-

 

Present

Members:

  • Cllr Steve Beatty
  • Cllr Dan Beauchamp (Deputy Mayor)
  • Cllr Giles Cattermole
  • Cllr Paul Gibbon
  • Cllr Marcus Harris (Chairman/Mayor)
  • Cllr Sue Hendrie
  • Cllr Claire Holford
  • Cllr Nigel Hughes
  • Cllr Katharine Keats-Rohan
  • Cllr Michael Kidley
  • Cllr Rosslyn Lester
  • Cllr Deborah Whelan

Officers:        

  • Jennifer Green, Community, Business and Tourism Development Officer
  • Duncan Kent, Head of Parks & Estates
  • Luke Whitcomb, Meetings Officer

Others:  

  • 0 District or County Councillors
  • 0 members of the public
  • 0 members of the press

 

601/22     MEETING PROTOCOL

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and advised those present of the protocols that would be followed.

602/22     APOLOGIES

Apologies were received from Councillor Holders, McGregor and Newcombe, and the Town Clerk.

Councillor Sinkinson did not attend.

603/22     DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Councillor Cattermole declared an interest in a Legal Matter minutes as 624/22 below.

604/22     MAYOR’S COMMUNICATIONS

The Mayor reported on recent mayoral activity, including his attendance at the Gang Show (Oxfordshire Girlguiding and Scouts), a meeting with residents in Castle Street concerned about the planning application for the Bull Croft, a meeting with a prospective additional pharmacist for the Town (see Minute 613/22) and inaugural reception of a new LGBT+ group within the Town.

Along with the Deputy Mayor, he had also given an interview with Wallingford Radio at which the opportunity to stand as a Town Councillor in the forthcoming meetings in May, had been promoted.

605/22     MINUTES

It was proposed by Councillor Keats-Rohan, and seconded by Councillor Hendrie, and RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Full Council held on 23 January 2023 be approved as a correct record and the Chairman is authorised to sign them.

606/22     ACTIONS FROM PREVIOUS MEETING [see also Minute 620/22]

The Council reviewed progress on the actions agreed at the last meeting and ‘open’ actions from previous meetings.

607/22     PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

No members of the public were present.

608/22     COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS

No reports had been received.

609/22     ELECTIONS 2023

Councillor Hendrie outlined a series of events which were shortly to be held for those interested in standing in the Town Council Elections in May 2023, including a surgery and a paperwork completion session.

610/22     COUNCILLOR INDUCTION GUIDE

This guide, prepared originally in 2021, had been updated to reflect the Town Council’s new staffing structure and its adoption of new policies.

It was proposed by Councillor Lester, and seconded by Councillor Hendrie, and RESOLVED that the revised Councillor Induction Guide be adopted.

611/22     ANNUAL TOWN MEETING 2023

The Council considered a proposed new content structure and format for the Annual Town Meeting which was scheduled to take place on the evening of Monday 3 April 2023.  The proposal was for the floor to be given principally to electors based around themes which were known to be of interest or concern, with a subject matter expert briefly introducing each theme.

The outline of a proposed promotional campaign was also considered.

It proposed by Councillor Beatty, and seconded by Councillor Kidley, and RESOLVED that the proposed content, structure and format be adopted for 2023, and the event be held in the Town Hall or Centre 70, whichever is considered more appropriate and that careful thought being given to access issues

612/22     CCTV

The Full Council considered the renewal of the CCTV contract which was arranged by the South Oxfordshire District Council

It was proposed by Councillor Kidley, and seconded by Councillor Keats-Rohan, and RESOLVED that the contract be extended as proposed by a further two years

613/22     PHARMACY PROVISION

Councillor Keats-Rohan reported on positive discussions that she and the Mayor had had with a prospective additional pharmacy for the town and the process that needed to be followed within the NHS.

The Mayor thanked Councillor Keats-Rohan for her work on this.

