.

The Mayor announced that there were plans for a Welcome Home Parade in Didcot for the members of 821 Squadron from 11 EOD Regiment RLC on Thursday 4th December 2008. He also reminded members of the Royal British Legion (RBL) laying-up of the Standard on Saturday 1st November at 11am and the Remembrance Day Parade on Sunday 9th November at 2pm from Edinburgh Drive Car Park.

242. FINANCIAL STATEMENT

(a) RESOLVED that the cheque run payments for 15th September 2008 amounting to £34,649.76 and 3rd October 2008 amounting to £5,798.09 be authorised.

(b) RESOLVED that payments made by BACS, direct debit, manual cheque and Standing Order since the last meeting of the Council on 8th September 2008 amounting to £36.400.10 be authorised.

243. SOUTH EAST PLAN, SECRETARY OF STATE'S COMMENTS - RESPONSE

A report was circulated on the proposed changes to the draft South East Plan. Attached to the report was the response, attached at appendix A (word doc), as complied by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Capt J Flood and the Chair of Planning and Development, Councillor Mrs M Turner.

It was proposed by Councillor Mrs M Davies and seconded that the response to Section C be deleted and replaced with the first paragraph of the response to D1, stating that the first paragraph in Section C is inaccurate. Councillor Davies also said that the final statement that ‘4000 houses south of Oxford are required for the city’ is not a comment but a statement.

Upon seconding, Councillor Mrs E Hards said that this response was not the place for the statement that 40% of all new housing should be affordable as written in the second paragraph of Section D1, and concluded by saying that some of the answers do not belong in the response and are also inaccurate.

In response Councillor Capt J Flood said that the Labour group had produced their own response which had been presented to the Council at the last meeting. He went on that it was asked if they would defer their response until this meeting in order to incorporate appropriate comments into this response. This was declined and therefore these comments should not be taken into account at this meeting.

Following a vote it was RESOLVED to reject the amendment to the response.

It was proposed and seconded that the response as at appendix A (word doc) be accepted.

244. NOTICE OF MOTION - GROWTH OF THE TOWN

The following motion was proposed and seconded.

That Didcot Town Council actively seeks "One Town Status": that, as the Town continues to grow, in whichever direction, regardless of existing parish and district boundaries, those areas abutting the present town should be incorporated into an entity named Didcot.

RESOLVED that the motion is referred to Finance and General Purposes Committee for their consideration as it falls under their competence.

245. CORRESPONDENCE

There was no correspondence.

246. QUESTIONS TO THE LEADER

(a) Councillor Mr W Service asked the Leader whether he would consider asking the Clerk to write to the Orchard Centre Management Company asking them to fit cigarette bins outside the shops, to help combat the problem caused by discarded butts?

The Leader responded by saying that this was an excellent idea and that the Civic Hall could set an example by replacing theirs.

(b) Referring to SODC’s recent unveiling of their new logo for Didcot and plans to use them at the entrances to the town, Councillor Mr B Cooper asked whether the Leader agreed that this should not be at the detriment to the town’s coat of arms which is presently shown on the Welcome to Didcot signs?

The Leader responded by stating that he could not comment on the new logo produced by SODC as he was yet to see it but agreed that it should not replace or be to the detriment of the Didcot’s coat of arms.

(c) Referring to recent poll run in the Didcot Dynamo asking the residents of Didcot to vote for a name for the town square, and SODC’s subsequent rejection of the winner, Brunel Square, Councillor Mrs E Hards asked whether the leader had made any representations to SODC in asking them to change their decision?

The Leader responded by saying that he had expressed his personal interest to SODC. He went onto say that it was only around 1.2% of the total population of Didcot who voted which was hardly massive, and that as SODC built it they have the right to name it and concluded by stating that he was rather laid back about the subject.

(d) Referring to a recent Didcot Community Forum, where it was mooted that the Didcot Wave Leisure Centre may be demolished to be replaced by a new centre on the urban fringe which would be less accessible, Councillor Mrs M Davies asked the Leader whether he had any comment on this?

The Leader responded by stating that it would be a long time before The Wave was demolished but agreed that a new leisure facility in the centre of Didcot was preferential to one on the outskirts.

(e) Councillor Mrs E Hards asked the Leader what the vision for Didcot was in the short to medium term now that his administration was in their second year.

The Leader responded by saying that this was a big question to answer off the cuff, but that they wanted Didcot to improve and his administration must continue to support this. The Leader concluded by stating that Didcot would become the major town in Oxfordshire and that we must help this.

The Meeting commenced at 6.00pm and closed at 7.00pm


Mayor

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