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Minutes of Town Council meeting held on Monday, 13th January 2025

Mere Town Council

Town Clerk – Mrs. L. C. Wood

 

Minutes of a meeting of Mere Town Council held on Monday, 13th January 2025 at 7.00 pm in the Andy Yong Pavilion, Duchy Manor, Springfield Road, Mere.

Present:  Councillors John Jordan (Chair), Debbie Beale, Nick Beale, Aubrey Colman, Philip Coward, Rachael Hansford, Clive Hazzard, George Jeans, Linden Stone, Kate Symonds & Lesley Traves.

Mr. Hobhouse, Elaine Stallard, Graham Sheppard & Mrs. Lawson-Smith

Mrs Lawson-Smith thanked the Town Council for showing an interest in covenants relating to the Catholic Church site in Pettridge Lane

Graham Sheppard raised his concerns about the water running down the path at Lordsmead and also asked about the switching on of the lighting bollards along the path.

Elaine Stallard said that the Tower Stories light installation in the Church had been extremely successful and following on from this, Bruce Munro (the artist) would like to do another installation on Castle Hill later in the year.  Elaine said that she would provide the Town Council with further details prior to the next meeting in the hope that the Town Council would support this initiative.

Mr Hobhouse asked why the lights along Eric Mitchell Way hadn’t been switched on.

  1. Coward raised his concerns about flooding in both directions along the A303 following heavy rain last week and said the road was treacherous for drivers and if someone hit that at some speed in the dark then there would be a terrible accident.  He said that as the river is so close, there are options for National Highways to do something about it.   G. Jeans added his concern about the bridge that goes across the A303 at Manor Road – the ramps that lead up to the bridge are sinking either side causing large traffic humps.

The Chairman pointed out that the Town Council had received a stakeholder letter from the Police & Crime Commissioner relating to the Wiltshire Police budget its precept and their savings plan – it also encouraged people to take part in the “Use Your Voice: Budget and Precept” survey.  The survey is open until Friday, 31 January 2025, and can be accessed here:  Use Your Voice: Police budget and precept consultation

The Chairman thanked Nick and Debbie Beale for judging the Xmas Lights and said he was pleased to distribute prizes as follows:

  • 1st – 38 Lynch Close – Pat and Geoff Sams
  • 2nd – 26 Castle Hill Crescent – Neil Maitland and Claire Turner
  • 3rd – 2 Angel Lane – Roger Sainsbury and Julie Coward
  • Special Commendation – Denes Avenue

 

  1. Apologies for absence received from Cllrs. Sandra Catley, Philip Coward and Raymond Hill.

 

  1. To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests and other interests from Councillors on matters to be considered at the meeting.
  • George Jeans declared a pecuniary interest in Minute Ref: 519a) + a personal interest in Planning Applications PL/2025/00201 & PL/2025/00204

 

  1. Minutes RESOLVED that the minutes of the Town Council meeting held on Monday, 2nd December 2024 be approved as a correct record.

 

  1. Matters Arising from Public Session

The Chairman pointed out that with regards to the lighting on Eric Mitchell Way, it had previously been agreed to discuss this matter at tonight’s meeting but we haven’t been able to get the information we need in time and therefore it has been deferred until our February meeting. Cllr. Jeans gave his view that he, too, wanted to see the lights switched on and felt that the Town Council should just go ahead and pay to get them switched on without them being adopted by Wiltshire Council.

  1. Matters Arising from previous Meetings (not covered by other agenda items)

*a) To consider whether or not the Town Council should seek legal advice for the restrictive covenants relating to the disposal of the land/property registered at St. Marys Church, Pettridge Lane, Mere. (information contained in Clerks Report & attached)RESOLVED to seek legal advice from Charity Law Solicitor, Mr. Roger Taylor of Hedleys.

 

  1. Reports & Consultations
  2. a) Wiltshire Councillors Report – Jeans reported that he had visited the police headquarters in Devizes which, he said, had been an eye-opener. He confirmed that he had raised the issue of unacceptable response times now that our emergency responses are made from Trowbridge.

*b) Project Co-Ordinator’s Report (report attached) – report noted without comment.

