HEXHAM TOWN COUNCIL

I HEREBY GIVE YOU NOTICE THAT a Meeting of the Council will be held in the Council Chamber, Prospect House, Hexham on Monday 4 June 2007 at 7.30pm, when the following items will be discussed:-

A G E N D A

10. Apologies for absence.
11. To agree the minutes of the Town Council [Annual] meeting held on the 14 May 2007, enclosed.
12. Matters arising, if any.
13. Councillor's declarations of interest - if any. [See memorandum enclosed]
14. Accounts for payment [list enclosed]
15. To receive Planning Decisions [list enclosed]
16. Committee reports:
a. To receive a report on any urgent matters arising from the Burial Board Management Committee meeting held on 4 June 2007.
17. Correspondence.
18. Chain of Office - to consider a replacement. See memorandum enclosed.
19. Any urgent matters at the Chairman of the meetings discretion. [Matters to be raised under this item should be written out [if possible] and handed to the Chairman of the meeting or the Clerk of the Council before the meeting begins].

D Tiffin,
Clerk of the Council;
25 May 2007

Hexham Town Council
Council Office, St Andrews Cemetery
West Road, Hexham NE46 3RR
01434609575 Mobile 07710055051
Clerk@hexhamtowncouncil.gov.uk

Hagenda0607

HEXHAM TOWN COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE TOWN COUNCIL [ANNUAL] MEETING HELD ON 14 MAY 2007.

4167. PRESENT. Councilor B Pickering, the Town Mayor in the Chair together with Cllrs: J B Jonas, G C Ferguson, T Robson, M F C Donnelly, D Kennedy, H J C Herron, Mrs. I C Whale, A J Travis, Mrs. C J Robinson, N J Holder, Mrs. B E Smith, A Snowball and Mrs. J E Lloyd.
4168. DECLARATIONS. All Councilors signed their Declarations of Office in the presence of the Clerk of the Council.
4169. TOWN MAYOR. It was AGREED Cllr. J B Jonas be elected the Mayor whereupon he took over the Chair from Cllr. B Pickering and gave his Declaration of Acceptance of that Office.
4170. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE. There were no apologies for absence.
4171. CODE OF CONDUCT. A new Model Code had been issued by Government on the 3 May 2007 and it was AGREED to adopt a Code of Conduct in accordance with the Local Authorities Code of Conduct Order 2007 No 1159. Councillors had been provided with a copy of the Code of Conduct.
4172. DEPUTY MAYOR. It was AGREED Cllr. T Robson be elected Deputy Mayor.
4173. MAYORS ALLOWANCE. It was AGREED the Mayors allowance for 2007/8 be in accordance with the 2007/8 Budget.
4174. BURIAL BOARD CEMETERY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE. It was AGREED the membership will be Cllrs J B Jonas, T Robson [ex-officio] and Mrs I C Whale, G C Ferguson, B Pickering, M F C Donnelly and A R Travis.
4175. PLANNING COMMITTEE. It was AGREED the membership will be Cllrs J B Jonas, T Robson [ex-officio] and G C Ferguson, D Kennedy, Mrs B E Smith, Mrs C J Robinson, A R Travis, N J Holder, A Snowball, B Pickering and H J C Herron.
4176. REMEMBRANCE DAY WORKING GROUP. It was AGREED the membership will be Cllrs J B Jonas, T Robson [ex-officio] and B Pickering, Mrs I C Whale, Mrs J E Lloyd and A Snowball with lay members co-opted as required.
4177. GRANT AID WORKING GROUP. It was AGREED the membership will be Cllrs J B Jonas, T Robson [ex-officio] and B Pickering, D Kennedy, G C Ferguson and N J Holder.
4178. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS DISPLAY WORKING GROUP. It was AGREED the membership will be Cllrs J B Jonas, T Robson [ex-officio] and Mrs C J Robinson, A R Travis and Mrs B E Smith with lay members co-opted as required.
4179. MINUTES. It was AGREED the minutes of the Council meeting held on the 2 April 2007 having been circulated, be signed s a true record.
4180. MATTERS ARISING [if any] :-
a. REMEMBRANCE DAY FOOTBALL MATCHES. Minute 4153a refers. It was clarified that the relevant football teams will be written to by the Clerk each year to remind them of the times of the Remembrance Day Service.
b. SCHOOL COUNCIL. Minute 4153b refers. Cllr D Kennedy advised he had nothing yet to report on a proposal to alleviate the Allendale Road safety problems.
c. GRANT AID. Minute 4162 refers. The amount of the grant to the Tynedale CAB had been adversely commented upon by a Prudhoe Town Councillor, according to a press report. It was AGREED to note the Grant Aid Working Group would be looking into the funding sources of the CAB when considering any future application the CAB might make to the Council.
4181. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Cllr T Robson declared a personal interest in Agenda item 18 - application 20070503 as he was acquainted with the applicant.
4182. ACCOUNTS FOR PAYMENT. It was AGREED to authorize payments in accordance with the lists circulated and as attached hereto.
4183. PLANNING DECISIONS. It was AGREED to receive the decisions of Tynedale Council on planning applications in accordance with the lists circulated and as attached hereto.
4184. COMMITTEE REPORTS:-
a. PLANNING COMMITTEE. It was AGREED to receive the minutes of the Town Council Planning Committee meeting held on 2 April 2007, presented by the Mayor, Cllr J B Jonas.
b. BURIAL BOARD. It was AGREED to receive the minutes of the Burial Board Cemetery Management Committee meeting held on 2 April 2007, presented by the Mayor, Cllr J B Jonas.
i. Matters arising.
1. FLOWER BASKETS. Minute 545a refers. Cllr B Pickering reported he understood the cost to water the baskets will be £72.00 each. This matter will be taken up with the Hexham in Bloom Committee. [Council is reminded this is not a Council Committee].
2. RESIGNATION. The resignation from 31 May 2007 of J Thirlwell, Environment Manager, was reported to Council. Cllrs J B Jonas, the Committee Chairman and the former Mayor Cllr B Pickering had been involved with the Clerk in this matter. The Clerk was taking measures to advertise the vacancy and the Committee will be kept informed. On a question being raised for more and detailed information it was AGREED in view of the confidential nature of the matter under discussion the public should withdraw.
4185. ANNUAL TOWN MEETING. It was AGREED to receive for information the minutes of the Annual Town meeting held on 2 April 2007. In respect of Minute ATM35 and the letter subsequently received from Ms K Norman asking she be permitted to make a presentation to the Council on the Youth Initiative it was AGREED this should be arranged and that members of the Initiative be asked to attend also.
4186. BANKERS. It was AGREED that HSBC continue as the Council Bankers and all Councillors signed the banks' signature mandate.
4187. NEWSLETTERS. It was AGREED to receive newsletters of the Hexham Town Twinning Association and the Hexham Civic Society.
4188. NCC LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN 2007/8. It was AGREED to receive information from the NCC Highway Authority on the Plan proposals. The request for a traffic management scheme on Alemouth Road had been agreed though the implementation of the scheme will not be in 2007/8 but later. A similar scheme for the Market Place is also agreed. The request to review the road markings at the A695/Monks Terrace junction will be investigated and if appropriate implemented.
4189. UNITARY AUTHORITY. The Government consultations will end on 22 June 2007 and if Councillors wish they may make their own comments, details are available with the Clerk.
4190. TRAFFIC WORKS. P Atkinson M.P. had finally received a reply from the Government Minister on the Councils request for action to be taken to ensure co-ordination timing for road works by statutory bodies. The NCC was the body responsible for co-ordination but the present regulations seemed inadequate. The Government has consulted on amendments to the regulations and hoped to bring in new regulations in 2007. It was AGREED the reply be noted.
4191. NEXT MEETING. The next meeting of the Council would be held on 4 June 2007.

