OPEN SESSION: There were two members of the public present

Present:

Cllr L C Ford (Town Mayor)
Cllr B H Terry (Deputy Town Mayor)
Cllr P Chambers
Cllr N J Chard
Cllr D Cole
Cllr J Heron
Cllr Mrs G O'Reilly
Cllr W S Rippon-Swaine
Cllr M A Steele
Cllr Mrs J Terry
Cllr Mrs A Wiseman
Cllr Mrs B Woodifield

In Attendance:  

Mr T Simpson, Town Clerk
Mrs J Stannard, Deputy Town Clerk
Ms Claire Perrens, Meetings Administrator

The Town Clerk reported that apologies for absence had been received from Cllr Urwin.

The Town Mayor asked all Members to stand for a minute's silence in memory of the late Cllr Nigel Clarke, and think for a minute about all that Cllr Clarke achieved.

C/5112 Declarations of Interest

All Councillors present declared a personal interest in planning application 10/96354
(see C/5114 New Gateway Building)

C/5113 Minutes of Previous Meeting

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Meeting held on 22nd December 2010, having been circulated, be approved and signed as a correct record.

C/5114 New Gateway Building

All Members declared a personal interest in Planning Application 10/96354 New Gateway building at the Furlong, as the Town Council is one of the partners in the Gateway Project.

Cllr Heron stated that as a member of the District Council's Planning Development Control Committee he would abstain from voting at this meeting.

Cllr Rippon-Swaine declared a personal interest as a County and District Councillor, and also as a member of the Planning Development Control Committee. He would be withholding his vote at the District Council Planning Meeting, and would therefore vote at this meeting.

The Chairman, Cllr Ford, declared a personal interest as a District Councillor.

Members considered the recommendation made at the preceding Special Meeting of the Planning, Town & Environment Committee on 5th January 2011 regarding Planning Application 10/96354 - Visitor Information Centre, The Furlong:

New Gateway building delivering co-located public services and incorporating relocated public toilets; re-landscape of the area of demolished buildings; new access to the Furlong car park.

The Town Clerk read out the recommendation P/4839:

That the observation on Planning Application 10/96354 be re-submitted as Permission (1), subject to a condition to enable 4 toilets to be allocated for men and 4 toilets for women.

Cllr Heron suggested the addition of the word 'exclusive' to the separate allocation of toilets for men and women and this was agreed.

Cllr Steele proposed that the recommendation be approved with this amendment; Cllr Woodifield seconded.

Those in favour: Cllrs Ford, B Terry, Chambers, Chard, Rippon-Swaine, Steele, J Terry and Woodifield

Those against: Cllrs Cole, O'Reilly and Wiseman. Cllr Heron abstained.

RESOLVED: 1) That Recommendation P/4839 of the Planning, Town & Environment Committee be approved with the amendment as shown in bold:

That the observation on Planning Application 10/96354 be re-submitted as Permission (1), subject to a condition to enable 4 toilets to be allocated exclusively for men and 4 toilets exclusively for women.

2) That Cllr M Steele, as the Council's appointed representative (F/ 4649 15.12.10 refers), support this observation at the District Council Planning Development Control Committee on 12th January 2011.

Cllr Steele said he would be pleased to represent the Council's views at this meeting and that Cllr B Terry had also agreed to attend to provide support.

There being no further business, the Town Mayor closed the meeting at 6.53pm.

APPROVED 26th January 2011