Minutes of the Annual Meeting of Great Cornard Parish Council

held in the Stevenson Centre on 8^th May 2006 

PRESENT        Councillors             P.K.Beer                              Chairman   

                                                            D.C.Allen

                                                            A.C.Bavington

                                                            Mrs.C.J.Baker

                                                            Miss.C.A.Beer-Todd

                                                            M.Fryer

                                                            Mrs.F.A.Jackson 

                                                            N.MacMaster

                                                            N.H.T.Proctor

                                                            J.R.A.Sayers

                                                            R.Sims

                                                            D.R.G.Thomas

                                                            H.N.Todd

                                                            Mrs.P.White

                        Council Manager       M.J.Fitt

                        Clerical Assistant      Mrs.N.C.Tamlyn

1.      Apologies for Absence

      None

2.   Election of Chairman and Declaration of Acceptance of Office as Chairman

Councillor P.K.Beer, having been nominated by Councillor H.Todd and seconded by Councillor D.Allen was duly elected Chairman. Councillor P.K.Beer then made his formal Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

3.  Election of Vice-Chairman and Declaration of Acceptance of Office as Vice-Chairman

Councillor Mrs.C.J.Baker, was nominated by Councillor P.K.Beer and seconded by Councillor Mrs.F.A.Jackson and was duly elected Vice-Chairman. Councillor Mrs.C.J.Baker then made her formal Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

4. Chairman’s Address

     The Chairman formally welcomed Cllr.Proctor to the Parish Council.

      The Chairman had attended the Sudbury and Great Cornard Cinema

      Group’s opening performance, which had been well attended and the

      scheme continues to be working well.

      Sudbury Rugby Club had formally thanked Cllr.P.K.Beer and M.Fryer for

      their recent support and Cllr.P.K.Beer had attended a school’s event at

      the club where over six hundred children had competed and

      Cllr.P.K.Beer had presented the prizes.

      The Chairman had also attended the Sudbury Fun Run and an event at

      the Great Cornard Bowls club.

4a. Declaration of Interests, Gifts and Hospitality

      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.H.N.Todd declared a Personal Interest with regards to his

      membership of Babergh District Council.

5. To Confirm Minutes of the Meeting of  10^th April 2005

      RESOLVED

     That the Minutes of the Council Meeting of 10^th April 2005 be confirmed

     and signed as a true record.

6. Items Brought Forward

a)     Walnuttree Hospital:Threatened closure

Cllr.P.K.Beer reported that as a member of the SCC Health Scrutiny Committee he had voted for the matter to be referrred to the Secretary of State for Health, but unfortunately the vote was lost by one vote.

b)  Sound System

           Cllr.P.K.Beer confirmed that a new amplifier has been sourced at a

           cost of approximately £1100.00. Five hundred pounds has been

           budgeted for by the Parish Council and the remainder will be

           allocated from Cllr.P.K.Beer’s County Council locality budget.

7.   Fifteen Minutes Adjournment for the Public to Ask Questions   

8.  Membership of Council Committees 

Cllr.P.K.Beer proposed the following membership.

Development and Planning Committee

D.C. Allen

Mrs C.J. Baker 

Miss C. Beer-Todd

M. Fryer

Mrs F.A. Jackson

J.R.A. Sayers

Mrs. P. White

Recreation and Leisure Committee

Mrs C.J. Baker

A.C. Bavington

P.K. Beer

M. Fryer                                 

N. MacMaster

N.H.T. Proctor

R.R. Sims      

D.R.G. Thomas

Policies and Finance Committee

D.C. Allen

A.C. Bavington

P.K. Beer

N.H.T. Proctor          

H.N. Todd

Mrs C.J. Baker

M.Fryer

RESOLVED

7.26pm Cllr.A.C.Bavington arrived at the meeting.

