Documents
Paddock Wood Town Council > Documents > Minutes > Full Council Minutes – 21st February 2022

Full Council Minutes – 21st February 2022

Minutes Uploaded on March 16, 2022
Download

   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 21st February 2022 IN THE WINTER HALL, ST ANDREWS CHURCH, MAIDSTONE ROAD AT 7.45 PM

 

PRESENT:               Cllr M Flashman, in the Chair

Cllrs H Atkins (TWBC) R. Atkins, D. Boyle,

  1. Kent, R. Moon, A. Mackie, M Ridger, R. Turk, C. Williams,

 

IN ATTENDANCE: Mrs N Reay, Town Clerk

 

APOLOGIES:           Cllrs D Sargison, T. Bisdee, S Hamilton (TWBC & KCC)

 

BOROUGH & COUNTY COUNCILLORS UPDATE (10 minutes)

There were no questions for the Borough or County Councillors, but BC Atkins drew to members attention the Planning for the Future Consultation which was being carried out by TWBC.

 

C92     DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

            There were no declarations of interest.

 

C93     MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING.

(a)       The minutes of the meeting held on the 17th January 2022 & 24th January 2022 were APPROVED.

(b)       The minutes of the PPP meetings held on the 24th January & 31st January 2022 were NOTED.

(c)        The Personnel Minutes from the Meeting held on the 27th January 2022 were NOTED.

(d)       The minutes of the Planning & Environment Committee meetings held on the 17th January 2022 & 7th February 2022 were NOTED.

 

C94     MATTERS ARISING FROM THE PREVIOUS MINUTES

  1. a) ANNUAL TOWN MEETING

Only premises available is the primary school hall.  A booking had been made for Wednesday 11th May 2022.

  1. b) FUTURE COUNCIL MEETINGS

The Winter Hall had been booked for February & March council meetings, but it is not available in April. Before deciding whether the council meetings should revert to the Day Centre it was agreed that members should consider item C101 c) first.

At its meeting on the 31st January the PPP Committee maintained the current maximum of 18 people in the Day Centre– with a request that it should be reviewed at the next Council meeting.

Members considered the current Covid 19 figures

Cllr Wiiliams proposed, Cllr R Atkins seconded:

 

The numbers should be increased to 34.  This allowed for 32 people to be seated at the tables and plus two organisers for events.  This would be reviewed again at the March meeting.

CARRIED 9 in favour, 1 against

 

Members then considered whether meetings should revert to the Day Centre after March.

Cllr Flashman proposed, Cllr Boyle seconded:

That meetings should revert to the Day Centre from April 2022.

 

CARRIED unanimously

 

C95     FINANCE

  1. a) Cllr Flashman proposed, Cllr H Atkins seconded:

The payments list. Voucher nos: 710 – 772 should be APPROVED.

CARRIED unanimously

  1. b) The receipts list 224 – 237 was NOTED.

Members considered the grants from the following organisations

  1. c) PW And District Lions

Cllr Flashman proposed, Cllr Williams seconded:

That a grant for £500 should be made.

CARRIED unanimously

  1. d) 5th Paddock Wood Guides

Members discussed the application and the lack of accounts.  It was explained that this was a stand-alone project and accounts were not therefore available.

 

Cllr Turk proposed, Cllr Williams seconded:

            That a grant of £500 should be made.

CARRIED 7 in favour, 1 against, 2 abstentions

 

C96     COMMUNITY CENTRE

  1. a) Members considered the report regarding the setting up of the trust. The Clerk reported

Both the Working party and the Board have recommended that the Trustees Unlimited should be used to appoint Trustees as per the advice from Stronger Kent Communities. (see below)

However, following a meeting with the Council’s VAT advisors it has been established that there may be other more beneficial ways to manage the centre. Consequently, a further meeting will be arranged to establish the best way forward. It is therefore agreed that until further professional advise had been obtained this matter is deferred.

The VAT advisors have however, confirmed that the Council may reclaim the VAT in the normal manner during the build period.

  1. b) A design review meeting was held on 18th February and was attended by Cllr Ridger and the Clerk. The following items had been discussed:

 

  • Male WC Layout – the toilet layout has had to be reversed
  • The ceiling levels in the community centre toilets has been lowered by 10 cm.
  • Access strategy for wheelchair users – this will need to be included in the management handbook for the centre. As the access hatches to the kitchen are too high, wheelchair users will be served at tables in the cafe.
  • Kitchen layout – island heights, half the island will be 1 m high the other half 75 cm high, this will allow wheelchair access and be easier for children to use the work top space
  • Letter Box – an external letterbox will be mounted on the wall in a convenient location. This would be preferable to having a letterbox directly into the building.

