PADDOCK WOOD TOWN COUNCIL
The Podmore Building, St Andrews Road, Paddock Wood
Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 6HT
Telephone: 01892 837373
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MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE ESTATES COMMITTEE held on Thursday 6th May 2021 at 7.30pm, this meeting will be held via ZOOM.
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PRESENT: Cllr D Boyle, in the Chair
Cllr R Atkins, M Flashman, D. Sargison, R. Turk
IN ATTENDANCE: Mrs N Reay, Town Clerk
Mr K Butler, Estates Manager
6 Members of the Public
APOLOGY: Cllr R. Moon
ES1 ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN AND VICE-CHAIRMAN 2021/22
Cllr Flashman proposed, Cllr Turk seconded:
Cllr Boyle is re-elected as Chairman of the Committee for 2021/22
CARRIED unanimously.
Cllr Boyle proposed, Cllr Flashman seconded:
That Cllr Turk is re-elected as Vice Chairman of the Committee for 2021/22.
CARRIED unanimously.
ES2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Item ES7 – Councillor Atkins declared an interest as he knows the residents concerned.
ES3 MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING
The minutes of the meeting held on Monday 8th March 2021 were APPROVED.
ES4 MATTERS ARISING FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING
(a) ES67 – The order has been placed for the hanging baskets and installation is due at the end of May/beginning of June.
(b) ES69 – a letter had been received from Berkeley Homes assuring the council that their literature does not reference Foal Hurst Wood as being part of the Berkeley development.
(c) ES70 – County Councillor Hamilton has advised that due to the upcoming county elections there is no grant funding available at present. Applications will have to be held until after the May elections.
(d) ES73 – The slow worm survey at the Closed Church Yard is underway.
(e) Southern Water will be commenced work on Green Lane Recreation Field week commencing 12th April 2021, the work will take approximately 3 months.
ES5 MEMORIAL PAVILION AND FIELD
(a) A request had been received from Paddock Wood Cricket for permission to hold two charity cricket matches this summer. A request had also been received from the Sahrudaya Royals Cricket Club. https://sahrudayaroyalscc.co.uk/ for permission to use the site for soft ball cricket.
At its meeting on 9th March 2020 the committee passed the following resolution:
It has become apparent that the project to build a community centre and the desire to have hard ball cricket on the Memorial Ground are not mutually compatible with each other.
Therefore, until the Community Centre project has completed RIBA stage 4, this council will not consider hardball cricket on the Memorial Field. It will however consider softball cricket on a one-off application basis.
The PW Cricket have requested: Sunday 11th July and Sunday 29th August. They had also requested that the Estates Manager prepares the wicket for the matches.
Sahrudaya Royals Cricket Club have not requested any dates – just use of the site.
The planning application for the Community Centre had been submitted and a decision is expected prior to the proposed dates.
Members discussed the requests and agreed that as work on the new community centre was unlikely to have started by the 11th July then that date would be acceptable, but the 29th August 2021 could only be provisionally agreed. Members were also concerned that the matches could be used to publicise opposition to the new Community Centre and would require an undertaking that the events would not be used to thwart the Council’s plans.
Cllr Boyle proposed, Cllr Atkins seconded:
That Standing Orders should be suspended to allow representatives from PW Cricket & Sahrudaya Royals Cricket Club to speak.
CARRIED unanimously.
PW Cricket advised that they were not part of Friends of Memorial Field and were not involved in their activities. Their aim was to play cricket in Paddock Wood.
Sahrudaya Royals Cricket Club advised that they were a community cricket club based in Tunbridge Wells and Southborough. Their members were all from Kerala in Southern India. They played for fun and would not require use of the pavilion or any specific dates.
Cllr Boyle proposed, Cllr Atkins seconded:
That Standing Orders should be re-instated.
CARRIED unanimously.
Cllr Atkins proposed, Cllr Boyle seconded:
The Town Council allows PW Cricket to use the Memorial Field and Pavilion on the 11th July 2021 and provisionally, the 29th August (this date would be subject to availability.) Both dates subject to Government Covid 19 Guidelines. Neither date to be used as a campaign against the community centre project.
