02-06-24 TC MINS

 

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF LOUTH TOWN COUNCIL
HELD IN THE OLD COURT ROOM, THE SESSIONS HOUSE, LOUTH

ON TUESDAY 6^th FEBRUARY 2024

 

                                                    The Mayor, Cllr. J. Simmons (JS) (in the chair).

 

Present Councillors: Mrs. E. Ballard (Mrs. EB), J. Baskett (JB), L.M. Cooney (LMC), J. Drake (JD), H. Filer (HF), D. Hobson (DH), G.E. Horton (GEH), M. Lamb (ML), Mrs. J. Makinson-Sanders (Mrs. JMS), Mrs. K. Parsons (Mrs. KP), P. Starsmore (PS) and Mrs. P.F. Watson (PFW)

 

Councillors not present: M. Barnes (MB), L. Frost (LF).

 

The Town Clerk, Mrs. L.M. Phillips and the Town Clerk’s Assistant, Miss S. Chitauro were also present.

• Apologies for Absence
  Apologies for absence were received from Cllr. LF.
• Declarations of Interest/Dispensations
  The following declarations were made:
  1. Mrs. JMS – Item 4 as member of the Hubbard’s Hills Trust, for which a dispensation had been granted in 2023 for the duration of her term in office until 2027, allowing her to stay present during the meeting. It was proposed and seconded that the Council should revoke the dispensation on this occasion.  However, the vote was lost. 

• Minutes
  It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the Council Meeting held on the 9^th January 2024 as a correct record.

• Hubbard’s Hills
  Following receipt of a letter of resignation from the Hubbard’s Hills Trust formally serving notice to terminate the management agreement between it and the Town Council, the Council discussed how to move forward. It was proposed and seconded that the Council should move into closed session at that point.  However, the vote was lost.  Councillors considered what steps it might need to take to ensure the smooth transition of the management of maintenance of Hubbard’s Hills to the Council.  The Town Clerk confirmed that if the Council wished to take the management back in house it would need to employ more staff.  A lengthy debate ensued, suggestions on how to proceed were made by Councillors which included: employing an individual with expertise in the area to maintain Hubbard’s Hills; asking the Hubbard’s Hills Trust to help with the transition; negotiating with the Hubbard’s Hills Trust, forming a new Trust, forming a new organisation etc.  It was RESOLVED to move into closed session so that information of a third party and confidential nature could be disclosed.
  It was RESOLVED to ask Cllr. Mrs. JMS to liaise with the Trust regarding the Council’s funding contribution in 2024/25 with a view to the second instalment being adjusted proportionately, pro rata to reflect the shorter length of the contract and that she should arrange for the Trust to write to the Council to confirm the position, as soon as possible.  Mrs. JMS was also asked to obtain a copy for the Council of the Trust’s minutes recording the decommissioning process.

Further, it was RESOLVED to form a Hubbard’s Hills Working Group, consisting of Councillors JD, EB, KP and PS whose remit would be to consider options and bring recommendations back to Council.

It was also RESOLVED that the Council should send a letter to each of the Hubbard’s Hills Trustees, acknowledging receipt of the letter of resignation, thanking them for their work, enquiring whether they would each be willing to attend a meeting with the Hubbard’s Hills Working Group and informing them of the request that had been given to Cllr. Mrs. JMS.

 

 

The Meeting Closed at 9.20pm.

 

 

Signed_______________________ (Chairman)                Dated_________________________