 

The clerk also updated members as follows:

  • The PWLB loan has now been drawn down – Cllr H Atkins asked for the interest rates to be forwarded.
  • Contractors are due to start on site on the 7th March 2022, completion is scheduled to be in the Autumn
  • The car park will be out of use for the first 4 – 6 weeks after which a temporary car park will be made available.

C97     NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

  1. a) The Neighbourhood Plan is now ready for the formal regulation 14 consultation. The Town Council was asked to agree that it was fit for consultation.  At this point the Council was not being asked to comment on the contents of the document.  The Council would have an opportunity to comment on the document in its own right.  The Consultation would last from the 28th February 2022 until the 25th April 2022.

Cllr R Atkins proposed, Cllr Boyle seconded:

That the council should consider the draft Neighbourhood Plan at a separate meeting

CARRIED unanimously

 

Cllr Williams proposed, Cllr H Atkins seconded:

That the document is fit for consultation.

CARRIED unanimously

 

  1. b) As part of the publicity campaign for the consultation it is proposed to deliver a leaflet to residents. Cllrs Ridger, Turk, Mackie, Williams and Flashman all offered to assist.

 

C98     ELECTORAL REVIEW

Cllrs Flashman & Moon attended the briefing on the electoral review.  The electoral review will look at the following:

  • Total number of Borough Councillors
  • Total number of Wards
  • Boundaries between wards
  • Names of wards
  • Number of Borough Councillors in each ward
  • Parish boundaries will not be changed.
  • New electoral arrangements to be implemented 2024

 

Phase One: it is proposed that the number of Cllrs be reduced to 39.

Phase Two: Warding arrangements

Full details of the review can be found using the following link.

https://www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/south-east/kent/tunbridge-wells

 

It was agreed that members would meet informally on the 7th March prior to the Planning meeting to consider the Council’s response.  The response would be approved at the Council meeting due to be held on the 21st March 2022.

 

C99     JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS

The Town Council has allocated £10k for Platinum Jubilee Celebrations. It has also funded trees which have been planted at Putlands by the Council’s Estates Staff, as part of the Queens’s Green Canopy project. Details and photographs will be loaded on the official website https://queensgreencanopy.org/  Further planting is planned in the next financial year.

 

The Youth Council are planning to hold a picnic with live music, Skate boarding, food outlets circus skills and they are seeking support from other groups to assist with their plans.  The event would be held at Putlands.  Cllr Flashman offered to assist Cllr Williams with the plans.

 

The Estates Committee have ordered Jubilee Coloured planters for the summer.

 

Paddock Wood Business Association had asked for £500 from the Jubilee Fund to support their events.

 

Cllr Flashman proposed, Cllr Boyle seconded:

That the business association should be allocated £500 from the fund.

CARRIED

 

Cllr Flashman proposed, Cllr Boyle seconded:

That the Youth Council in conjunction with the Town Council should organise the Jubilee Picnic for the 5th June 2022.

CARRIED unanimously

 

C100  LOCAL PLAN

            The timetable for the local plan inquiry is as follows

Start Date – 1st March 2022

Paddock Wood and Capel – 1st April 2022

 

The Town Council has engaged a consultant to represent Paddock Wood at the Inquiry.

 

C101  POLICIES & PROCEDURES

  1. a) Cllr Boyle proposed Cllr Flashman seconded:

That the council adopts the revised complaints procedure with a review to be carried out at the next Policy Meeting.

 

CARRIED 9 in favour 1 abstention

 

  1. b) The revised public participation document was NOTED.

 

 

 

C102  REPORTS FROM REPRESENTATIVES

  1. a) Chairman’s meeting. – no meeting

(b)       Paddock Wood Business Association – the group had requested funds for their Jubilee events

(c)       Bereko Committee   – the group would be manning a water station for the PW half marathon.  It was hoped that a trip for 2023 could be arranged.

(d)       KALC – no meeting

(e)       Medway Valley Line – no meeting

(f)        Hop Pickers Line –

£11,000 of section 106 funding had been allocated from The Burrows development.

(g)       Youth Council – were planning the Jubilee picnic

(h)       Putlands Leisure Centre Liaison meeting – no meeting

(i)        Liaison Meeting with developers – no meeting

(j)         Strategic Sites Meeting & Future Development Plans – meeting

(k)        Royal British Legion – would be having 2 stands at the carnival and were planning a Living History.

 

C103  DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be held on the 21st March 2022 in the Winter Hall St Andrews Church.

 

 

 

 

 

The meeting closed at 9.50 pm

 

Paddock Wood Town Council