Open Session:

There were no members of the public present.

Present:

Cllr N W Light (Chairman)
Cllr M F Daly (Vice Chairman)
Cllr N J Chard
Cllr D Cole
Cllr D E Cracknell
Cllr C Ford
Cllr Mrs V A Sullivan

In Attendance:

Mr T R Simpson, Town Clerk
Mr M Townsend, Finance Manager
Mrs L A Wickens, P A to the Town Clerk

OS/4835 Absence

An apology for absence was received from Cllr Mrs Charlton.

OS/4836 Declarations of Interest

Cllr M Daly declared a personal and prejudicial interest in agenda item 14 as he is chairman of Ringwood Cricket Club. He also indicated that he would leave the room during discussion and voting on this item.

OS/4837 Minutes of Previous Meeting

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 1st November 2006, having been circulated, be approved and signed as a correct record.

OS/4838 Ringwood Lawn Tennis Club

Cllr Light asked for members’ comments following the informal meeting with members of Ringwood Lawn Tennis Club, which had been held immediately prior to this meeting.

Cllr Cracknell said that the Club’s treasurer had indicated that the Club would be able to clear the amount owed for the current year by the end of March 2008. Club members had also said that they intended to become more pro-active with fundraising and local sponsorship and investigating the possibility of obtaining grant funding.  He felt that they should be given the time requested to pay.

Cllr Chard believed that there should be parity between all the sports clubs who use the Council’s facilities.  He agreed that the Club should be given time to pay the outstanding costs of maintaining the grass tennis courts.

Cllr Sullivan felt that it was important that boys and girls were encouraged to take part in sports and the Tennis Club now appeared to be doing this.

RESOLVED:

(a) that Ringwood Lawn Tennis Club be advised that the Town Council would accept payment now of half the maintenance costs of the grass courts,  £1,050, for the financial year 2006/07 with the balance, £1,050, being made by 31st March 2008

and 

(b) that the maintenance charge for 2007/08 be paid quarterly, with all charges being made by the end of March 2008.

 The Town Clerk reported that he had received a breakdown of costs from the District Council’s Landscape Architect, Catherine Harris. The contract for the works would be let in two parts.  As soon as the money was released by NFDC, work could commence, including the construction of a disabled-friendly riverside footpath.  The Chairman asked if Mrs Harris could update Members on progress at the January meeting of the Committee.

RESOLVED:

(a) that the Clerk’s report be received, and

(b) that the District Council’s Landscape Architect be invited to report on progress to the January meeting of the Committee.

OS/4840 Provision of Rugby Facilities at Ringwood Junior School Playing Field

The Clerk reported formally to Members that the Governors of Ringwood Junior School and Ellingham & Ringwood Rugby Club had obtained Planning Consent for one block of changing rooms and community facilities at Parsonage Barn Lane. Members were also advised that the Rugby Club is now progressing to the next stage of implementation of the proposals.

Members expressed concern that, under the conditions of the Planning Consent which had been granted, the scheme now had reduced opportunities for community use and raising revenue to run the facility.  Members indicated that they would now wish to see a revised business plan in the light of the significant change in the overall scheme.

RESOLVED: that representatives from the Rugby Club be invited to attend the January meeting of the Committee to present a revised business plan for the scheme.

Cllr Sullivan congratulated the contractor and the Council staff on the magnificent floral displays throughout the town during last summer.

It was reported that, following an inspection of proposed new sites by a small Working Party, it was hoped that, with the permission of the County Council, additional railings baskets could be fitted in various locations to enhance the town’s display further for summer 2007.  New brackets would need to be fitted to the baskets to make them suitable for fixing onto the railings. Locations had also been selected for additional planters.

RESOLVED:  that the report be received and the Working Party’s proposals be approved.

Cllr Cracknell left the meeting at 8.25 pm.

OS/4842 Budget 2007/11

(1) Members considered Reports in respect of progress on new expenditure items included in the Budget for 2006/07 (Annex ‘A’), and made the following observations:

Sports field development:

Members agreed a revised budget for 2006/07 of £16,000 of which £8,000 is to be financed from Developers’ Contributions and £8,000 from Revenue.

New Plant Holders:

Members agreed a revised budget for 2006/07 of £2,000.

(2) Members ranked in order of priority, items of revenue and capital expenditure for 2007/008 to 2010/11
(Annex ‘B’).

(3) Members considered the approved original budget for 2006/07, the revised budget for 2006/07 and the draft budget for 2007/08. (Annex ‘C’)

RESOLVED: that the Expenditure Report on new proposals for 2006/07, as amended at the meeting, be noted (Annex ‘A’) and

RECOMMENDED TO POLICY & FINANCE COMMITTEE: that the proposals in Annexes  ‘B’ and ‘C’ for 2007/08 to 210/11, as amended at the meeting, be approved.

The Chairman thanked the Finance Manager for producing the Budgets.

OS/4843 Urgent Business

There was none.

RESOLVED: That under Section 100 (A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information. (Annex’D’).

The Town Clerk reported on action relating to negotiations for the purchase of 28 acres of land.  In order to determine the action to be taken to achieve acquisition, he suggested that Members might wish to appoint a small Working Party of three or four members to prepare a programme of action.  Members concurred and the following volunteered to serve on the Working Party, viz: Cllrs, Chard, Cole, Daly and Ford.  The Chairman reported that as he knew one of the landowners, he would declare a personal but not prejudicial interest in the proposed acquisition, and would take no part in the Working Party discussions.

RESOLVED:
(a) that the Clerk’s report be received; and (b) that Cllrs Chard, Cole, Daly and Ford form a Working Party to prepare a programme of action to achieve the acquisition of 28 acres of land at Long Lane for Sports Development.

(a) Members discussed the fees to be charged for use of the new sports pitches on the ten acre field. It was agreed that for the rest of the season, the fees would be the same as for Carvers. 

(b) The Town Clerk reported that the paperwork for the Licence for access to the Ringwood Town Football Club site was not yet complete.

RESOLVED:

(a) that for the rest of the season, the fees charged for use of the sports pitches on the ten acre field would be the same as for Carvers and

(b) that the Clerk’s report on the Licence for access to the Ringwood Town Football club site be noted.

Members were reminded that at the previous Committee Meeting, the Town Clerk had advised that he felt it necessary for the playgrounds to be inspected at weekends to ensure the safety of users (OS/4832).  The Deputy Town Clerk’s report thereon was duly considered by the Committee (Annex ‘E’).

RESOLVED: that the Town Clerk be authorised to employ an appropriate person to carry out inspection of the Council’s three playgrounds at weekends.

Having declared a personal and prejudicial interest in the following item, Cllr Daly left the room during discussion and voting thereon.

The Town Clerk advised the Committee of the quotation received for the updating of the pavilion, which would also be subject to an additional 10% for supervision of the works.  As this was above the amount budgeted, he advised that the Council’s Technical Officer could project manage the scheme with local contractors brought in for each element of the refurbishment.  He therefore recommended that the quotation be not accepted and that Policy & Finance Committee be requested to renew the Technical Officer’s contract for a further twelve months to enable the scheme to proceed.

RECOMMENDED TO POLICY & FINANCE COMMITTEE:

(a) that the Council approve the extension of the Technical Officer’s contract for a further twelve months, and

(b) that as part of his contract the Technical Officer act as Project Manager for the refurbishment of the Pavilion on Carvers and

RESOLVED: that the quotation from a private contractor be not accepted.

Cllr Daly returned to the room.