Soham Town Council - Minutes of Meeting

Notice is hereby given that a meeting of the Soham Town Council will be held in Hall One, The Walter Gidney Pavilion, Recreation Ground, Fountain Lane, Soham on Monday 11th February 2008 commencing at 7.15pm with up to 15 minutes of public comment time on Agenda Items, followed by the formal business, and you are summoned to attend for the transaction of the following business:-

1	PUBLIC COMMENT TIME - The meeting will commence with up to 15 minutes public comment time. (Notification of intention to address the Council must be received in writing by 12.00pm Friday 8th February 2008)
2	CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS.
3	DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
4	MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 15TH JANUARY 2008 (copy attached).
5	MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES. (matters not listed on the agenda below).
6	MINUTES OF MEETINGS OF STANDING COMMITTEES. a) Finance & Policy - 14th January 2008 (copy attached) b) Planning - 30th January 2008 (copy attached)
7	PAYMENTS OF ACCOUNTS MADE IN JANUARY 2008 AND STATEMENT OF BALANCES AS AT 31ST JANUARY 2008 (attached)
8	SOHAM TOWN FORUM (attached). To agree how the Council might best support the Forum's development and to consider how it might best be represented at future meetings of the Forum.
9	SOHAM NEIGHBOURHOOD PANEL (attached). To consider the work of the Soham & East Area Neighbourhood Panel..
10	COMMUNITY FACILITIES IN SOHAM WORKING PARTY Oral report of progress to date.
11	REQUESTS FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT a) Ely & District Citizens Advice Bureau (attached) b) Soham Village College Community Education - Young Parents Group (attached).
12	COMMONS' GRAZING 2008.
13	ELY & SOHAM DIAL-A-RIDE (ESDAR) Notice of Annual General Meeting (attached).
14	CORRESPONDENCE

Minutes of a meeting of Soham Town Council held at The Walter Gidney Pavilion, Recreation Ground Fountain Lane, Soham on Monday 15th January 2008.

