01-10-23 RTC MINS

 

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

ON TUESDAY 10^th JANUARY 2023

 

Present                                          The Mayor, Cllr. J Baskett (JB) (in the chair).

 

Councillors:       Mrs. E. Ballard (EB), M. Bellwood (MB), L. Cooney (LMC), S. Crew (SC), H. Filer (HF), D.J.E. Hall (DJEH), D. Hobson (DH), G.E. Horton (GEH), M. Lamb (ML), A. Leonard (AL), Mrs. S.E. Locking (SEL), Mrs. J. Makinson-Sanders (JMS), B. O’Brien (BO), J. Simmons (JS) and D.E. Wing (DEW)

 

Councillors not present: K. Norman (KN), J. Garrett (JG) and Mrs. P.F. Watson (PFW)

 

The Town Clerk, Mrs. L.M. Phillips, the Mayor’s Chaplain, Rev. C. Watt, County Councillor A. Hall and nine members of the public were also present.

 

• Prior to the commencement of the meeting the Rev. C. Watt said prayers.
• A. Hall was then invited to speak in his capacity as County Councillor for Louth. He reported that a) LCC had launched a budget and council tax consultation which would be open until 26^th January.  b) The new Louth Children’s Home behind the Riverhead Theatre would open in 2023 to provide high quality care.  c) The Louth Transport Board, County Councillors, District and Town Council representatives had met.  The meeting had been dominated by talk of the Active Travel Scheme (ATS).  Cllr. Hall had had lots of contact from residents and he thanked the Town Council for their engagement.  Cllr. Mrs. JMS asked if the children at the new Children’s Home would be from Louth.  Cllr. Hall was not sure.  Cllr. Mrs. SEL asked if the ATS was a trial for 18 months could it be scrapped before the 18 months were up?  Cllr. Hall confirmed that it could but it would be down to LCC’s Executive Board.  Cllr. Mrs. EB said that the Council had been concerned when it had first received reports from those meetings as the Town Council did not have a voting voice and decisions appeared to come from the 2 County Councillors and that didn’t seem fair.  Cllr. JS asked when were the 18 months up?  Cllr. Hall was sorry but he couldn’t remember.  Cllr. AL asked if Louth were reliant on Cllr. Parkin representing the town on the ATS.  Cllr. Hall confirmed that the scheme did fall within her ward and it was her opinion that would be sought but ultimately it would be LCC’s Executive Board who would decide.  Cllr. LMC was concerned about the Budget Consultation which she said appeared to be divisive.  She worried that what was important to one person wasn’t important to another and sections of society were being pitted against one another.  She was of the opinion that LCC should not be looking to lose services.
• The Council received a written report from Cllr. Mrs. JMS in her capacity as District Council. It thanked her for this.
• DJEH reported that voters would be required to present ID in the forthcoming elections before they would be able to vote. However, the website for this did not go live until the end of January,  He said that bus passes, passports and driving licences could be used.
• JS asked if ELDC still had £50 m invested in a bank I Qatar? Cllr. Mrs. JMS said it was £5m on a very short term investment.
• GEH reported that there was still quite a lot of discussion regarding London Road and who would take over. He said there was also a proposal that the grass pitch at Wood Lane be made into an all weather pitch.  But there was concern as this was the last remaining public pitch.
• Mrs. EB confirmed that Louth Old Boys and Louth Athletics Club had tried to build a pitch in the centre of the track but this had fallen through due to lack of money and the sub-strata. She was of the opinion that there was still potential there though.

 

• Apologies for Absence
  Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs. JG, KN and Mrs. PFW.
• Declarations of Interest / Dispensations
  1. Mrs. JMS, AL and DEW – agenda item 7 – as Trustees of Hubbard’s Hills.

 

• Council Minutes
  It was RESOLVED that approval of the minutes be deferred to a future meeting pending a check of the recorded discussion on Hubbard’s Hills and the Council’s general reserves.
• Committee Minutes
  It was RESOLVED to adopt the resolutions contained within the Planning Committee Minutes of 22^nd November 2022.
• Mayor’s Announcements
  The Mayor reported that he had had a very busy year and had attended 47 events. He went on to list many of them, talking in detail about each, praising and thanking all of them and their organisers who work tirelessly for the good of their members and the town.
• Precept
  On a recommendation from the Governance and Finance Committee it was RESOLVED to:
  1. Approve the tabled budget; and hence
  2. Approve a precept request for 2023/24 of £300,082.
  3. Ringfence a further £8,500 of funds in General Reserve in the Earmarked Reserves, as per the tabled budget documentation.
  4. Further, it was RESOLVED to give delegated authority to the Town Clerk to complete the necessary forms and submit to ELDC (Collection Authority).

• Co-option
  Following receipt of a presentation it was RESOLVED that Mr. Paul Starsmore be co-opted onto Louth Town Council.
• Date of Next Meeting
  It was noted that the date of the Council’s next scheduled meeting was 25^th April 2023.

 

The Meeting Closed at 8.28pm.

 

 

 

Signed_______________________ (Chairman)                Dated_________________________