BELPER TOWN COUNCIL

The meeting commenced with prayers led by the Mayor.

67. APOLOGIES
    Apologies were received from Councillors Joseph Booth, Les Dorey, Peter Makin, Mark Robertson, and Martin Tomlinson.
68. CHANGE IN ORDER OF BUSINESS
    For urgent family reasons Mr Neil Malenoir was unable to be present.. Accordingly item 5, Belper Leisure Centre, would be deferred until the next meeting.
    The following papers were tabled:-
    Item 4 - Schedule of Crime in Belper Division,
    Item 9(minute 52) - letter from the County Council concerning the flying geese sculpture,
    Item 13 - Planning Schedule to 9th September,
    Items 17 and 18 - reports by Town Clerk, and
    Item 33 - minutes of the Staff Working Party.
    As Mrs Frances Bridges, Treasurer of the Parks Estate Residents Association, was present it was agreed to take item 20 under the Public Participation head. Similarly because of Mrs Margaret Johnson's presence item 29 (Traffic Calming Measures) would be taken under the Public Participation head too.
69. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
    The Mayor declared an interest in item 20 - Parks Estates Residents Association.
70. POLICE MATTERS
    In introducing himself to the new Council, Inspector Arnie Hicklin, head of the Belper Division for almost the last five years, outlined his priorities, and stressed particularly the importance of the fight against drugs.
    The Schedule of Crime in Belper that had been circulated analysed crimes in accordance with the Government's five-year programme which was now in its second year. The Schedule showed the target and the actual crimes on a monthly and cumulative basis for violence, house burglary, theft of motor vehicles, and thefts from motor vehicles. A fifth column showed the overall detection rate as a percentage of crimes reported. Inspector Hicklin was asked to modify his form for future meetings to show the detection rate for each category of crime.
    Members then raised a number of queries with the Inspector. These included the role and visbility of the Beat Team, the policing of the town on Friday nights, with particular reference to the Market Place and the Memorial Gardens, and the role of the traffic warden. It was considered, by members, that the latter turned a blind eye to too many infringements including parking on double yellow lines and in bays reserved for the disabled.
    Inspector Hicklin said that members should ring him direct when they saw an offence, whether or not it was parking related, being committed.
    Councillors Melvyne Cluskey and Colin England would represent the Council at the Parish Councils Evening on Thursday 25th September at Police Headquarters.
71. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - TRAFFIC CALMING - PARKSIDE
    Mrs Margaret Johnson expanded on the points she made in her letter about the excessive speeding of vehicles on Parkside. Though the Council were sympathetic it was pointed out that this was primarily a County Council matter. County Councillor Patrick Clarke, who was in attendance, advised her to write to County Councillor Brian Lucas, the Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways. Inspector Hicklin said that he would treat it as a speeding complaint and carry out a speed survey.
72. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - PARKS ESTATE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
    Mrs Frances Bridges outlined the history of the Association which had been set up 12 years ago. It had been extremely difficult to attract new members who were prepared to work on behalf of the Association and the original members had dwindled in number, and those few that remained were either unable or unwilling to work as hard as in the past.
    If the Association was to continue Mrs Bridges said some structured financial support would be necessary. Accordingly she had written to both the Town and Borough Councils for assistance.
    It was suggested that she should write to the Herbert Strutt Charity, whilst the Council would analyse its spending on grants at the next Council meeting to see whether some help could be made available to the Association in the current financial year.
73. IN CAMERA
    In addition to items 33 and 34 it was agreed to take item 19, Security at St John's, and that part of minute 40 of the minutes of the last Council meeting which related to CCTV in camera.
74. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL HELD ON 15th JULY 2003
    The minutes of the Council meeting held on 15th July 2003 were received and adopted.
75. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF 15th JULY 2003
    Minute 42.- Cultural Centre
    Councillor Mick Nelson reported back on a meeting he had had earlier in the day with Councillor Alan Cox and the Chief Executive of Amber Valley Borough Council and representatives of Derbyshire County Council including Councillor Bob Janes the Cabinet Member for Community Services. The outcome of the meeting was that the Chief Executive of the Borough Council would write to the Estates Department of the County Council with a re-specification for a Cultural Centre. This would be considered by the County Council who would respond by the turn of the year. A small working group would then be formed from the three authorities to consider the next steps.
    minute 46 - Pedestrian Crossing: Milford
    Councillor Peter Arnold said he was pursuing his campaign to have a pedestrian crossing near the Strutt Arms as there were others, including that at Duffield, that were located less safely than the one he was proposing.
    minute 52 - illumination of flying geese sculpture
    Following consideration of the letter from the County Council's Environmental Services Department it was agreed to invite representatives from that office and from Tarmac, who carried out the works, to the next meeting of the Finance Working Party to see whether the issue could be resolved satisfactorily to all parties.
76. MINUTES OF THE FINANCE WORKING PARTY HELD ON 25TH JULY 2003
    The minutes of the Finance Working Party meeting held on 25th July were received and noted. There were no matters arising and the various recommendations were adopted.
77. MINUTES OF THE CHRISTMAS WORKING PARTY MEETINGS HELD ON 17th JULY AND 12th AUGUST 2003
    The minutes of the Christmas Working Party meetings held on 17th July and 12th August were received and noted, as was the paper recording a meeting held on 12th August with officers of the Borough Council at the Belper River Gardens.
    Various aspects of the programme of Christmas activities were considered. The Leader ( Councillor John Nelson) referred to the need to ensure that the Christmas lights complied with health and safety requirements. It would be necessary to have all the strings of lights PAT tested and similarly the source of power would also have to be checked. Because the lighting displays had been accumulated over a number of years there were a number of different systems in being, some of which may be unsafe. He warned that there may be considerable extra costs associated with this year's illuminations that have not been provided for in the budget.
    There was considerable debate about the location of Santa's grotto. Councillor Alan Cox would see whether it was possible to use the Borough Council's offices in King Street whilst the Town Clerk would discuss the possible use of the air-raid shelter with the Fire Service.
78. MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS
    The Mayor reminded members that he, and the Leader, expected members and their partners to act as stewards over the Christmas Festivities weekend of December 13/14.
    He said that there had been fewer engagements in August than in previous months but highlighted the Civic Service at St Oswald's in Ashbourne. He also referred to the charity walk in aid of research into meningitis which he was joining on its departure from Belper. Contributions were exacted from all those present.
79. PLANNING APPLICATIONS
    The fact that the trees referred to in Application TRE/20030069 had been removed prior to consent being given would be brought to the attention of the Borough Council.
80. JUSTICE'S AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENCES
    No comments were made on the various applications set out in the schedules under consideration.
81. MILFORD FOUNDRY AND MILFORD MILL DEVELOPMENT BRIEFS
    It was noted that the draft development briefs for the two sites were intended to provide parameters about the form, scale, layout and mix of land uses the Planning Authority would expect in any planning proposals it receives.
82. PAYMENTS AND RECEIPTS
    The schedule of payments and receipts covering the period from 1st July to 9th August 2003 was received and approved. The schedule is attached to these minutes and shows net expenditure of £36,000.15 and net income of £2,215.60.
    Various points were raised about specific items of expenditure, including the new power drill. The reasons for its purchase, its place of storage and its insurance cover were all explored.
83. RESURFACING OF DRIVE AND FOOTPATHS AT ST JOHN'S
    The Town Clerk's report was noted and retrospective approval was given to the payment of £410 over and above the tender price of £8,687 because of the additional work involved in lowering the hump at the top of the drive.
84. SHOWGROUND - INCURSION BY TRAVELLERS
    The Town Clerk's report was noted. It was considered that the Council's speedy response to the incursion was a contributory factor in encouraging the travellers to move on after only two days on site.