9. Representatives of Official Bodies

a)   Cornard Town Land Charity                            -            Mr.M.Fitt

b)   North Cornard Regeneration Group               -            Cllr.D.Allen

                                                                                                Cllr.P.K.Beer

                                                                                                Cllr.Mrs.P.White

c)   Citizens Advice Bureau                                   -            Cllr.D.Allen

d)   Stour Valley Centre                                          -            Cllr.J.R.A.Sayers

e)   Suffolk Association of Local Councils            -            Cllr.Mrs.C.Baker

f)    Larger Councils Group                                     -            Cllr.Mrs.C.Baker

g)   Riverside Advisory Group                                -            Cllr.D.R.G.Thomas 

h)   Sports Centre Management Committee        -            Cllr.R.Sims

                                                                                                Cllr.N.H.T.Proctor

i)    Police Forum                                                     -            Cllr.H.Todd

j)   Tree Wardens                                                     -            Cllr.D.R.G.Thomas

                                                                                                Cllr.J.R.A.Sayers

k)   Emergency Advisors                                         -            Mr.T.Harman

I)   Age Concern                                                       -            Cllr.N.MacMaster

m) Substance Misuse Advisory Group                  -            Mr.M.Fitt

n) Cornard News                                                      -            Cllr.Mrs.F.A.Jackson

 10.   Development & Planning Committee

        a)    Confirmation & Adoption of Minutes

               Cllr.A.C.Bavington declared a Personal Interest in Item 3.

The Minutes of the Meeting of the Development & Planning

Committee held on 10^th April 2005 were accepted as a true record

of the meeting.

Adoption of Minutes 

RESOLVED that the Minutes be adopted. 

The Minutes of the Meeting of the Development & Planning Committee held on 24th April 2005 were accepted as a true record of the meeting, subject to the following changes

Item 4iv) New Planning Applications

B/06/00569/FHA/DB – Prospect House, Prospect

CHANGE

B/06/00569/FHA/DB – Prospect House, Prospect Hill

Adoption of Minutes 

RESOLVED that the Minutes be adopted.  

b)   Questions to Committee Chairman

      Minutes for 10^th April 2006

       Item 3) Local Plan: Carsons Drive Land/Shawlands Avenue

      Land

      Cllr.N.MacMaster requested clarification on whether this matter had

      been discussed or not. Mrs.C.J.Baker confirmed that this matter

      had not been discussed and the vote was taken as per the minutes.

       Minutes for 24^th April 2006

      Item 5a) Anglia Estate Improvement (North Cornard

      Regeneration Group 

      Cllr.Mrs.P.White is awaiting a response from H.Shackleton, BDC

      with regards to the residents at Clibbon House.

c)   Adoption of Recommended Items

       Minutes for 24^th April 2006

       Item 3a) SCC: Replacement Street Light   

             RESOLVED to accept the recommendations

11.    Recreation & Leisure Committee

        a)    Confirmation & Adoption of Minutes

                 Cllr.R.Sims declared a Personal Interest in item 3a)

                Blackhouse Lane Pavillion 

                The Minutes of the Meeting of the Recreation & Leisure

                Committee held on 24^th April 2005 were accepted as a true record

                of the meeting.

   b)   Questions to Committee Chairman

         None

   c)    Adoption of Recommended Items

           Item 3c) Country Park Review

                    i)  RESOLVED to accept the recommendation at a estimated cost

                    of £500.00.

                   ii) RESOLVED not to accept the recommendation to rename the

                    Country Park “ Gainsborough’s Country Park at Great Cornard”.  

12.    Policies and Finance Committee

        a)    Confirmation & Adoption of Minutes

               Cllr.A.C.Bavington declared a personal interest in item 5a).

The Minutes of the Meeting of the Policies and Finance Committee held on 24th April 2005 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

         None

   c)   Adoption of Recommended Items

                Item 4) Great Cornard Swimming Pool: Level of Financial

                Support

         RESOLVED to accept the recommendation.

d)      Accounts & Financial Matters

The meeting was adjourned at 7.52pm in order to hold the meeting of the Great Cornard Burial Authority and re-convened at 7.53pm

13.             Exclusion of Press and Public

RESOLVED to exclude the Press and Public.

14.             Annual Appraisal: Council Manager

7.55 pm The Council Manager and the Clerical Assistant left the meeting.

RECOMMENDATIONS

i)         To remove Item No.1 from the report.

ii)   To clarify the job description, pay scale and bonus of the Manager

            and Clerical assistant.

iii)  To defer both recommendations until all the information was

      available and report to the Policies and Finance Committee in

      June 2006.

                  RESOLVED

Meeting Closed  8.32pm

                                                                        Signed                                             

                                                                        P.K.Beer  : Chairman