Full council meeting 14.06.2023 report

I invite you to read the report of STC’s first ‘full council meeting’ after the elections. We will start with an item hidden at the document’s very end- in the “secret” section.

In addition to the lawyers, it appears that the township’s insurer has been actively involved in the latest scandal. This cannot mean anything good. Of course, the residents have no right even to know what has happened, let alone what is currently happening in the case.

Even more interesting was a letter from ‘Unison’ notifying of the planned ‘industrial action’. Unfortunately, the letter’s contents were not read out, so I have to obtain the contents via FOI. More surprisingly, the councillors did not comment on this unusual matter. Not a single councillor said a single sentence about the content of the letter. Weird, right? I describe this in a little more detail below but will return to this when I receive a response to the FOI.

Before going into the details of the various points, I must point out that I have not had time to use AI to correct the text-hence there may be errors in it.

2023/051 TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES AND REASONS FOR ABSENCE.

No apologies but there were 15 councillors in the room, so someone was missing. I do not know who, because I have decided not to make an attendance list- it’s too much work and I simply don’t have time for it.

2023/052 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS.
Reminder to all cllr to declare interest if topic is related to them directly.

2023/053 TO DISCUSS ANY POLICE MATTERS AND DECIDE ANY ISSUES FOR REPORT. CRIME FIGURES ARE ATTACHED FOR INFORMATION – (PAGE/S 1-4).
Usual waste of time and paper to print crime data in Shirebrook. STC as usual do nothing but talk about crime. Any new ideas? Any grant applications? Nope. Moving on then!

2023/054 TO PERMIT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PERIOD. A PERIOD OF UP TO BUT NO LONGER THAN TEN MINUTES TO RECEIVE QUESTIONS AND OPINIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON ANY MATTER WHICH AFFECTS THE TOWN.
There were two residents in the room. Myself and another person. The Chair refused to allow the other person to speak. Why? Two reasons: because I am in the room was the first reason (literally so said the Chair). The second reason was that the Chair felt that the matter was ongoing and he would not discuss it in public.

The resident insisted on being given the floor but the Chair ignored this. It was only when the resident relented that I was allowed to speak.

I asked why the results of the ‘referendum’ on taking on debt to build the ‘new’ Leisure Centre had not been published until today. Cllr Hereford told me that the results had been discussed at the Leisure Committee (the one I was not invited to as a councillor). I also asked about the cost of this referendum- zero response. Cllr Hereford promised to send me details to my email. At the time of writing this article- no information has been received. I will therefore draft a separate FOI on this matter.

2023/055 TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE TOWN COUNCIL HAVING BEEN HELD 15TH FEBRUARY 2023 – (PAGE/S 5-12).
Approved. No comments

2023/056 TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE TOWN COUNCIL HAVING BEEN HELD 24TH MAY 2023 (PAGE/S 13-14).
Approved. Cllr added update about fly-tipping issue.

2023/057 TO REVIEW THE MINUTES OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND NOTE THE DECISIONS THERETO;
a. OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING HELD 15TH MARCH 2023 – (PAGE/S 15-17)
b. LEISURE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD 22ND MARCH 2023 – (PAGE/S 18-20)
Accepted without comment.

2023/058 TO REVIEW AND APPROVE FINANCIAL INFORMATION
a. TO REVIEW CASH BOOK ENTRIES SINCE PREVIOUS MEETING AND ADDRESS ANY QUERIES PRIOR TO AUTHORISING – (PAGE/S 21-44).
As the Labour Party was afraid to meet before the election when the opposition was in the room the cash book ran to a huge number of pages- councillors had to keep quiet about as much as five months of Civil Servants spending. I was a councillor for two years- I never knew anything like that. Of course councillors had virtually no questions.

Mention was made only of STC staff training costs, the new card payments system. Also, STC confirmed receipt of £5000 from the PCC grant I initiated in the previous term. Thanks were given to the Town Clerk for the grant. Not a word of thanks to the office awarding the grant, nor to the councillor who initiated the process of applying for this money (me), nor to the councillor who did most of the work in preparing for the selection of the system provider. If I were a councillor I would bring this into the discussion. I am not – so I don’t care.

Whenever I walk through Market Square and look at those cameras I think to myself- I helped. That’s enough for me.

By the way- Town Clerk has confirmed that the system is fully up and running. At the moment there is no one trained to operate the system but still STC can release the recordings as long as the police or the resident applies accordingly.

b. TO REVIEW AND AUTHORISE BANK RECONCILIATION/S FOR CASH BOOK PERIOD – (PAGE/S 45-50).
No questions. No discussion.

100. TO REVIEW AND APPROVE ANNUAL GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY RETURN 2022/23 FORM 3 – SECTION 1 – ANNUAL GOVERNANCE STATEMENT 2022/23 – (PAGE/S 51).

d. TO REVIEW AND APPROVE ANNUAL GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY RETURN 2022/23 FORM 3 – SECTION 2 – ACCOUNTING STATEMENTS 2022/23 – (PAGE/S 53).
No questions. No discussion.

e. TO CONSIDER AND DECIDE APPLICATIONS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

1. SHIREBROOK MINERS WELFARE BRASS BAND – (PAGE/S 55-56). Somehow I didn’t noticed any conversation about this donation application. I’m too busy to look for this bit on a recording. I think that any organisation with clean paperwork who applies for donations should receive it if a project is based in Shirebrook. Our brass band operates probably all over the place, but it represents our town so why we shouldn’t help, right?
2. ARTS & CAFÉ – (PAGE/S 57). 400 pounds awarded. Sadly I don’t know any details so I wont advertise this event.
3. RHUBARB FARM – (PAGE/S 59-60). 350 awarded. As above- no details discussed so I can’t advertise this event.