Cllr Turk proposed the following amendment, Cllr Boyle seconded the amendment:
The above agreement is subject to a solemn undertaking by PW Cricket that the events will not be used to thwart the building of the community centre.
The amended resolution was CARRIED unanimously.
Cllr Boyle proposed, Cllr Turk seconded:
Sahrudaya Royals Cricket Club would hold discussions with the Chairman to agree dates and availability. The chairman would also carry out due diligence on the club.
CARRIED unanimously.
(b) A request has been received from St Andrews Youth Club to use the pavilion for a pop-up café on Wednesday afternoons after the further easing of restriction in May. A risk assessment has been submitted and use of the kitchen would be required. At present only the toilets are available for the football teams to use. The kitchens and changing rooms are not being used.
Cllr Boyle proposed, Cllr Sargison seconded:
That subject to building works due to be carried out, the St Andrews Youth Club should be allowed to use the Pavilion over the Summer.
CARRIED unanimously.
(c) The Town Council has allocated £15k for improvements to the pavilion this year. A copy of the works requested was attached for members information. It had been difficult to find contractors willing to quote for the work, but two had now visited the site and their quotes were awaited. It was asked if local community groups might be willing to carry out the work.
ES6 PUTLANDS FIELD
Members received a report from the drainage engineer. Cllr Turk had visited the site with him. It was agreed that the flooding had been occurring since long before the athletics track had been built. It was suggested that a bund in the affected area, may be effective. This would hold the water back on the field and prevent it from draining into the gardens of the adjoining properties. Cllr Turk would arrange to meet with residents to discuss the way forward.
Cllr Boyle proposed, Cllr Turk seconded:
Standing Orders should be suspended to allow the residents in attendance to speak.
CARRIED unanimously.
Residents present expressed their concerns about the water coming off the field and into their gardens.
Cllr Boyle proposed, Cllr Turk seconded:
Standing Orders should be re-instated.
CARRIED unanimously.
It was agreed that Cllr Turk would obtain a specification for building a bund around the affected area.
ES7 TREES GREEN LANE
- a) Trees to the rear of Goldfinch Close.
Members considered the tree surgeons report which advised that 1.8 – 2 m height from the tree could be sympathetically removed.
Cllr Boyle proposed, Cllr Sargison seconded:
That the committee should accept the tree surgeon’s advice and monitor the tree over the next 4 to 5 years.
CARRIED 3 in favour, 2 abstentions.
- b) Members noted and agreed the tree surgeons’ proposals for the continued work at the Green Lane Spinney.
ES8 ELM TREE PITCHES
Following the recent traveller incursion, the football pitches have been severely damaged and are currently unable to be played on.
The Estates Manager had obtained quotes for the remedial work and these were attached for members information.
It was agreed that option 1 from contractor 3 should be accepted at a cost of £1860.
ES9 CEMETERY
(a) The new brick paving at the Cemetery is crumbling. The matter has been raised with the contractor and he is in contact with the supplier of the bricks to find a solution. Cllr Turk & the Estates Manager had met with the contractor. It was agreed that some of the cuts were poor and that at least 100 bricks needed replacing. These would be replaced, and the area sealed. Members asked that the area be inspected by the Council before it was sealed. A formal letter of complaint would be sent to the contractor.
(b) The drainage work is due to start in May.
ES10 DAY CENTRE
Members considered the Clerk’s report on the presence of Brown Moths in the cherry tree at the Day Centre.
Cllr Boyle proposed, Cllr Turk seconded:
That the cherry tree should be removed.
CARRIED unanimously.
A suitable replacement would be planted in the autumn.
ES11 FOAL HURST WOOD
A local art teacher was seeing permission to use Foal Hurst Wood for art lessons.
Members agreed that this was acceptable. The groups would be small and aimed at improving mental health.
ES12 REPLACMENT VAN
Members considered the costs of a replacement van for the Estates Manager. It had previously been agreed that the council should obtain an electric van.
Cllr Boyle proposed, Cllr Sargison seconded
The Council should obtain the Nissan eNV200.
CARRIED unanimously.
ES11 DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING
The next meeting will take place on 12th July 2021.
CHAIRMAN
