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 10th September 2007 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 on Friday, 7th September 2007)
2	CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS.
3	DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
4	MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 9TH JULY 2007 (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 - 9th July 2007 (copy attached) b) Cemetery & Allotments - 16th July 2007 (copy attached) c) Community Amenities - 16th July 2007 (copy attached) d) Planning - 25th July & 29th August 2007 (copies attached)
7	PAYMENTS OF ACCOUNTS MADE IN JULY 2007 AND STATEMENT OF BALANCES AS AT 31ST JULY 2007 and PAYMENT OF ACCOUNTS MADE IN AUGUST 2007 AND STATEMENT OF BALANCES AS AT 31ST AUGUST 2007. (copies attached).
8	ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 2006/2007. To note that Moore Stephens, the Council's Auditor had approved and signed accounts for the last financial year and that the Annual Audit was now closed.
9	INTERNAL AUDIT REPORT. To consider the I.A.'s report for 2006/2007. (attached).
10	CCTV STEERING GROUP - Minutes of Meeting 6th August 2007 (attached) Verbal report by Councillor Mrs PA Tuite.
11	COMMUNITY FACILITIES IN SOHAM WORKING PARTY. Minutes of Meeting held 2nd August 2007 (attached).
12	EAST CAMBRIDGESHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL NEIGHBOURHOOD NEWS & SOHAM AREA NEIGHBOURHOOD PANEL NEWSLETTER (attached).
13	EAST CAMBRIDGESHIRE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY STRATEGY 2008. (attached) To consider the Council's response to the Strategy.
14	REQUESTS FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT - Soham Staploe Medical Centre - Counselling Services for Soham residents. (attached).
15	SOHAM TOWN FORUM - Minutes of Meeting 23rd August 2007 (attached) Council's attention is drawn to the shaded items on pages 1 & 2
16	PARISH COUNCILLORS - REGISTRATION AND DECLARATION OF INTERESTS FOLLOWING ADOPTION OF THE NEW CODE OF CONDUCT (attached)
17	CORRESPONDENCE

Minutes of a meeting of the Soham Town Council held at The Walter Gidney Pavilion, Fountain Lane, Soham on Monday 9th July 2007.

Present:	Councillors Mr CM Palmer (Chairman), Mr G Fisher, Mr GR Ginn, Mr AJA Hinsley, Mr GM Hobbs & Mr PS Lane and Mesdames Mrs RR Aitchison, Mrs PL Gibbon, Mrs J Gipp, Mrs AEY Pallett & Mrs JA Webb.
In Attendance:	County Councillor Mr JA Powley & Mrs J Broadway District Councillors Mr T Cornell, Mr M Duckworth, Mr J Humphreys & Mr J Palmer PCSO Emma Melton & PCSO Kieran Moran
Apologies:	Councillors Mr T Brown, Mr D Schunmann & Mrs PA Tuite
124/07	PUBLIC COMMENT TIME There were no representations from members of the public.
125/07	CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS The Chairman reminded all Councillors that there would be Committee meetings held on Monday, 16th July 2007, with Community & Amenities beginning at 7.15pm followed by Cemetery Allotments at 8.00pm. Councillors were requested to let the Clerk have any Agenda items they wish included for either Committee as soon as possible.
126/07	MINUTES OF MEETING HELD 9TH JUNE 2007 RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting be approved and signed as a true record.
127/07	MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES Working Party - Community Facilities Consultation (109/07) NOTED that the initial meeting of the Community Facilities Working Party will be held in the Council Chamber on Thursday 2nd August at 1.30pm. Mrs Shirley Blake, East Cambridgeshire District Council and Mrs Jo Fitzpatrick, Community Development Worker, Cambridgeshire ACRE will attend to advise on the various different approaches to Community Consultation exercises. Appointment of Representatives to Outside Bodies (110/07) NOTED that the Clerk has yet to ascertain who to write to regarding the Barway Community Committee for a progress report on the project. East Cambridgeshire Neighbourhood News (114/07) NOTED that the June edition of the East Cambridgeshire Neighbourhood News or Crime figures for the month had not been received. PSCO Kieran Moran reported that there were not any major incidents to report and believed that the poor weather conditions could be a factor in the lack of criminal activities and anti-social behaviour. NOTED also that following a meeting of the Community Safety Partnership concerning anti-social behaviour in the area, it had been agreed that extra patrols would be drafted mainly around the schools in Soham, which have been targets for criminal damage etc. particularly during the Summer holidays. Other possible initiatives were a sporting event between local youths and the Police and a local property owner had offered the use of one the empty High Street shops as a drop-in centre, these were being looked at further by Mrs Linda Homan, Community Education Youth Officer, Soham Village College.
128/07	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 - 11th June 2007 Planning - 27th June 2007 Matters Arising Soham Windmill (FP31/07) NOTED that Mr Beaton had arranged with the Clerk to deliver the donated watercolour to The Pavilion on Wednesday 11th July 2007. Circus Masquerade (FP32/07) NOTED Councillor Mrs J Gipp lodged her disapproval of the use of trained animals in any form of public entertainment. NOTED also that Circus Masquerade had not responded to the Councils offer of the use of the Recreation Ground.
129/07	PAYMENTS AND SCHEDULE OF ACCOUNTS - JUNE 2007 RESOLVED that the schedule of payments and statement of balances as at 30th June 2007 and the Quarterly Budget Statement as at 30th June 2007, attached to these minutes as appendices, be confirmed and approved, and are in accordance with Council's financial regulations.
