Open Session:

There were two members of the public present, neither of whom wished to speak.

Present:

Cllr D E Cracknell (Town Mayor)
Cllr N J Chard (Deputy Town Mayor)
Cllr Mrs B A Charlton
Cllr P Chambers
Cllr N R G Clarke
Cllr D R Cole
Cllr M F Daly
Cllr C Ford
Cllr N W Light
Cllr W S Rippon-Swaine
Cllr B H Terry
Cllr N Wood

In Attendance:

Terry Simpson, Town Clerk
Lyn Wickens, P A to the Town Clerk

C/4462  Absence

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr M H Thierry and Cllr Mrs V A Sullivan.

C/4463  Declarations of Interest

There were none.

C/4464 Minutes of Previous Meetings

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 28th September 2005, having been circulated, be approved and signed as a correct record.

C/4465  Communications of the Mayor

(a) A letter had been received from the Treasurer of Bisterne Village Hall Committee thanking the Council for its grant of £250 towards the purchase of new tables and chairs.

(b) The Mayor was pleased to announce that Cllr Norman Light was a well-deserved Runner Up in the Civilian Award category of Salisbury Newspapers recent People's Awards.

(c) The Mayor reported that the Council had been invited by the Primary Care Trust to send representatives to a meeting of local stakeholders for the Avon Valley locality on Friday 4th November. No Councillors present were able to attend due to the short notice of the meeting. The Clerk agreed to ask the PCT for more notice of future meetings so that the Council could be represented.

C/4466 Affordability and the Supply of Housing ­ Response to ODPM Inquiry

The Mayor explained that the Policy & Finance Committee had agreed to submit a draft response to Full Council for discussion before sending it to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Cllr Clarke had prepared the draft (Annex `A') and presented it to members.

He spoke of the lack of affordable housing and lack of housing supply in the area. Cllr Cracknell said that the town's young people needed somewhere affordable to live.

RESOLVED: that Cllrs Clarke, Chambers (Chairman of Policy & Finance Committee) and Rippon-Swaine together revise the draft in liaison with the Town Clerk so that the Council's Response could be forwarded to the ODPM before the closing date of November 8th 2005.

C/4467  Questions of the Mayor

Cllr M Daly showed members photographs of Kingsbury Lane taken 10 hours after recent heavy rain. There was four inches of standing water by the post-box. Cllr Daly said he had made enquiries of both Hampshire County Council and New Forest District Council and neither Council would take any responsibility for resolving the recurring flooding in this location. Residents had asked him whether there was any threat to public health from the
standing water. Cllr Light suggested that the Environment Agency should be contacted in respect of foul water.

The Town Clerk agreed to pursue the matter.

Cllr M Daly asked if the Mayor knew when the one-way system proposed for Kings Arms Lane was going to be implemented. Cllr Clarke, Hampshire County Councillor, replied that this would probably take place in the next financial year.

Cllr Mrs B Charlton enquired what the funding status was for signage for Ringwood. The Clerk agreed to find out. Cllr Clarke thought there might be possible funding opportunities through the implementation of the Town Plan.

C/4468 Reports From County and District Councillors

County Councillor N Clarke presented a written report (Annex `B'). He said that funding levels next year would present a great challenge. The County would probably need to concentrate its resources on education and social services. The target would be to sustain the Council Tax demand at the current year's level.

District Councillor C Treleaven spoke first about signage in the Conversation Area. He explained that there is a Shop Front Design Guide, which Developers seem to try to ignore. He illustrated this with the example of the new betting shop in the High Street, the shop front of which still needs approval under the conditions in the Planning Consent which allowed use of the premises as a betting shop. Cllr Treleaven had taken this up with the District Council's Planning Department.

With regard to the Chamber of Commerce's concern regarding the lack of signage in the town, he agreed that visitors do not realise there is a Market Place. Cllr Treleaven said he had attended a meeting with Nick Hunt of the Transport Department where a decision had been taken that funds in that department's budget were not applicable for spending on signs. Cllr Treleaven said he would make a further request for new signage.

With regard to house building targets, Cllr Treleaven said there were not enough houses for Ringwood for local people in the new Draft Plan and the Town Council had highlighted this in its letter to the Portfolio Holder, Cllr Heron and to Cabinet.

The District Council and the Town Council will have to produce a Local Development Plan. The Town Council's Town Plan Health Check should include this request for more housing.

Cllr Treleaven ended by saying that Ringwood needed housing for local people complemented by employment opportunities to reduce the need for travelling.

Cllr C Ford reported on the recent NFDC Cabinet meeting where the original proposals for car parking charges were agreed. NFDC officers acknowledged that Ringwood has special problems.

With regard to funds for the development at Long Lane, Cllr Ford confirmed that Martin Devine had recommended that these be released.

With regard to recycling, Cllr Ford informed members that if Christmas wrapping paper is mixed in with ordinary paper/card in the clear sacks then the whole contents of the sack cannot be recycled. As from 2006, Christmas cards will also be precluded from recycling.

Cllr Cracknell said that shredded paper is also unacceptable in the clear sacks. He also pointed out that the clear sacks themselves are unable to be recycled.

C/4469 Recreation, Leisure & Open Spaces Committee

Cllr Light presented the minutes of the Recreation, Leisure & Open Spaces Committee meeting held on 5th October 2005.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Recreation, Leisure & Open Spaces Committee meeting held on 5th October 2005, and the recommendation therein, be approved and adopted.

C/4470 Planning, Town & Environment Committee

Cllr Clarke presented the minutes of the Planning, Town & Environment Committee held on 14th October 2005. He drew members' attention to Annex `A', item 4, S.106 Developer Funded Works. He said these funds would be available late in this financial year, or early in the next year.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Planning, Town & Environment Committee meeting held on 14th October 2005, be approved and adopted.

C/4471 Policy & Finance Committee

Cllr Rippon-Swaine presented the minutes of the Policy & Finance Committee meeting held on 19th October 2005. He drew members' attention to Minute F/3836. He had been pleased to note that supporting the Ringwood Junior School project up to the Town Council's limit would not dilute money from the development at Long Lane. However, he had been very disappointed at the lack of response or financial support from Hampshire County Council.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Policy & Finance Committee held on 19th October 2005 and the recommendation therein, be approved and adopted.

C/4472 Forthcoming Meetings

November 2005
Recreation, Leisure & Open Spaces	7.00pm	Wednesday 2nd November
Planning, Town & Environment	2.05 pm	Friday 11th November
Policy & Finance	7.00pm	Wednesday 16th November
Full Council	7.00pm	Wednesday 30th November

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 7.46 p.m.