At a virtual meeting of the LEISTON-cum-SIZEWELL TOWN COUNCIL
held, via
Zoom, on TUESDAY 7 JULY 2020 at 7.30pm
Councillor J N Last BEM (in the Chair)
Councillor D Bailey
Councillor D Boast
Councillor A M Cooper
Councillor Mrs S M Geater
Councillor P Harle
Councillor T Hawkins
Councillor Mrs L Hill
Councillor Mrs S Levermore
Councillor D Morsley
Councillor Ms M Woolf
11. Minutes
It
was proposed by Cllr Hill, seconded by Cllr Hawkins and agreed that the minutes
for the meeting of 9 June 2020 and the AGM of 16 June 2020 be signed as a true
record.
12. Apologies
Apologies
were received from Cllr Ginger, Cllr O’Reilly and Cllr Dix.
13. Chairman’s Communications
The Chairman had attended various meetings
including Leiston Together on 23 June, the Transport Group with Highways on 2
July and People and Places where next steps were discussed.
14. Declarations of Interest
Cllr Hill for item 7 and
Leiston Film Theatre, Cllr Cooper for item 13, Cllr Levermore item 7 and Cllr
Boast item 7.
15. Public Forum
County
Cllr Rainger reported good work was still being done by the community during
the Covid19 pandemic and expressed his gratitude. He also mentioned the DCO
submission by EDF for Sizewell C. The
SCC June Newsletter had been previously circulated.
District
Cllr Bond and Cllr Haworth-Culf were in attendance and a report had been circulated
prior to the meeting. Cllr Cooper endorsed
County Cllr Rainger’s comments on the community
support during the pandemic. Cllr Harle
asked if there was any update with the Conservative Club development and the
Clerk will investigate.
A
resident was appreciative for all the work the Councils were doing and thanked
everyone for their support. Mrs Lovell queried
the presentation of the ‘Best Kept Allotment’ as the show was not taking place
this year. It was agreed Mrs Lovell would arrange a date and organise a
photographer and the Chairman would present the trophy to the winning allotment
holder.
16. Leiston Together Update
The Clerk reported on the Net Zero
Project with EDF and their partners which is looking to upgrade 30 homes in
Leiston with better insulation and possibly a cheaper tariff as a pilot. Leaflets will be distributed next week to all
Leiston residents and an article will go in the next newsletter. The Clerk advised the Leiston Together Change
Manager post is being advertised by East Suffolk Council this week and will
include linking with the CLT role.
17. CLT Trustee Board
Cllr Boast updated the
meeting on this item thus:
The CLT must be one of
the few areas where lockdown hasn’t caused a slow down.
The variety of zoom meetings have continued, building our relationship with
District Council, United Church and Co-op.
Its pleasing to note
that the wider attitude to our town centre regeneration programme is not ‘IF’
but ‘WHEN’ and this comes across from all agencies, all the time.
From our most recent
meeting with East Suffolk Council it has been agreed that to move things on to the
next step we need a Project Manager. We are now at a stage where, as Trustees, we
are at times struggling and whilst we do have an architect and retired quantity
surveyor as Trustees, the project has grown to a point where we need a professional
Project Manager.
The CLT along with the District
Council are busy drawing up a job description and personal specification, a
possible internal secondment from the District Council or an external
appointment, advertising this week. Possibly
part time initially, one role will be to pursue funding opportunities for the
Church thoroughfare project. Whilst at the same time having the town centre
regeneration programme for retail units and most importantly social housing to
the fore.
The negotiations around
the Church thoroughfare grows, the Church and Co-op fully supporting the
exciting designs received from Gladwells landscape
developers. Both the Church and Co-op are themselves going through change just
as we are, with Sammy Betson leaving the CLT chair, Jane Bloor lead
representative for the Co-op and Rev Ernie Bosse
leaving the United Church, but in all cases the incoming representation has
been briefed and the incoming officers and their respective organisations
remain fully committed to the development. Particularly in the case of the
Co-op where we get three senior officers replacing one, so the hope is no loss
of momentum.
Funding for the
thoroughfare is being progressed, there are monies available but the criteria
to make a claim requires proving need, the need for CCTV and improved lighting
around the garden recreation area can be seen as security, the public walk
through at night, the Church and gardens being used inappropriately. We are
seeking letters supporting this from the Pastors the Police and a letter of
support would also be welcome from the Town Council.
Our web page designers recently
visited Leiston and met us and through a range of interviews with local
residents, photo shoots around our lead attractions, we excitedly await the
final website. It will be interactive so that we can update the site ourselves as
we progress, the launch hopefully will be the middle of the month.
The one area we are
disappointed with, because of lockdown, is our inability to get out and promote
the CLT to encourage new members and Trustees. We welcome Selena Levermore as
our latest Trustee and are due to interview others.
The position of Chair
is also an area we are pursuing with careful determination. Our present Chair
is a hard act to follow. We have sought advice from Community Action Suffolk and
other professional agencies as to the best way forward to recruit new Trustees,
particularly a CLT chair. Where leadership, commitment and local knowledge being
essential skills for this role, I look forward to having something more
definite by the next meeting.