130/07	ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 2006/2007 a) RESOLVED to adopt and accept Final Accounts for year ended 31st March 2007. b) RESOLVED to approve the Statement of Accounts as presented in Section 1 of Annual Return. c) RESOLVED to agree in the affirmative questions 1 to 8 as shown in the Annual Governance Statement in Section 2 of the Annual Return. d) RESOLVED to adopt the Internal Audit Report No. 2007/Parish12 which stated that the records were found to be well maintained and no errors were identified. A vote of the thanks to the Clerk was proposed and seconded..
131/07	CO-OPTION TO FILL VACANT SEAT ON THE TOWN COUNCIL NOTED that three applications had been received for the vacancy on the Town Council. RESOLVED following a ballot that Mr Nigel Driver be appointed to fill the vacancy.
132/07	FUTURE SECTION 106 EXPENDITURE RESOLVED that the Clerk produce a comprehensive list of the most feasible projects for Section 106 contribution, which would then be referred to the Community and Amenities Committee for approval prior to being presented to East Cambridgeshire District Council Planning Department for consideration by proposed developers during the planning process.
133/07	EAST CAMBRIDGESHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK CORE STRATEGY AMENDMENT - ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER. RESOLVED to approve the response to be submitted to East Cambridgeshire District Council on its Core Strategy Amendment Issues and Options Paper, produced by Councillor Mr AJA Hinsley. The Clerk reported that East Cambridgeshire District Council had been unable to accept comments after 3rd July 2007, however he had submitted the draft response which had been approved by Town Council Planning Committee prior to being put before full Town Council. The Council thanked Councillor Mr AJA Hinsley for all his work in preparing the Councils response.
134/07	NEW PARISH & TOWN COUNCILS MODEL CODE OF CONDUCT NOTED a new Code of Conduct for Parish and Town Councillors was introduced by a Statutory Instrument that came into effect on 3rd May 2007. RESOLVED:- a) To adopt the Parish and Town Council Model Code of Conduct, including paragraph 12(2) as from 15th September 2007. b) Agree that CALC undertake the necessary notification work and advertising associated with its adoption of the Model Code of Conduct. c) Agree that if a Councillor with a prejudicial interest wishes to speak on an agenda item then that interest and intention must be stated immediately after item 1 on the agenda. The public will be allowed a maximum of 6 speakers who may provide information for up to three minutes only. The public participation is not part of the debate merely giving information and answering questions in the same manner as the Councillor with a prejudicial interest.
135/07	REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT - SOHAM STAPLOE MEDICAL CENTRE Councillors considered a request for financial assistance from the Staploe Medical Centre in establishing a new counselling service on behalf of the Cogwheel Trust, a charitable organisation based in Cambridge and serving the population of Cambridgeshire. RESOLVED that following a full discussion Councillors agreed not to accede to this request at the present time, and that more information was required on the numbers of actual residents of Soham that this organisation had currently helped.
136/07	REPORT IN THE ELY STANDARD NEWSPAPER The Clerk reported a letter from Mr Geoff Griggs, Soham Correspondent for the Ely Standard who apologised for any embarrassment caused to the Council by the inaccuracy printed in the newspaper of Thursday 5th July 2007, regarding the maintenance of the highway roundabouts at either end of the Town - it should have read Cambridgeshire County Council were responsible and not Soham Town Council as printed.
137/07	EAST CAMBRIDGESHIRE COMMUNITY SAFETY PARTNERSHIP NOTED a Neighbourhood Action Group meeting was held on Wednesday 27th June 2007, notes and updated action from the meeting were received. NOTED also that PCSO Emma Melton and PCSO Kieran Moran will be holding a Police Surgery on Wednesday 25th July 2007 at The Cherry Tree Public House between 10.00am - 11.00am.
138/07	CHANGES TO MOBILE LIBRARY ROUTES NOTED that due to lack of funding, as from 1st January 2008 the Mobile Library Service will be reducing it fleet of vehicles from eight to six. NOTED also that a revised route schedule for January 2008 was received.
139/07	HALL STREET/SPEED LANE JUNCTION NOTED a request for parking restrictions at the junction of Hall Street/Speed Lane had been received. NOTED that the Clerk had informed the resident that the Town Council does have an annual opportunity to ask the County Council for a share of its joint Highways Minor Improvement Scheme and that he would see if Councillors wished to put this request forward for consideration in the next financial year. The resident was also informed that highways and anything directly connected i.e. traffic and parking etc. was the direct responsibility of Cambridgeshire County Council and that any specific concerns would be best directed to them. If parking is illegal or dangerous it may also be necessary to refer the problem to the Police or local PCSO's. RESOLVED that improvements to the Hall Street/Speed Lane junction not be included for Joint Minor Highways Improvement Programme for 2008/2009.
140/07	PAPERS TABLED Standards Board for England - The Code of Conduct, Guide for Members, May 2007 CALC - The Bulletin, Edition 6, June 2007 East of England Regional Assembly - EEPTC News, June 2007 Cambridgeshire County Council - Business Plan, Volume 1, Corporate Plan 2007-2008 Councillor Fred Brown - Highlights of the Week, 15th June to 6th July 2007. East Cambridgeshire District Council - In2 Sport & Play, Issue 7, June 2007 Andrézieux-Bouthéon - No. 99 July 2007 Cambridgeshire County Council - Trading Standards, Inside Trade, Summer 2007
141/07	DATE OF NEXT REGULAR MEETING NOTED that the next regular meeting of the Council would be held at 7.15pm on Monday 10th September 2007.