PADDOCK WOOD TOWN COUNCIL
The Podmore Building, St Andrews Field, St Andrews Road
Paddock Wood, Kent, TN12 6HT
Telephone: 01892 837373
www.paddockwood-tc.gov.uk
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF PADDOCK WOOD TOWN COUNCIL HELD ON Monday 17th October 2022 at 7.45 pm in The Day Centre, Commercial Road, Paddock Wood
PRESENT: Cllr M Flashman, in the Chair
Cllrs H Atkins, R. Atkins, (TWBC)D. Boyle, D. Kent, A. Mackie, R Moon, (TWBC) M Ridger, R Turk C. Williams
IN ATTENDANCE: Borough Cllr M Bailey S. Wakeman
Mr S Smithson
Mrs N Reay, Town Clerk
APOLOGIES: Cllrs T. Bisdee, S. Hamilton (KCC), D Sargison
BOROUGH & COUNTY COUNCILLORS UPDATE (10 minutes)
The Borough Councillors reported the following:
Borough Cllr Moon advised that the Borough Council had launched a consultation on whether the council should opt to have all-out elections or elect the Council in thirds as they are at present.
The Consultation will close on the 23rd November.
Cllr Wakeman – the TWBC planning committee will be considering the application at Swatlands Farm for an industrial estate. Concern was raised that little notice had been given to the Town Council for the meeting.
Cllr Wakeman also reported that she was discussing with the borough council the length of time it was taking for residents to receive a response when ringing the town hall. The Clerk has reported that residents were visiting the Town Council offices to complain that they were not able to get through to speak to the borough council.
Cllr Atkins reported that the Cabinet was meeting in Pembury on the 22nd October 2022.
Cllr Bailey reported that he had objected to the fact that residents’ comments regarding parking fees had not been included in the minutes of the Cabinet meeting on the 20th July. Town Council members agreed that they should have been included.
C69 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
There were no declarations of interest.
C70 MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING.
Copies of draft minutes can be found on the Town Council website.
(a) The minutes from the meeting held on 26th September 2022 were APPROVED.
(b) The minutes from the Planning & Environment Committee meeting held on 3rd October were NOTED
(c) The minutes from the Estates Committee held on the 10th October were NOTED.
(d) The minutes from the Finance Committee held on the 10th October were NOTED
C71 MATTERS ARISING FROM THE PREVIOUS MINUTES NOT INCLUDED ELSEWHERE ON THE AGENDA
- a) C61 – Electoral Consultation. The Town Council’s response has been submitted. Following a check with the Electoral Commission, the Council’s response to the previous consultation had been sent to the wrong email All comments have now been sent to the correct address.
The Following motion was put forward, and passed at an extraordinary meeting of TWBC on Wednesday 5th October:
“Following the receipt of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s(LGBCE) draft warding proposals and briefings on these proposals by the Council, concern is being expressed by Members, Parish Councillors, and residents about the size of the proposed 3-Member wards. The LGBCE requirement to have 3-Member wards throughout the Borough stems from the Council’s decision to continue to elect by thirds. Far more flexible warding arrangements including single and 2-Member wards (as presently) could be planned if the Council opted to have all-out elections. Legislation requires consultation on this before the Council may take a decision to move to all-out elections. The Council requests that the necessary consultation is undertaken urgently, and the consultation results brought back to Full Council. In the meantime, the LGBCE Officers currently undertaking the review of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council are advised that this is being re-considered.”
The council’s response would be considered at the next meeting and members were asked to let the Clerk have their comments by the 11th November.
- b) C63 – Car parking at its meeting on 5th October TWBC resolved to retain the 1-hour free parking in the car parks in Commercial Road. It was agreed that the Town Council should contact TWBC to discuss the future of the car parks. Cllr Boyle advised that he had previously contacted the Leader of the Council on this matter. It was also agreed that the Town Council should ask that the input from residents should be included as a record of the meeting from the 20th July.
C72 COMMUNITY CENTRE
Cllr Flashman proposed, Cllr Boyle seconded that Standing Orders should be suspended to allow Mr Sam Smithson to address the Council.
