Report of the Verwood Town Assembly held in the Council Offices, Vicarage Road, Verwood, on Tuesday 1st May, 2007 at 7.30p.m.
1. The Chair was taken by the Mayor of Verwood Town Council Cllr. Ms.Jane Russell who was supported by 11 Members of the Town Council.
2. The Mayor opened the proceedings by welcoming the 19 members of the
public. The mayor invited Members of the Town Council to introduce themselves.
3. Statement of Accounts 2006/07. A summary of the Town Council's accounts for the year ended 31st March 2007, which had not yet been audited, were submitted and duly accepted.
4. Mayor's Report.
During the past year there have been a number of changes in Verwood & Three Legged Cross. The most memorable of these must be the opening of our new community building, the Verwood Hub on March 12th this year. The Hub has been open for less than three months and is already providing activities, film shows and events for a wide cross section of people from Verwood, Three Legged Cross and the surrounding area.
The start of my term of office saw the opening of the extension to the Three Legged Cross Recreation Ground, with its woodland walk and teenage play area. This project has enhanced the Recreation Ground by providing an attractive pedestrian and visual link to the centre of Three Legged Cross.
The other major project completed in the past year has been the changes to the roads in our Town Centre. These have met with a mixed initial reception, but I’m sure that we shall eventually achieve our long term aims of making our Town Centre safer and more pedestrian friendly and encouraging the use of our local businesses. The new footpath from the Potters Wheel car park to Manor Road will also contribute to these aims.
Further improvements to our Town Centre have been the replacement and re-siting of the memorial oak tree on Ferret Green, the planting of bulbs on the green by children from our local first schools and the addition of two new bus shelters in Station Road. The Town Council is also investigating the siting of two large planters at the end of Edmondsham Road.
At the beginning of my term of office, I said that I would like to make some progress towards achieving Quality Status for our council. I am pleased to report that we have started to prepare the paperwork in support of our application. One of the key requirements for Quality Status is a qualified Town Clerk and I should like to congratulate Val Bright for achieving the ‘CILCA’ qualification this year.
During the past year as Mayor, I have had the honour of representing Verwood & Three Legged Cross at numerous civic functions at other towns in the surrounding area and across Dorset.
It has also been a great pleasure to attend many local events ranging from the grazing launch at Stephens Castle and the Forest FM opening to events organised and hosted by local organisations, schools and churches.
5. Chairmen's Reports.
The respective Chairmen of the Town Council’s Committee’s submitted their reports, giving a brief resume of their activities during the year as follows:-
Finance and General Purposes Committee
It is always a pleasure to assist the many clubs and societies in the town which are serving the interests of our residents. One of the highlights of the past year has been the allocation of grants. We have contributed a total of £69,250 - the largest being a sum of £30,000 to the Verwood Community Association and £30,000 to the new Verwood Hub Community Centre. Other grants included £3,000 to Verwood Age Concern, £1,500 to East Dorset Citizens Advice Bureau and £1,000 each to Verwood Concert Brass and Forest FM Community Radio. The remaining £2,750 was spread among a number of groups who are here with us tonight. Our spending requirement for the coming year is £225,506.92 which means a Council Tax charge of £35.89 against the previous year’s figure of £28.52. The increase is due mainly to the grants to the Verwood Community Centre and the Verwood Hub Community Centre and the provision of new play equipment. We have maintained regular contact with the Police - Sgt. Partridge attends our meetings regularly and sends us written reports as well as answering questions. We also have our own Police Liaison Councillor. Anti-social behavior is a concern and we have installed CCTV cameras to cover Ferrett Green. We are actively encouraging East Dorset District Council to install CCTV cameras at the Potters Wheel Car Park.
We have supported new bus shelters at the crossroads in the Town Centre at a cost of £2,283 each towards which we received a grant of £80 per shelter from the County Council. The Coronation Tree lost during the recent roadworks was replaced at a ceremony on 30th November last. A replacement tree was planted by
Harvey Sims who had planted the original in 1937. At the same time children from our local schools planted daffodil bulbs and they are to be congratulated on the fine show this Spring due to their efforts.
We have arranged for a Dog Warden to visit Council owned land in the
Civil Parish on the basis of one and a half hours per week. A ’kissing gate’
has been installed at the Memorial Recreation Ground.
We have looked at the provision of a Speed Indicator Device (SID) in the
Town. The cost of owning our own was thought to be uneconomic,
especially as temporary ones are installed on existing posts three times
a year for one week at a time. Traffic wardens also carry out enforcement
visits to the town from time to time.