85. EAST MIDLANDS IN BLOOM
    Though it was generally considered that the floral displays in Belper through the summer had surpassed those of previous years this had not been reflected in the regional results of the Britain in Bloom competition, where we had not been placed in the first three. In view of the cost and effort put into our entry it would be necessary to consider whether we should enter the competition in future years.
    At least we had been recognised by the Borough Council as we had, once again, been awarded first place in the Best Kept Town category of their Best Kept competition.
86. APPOINTMENTS TO OUTSIDE BODIES
    It was agreed that Councillor Mick Nelson would represent the Council on the John Locko Charity in place of Mr Richard Millward, a former Mayor, who had died recently.
    It was noted that Councillor John Nelson had been elected as one of the three representatives from Amber Valley on DALC's Executive Committee for the next four years.
87. PARISH REVIEW
    It was noted that the Amber Valley (Parishes) Order 2003 was now effective in respect of matters relating to elections from 1st January onwards and for all other purposes as from 1st April The Order concerned minor revisions to the boundaries at Courthouse Farm, Duffield and Shaw Lane, Holbrook.
88. QUALITY COUNCILS
    Referring to the guide "The Quality Parish and Town Council Scheme" the Leader said that to obtain quality status, a Council had to demonstrate:-
    
    1. that it is representative of, and actively engages with all parts of its community, providing vision, identity and a sense of belonging;
    2. is effectively and properly managed; and
    3. has the ability and capacity to take on the enhanced role and responsibility that quality status is likely to bring.
    Seven tests have been devised to make sure these three criteria are met. Belper satisfies some of them and is making progress in other areas but one fundamental test related to the qualifications of the Clerk.
    The Town Clerk explained that there were two main approaches to obtaining certification. One was through the University of Gloucestershire and the other through the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance. The latter entailed producing a portfolio of work covering the roles and responsibilities of members and officers, law, finance, planning, community action, and local government procedures. DALC through the Derbyshire County Training Partnership was hoping to provide their own course and he would be attending an exploratory meeting later in the week. If it went ahead the cost was likely to be £155. The Town Clerk was given approval to attend the course if it went ahead and he thought it appropriate.
89. BEACON TOWN
    It was noted that the Countryside Agency had selected Belper as the first Beacon Town in the East Midlands. This designation would contribute to the efforts to increase investment in the town. It was agreed that the Beacon Town logo should be incorporated into the Council's letter head when the next order was placed.
90. MEMORIAL GARDENS - SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT
    In Councillor Peter Makin's absence Councillor Alan Cox said that following the Council's visit to the Memorial Gardens Councillor Makin wished to involve the local schools in helping to look after parts of the Memorial Gardens. This would not only be educative horticulturally but would help to instil a sense of possession and civic pride in the future citizens of Belper. As well as involving primary schools it was suggested that Belper School and CVS trainees should also be invited to participate at the Memorial Gardens and the possibility of involving Milford Primary School using the Milford Triangle should also be explored.
91. DERBYSHIRE LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN
    It was agreed that the Third Annual Progress Report of the Derbyshire Local Transport Plan should be referred for consideration in detail to the Strategic Planning Working Party.
92. DERBY AND DERBYSHIRE MOTORCYCLE FORUM
    It was agreed that the Forum's Powered Two Wheeler Strategy should be referred for consideration in detail to the Strategic Planning Working Party.
93. GRIT BIN - EAGLE CLOSE
    It was agreed to meet the request for a grit bin on Eagle Close provided that a suitable location could be agreed by all the residents likely to be affected by it.
94. AUTUMN FAIR
    Permission was granted to hold the Autumn Fair on the Coppice car park and Market Place from Thursday 30th October to Saturday November 1st with the showmen taking up occupation on Sunday 26th October and vacating the site by the following Sunday (2nd November).
95. CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED
    The schedule of correspondence received was noted.