September 1st 2020 Meeting Minutes
MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON ZOOM ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2020
Present: Couns Salton, East, Connor, Browne, Smith, Davies.
1.Welcome and introduction: Coun. Salton welcomed everyone to the first Zoom meeting of Darwen Town Council and thanked all councillors for their input during lockdown.
2.Apologies: Coun. Rothwell, Perkins, Entwistle, Taylor, Slater, Hollings
and Brookfield.
3.Declaration of interests :
None.
- Minutes of the last meeting:
These were agreed and will be signed off at the next physical meeting.
- Public forum:
None
- Mayor’s Update:
.
Coun Salton had been asked by a member of the public if the railway station car park is to be closed indefinitely. Coun. East said it may be for a COVID 19 testing centre. Coun. Salton to investigate.
She said she had been to the new Meeting Places project to see the youth zone in action and had been impressed. Now the schools are back, the project is to concentrate on the older members in the community. There will be yoga classes on a Tuesday morning and coffee mornings. Coun. Salton had also laid the wreath for VJ Day.
- Deputy chairman’s update:
Coun East said the work by Stevenson Memorials to add an inscription to the roll of honour at the town hall has now been done.
He said that plans need to be made for Remembrance Day. He had led a Zoom talk on his father, a former prisoner of war for VJ Day and this is still available on the Internet.
Coun East gave details of a COVID 19 memorial bench organised by Coun. Taylor and to be sited in Sunnyhurst Woods.
He said food parcels needed had slowed down. Coun. East is liaising with Coun. Brookfield over the delivery of the school safety signs.
Meetings have been held for the Darwen Deal and consultants are to be appointed to sort out the bid. There is concern that COVID 19 may affect traders and the bid has a high criteria and lots of red tape, which makes it quite a slow process. Extra money made available is to go to AFC Darwen, a skate park and a cricket academy plus the renovation of Darwen Tower. The Darwen Tower fund now stands at £85,000 including a £10,000 pledge from the town council. The fund is administered by The Rotary Club of Darwen. Coun. Browne thanked Coun.. East for his hard work during lockdown.
- Crafty Box:
Coun Connor had circulated details of a crafty box scheme, which uses recycled materials and has been used by the youth zone to distribute to 1,500 youngsters. He said the pricing varies on size and content and boxes can be customized. It was agreed that he would go back to find out the cost to cover all the infant classes in Darwen and Coun. Salton would contact the schools to see if any were interested in receiving them.
- Finance
£1,500 – WEC for Covid bench
£705 – R Hay for salary and expenses.
£107.32 – R Hay pension.
£65 – Post Office Counters for postage.
- Correspondence
Advice had been sought over the completion of a development of houses at Burton Close, Belgrave. Coun Smith had passed on the details to the BWD regeneration team.
Herbert Parkinson had written to advise they had submitted a planning application to retain their existing car park at Harvest Mill.
- Updates
Coun East is to arrange a meeting with Darren James re Darwen Live.
Coun. Browne gave details of an application from The Friends of Bold Venture Park for £6,000 toward a project in the park. The total bill will be £11,300 plus VAT which can be reclaimed. The friends group has raised £6,410 towards the project. As part of the project, the town council ring fenced £1,150 in 2018 for the gates. The funding was approved and the clerk asked to liaise with the friends group.
Coun. Connor gave an update on events and said the current COVID 19 restrictions means no gatherings over 30 are allowed. Once restrictions are lifted, the town council can look at events.
Coun East had been liaising with Crown Paints to try and get any outstanding applications decided upon as they do not anticipate a meeting until 2021. Coun. Davies said an allocation for £2,000 given towards the Olive Lane play area was still outstanding despite all the paperwork being completed. Coun. Connor said no further contributions had been made by the town council as there was still money in the fund, but he still budgets for it each year. Coun. East is to ask for a balance sheet.
Coun. Dave Smith said in the latest round of prosecutions for waste accumulations in yards, three house holders have been prosecuted. £910 fines in Queen Street and Northcote Street and £430 fine in Anyon Street.
- Any other business
All dealt with above.
- Date of next meeting
Tuesday, October 6th, 7 p.m., venue will be decided the week before depending on local lockdown restrictions. Items for the agenda to be with the clerk by September 29th.