It was proposed by Councillor Beatty, and seconded by Councillor, and RESOLVED that the proposed establishment of an additional pharmacy by the individual in question, be warmly welcomed and supported

614/22     MEDICAL PRACTICE, WINTERBROOK MEADOWS (SITE E)

The Council considered the need for an additional or enlarged medical practice as originally envisaged within the Site E development now known as Winterbrook Meadows

It was proposed by Councillor Keats-Rohan, and seconded by Councillor Beatty, and RESOLVED that the Town Council formally expresses its support for the creation of a new medical practice as part of the Winterbrook Meadows development (Site E)

615/22     CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2023

The Community, Business and Tourism Development Officer reported on the events that had been planned for the first half of the year, including the activities to mark the Coronation of King Charles III.  The Council’s programme reflected Buckingham Palace’s steer for the weekend.

It was proposed by Councillor Holford, and seconded by Councillor Lester, and RESOLVED that the proposed new annual event to celebrate the historic granting of an additional hour before curfew to Wallingford, be adopted.

616/22     APPOINTMENTS

(a)   Wallingford Municipal Charities

It was proposed by Councillor Lester, and seconded by Councillor Keats-Rohan, and RESOLVED that the following applicants be appointed to Wallingford Municipal Charities as the Town Council’s nominated trustees:

  • Mr Rowland Hogg, a Chartered Accountant (retired)
  • Ms Lynne McEwan, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner

and that the third vacancy be kept open for consideration until the new Rector of St Mary-le-More and St Leonard’s had taken up their position (likely to be late 2023)

(b)   Bridge Estates Charity

It was proposed by Councillor Beatty, and seconded by Councillor Hughes, and RESOLVED that in the light of the two applications for the single trustee position which would become available in April 2023, Mr Bernard Stone and Councillor Whelan be invited to make their respective cases at the next Council meeting in March;

617/22     COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

It was proposed by Councillor Lester, and seconded by Councillor Keats-Rohan, and RESOLVED that the following recommendations of the Tourism and Economic Development Committee and the Parks, Gardens, Allotments and Open Spaces Committee be accepted

Tourism and Economic Development Committee, 30 January 2023

564/22            Information boards

RECOMMENDED that the proposal to update the information boards (approximately 13) during 2023 using Section 106 monies be approved, as part of a broader, strategic review of signage within the Town

Parks, Gardens, Allotments & Open Spaces Committee, 6 February 2023

578/22             Policies

RECOMMENDED that the amendments to the tree/hedges and herbicide policies be approved

581/22 (c)       Castle Gardens: Open and closing times

RECOMMENDED that the access times for Castle Gardens be extended to include the end of the October school holidays, with open times being 8.30 am to 5.00 pm for the period 1 to 31 October, after which the closing time would be 3.00pm until 1 April

582/22 (a)       Allotments: Dog policy and combination lock gate

RECOMMENDED that the dog policy be brought into line with the recommendation of the National Allotment Society, allowing dogs on the Council’s allotments provided they were tethered and responsibly supervised by their owners

RECOMMENDED that a combination lock be installed by 1 March 2023 for a trial

618/22     FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

The following items were identified for future meetings

  • Elections 2023 (rolling item until May 2023) (The Mayor and Cllr Sue Hendrie leading)
  • Vote on next Mayor – subject to the outcome of the May 2023 Town Council Elections
  • Pedestrianisation of front area of Town Hall (rolling agenda item)
  • Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) policy (Cllr Hughes leading)
  • The Regal (rolling item) (Cllr Newcombe leading)
  • Banking hub (update from David Johnston MP)
  • Agatha Christie statue update (Cllr Beatty leading)
  • Pharmacy provision in Wallingford (The Mayor and Cllr Keats-Rohan leading)
  • Bridge Estates Charity – appointment of WTC-nominated trustee
  • Riverbank ownership plan (Head of Parks & Estates leading)
  • Upgrade to consumer unit in Town Hall
  • Staff team building/volunteer days
  • Estates Portfolio Review (assigned to Head of Parks & Estates)
  • Renaming and reshuffling of Committees to establish the Estates Committee
  • Alderman Emeritus (to consider making new appointments)
619/22     EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

It was proposed by Councillor Hughes, and seconded by Councillor Whelan, and RESOLVED that the press and public be excluded from the meeting due to the confidential nature of the business to be transacted

 

The meeting ended at 8.09 pm

 

Minutes of the meeting of the Full Council held on 20 February 2023, signed as a correct record

 

Chairman

 

 

2023-02-20 FC minutes PUBLIC