Present:	Councillors Mr CM Palmer (Chairman), Mr N Driver, Mr G Fisher, Mr GR Ginn, Mr AJA Hinsley, Mr GM Hobbs, Mr PS Lane & Mr D Schunmann and Mesdames Mrs RR Aitchison, Mrs PL Gibbon, Mrs J Gipp & Mrs JA Webb
In Attendance:	County Councillors Mr JA Powley & Mrs J Broadway District Councillors Mr J Humphreys & Mr J Palmer
Apologies:	District Councillors Mr T Cornell, Mr M Duckworth & Mr T Parramint Councillors Mr T Brown and Mesdames Mrs PA Tuite & Mrs AEY Pallett.
01/08	PUBLIC COMMENT TIME There were no representations from members of the public.
02/08	CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS The Chairman announced that the Soham Town Forum were holding their AGM at the Pavilion on Thursday, 17th January 2008 at 7.30pm also that Celia Dickinson and Gill Robinson, consultants carrying out the Community Facilities audit, would be holding a 'drop-in' session at the Pavilion on Tuesday, 22nd January 2008 between 2.30pm and 6.30pm and finally, the CALC AGM would be held at Bluntisham on Saturday, 2nd February 2008.
03/08	DECLARATION OF INTERESTS Councillors Mr AJA Hinsley and Mr GR Ginn declared non-prejudicial interests in agenda items 10b and 10c respectively, Requests for Financial Support 2008/2009 from Magpas and Deniva: Soham Community Support Scheme in accordance with paragraph 9.2 of the Code of Conduct.
04/08	MINUTES OF MEETING HELD 17TH DECEMBER 2007 RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting be approved and signed as a true record.
05/08	MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES Neighbourhood Panels (210/07) Councillor Mrs RR Aitchison reported on the recent Neighbourhood Panel meeting. NOTED that Ely Police will be establishing a 'Police Office' within the Budgens store in Clay Street, this will be manned for one hour per day, five days per week and would be a convenient location where members of the public will be able to meet with their local Community Beat Manager and PCSO's. Vehicle crime and Anti Social Behaviour issues were to be a police priority in the coming months and it was also hoped that a civilian volunteer would be trained to carry-out speed checks within the local community.
06/08	MINUTES OF MEETINGS OF STANDARD COMMITTEES RESOLVED that the minutes of the following committees which are printed and attached to these minutes be confirmed and approved and the recommendations contained therein be adopted: Finance & Policy - 17th December 2007 Planning - 2nd January 2008
07/08	MATTERS ARISING: Street Naming - Residential Development - Land at Lion Mills Mill Corner Soham (PL104/07) NOTED that the names Butcher Road, Granary Lane, Flint Way and The Maltings had been suggested for the Lion Mills Site. RESOLVED that East Cambridgeshire District Council be informed that Town Council had not been consulted by the Developers of the site, as suggested by the District Council, but were happy with Butcher Road, Granary Lane and Flint Way being used however, strongly opposed The Maltings being used on the site, due to possible confusion with Ely. RESOLVED also that Lines Way (Chairman of Soham Town Council 1948-1950) and Dobede Way (previous owner of The Mill) be suggested..
08/08	PAYMENTS AND SCHEDULE OF ACCOUNTS AND QUARTERLY BUDGET STATEMENT - DECEMBER 2007 RESOLVED that the schedule of payments and statement of balances as at 31st December 2007 and the quarterly budget statement as at 31st December 2007 attached to these minutes as appendices, be confirmed and approved, and are in accordance with Council's financial regulations.
09/08	SOHAM - A VISION OF THE FUTURE RESOLVED that Councillors Mrs RR Aitchison, Mr N Driver, Mr G Fisher and Mr AJA Hinsley be nominated to work with District Councillors on draft proposals for the future development of the Town. County Councillor Mr J Powley stated that the County would need to have some input and District Councillor Mr J Palmer said that Town Council could try and focus in the future on persuading businesses into the Town.
10/08	EAST CAMBRIDGESHIRE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY STRATEGY RESOLVED to respond by explaining Town Councils viewpoints for more detail etc. accepting that the Strategy reads very well but would be more appropriate if it had specific targets relating directly to Soham and East Cambridgeshire District Council.
11/08	REQUESTS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Requests for financial assistance were received from Cambridge & Ely Victim Support; MAGPAS - Community First Responders and Deniva - Soham Community Support Scheme. RESOLVED that the Council in accordance with its powers under sections 137 and 139 of the Local Government Act, 1972 should incur the follow expenditure which, in the opinion of the Council, is in the interest of the area or its inhabitants and will benefit them in a manner with the expenditure: Cambridge & Ely Victim Support - £500 MAGPAS - Community First Responders - £500 Deniva: Soham Community Support Scheme - £300
12/08	COMMUNITY FACILITIES IN SOHAM WORKING PARTY The Chairman reported on the meeting of the working party which had taken place on Thursday 3rd January 2008. NOTED that the timetable for the completion of the audit was now likely to be April 2008 and that the consultants would attend the Annual Town Meeting to report on their findings.
13/08	SOHAM TOWN FORUM A letter from the Chairman of Soham Town Forum was received. The letter highlighted a number of issues facing the Forum and, in particular, its potential problems due to the withdrawal of administrative support by East Cambridgeshire District Council. The minutes of the meeting of Soham Town Forum held on 15th November 2007 were also received. RESOLVED that the Chairman meet with the Chairman of Soham Town Forum to discuss how the Town Council might support the Forum's future development. RESOLVED also that, following this meeting, the Town Council consider the appointment of an official representative on the Town Forum..
14/08	JOINTLY FUNDED MINOR HIGHWAYS IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAMME 2008-2009 NOTED that Soham was unsuccessful in its bid for minor highway improvements funding under the scheme for 2008-2009.
15/08	PAPERS TABLED Andrézieux Bouthéon - No. 104, January 2008 East Cambridgeshire District Council - Highlights of the Week, 21 December 2007 and 11th January 2008. European Union - Inforegio News, October 2007.
16/08	DATE OF NEXT REGULAR MEETING NOTED that the next regular meeting of the Council would be held at 7.15pm, Monday 11th February 2008.