 

  1. Planning
  2. a) Planning Applications
Application No: PL/2025/00201
Application Type: Notification of proposed works to trees in a conservation area
Proposal: 1. HAZEL: – coppice/pollard approximately three stems on eastern side of group. Retain stems leaning due west for garden screen. 2. HAZEL:- sever ivy at base. – coppice 3-5 mature stems leaning due east. Retain stems leaning west for screen. 3. CHEESWOOD: – crown reduce, shortening height by up to one meter and lateral growth by approximately one meter. Trim to achieve a rounded dome. 4. HAZEL: overgrown hedge overhanging boundary. – reduce height and width, cutting back to previous pruning nodes. 5. APPLE: heavily leaning tree overhanging neighbours’ boundary. – reduce crown cutting back to previous pruning points. 6. ASH: – remove major deadwood, greater than 30mm at base or one meter in length.
Site Address: THE OLD HUNTING LODGE, BOAR STREET, MERE, WARMINSTER, BA12 6DD
Planning Register Link: https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0iQ300000BoxD4

 

RESOLVED to recommend the above application for approval.

Application No: PL/2025/00204
Application Type: Notification of proposed works to trees in a conservation area
Proposal: 1. BIRCH – crown lift (removing secondary and tertiary branching) over roof to afford a two-meter vertical and lateral clearance. 2. HEDGE (HAZEL, BAY, HAWTHORN): reduce height and lateral spread, on both sides, cutting back to previous pruning nodes. 3. HORSE CHESTNUT, young tree. Originating from old stump, now extensively decayed beneath ground level presenting stability issue. – Fell by sections. 4. BEECH, small tree (overgrown hedge) heavily leaning towards neighbours’ outbuildings. – fell. 5. BEECH: small tree (overgrown hedge) heavily leaning towards neighbours’ outbuildings. – fell. 6. PORTUGUESE LAUREL: – shorten lateral branches extending due south. To prevent continued extension into garden.
Site Address: THE OLD BREWERY, WATER STREET, MERE, WARMINSTER, BA12 6DY
Planning Register Link: https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-pplication/a0iQ300000Bp2mD

 

RESOLVED to recommend the above application for approval.

  1. Highways, Rivers, Footpaths, Traffic & Transport
  2. a) To identify jobs for the Parish Steward, Sparkle Team and MyWiltshire reports –
  • Dig back the soil that comes from the verges when the hedges are being pruned on the way out of Castle Street to Gillingham Corner
  • R. Coward raised the issue of potholes along Manor Road.  The Clerk said that she recalled that this road was due for some resurfacing treatment work during this financial year and wondered what had happened about that.
  1. b) White Road to Burton Footpath – Jeans explained that he thought that a precedent had been set with the surfacing of a bridleway in a nearby village and requested to Wiltshire Council that something be done about the stretch of White Road that leads from the Social Club to Burton Path but he later learned that the work in the nearby village was carried out by mistake and Wiltshire Council will not spend money on the path from White Road to Burton Path. He has, however, managed to provide private finance to engage a contractor to resurface a footpath width of this lane from the junction to the entrance of the Social Club and was suggesting that the Town Council vire some funds in order to resurface a footpath width with hot tarmac. It was agreed that the Clerk should obtain some idea of what the costs would be to hot-tarmac a 1.2m footpath width from the Social Club to the entrance to Burton Path before a decision is made on this.

*c) Wiltshire Local Transport Plan – LTP4 – Public Consultation on LTP4 runs from 28.11.24 until 24.1.25 – The Chairman said that he had read the documents and stated that it did say that Mere was one of a few places in Wiltshire where residents suffer from poor connectivity and has a higher risk of transport related social exclusion.  Cllr. Jeans said that he listened to some of the webinar but it appeared that the consultation was not designed to accept specific location issues.  The Chairman encouraged members to look at the documents and send him their thoughts so that he & the Clerk can make a collective Town Council response.

  1. d) Report on North Dorset Transport Action Group Meeting held on Monday, 9th December – The Chairman attended the meeting to represent the Town Council and he found the meeting quite practical and they took on board his comments that the current bus service from Mere to Gillingham is fairly successful

 

  1. Buildings, Open Spaces, Play Areas, Sports Grounds, Car Parks, Allotments & Cemeteries
  2. a) Review of Car Park lease/sponsorship strategy – The Clerk had prepared a report which showed that the amount of sponsorship has diminished and is clearly not meeting the sponsorship targets that we had hoped to get back in 2010. Some businesses have now closed and moved elsewhere and yet we have new businesses that have come into the town & the Clerk wondered whether councillors wanted to visit these businesses to see if they wanted to pledge, renew their pledges or increase their pledges for the sponsorship in order to keep the car parking free or indeed, whether they would prefer to have car parking charges imposed by Wiltshire Council. It was suggested that businesses be contacted again and that the Town Council should a plea should be put out on social media and Mere Matters asking for voluntary donations, especially from the people that park in there all day.