Chairman ………………………………………………….

HEXHAM TOWN COUNCIL

MEMORANDUM

Mayoral chain of office.

The chain of office was originally the chain of office of the former Hexham Urban District Council. Under Local Government reorganization in 1974 the Chain passed to Hexham Town Council. It has been used by successive Mayors since then and as can be seen on inspection still has the name 'Hexham Urban District Council' and the title 'Chairman.'

Cllr B Pickering requested the Council consider a replacement of the chain's medallion to show the title Mayor and the name Hexham Town Council. It was originally hoped the existing medallion could be repaired etc but on inspection by the manufacturers it is not possible to do this economically as the cost or repair would exceed the cost of a new medallion.

Council is now asked to make a decision on whether or not to replace the existing medallion with a new one as shown by the attached drawing at a cost of £752.39 plus VAT and postage/insurance.

Delivery would be approx. 12 weeks. The existing chain of medals with Mayors names and years of office would need to be attached though the cost of this would be negligible.

D Tiffin, Clerk of the Council
22 May 2007

HEXHAM TOWN COUNCIL

ACCOUNTS FOR PAYMENT 4 JUNE 2007

HEXHAM TOWN COUNCIL

ADDITIONAL ACCOUNTS FOR PAYMENT 4 JUNE 2007

HEADSTONES REPAIR - ACCOUNTS FOR PAYMENT [THESE WILL BE PART REFUNDED [35%] BY CORBRIDGE P.C. IN DUE COURSE]

MAYORS ALLOWANCE - ACCOUNTS FOR PAYMENT

Balance 1474.48 5043

INCOME RECEIVED MAY 2007

HEXHAM TOWN COUNCIL

The following planning decisions have been received from Tynedale Council at 4 JUNE 2007