In Three Legged Cross we sought to have the 30mph Speed Limit Sign (too close to the Recreation Ground entrance) moved back to the Joys Road junction but were advised by the Highways Authority that it did not breach any traffic orders. We are also promised a place in the County’s Capital Programme for a footway to be established in West Moors Road. Play equipment in Charlotte’s Place is also receiving attention.
The Town Clerk, Val Bright, has recently completed her studies and gained her ‘Certificate in Local Council Administration’. Many congratulations to her and I wish also to thank her and her team, Joyce and Rosie, for their support and guidance during the past year.
Cllr. Peter Baker
Chairman, Finance & General Purposes Committee
Plans Consultative Committee
The committee meets on a three-week cycle and our main role is to examine all planning application affecting the Civil Parish. We forward comments and advice, taking into consideration local objections and consulting a planning policy document, before deciding to object - or not object - to the Planning application. However, we can only recommend, as it is the District Council Plans Committee who make the final decisions.
Plans submitted during the period from May 2006 - April 2007 totalled 175. There were 134 ‘No Objections’, 17 ‘Objections’ and 24 ‘Green Belt Policy Applies’.
Our Planning Committee raised concern regarding an application to erect 5 shops and 6 offices to replace April Cottage, facing Ferrett Green. Whilst welcoming the principle of extra shops in Verwood, we were concerned about the shop frontages bordering directly on the Ferrett Green pathway and the design was not compatible with surroundings - especially the historical Heritage Centre - and would spoil the character of the area. Regretfully E.D.D.C. made the decision to grant planning permission for this development.
In addition, discussions took place and responses were sent on paperwork regarding:
* The South East Dorset Heathland Interim Planning Framework 2006-2009
* E.D.D.C.’s design requirement for landscaping residential area SPG
* Management of trees on land owned or controlled by the Council
* Draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West, concerning housing, the economy, transport and protecting the environment, 2006-2026.
Finally, I would like to thank all those who served on the Planning Committee. My thanks also goes to Mr. William Wells, Mayor’s Advisor and Val, Joyce, and Rosie for their valuable support.
Cllr. Marilyn Whatmore
Chairman, Plans Consultative Committee
Cemetery Committee
The Cemetery Committee has met four times in the last municipal year. The committee recommended to the Council that a tree survey and an ecological survey be carried out. The Council agreed these recommendations. The tree survey has now been completed. The ecological survey was carried out in April, as the committee and Council were advised that the spring is the best time for this to take place.
A new area for burials within the existing cemetery area has been identified and preparation is taking place. The new area will be consecrated and brought into use in due course.
Sadly, some commemorative pots provided by one family were stolen from the cemetery. The family requested that the cemetery be locked at night but this is not possible due to the existence of a public right of way through the cemetery.
Requests for the planting of a tree and placing of a commemorative seat were received during the year. Unfortunately both preferred sites were unsuitable but an alternative was found for the tree. There was also a request for the placing of an additional slab near to a seat but this was declined as unsuitable.
The committee considered the cost of additional interment ashes in an existing plot for non Verwood residents and reduced it as it was considered excessive. A general review of all fees was carried out and recommendations made accordingly to the Council which were accepted.
The Chairman of the committee carries out a monthly visual inspection to ensure that there are no obvious health and safety hazards. As last year, there is still concern about difficulty with maintenance due to excess items on graves. It is a lawn cemetery which is mowed regularly and no other items are to be left on graves and plants cannot be grown on graves. This is to ensure that mowing can be easily and safely undertaken. Breaching of these rules are brought to the Town Clerk’s attention and the next of kin contacted for appropriate action.
I would like to thank the Town Clerk, Assistant to the Town Clerk and Admin Assistant for all their hard work and help to the committee and especially to me as Chairman for the last two years.
Councillor Mrs.L.Dedden
Chairman Cemetery Committee.
The committee has met four times this year and it’s been quite a busy year. I should like to deal with each of the recreation grounds and open spaces which we look after separately in my report.
The ground is generally in good condition and had not required any major maintenance in the past year. We have installed a new disabled access gate from Ringwood Road to make the recreation ground more accessible.
Rossgarth Youth Football Club have continued to use the recreation ground for some junior matches and this has been generally well received by the public, although we are continuing to monitor their use to ensure it does not impact on the safety or enjoyment of other users of the ground.
