MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD IN DARWEN TOWN HALL, ON TUESDAY, APRIL
5TH, 2022

Present: Couns. J East, K. Connor, D. Smith, B. Taylor, P Browne, S. Brookfield, A.
Walker and J. Hamer.

1.Welcome and introduction:.

2. Apologies
Couns. Salton, Entwistle and Davies.

3.Declaration of interests :
Coun East on item 5.

4 Minutes of the last meeting:
These were agreed.

4.1 Scroll of Honour
The scroll of honour will have Tony Harrison’s name engraved on it by Stevenson’s
Memorials.

4.2. Tree felling at St Alban’s Road
Coun. Slater said he had received complaints that only a few trees had been planted.
Coun. Smith said all the trees removed would be replaced.

4.3 Council chamber
Coun Smith is liasing with BWD over repairs to the Darwen Town Hall council chamber. A
first aid box is now available in the council office.

4.4 Social media
Janet Pearce and the council’s website administrator had met and agreed a plan for
publicising suitable events via the council’s social media.

5. Public Forum
Two Scouts from the Bold Venture pack attended to give details of a trip to South Korea as
part of the World Scout Jamboree.Three Scouts from the pack have been chosen to
attend and have to fund-raise £4,000. Ideas of how to fund raise and funding channels
were passed to the Scouts and Janet Pearce is to help set up a Facebook post to generate
local interest.

Gary Perkins explained his frustration at having publicity banners removed from public
places. Coun. Taylor explained BWD’s policy on public notices. Mr Perkins also asked
about funding for events and he was advised to apply to the town awards.

6 Mayor’s update

Coun Salton had contacted BWD over the state of the council chamber and the Mayor’s
chain had been taken in for repairs. She had attended two vigils for Ukraine and a mother
and toddler group. Coun Salton had ensured that Turncroft Nursery is included in the
children’s literature festival. She had also given information to Turncroft and all the
primary schools re the £100 donation for jubilee events and had asked for each to provide
photographs for a future exhibition.

7. Deputy leader’s report
Coun East said most items had been dealt with earlier in the meeting. He has the keys for
the town council noticeboard. The town council logo was agreed.

8. Finance
.
Payments:
£749 for R Hay for salary and expenses.
£107.32 – R Hay pension
£4,000 – Life Education grant.
£2.85 – HMRC.
£358.31 – Darwen Cricket Club for the bonfire lighting.
£3,220.80 – Newground CIC for Whitehall Park grant agreed in October.
£66 – Post Office Counters for postage.
£39.99 – Kaspersky for internet security.
£250 – Stevenson’s Memorials for scroll engravement.
£200 – J Pearce – grant for bulbs.
£500 – Meeting Places, town awards grant.
£3,088.58 – James Hallam insurance for annual cover.
It was agreed the bank mandate and signatories would be updated at the AGM.

9 Correspondence
Information received re the proposed upgrade to existing radio base station installation at
Whitehall Mill.

Information received re a special county service to celebrate the jubilee at Blackburn
Cathedral on May 29th. Coun East said a beacon is to be lit by the Scouts for the jubilee.

10 Updates
Coun Davies has completed the events list for the year. A meeting had been held with the
cricket club and it was agreed the town council would fund the fireworks, lighting, security
and first aid, the budget is £3,500 and will be reviewed every year. The club is looking at
pricing up a lighting rig to cut down on yearly costs.
Coun, East gave details of applications for the town awards, four had been rejected as
there were either not eligible or unsuitable. He had directed requests for money for jubilee
events to national funding. An award of £500 has been granted to Meeting Places towards
a gaming machine. Coun Hamer to replace Coun Entwistle on the awards committee.
Coun. Brookfield said £200 had been granted by the parks committee towards community
bulb planting and Ashton Park are to be granted £1,440 towards repair work to the
pathways. An application from Bold Venture park is pending re further information.

11. Any other business
Coun East to invite the new police sergeant to a future meeting…

12 Part 2 – press and public excluded
Three items were discussed.

13. Date of next meeting
May 24th, Darwen Town Hall, 7 p.m, . Items for the agenda to the clerk by May 16th
please