Minutes of the Meeting of Great Cornard Parish Council held

in the Stevenson Centre on Monday 10^th April 2006.

PRESENT              Councillors        P.K.Beer                                 Chairman   

                                                             D.C.Allen

                                                             Mrs.C.J.Baker

                                                             Mrs.C.A.Beer-Todd

                                                             M.Fryer                      

                                                             Mrs.F.A.Jackson                               

                                                             N.MacMaster

                                                             J.R.A.Sayers

                                                             D.R.G.Thomas

                                                             Mrs.P.White

                    Council Manager            Mr.M.J.Fitt                                                     

                    Clerical Assistant           Mrs.N.C.Tamlyn

1.      Apologies for Absence

      Apologies were received from Councillors A.C.Bavington, R.Sims and H.N.Todd                

 2.  Declaration of Interests, Gifts and Hospitality

      Cllr.P.K.Beer and M.Fryer attended a function at Sudbury Rugby club 

      and were provided with a meal and refreshments.       

      Cllr.J.R.A.Sayers declared a Personal Interest with regards to his

      membership of Sudbury Town Council and Babergh District Council.

      Cllr.P.K.Beer declared a Personal Interest with regards to his

      membership of Sudbury Town Council, Babergh District Council and

      Suffolk County Council.

      Cllr.Mrs.F.A.Jackson declared a Personal Interest in item 8, as Cllr.Mrs.Jackson is a patient at the Walnuttree Hospital. 

      Cllr.J.R.A.Sayers declared a Personal Interest in item 8, as Cllr.Sayers is a member of the PCT Steering group.

3. Chairman’s Address

      The Chairman and Cllr.M.Fryer had attended a function at Sudbury Rugby club where both parties were keen to promote relations between the Parish and the Club.

     Through the Chair, Cllr.Mrs.P.White sadly announced that Alison Williams, a local teacher for many years had sadly passed away at the weekend after a long illness.

4. Minutes of the Meeting held on 13^th March 2006

    RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Council meeting held on

    13^th March 2006 be confirmed and signed as a true record, subject to  

    the following changes

    Item 4

    Change

    Made up of the following members

    Cllrs.P.K.Beer, Mrs.F.A.Jackson, J.R.A.Sayers, D.R.G.Thomas,  

    Mrs.C.A.Beer-Todd and Mrs.P.White.

    The second group to be set up once the Council Manager and

    Cllr.Mrs.C.J.Baker have held their meeting.

    To

    Made up of the following members

    Cllrs.P.K.Beer, Mrs.C.A.Beer-Todd, Mrs.P.White and H.N.Todd.

    The second group to be set up once the Council Manager and

    Cllr.Mrs.C.Baker have held their meeting and would then be Cllr.P.K.Beer,

    Mrs.F.A.Jackson, J.R.A.Sayers and D.R.G.Thomas.

    Item 6

    Council – Walnuttree Hospital:threatened closure

    Change

    The Health Scrutiny Committee is due to meet before this date, where it is

     hoped they would review the campaigns case favourably.  

    To

    The Health Scrutiny Committee is due to meet after this date, where it is

    hoped they would review the campaigns case favourably.  

5.  Police Beat Officers Report 

     Covering the period from the 9^th March through to the 3^rd April 2006.

     NOTED 

    The format of the report was discussed and it was decided that questions

    should be asked at the Annual Parish Meeting about detection

    rates, ‘hot spots’ in the village and how the Council can work with the

    Police to combat crime in these areas, as well as the need to

    highlight major incidents in the village with more information in the report.       

6.  Rev J.Allen, Vicar of Great Cornard, will address the Council 

     The Chairman welcomed the Reverend Jamie Allen to Great Cornard

     and stated that the Parish Council looked forward to working with him.  

     Rev J.Allen thanked the Council for their invitation and confirmed that he

     was enjoying working in Great Cornard and that there was plenty of    

     ‘building up’ work to be done in the village and that his vision, is to see

     the Church as the spiritual home for Great Cornard.

    A new church choir has recently been formed and has proved to be very

    successful with approximately 50 members, 30 of which are children.