The play area in the recreation ground continues to be very well used. This year we had problems with two of the pieces of equipment, the tyre swing and the swings. Both problems were due to the design of the equipment and were rectified quite quickly by the manufacturer at no cost to us. The modified replacement equipment now appears to be functioning well. We are continuing to allocate money each year to a fund for playground renewal, and this playground will be the next one to be refurbished.
There have been no major maintenance problems with Ferret Green this year. The green has been enhanced by the spring bulbs, which were planted by children from our first schools assisted by councillors and the Mayor. This central open space is a very successful area.
This year we budgeted to install more seats on the green to form a ‘talking circle’, but our chosen supplier was unable to deliver and unload the very heavy seats we selected. As planning permission has now been granted for shops and offices fronting the green at April Cottage, we have deferred the addition of new seats until it becomes clear where the best position will be.
There have been no major maintenance problems with these areas this year.
The football pitch is in excellent condition and has just been seeded to maintain the grass as part of the maintenance contract.
Active Dorset once again used the football pitch during the Easter period for football sessions for local youngsters. These were so successful that they plan to continue their project using the pitch again in May and June.
The hedges and ditches are due for their annual maintenance, which has been budgeted for.
Unfortunately, the periphery of the football pitch is in a very poor condition due to damage by mini motor bikes which appear to travel from a wide radius to use our recreation ground illegally. The police and PCSOs are aware of the problem but have had little success so far in catching those involved.
Last Spring the skate ramps were repainted by local youngsters who were members of Three Legged Cross Youth Club, using the correct specialist paint supplied by the Town Council. This should probably be an annual event and the PCSOs have indicated that they would support a voluntary painting session if asked.
The extension to the Three Legged Cross Recreation Ground, with its woodland walk and teenage play area was opened last Spring. This project was achieved in partnership with Three Cross Forum, Living Spaces, the Countryside Agency and the County and District Councils.
The teenage play area was extremely popular and even attracted youngsters from beyond our local area. Unfortunately we were again dogged by manufacturers design faults, leading to the temporary replacement of the most popular piece of equipment, the ‘Sky Surf’. We are still awaiting a final resolution of the problem. The replacement equipment is not challenging enough or even high enough off the ground for taller older children and teenagers.
I’m pleased to report that £40,000 worth of new play equipment has been ordered to refurbish Charlotte’s Place as part of our ongoing commitment to a rolling program of playground refurbishment. This is good news for Three Legged Cross and the new playground should be completed very soon.
Our other play areas have not needed any major maintenance or repair this year. We have improved the frequency and quality of litter picking on our play areas and open spaces by employing a contractor who is licensed to haul waste. This has proved essential, as we could no longer rely on voluntary or casual labour given the level of use of our open spaces and the reluctance of all members of the public to deal with their own litter.
I would like to thank all the members of the committee for their hard work and good humour in keeping the green spaces of Verwood in a condition that we can all enjoy. Finally, thank you to Val Bright, the Town Clerk, and her team for their support to this committee over the last twelve months
Cllr. Vic Redpath
Chaiman, Recreation Ground & Open Spaces Committee
6. The Mayor presented the allocated Grant Aid cheques for 2007/2008 to the various organisations.
7. Mrs.Pam Smith gave a talk on ‘Trekking for Macmillan Cancer Support’. She explained that when she turned 40 she decided that she wanted to do something different and saw an advert to go to Iceland to raise money for the Macmillan Cancer Charity. The first and second trek she carried out was to Iceland in 2001 and 2002. Over the last five years she has adventured to Peru in 2003, Morocco and the Pyrenees in 2004, Sierra Nevada and Mont Blanc in 2005 and Greenland and China in 2006. She went onto explain the trial and tribulations that occurred during these treks, which included, sore feet, enjoying thermal pools at night, the beauty of the Ice Caps, meeting people on the Inka Trail, being watched by Marmots, the difficulty in walking in temperatures around 106 degrees, the wonder of seeing animals in their own habitat, the different levels of steps on the Great Wall of China and the weight of the backpack which at times weighed 25kgs. Mrs.Smith paid tribute to her fellow walkers and the camaraderie she enjoyed on every trek. To date Pam has raised £16,000 for the Macmillan Cancer Support Charity and she hopes to continue in 2007 by trekking to the Rockies and Cambodia.
The Mayor thanked Pam for an extremely interesting talk and presented her with a donation to the Macmillan Cancer Support Charity.
There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.40 p.m.
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Mayor