CARRIED unanimously
- a) Mr Sam Smithson from the CC working party gave members a presentation on what needs to be considered when choosing a name for the new centre. Some of the issues raised were:
- Identity of the building
- A name that reflects what it is
- Does it need the words community centre
- Paddock Wood is growing and has a younger community – what do they identify with
- Need a strong logo which is recognisable
- Branding is important.
The chairman thanked Mr Smithson and reinstated standing orders.
Members discussed the list of over 40 names and agreed that the Centre should not be named after an individual.
Cllr Boyle proposed, Cllr
The following names should be put forward for the public vote:
Paddock Wood Community Centre
Memorial Hub
The Pines
The Link
Brightness Centre
The Paddock
CARRIED unanimously
- b) Project update – Members noted the attached report
- c) Appointment of the Centre Manager members considered the attached report regarding the appointment of the Centre Manger. The Town Council would employ the Facilities Manager in the initial stages as it had the processes in place to employ someone. The Community Centre did not yet have those structures in place. In time the employee would be transferred. It was raised that the Town Council may need to continue funding the manager into the new financial year. The Clerk confirmed that may be the case.
Cllr Boyle proposed, Cllr Williams seconded:
Authority is given to the Personnel Committee, in consultation with the directors of the management company, to appoint a part time Facilities Manager. This to be funded using existing estates staffing budgets.
CARRIED 7 in favour, 2 against
- d) The Board minutes have been posted on the Town Council website.
C73 FINANCE
- a) Cllr Flashman proposed, Cllr Boyle seconded:
The attached payments list voucher nos: 583 – 648 be APPROVED.
CARRIED
- b) The attached receipts list 163 – 186 was NOTED.
C74 NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
The Borough Council has extended the Regulation 16 Consultation for the Neighbourhood Plan until the 14th November 2022.
The Chairman advised that the deadline had been extended as some of the Statutory Consultees had not been notified by the Borough Council.
C75 HIGHWAYS IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Cllrs Mackie and Ridger, as members of the Planning & Environment Committee are members of the Highways Improvement Plan Group.
Cllr Flashman proposed, Cllr Kent seconded:
Cllr R Atkins as a member of the Highways Improvement Plan Group
CARRIED unanimously.
The Clerk advised that at the recent Highways Seminar delegates were advised that the planning authority could use a HIP when negotiating with developers for S 106 funding for highways improvements.
C76 REPORTS FROM REPRESENTATIVES
(a) Chairman’s meeting. – no meeting
(b) Paddock Wood Business Association – the main discussion was on car parks. The association would like to see further engagement on the future of the car parks and on improved ticket machines.
(c) Bereko Committee – fund had been raised for the garden scheme. Links with the schools had improved. The Clerk advised that old laptops owned by the Town Council had been donated to the committee. They had been refurbished and were now used by the Town Council in Bereko.
It was hoped to arrange a trip to Bereko next year if any member wished to consider visiting.
(d) KALC – AGM will take place on the 19th November 2022, key speakers were Roger Gough, Leader of KCC and Mathew Scott, Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent,
(e) Medway Valley Line – no report
(f) Hop Pickers Line – improvements were be carried out to the route from the John Brunt along the Black Path and over the bridge into the new development in Church Road. These would be funded by S 106 money from the developers.
(g) Youth Council – the group had met prior to this meeting. The had discussed the possibility of a film night once a week, a coronation party, how to increase membership, improvements to the skate park and the Young Person the Year Award.
(h) Putlands Leisure Centre – meeting had taken place on 12 October 2022. It was reported that improvements had been made to the centre. New gym equipment had been installed, footfall had increased, and the centre was much cleaner. Further improvements were planned. It was suggested that a representative from the centre could be invited to a council meeting the brief councillors on the improvements.
(i) Royal British Legion – the Remembrance Parade will take place on Sunday 13th November 2022. Volunteers are needed to help marshall the event. Please contact the deputy clerk if you can assist.
C77 DATE OF NEXT MEETING:
The next meeting will take place on Monday 21ST November 2022, at 7.45 pm in the Day Centre, Commercial Road.
The meeting closed at 9.40 pm