    A key priority is to replace the Church roof at an estimated cost of

    £80,000, as well as addressing the need for an area in the church to be

    set aside for the Sunday school and to provide a much needed toilet

    facility. New plans to develop the kitchen and organ area have been

    drawn up and a series of fund raising events will take place, one of which

    is a sponsored walk and picnic along the old railway line on Friday 21^st

    May.

    Two chairs have been purchased as part of the Millenium project and the

    Arch Deacon will be coming to the Church to dedicate the chairs on

    Sunday 23^rd April.

   7. Vacancy for a Councillor: Co-Option

    The Chairman announced that following the resignation of

    Cllr.W.L.Gibson, the appropriate notifications to electors had been given

    and that no electors had come forward to seek a bye-election. Therefore

    the Parish Council could fill the vacancy by co-option.

    Cllr.P.K.Beer nominated Mr.Neville Proctor and was seconded by

    Cllr.Mrs.C.A.Beer-Todd.

    Cllr.N.MacMaster nominated Mr.Ken Heselden and was seconded by

    Cllr.Mrs.P.White.

    Six votes were cast for Mr.N.Proctor and two for Mr.K.Heselden and

    there were two abstentions.

   RESOLVED Mr.N.Proctor to be co-opted onto the Council.

8. Items Brought Forward

    Council

    Walnuttree Hospital: threatened closure

    Cllr.Mrs.F.A.Jackson advised that the meeting to decide the Hospital’s

    future would be held on Tuesday 11^th April 2006 in Bury St.Edmunds at

    9.30am. Cllrs.M.Fryer and Mrs.Jackson were due to attend the meeting

    and would report back accordingly. 

    Cllr.J.R.A.Sayers reported that the PCT Steering Group would be meeting

    on Thursday 13^th April to review plans for the proposed ‘Super Clinic’

    Stevenson Centre

     BDC have not responded to our grant application as yet, the Council’s 

     District Councillors to chase this matter.

    Sound System

    Cllr.P.K.Beer to chase the matter at S.C.C.

9.  Fifteen-Minutes Adjournment for the Public To Ask Questions

10. Council Report Q6: Proposed amendments to Standing Orders,

      proposed Risk Assessment and Risk Management Policy

      RESOLVED to accept the recommendations of the report.

       The Chairman thanked the Council Manager for all his work on this

       matter.

11.  Development  & Planning Committee

       a)    Confirmation & Adoption of Minutes

The Minutes of the Meeting of the Development & Planning Committee held on 13^th March 2006 were accepted as a true record of the meeting, subject to the following changes

Adoption of Minutes 

RESOLVED that the Minutes be adopted.

The Minutes of the Meeting of the Development & Planning Committee held on 27^th March 2006 were accepted as a true record of the meeting, subject to the following changes 

Adoption of Minutes 

RESOLVED that the Minutes be adopted

b)        Questions to Committee Chairman

               Cllrs.Mrs.C.J.Baker and Mrs.F.A.Jackson confirmed that they

    would be attending BDC’s Planning Workshop on 10^th May 2006.               

 12.  Recreation and Leisure Committee 

       a)    Confirmation & Adoption of Minutes

The Minutes of the Meeting of the Recreation & Leisure Committee held on 27^th March 2006 were accepted as a true record of the meeting.

               Adoption of Minutes 

               RESOLVED that the Minutes be adopted

 b)     Questions to Committee Chairman

                NONE

   13.  Policies and Finance Committee 

       a)    Confirmation & Adoption of Minutes

              The Minutes of the Meeting of the Policies & Finance Committee

              held on 27th March 2006 were accepted as a true record of the

              meeting, subject to the following changes

               Item 4  Correspondance a)

              ADD

              Cllrs.P.K.Beer and H.N.Todd declared a Prejudicial Interest and left

              the meeting for this item only, Cllr.Mrs.C.J.Baker took the Chair for

              this item only.

              Adoption of Minutes 

              RESOLVED that the Minutes be adopted

b)           Questions to Committee Chairman

                NONE

14.  Financial Matters: Cheques issued, credits received to date

Meeting closed at 8.46pm

                                                                        Signed                                             

                                                                                                P.K.Beer  : Chairman