Cllr. Jeans abstained from speaking on this subject.

 

  1. Finance, Policy & Resources

*a) PaymentsRESOLVED to authorise schedule of payments (attached).  Having declared a pecuniary interest in this item, Cllr. Jeans left the room whilst this agenda item was discussed and took no part in voting.

  1. b) To note the reconciliations for November 2024 – the Chairman confirmed that he had verified the bank reconciliation against the bank statements and signed accordingly.

*c) Application to Lloyds Bank plc for the issue of a Business Debit Card – The Chairman explained that the resolution below had been taken from the Lloyds Bank Business Card application and documented approval at a meeting was a requirement.  Members unanimously voted to approve resolution as detailed below:

  1. That Mere Town Council apply to Lloyds Bank plc (“the Bank”) for the issue of a Business Debit Card to authorised users as determined by the Town Council from time to time.  The cards to be subject to the Business Debit Card Terms and Conditions, a copy of which was produced to the meeting and approved.
  2. That any two councillors from time to time are authorised to request the Bank to issue Business Debit Cards to certain authorised and are authorised to sign the application form and any other relevant documentation on behalf of the Town Council.
  3. That the Bank is authorised to debit the Organisation’s account number that is specified in the application form for the Business Debit Cards with all transactions effected under such Business Debit Cards together with any interest thereon and with any fees for the issue and renewal of such Business Debit Cards and that the Organisation will be responsible for any overdraft so created with interest.
  4. The Town Council acknowledges that the authorised users will be able to access information about the Organisation’s account when using a Business Debit Card at an ATM, and consents to this disclosure.
  5. These resolutions will be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the country in which our accounts with the Bank are held.
  6. We certify that the foregoing resolutions have been duly entered in the minute book and are in accordance with the Rules of the Organisation.

The Chairman also confirmed that there would be additional controls in place in relation to the signing in and signing out of the Debit Card by other staff members.

 

  1. General Items

*a) Emergency Resilience Hub – Allocation of building for inclusion in the Wiltshire wide map of hubs (see information in Clerks Report) – Agreed to allocate the Andy Young Pavilion for inclusion

  1. b) Communication Plan for the year – Rachael Hansford said that she thought the Town Council should have a written communication strategy which outlines what we do and who is responsible for doing it in terms of distributing information on noticeboards, social media and printed media. She agreed to prepare a draft strategy for members to comment on at the next meeting.

*c) Heart of Wessex Mayoral Strategic Authority Plans following the publication of the Devolution White Paper (information in Clerks Report) – Members noted the information in the Clerks Report and Cllr. Jeans reported that at the extraordinary full council meeting held on 9th January, Wiltshire Council had voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining Dorset and Somerset councils to submit a bid for a new Heart of Wessex combined authority.

*d) Local Council Elections – 1st May 2025 (information in Clerks Report) – The Chairman said that the elections would be taking place on 1st May 2025 – the timetable has not yet been published but it would be good to spread the word now and encourage potential candidates to put themselves forward.

*e) Wiltshire Marque business support accreditation scheme to help local food and drink businesses (information in Clerks Report) – Members noted the information in the Clerks Report. The Chairman said he would include this in his report in Mere Matters/Mutters and spread the word for businesses to become involved.

 

  1. Future meetings and events
  • None

 

  1. Future agenda items
  • None

 

Note:  Members are reminded that the Town Council has a general duty to consider the following matters in the exercise of any of its functions: Equal Opportunities (race, gender, sexual orientation, marital status and any disability), Crime and Disorder, Health and Safety and Human Rights.

 

*Further information on these items enclosed/attached

 

Meeting closed at 8.24 pm

 

 

 

Approved at Mere Town Council meeting held on 3rd February 2025

 

 

 

Signed:                                                                                                                                                                 Chair of meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MERE PEACE MEMORIAL SPORTS AND RECREATION GROUND

Registered Charity No. 1093497

 

 

For Trustees to consider the following:

 

Submission of Annual Return for Mere Peace Memorial Sports & Recreation Ground Charity for Financial Year End 31.3.24 (draft submission attached)

 

The Town Council as Trustee of the Charity approved the submission and authorised the Clerk to submit this to the Charity Commission.