2023/059 TO CONSIDER RESPONSES AS NECESSARY TO LISTED CORRESPONDENCE.

a. SHIREBROOK CRICKET CLUB – LETTER OF THANKS – (PAGE/S 61).
I still don’t understand cricket. I tried. I watch bit of… game. Didn’t understand bit of it 😀 But it must be interesting, right? Billion of Indians cant be wrong at the same time 😉

b. BOLSOVER DC – LET’S CHAT CAMPAIGN – (PAGE/S 63-68).
No idea what’s that due to lack of access to paperwork. Somehow discussion diverted to benches so maybe this project is about benches to people sit and chat? No idea.

100. UNISON – NOTICE OF OFFICIAL INDUSTRIAL ACTION BALLOT – (PAGE/S 69-70)
     When I read it I was like: wha wha whaaaat? STC stuff just received 27% pay rise and they want to go on strike? Than I though it cant be about that. Litterpickers in STC earn more than IT, lorry drivers and many managers working in private sector. So I listened very carefully and… I learned nothing. All I know there will be some industrial action organised by Unison. That’s all. TRANSPARENCY!!!

Cllr read the document about it in complete silence. No discussion after. Are they ashamed? No idea what is all about. TRANSPARENCY OF THA HIGHEST ORDA!

500. CLLR. CHRISTINE DALE – KINGS CORONATION FUND – BENCH – (PAGE/S 71-74). Oh! Bench again! No idea what is all about. All I got from that convo is that 3 seater bench cost 1000 pounds.

At this point I started to feel dizzy. It was hot day and there is no AC in small room with 20 people sitting. Great planning!

2023/060 TO CONSIDER PLANNING APPLICATIONS AND REVIEW PLANNING DECISIONS – (PAGE/S 75-77).
Interest declared. Some cllrs left the room. I started to fan myself with my flipchart- it was hot day in small room full of people without AC and closed windows.

As to planning applications. As usual- STC provides only opinion. Decisions are made by BDC. There was discussion about application to convert some property into multi property (no idea where). Labour Party members complain about Labour Party-led BDC. Then they complain about Police. Then they complain about government . To top if off- they complain about County Council and plans to convert county into mayoral area. Labour is veeeery scared of that, so it must be a good thing. And it is. I read about it, I wanted to write article about it. I have no time ATM but maybe in future I will present what I know.

Discussion about problems with parking on Alder Way. Pointless. Waste of time. One of councillors is afraid to let children walk 200 yards on this road to school. Ahh sweet summer children! Cant walk 200 yards??? Well, there is hard life in front of you if your mommy is scared oto let you walk 200 yards walk…

Here discussion completely derailed. There was a discussion for many minutes about the appearance of the town, the new traffic consultation, the sculpture on Market, CCTV and many other issues. After about 15 minutes it was back to discussing individual applications. They were all voted on.

2023/061 TO RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM THE TOWN CLERK.
Here a document was handed out, I don’t know what it was about.

a. TO APPROVE INTERNAL AUDITOR FOR CURRENT AND PREVIOUS YEAR.
The search for a new auditor continues. Maybe this time the auditor will look at the accounts and not accept accounts with mathematical errors? One could only hope.

b. SHIREBROOK CEMETERY FEES POLICY.
The last increase was in 2015. I don’t know how much they increased because they didn’t talk about what was in the document.

c. REQUEST FROM DWP TO TEMPORARILY USE OFFICE SPACE.
There will be some construction work at our Jobcentre. JC has asked STC if they can use Town Hall during this time so that there is no interruption to services for residents. Request accepted. Those using the Jobcentre need not be concerned about disruption.

OVERGROWN ROADSIDE HEDGE WAYS.
I have not heard what area of the town is involved, but it turns out the land on which the shrubs encroach on the public domain grows on land owned by the Duke of Devonshire. Attempts have been made to make contact with the office of the Duke to resolve the matter.

2023/062 TO RECEIVE CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS.
a. UPDATES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING.
It has been confirmed that work on the Crematorium site will start in September. Add to this the plans to build a new housing development north of the double T junction- this site will become impassable in two/three years’ time.

Councillors were also informed that a resident had asked STC to reimburse him for the cost of new glasses because he had fallen in Market Place. This person fell at a place that does not bear the hallmarks of “tripping gambling” and, from my point of view, paying out money to such a person will open a dangerous precedent. But what do I know, right?

A decision has not been taken on this issue. It will be decided by … I don’t know who, I don’t know in what way. As God loves me-it has been decided. Someone will make a decision without voting on it.

At this point I was asked out of the room as the councillors moved on to dissect the secretive elements of the meeting.

2023/063 CONFIDENTIAL ITEM/S – Exclusion of the Press & Public.

To resolve that in view of the confidential nature of the items to be discussed, a formal resolution be

passed to exclude the press and public from the meeting, pursuant to the Public Bodies (Admissions

to Meetings) Act 1960 & the Local Government (Access to Information) Act, Part 1, paragraphs 11.

2023/064 2023/056 – CONFIDENTIAL UPDATE RELATING TO MEETING HELD 24TH MAY 2023.

2023/065 CONFIDENTIAL CORRESPONDENCE FROM ZURICH INSURANCE.

2023/066 PERSONNEL MATTERS.

2023/067 TO APPROVE THE DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING OF THE TOWN COUNCIL.

THE NEXT ORDINARY MEETING IS SET AT 16TH AUGUST 2023 AS PER THE APPROVED MEETING SCHEDULE.

END