-

 

Present

Members       

  • Cllr Steve Beatty
  • Cllr Giles Cattermole (up to 659/22)
  • Cllr Paul Gibbon
  • Cllr Marcus Harris (Chairman/Mayor)
  • Cllr Sue Hendrie
  • Cllr Claire Holford
  • Cllr Nigel Hughes
  • Cllr Katharine Keats-Rohan (up to 660/22)
  • Cllr Michael Kidley
  • Cllr Rosslyn Lester
  • Cllr George Newcombe
  • Cllr Deborah Whelan

Officers:         

  • Duncan Kent, Head of Parks & Estates
  • Andrea Lockie, Assistant Finance Officer
  • Luke Whitcomb, Meetings Officer

Others:           

  • County Councillor Pete Sudbury (for 643/22 only)
  • 2 members of the public
  • 0 members of the press

 

636/22     MEETING PROTOCOL

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

637/22     APOLOGIES

Apologies were received from Councillors Beauchamp, Holder and McGregor, and the Town Clerk.

Councillor Sinkinson did not attend.

638/22     DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Councillors Cattermole and Lester declared interests in a Legal Matter and an Individual Property respectfully, minuted as 660/22 and 661/22 below.

639/22     MAYOR’S COMMUNICATIONS

The Mayor reported on recent mayoral activity, including a recent event to encourage people to stand as Town Councillors, the development of a new event to celebrate the Curfew Bell and the planting of a tree to mark the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty the late Elizabeth II.

640/22     MINUTES

It was proposed by Councillor Keats-Rohan, and seconded by Councillor Lester, and RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Full Council held on 20 February 2023 be approved as a correct record and the Chairman is authorised to sign them.

641/22     ACTIONS FROM PREVIOUS MEETING [see also Minute 658/22]

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

642/22     PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

No members of the public chose to speak.

643/22     COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS

A written report from County Councillor Sudbury was received.  This included mention of a new street lighting policy, challenging bus journey times to Oxford and the need to enforce the use of the bypass for traffic travelling to and from Didcot.

644/22     BILL SCHEDULES

It was proposed by Councillor Hughes, and seconded by Councillor Cattermole, and RESOLVED that the bill schedules for December 2022 and January 2023 be approved

645/22     COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE LEVY (CIL) STRATEGY

The Council considered a further iteration of proposed protocols and polices

It was proposed by Councillor Hughes, and seconded by Councillor Whelan, and RESOLVED that the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Strategy be approved

646/22     RIVERBANK OWNERSHIP

The Head of Parks and Estates presented on overview of the ownership of sections of the Thames riverbank within the Wallingford boundary and confirmed the intention to register for the ownership of a 60-yard stretch north of the bridge.  South Oxfordshire District Council had yet to confirm their ownership of a significant stretch of riverbank, again north of Wallingford Bridge.

647/22     AGATHA CHRISTIE STATUE

Councillor Beatty updated the Council on the planned statue which was going according to schedule.  An event was being planned for 9 and 10 September 2023 and Matthew Pritchard, the grandson of Agatha Christie, had agreed to unveil the statue.

648/22     GRANT APPLICATIONS

The Council considered the following grant applications:

(a)   Clean Slate

It was proposed by Councillor Hendrie, and seconded by Councillor Keats-Rohan, and RESOLVED that the grant of £500 be awarded to Clean Slate

(b)   Wallingford Accessible Boat Club

It was proposed by Councillor Beatty, and seconded by Councillor Hughes, and RESOLVED that a grant of £500 be awarded to Wallingford Accessible Boat Club subject to their ability to utilise this sum fully as it was larger than the amount they had applied for

Councillor Whelan as trustee of the Boat Club abstained on this vote

(c)    Wild About Wallingford

It was proposed by Councillor Lester, and seconded by Councillor Hendrie, and RESOLVED that a grant of £500 be awarded to Wild About Wallingford

649/22     WIGOD FAMILY CENTRE

The Council received the annual report of the Wigod Family Centre.  Ms Kelsey Proctor was unable to attend this meeting due to a prior commitment.

650/22     APPOINTMENTS

It was proposed by Councillor Cattermole, and seconded by Councillor Beatty, and RESOLVED that Councillor Deborah Whelan be appointed to serve as the Town Council’s Nominative Trustee on the Bridge Estates Charity for a period of four years from April 2023

Councillor Whelan abstained

Referring to the Civility and Respect Pledge, the Chairman cautioned Councillor Cattermole during the course of the discussion for personal and derogatory remarks he made about one of the candidates.

651/22     TOWN COUNCIL ELECTIONS 2023

Councillor Hendrie reminded Members of the key dates and timeline and events being organised to encourage and support people to stand.  There had been an encouraging turnout at an event held the previous Thursday.  The deadline for papers was 4 April 2023 and a range of options, including for photo ID, was listed on the SODC website.

652/22     PRE-ELECTION PERIOD

The Council NOTED the restrictions and dates of the Pre-Election Period formerly known as ‘Purdah’

653/22     CALENDAR OF MEETINGS

The Council NOTED the changes required to the Calendar of Meetings as a result of the Pre-Election Period.

The Annual Town Meeting would now be held on Tuesday, 30 May 2023 and positioned as listening exercise for the new Council.  The Council had previously agreed the outline and revised format for the meeting (Minute 611/22)

See also Minute 654/22

654/22     NEXT MAYOR

The Council discussed the process for selecting the next Mayor, subject to the outcome of the Town Council Elections.  An additional, one-item Full Council meeting might be introduced after the Elections and before the Annual Meeting (Mayor Making).

655/22     COMMITTEE AND OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS/REFERENCES

The Council considered the following reference:

Bull Croft Trust, 27 February 2023, Minute 62/22 – Tennis Proposition

It was proposed by Councillor Keats-Rohan, and seconded by Councillor Holford, and RESOLVED that the agreement with the Lawn Tennis Association and the National Tennis Association for operating the tennis courts on the Bullcroft be approved, including the purchase of required cleaning equipment; and it be branded as ‘The Bullcroft Park Tennis’

656/22     FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

The following items were identified for future meetings:

  • Elections 2023 (rolling item until May 2023) (Cllr Sue Hendrie)
  • Pedestrianisation of front area of Town Hall (rolling agenda item)
  • Banking hub (dependent on update from David Johnston MP)
  • Junior Council (new Council to consider after Elections)
  • Estates Portfolio Review (assigned to Head of Parks & Estates)
  • Renaming and reshuffling of Committees to establish the Estates Committee (Annual Meeting as part of wider decision on committee structure)
  • Alderman Emeritus (to consider making new appointments)
  • Beacon Youth Project update (April 2023) (Cllr Holder leading)
  • Parking on verges (raised by Cllr Newcombe)
657/22     EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

It was proposed Councillor Lester, and seconded by Councillor Kidley, 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 8.19 pm

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

 

Chairman

 

 

2023-03-20 FC minutes PUBLIC