Present: Couns. Entwistle, East, Connor, Perkins, Slater, Salton, Smith, Brookfield, Davies, Browne, Hollings, Rothwell  and Taylor.

1.Welcome and introduction:

2.Apologies:  None.

3.Declarations of Interest:  Couns. East on correspondence.

4 Minutes of the last meeting and matters arising

 

These were agreed.

4.1 Street art regulations

Coun. Smith had obtained information re the permissions needed for street art on gable ends in conservation areas.

4.2 Waste prosecutions

Coun. Smith shared the latest prosecution figures.It was agreed Coun. East would submit a press release highlighting the good work of Darwen Keep Tidy and the waste prosecutions.

5 Public forum

Ms Janet Pearce of Keep Tidy Darwen asked if better ways of communication could be used to educate people on recycling. This follows a new policy by waste contractors to crack down on people who put the wrong items in their bins. Ms Pearce said the recycling dos and don’t are complicated and people are being penalised for genuine mistakes and their bins being left unemptied, which leads to upset and mistrust in the borough council. Mr Mark Atkins asked why the council could not go back to the old system of all rubbish going to the recycling centres to be filtered. Councillors said that contamination in bins means all rubbish has to go to the landfill which is expensive and defeats the purpose.

She said Keep Darwen Tidy is ready to order items using the grant from Darwen Town Council re Darwen Live. BWD to invoice the town council.

Mr Mark Atkins outlined items still available for collection from Hollinsgreave Church and also expressed concern over the way borough council bin men leave gates open, drop litter etc when emptying bins.

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6  Mayor’s report

Coun Salton had attended the funeral of a local resident, attended Lancashire Together, heritage centre open day, holiday club for children, older people’s forum, 1940’s day, Darwen’s Got Talent and laid a wreath in memory of those who died 50 years ago in Northern Ireland.

7 Deputy leader’s report

Coun. East said the council had met to look at Darwen Live costs. He had attended the 1940s day, which had been a great success. He confirmed the food festival, brass band and heritage open days will be publicised via social media. Coun East had attended the town centre partnership board and  Coun. Connor is working with BWD to organise a website and social media for the town council. He praised Keep Darwen Tidy for their floral display and Coun. Salton asked if a garden area outside the town hall could be tidied up. Ms Pearce of Keep Darwen Tidy said the idea of the planters is that they are looked after by volunteers, rather than be part of the town’s paid for scheme. Coun. East and Connor to meet with borough council officials to promote a better relationship between the two bodies. Coun. East to look into 2020 election and costings.

8 Mayoral procedure

The proposed change to the constitution was agreed by all councillors.

9. Street Art

Coun. East said he had taken last month’s proposals to the Darwen Town Centre Partnership and received a good response.

10 Finance

Authorised payments:

August:

£659.11 – Rebecca Hay, salary and expenses for clerk.

£80.83 – LCC – clerk’s pension contribution.

£3,456.26 – BWD for cleaning up after Darwen Live.

£1,211.40 – PRS for music licence.

£3,069.60 – MDR for Darwen Live hoodies and t shirts.

£600 – K. McAuley for flags up and down

September:

£666.91 – Rebecca Hay, salary and expenses for clerk.

£80.83 – LCC – clerk’s pension contribution.

£720 – Smith’s Hire for Darwen Live fencing.

£1,830 – Kay’s traffic management for Darwen Live.

£300 – K. McAuley for flags down after 1940s Day.

£200 – Ignite Parties – 1940s Day.

£260 – C Doherty – 1940s Day.

£220 – H. Deane for 1940s Day .

£1,404 – Lancashire Marquees for 1940s Day.

£250 – Very Vivid for 1940s Day artwork.

£1,225.59 – S Taylor, includes £168 for security, £40 – Poppy Halliday and £77.59 décor and planes for 1940s Day.

£200 – J. Bundy – 1940s Day.

£1,800 – Friends of Sunnyhurst Woods, grant for access.

£3,900 – Friends of Bold Venture Park, grant for second phase of ground works.

£650 – BS Singleton – 1940s Day.

11 Correspondence

 

A request was received from the Friends of Darwen Cemetry for match funding for a grave headstone project. I was agreed that this would need to go to Crown Awards.

 

12  Updates

The town crier Mr Darryl Counsell had sent in a report and reported on his success in a town crier competition as well as events he had attended including the 1940s Day. He is due to enter a competition in Otley this month and is to arrange dates and times for future appearances at events.

Finance: Coun. Connor gave an update.

Parks applications for funding for Friends of Sunnyhurst Woods for access and for Bold Venture Park for the second phase of ground works were agreed..

Crown Awards: Meeting to follow.

13 Any other business

Coun. Taylor gave details of the Healthy Darwen event.

14 Part 2 – public and press excluded.

 

Three items discussed.

 

15  Date of next meeting.

October 1st ^, 7 p.m. Agenda items to be with the clerk by September 23^rd   please..