Membership is just over
300. We had hoped to be on our way to 400 by now, so our efforts are very much
around promoting the CLT to recruit new Trustees and members. We have a news
article in the next Council newsletter and the more the residents get to hear our
positive progress the more they will come to join us.
Further to the request
for a letter of support for funding, it was proposed by Cllr Boast, seconded by
Cllr Levermore and agreed that a letter of support be sent. The CLT will also send a letter to the Town
Council for grant funding in support of their project.
18. Hinkley
Visit by Councillors on 10-12 March 2020 – Summary Report
Report
previously circulated. Cllr Last reported on a very successful fact-finding
visit to Hinkley where councillors met with representatives from the local
councils and community who gave very informative details on the good and bad of
the Hinkley project. After some
discussion it was proposed by Cllr Levermore, seconded by Cllr Geater and
agreed that Cllr Woolf writes a short resume of the visit to go in the next
newsletter and that the full report goes on the website.
19. Cinema
Re-opening – 5 July 2020
Risk
assessment previously circulated.
Councillors thanked the Theatre Manager and his staff for their hard
work and on a proposal by Cllr Cooper, seconded by Cllr Hill it was agreed to
endorse the re-opening in retrospect.
20. Opening
up the Town – Coronavirus Guidance
The
Clerk confirmed risk assessments had been completed for the parks and play
areas and posters had been put up with all the necessary guidance, to which our
insurers are content. Shops are gradually
opening up and are keeping to the Government guidelines. The Clerk advised that Stocks Fair had
requested hiring Victory Road Recreation Ground next week but it was felt this
was too soon and the guidance isn’t particularly clear. It would be the Town Council’s responsibility
for how many people were on the recreation ground and we couldn’t police
that. It was agreed to advise Stocks to
consider dates later in the year.
21. Councillor
Vacancy
The
Clerk advised a notice had been placed on the noticeboard and on the website
with a deadline of 16 July. If more than
10 people request a by-election we will have to wait until an election can take
place, otherwise we could co-opt.
22. Finance
and Personnel
a) Accounts for Payment
It was proposed by Cllr Cooper, seconded by Cllr Bailey and agreed that accounts
paid since the last meeting of £24,054.51 be approved for payment.
b) End of Year Internal Auditors report for 2019/2020
Councillors noted the report from Mrs Heelis regarding her inspection of
the full annual accounts and that she had signed her section of the Annual
Statement. It was proposed by Cllr Cooper, seconded by Cllr Boast and agreed
that the Internal Auditors report be accepted.
c) Annual Governance Statement for 2019/2020
It was proposed by Cllr Boast, seconded by Cllr Morsley and agreed that
all statements on the Annual Governance Statement could be answered in the
affirmative and that the Chairman be authorised to sign the document on their
behalf.
d) Annual Accounts for 2019/2020
It was proposed by Cllr Levermore, seconded by Cllr Cooper and agreed
that the accounts for 2019/2020 be approved and that the Chairman be authorised
to sign the Annual Accounting Statement.
e) Allowances
The Clerk asked councillors to let him know by email by the end of the
week if they wished to take the allowance or not.
23. Planning Matters
RECOMMEND APPROVAL (subject to the conditions)
b)
DC/20/2412/EIA – EIA Screening Opinion – revised proposals
for the relocation of some Sizewell B facilities (that are currently to the
north of the Sizewell B site) to other areas south and west of the Sizewell B
complex at Sizewell B Power Station, Sizewell
The Clerk asked members to look over the proposals and to
advise him of anything that needed to be amended/included.
c)
DC/20/2423/DRC – Discharge of Condition 24 of
DC/19/1883/ARM – Approval of Reserved Matters – DC/16/1961/OUT – An outline
planning application for up to 187 dwellings to include car parking, open space
provision with associated infrastructure and access at Johnsons Farm, Saxmundham Road, Leiston
RECOMMEND
APPROVAL (subject to experts approval)
24. County Matters
Cllr Woolf queried if there were more
plans for cycle paths around Leiston.
The Clerk confirmed this is being investigated as part of the Sizewell C
mitigation process. He also confirmed
Hopkins Homes, as part of the 106 agreement, were to tarmac the footpath from the
leisure centre behind Quakers Way and to join up with the primary school path.
25. District Matters
No questions were
raised.
26. Correspondence
ALS Community
Partnership
Cllr
Hill queried when the next meeting would be arranged and our position with
regards the priorities. Cllr Cooper will
clarify the position.
27. Questions to the Chairman
Cllr
Bailey raised concerns regarding the impact on patients now having to attend
Colchester Hospital instead of Ipswich for orthopaedic surgery, with the extra
distance and transport issues. He felt a
letter should be sent from the Council showing their disapproval. It was proposed by Cllr Bailey, seconded by
Cllr Cooper and agreed to send a letter to the hospital trust. Cllr Hill commented on the letter to the
Secretary of State regarding the Energy Coast projects. Cllr Harle asked who he should contact
regarding anti-social behaviour. Cllr
Cooper will send him contact details for Zoe Botten at ESC.
The meeting finished at 9.00pm.
Chair ---------------------------------------------
Dated ---------------------------------------------