Minutes of the meeting of the Recreation and Leisure Committee

held in The Stevenson Centre on Monday 28 January 2008

Present            Councillors              M.D.Newman            Chairman

                                                            P.K.Beer

                                                            Mrs.F.A.Jackson (substitute for R.Sims)

                                                            J.F.Millins                                                     

                                                            N.H.T. Proctor

                                                            H.N.Todd

                                                            D.R.G.Thomas

                    Council Manager           Mr.M.J.Fitt     

                    Clerical Assistant          Mrs.N.C.Tamlyn       

1)  Apologies and Substitutions

      Apologies were received from Councillors R.R.Sims.  

2)   Declarations of Interest, Gifts or Hospitality

       Cllr Beer declared that he is a Suffolk County Councillor, Babergh District

       Councillor and Sudbury Town Councillor. Cllrs Newman and H.Todd declared

       that they are Babergh District Councillors. These members also asked that it

       be noted that their views expressed at this meeting would be based on

       information available at the time and might not be the same as those

      expressed at meetings involving other councils.       

3)   Chairmans Announcements

       The plans for the BMX site are moving forward, a meeting will take place shortly with all the parties involved and it is hoped that there will be some plans available shortly.

4)   Students from Great Cornard and Sudbury Upper Schools will address

      the Committee on environmental issues

      The students gave a presentation on their involvement in the Babergh Youth

      Conference. The participants were involved in the designing of tree

      Workshops which covered Carbon Footprint, Landscape and Environment

      and how our food is sourced.

      The Government has introduced the Eco Green Flag Award, which

      encourages schools to reduce their carbon footprint.

       As part of this scheme, Sudbury Upper School have replaced all their strip

       lights with low energy light bulbs and the grant money used for the project is

       repayable from the savings. Great Cornard Upper School have installed light

       reactor sensors.

       The Chairman thanked the students for their presentation and confirmed that

       the Council would like to offer its support and that the Council’s

       representative for all environmental issues is Cllr Walton.

5)  Items Brought Forward

a.      Country Park

The Council Manager presented plans for a specifically designed, made to measure gate and railings for the entrance to the Allotment field at the Country Park. The gate would cost approx £970.00 + VAT. Members reviewed the plans and a minor adjustment was suggested.

Agreed to RECOMMEND to full Council, the purchase and installation of the gate at an approx cost of £1000.00, to include the suggested adjustment.

6)  Report S3: Country park, picnic tables             

      Agreed to RECOMMEND to full council that the Council install, at the picnic

      area in the Country Park, up to 5 concrete pads, with fixings, together with

      wooden picnic tables with an overall budget of £1500.00.

      It was suggested that the Council install 8 seater tables, however, if the

      budget would not stretch to all the tables being 8 seater, then a mixture of 8 &

      6 seater tables could be installed.

7)  Clothing and Bottle Banks

      Agreed to RECOMMEND to full council that a Bottle Bank and Clothing Bank

      be installed at the Stevenson Centre, as well as a Bottle Bank on the car park

      at Blackhouse Lane.

 8)  To consider a proposal for, and terms of, a Best Kept Allotment competition

      Mrs Tamlyn gave an update on the general condition of the Allotments and

      suggested that after consultation with one of the allotment holders, that the

      Competion be held over the course of a year, with the judging taking place

      three times throughout the year. Cllr Proctor agreed to approach Wyevales

      to see if a prize could be donated.

     AGREED to have the matter added to the Brought Forward List.

9)  To consider a name for the Council’s woodland to the Northeast of Shawlands Avenue

     Members proposed the following names:-

      Orchid Wood

      Beer Wood

      Shawlands Wood

      High Bank Wood

      AGREED to add the item to the next Recreation & Leisure meeting for further consideration. 

Meeting closed at 8.11pm