ANNUAL REPORT 2010/2011
Report to the Annual Town Meeting to be held on Thursday 7 April 2011.
Town Councillors
Cllr Eric Chapman
Cllr John Conway (elected October 2010)
Cllr Miss Pam Davey
Cllr Mrs Connie Geach
Cllr Dave Gordon
Cllr John Harris
Cllr Olver Harris
Cllr Brian Hogan
Cllr Brian Keighley
Cllr Jacki Ellis Martin (resigned August 2010)
Cllr Graham Facks Martin
Cllr Paul O’Brien (Town Mayor)
Cllr Tony Sandercock
Cllr Rob Tremain (Deputy Town Mayor)
Cllr Colin Warne
Cllr Mrs Mary Williams
Cllr Mrs Margaret Young
All councillors received an allowance of £185.73 for the year.
THE TOWN MAYOR
The Town Mayor from May 2010 was Cllr Paul O’Brien. This was Cllr O’Brien’s second term of office. The Deputy Town Mayor was Cllr Rob Tremain, also for a second year. The Town Mayor chairs the full Town Council meetings and is also Chairman of the of Lawrence House Museum Trust. The Town Mayor also chairs the annual parish meeting.
The Mayor’s Charities for 2010/2011 were the Royal British Legion and the St John Ambulance. Fund raising highlights included the Mayor’s Charity Concert, a sell-out event which inaugurated the newly refurbished Town Hall in January, a garden open day in August and two coffee mornings. At the time of writing £3,162 had been raised for the two charities. In 2009/2010 the Mayor raised £2,500 for his charity, the Launceston Town Band. The Mayor and Mayoress had a very busy year again this year, attending 144 events in Launceston and further afield.
HONOURED BURGESS AND AWARDS OF APPRECIATION
Cllr Olver Harris was made an Honoured Burgess at the Mayor Choosing ceremony in May 2010. This is a rare honour and was made to acknowledge the very great contribution Olver has made to the life of the town. Two Awards of Appreciation were also made, one to Jake Jackson, Honorary Curator of the Lawrence House Museum, and one to Mary Butler, for her charitable work in the town. The Awards of Appreciation are a new honour, and nominations can be made by members of the public. The decision will be made by the councillors and the awards will be given annually at the May meeting.
COMMITTEES
Committee membership is reviewed annually at the Annual Meeting of the Town Council held in May. The committee structure consists of Finance & General Purposes (Chairman: Cllr Sandercock), Planning (Chairman: Cllr Tremain), Lawrence House Management (Chairman: Cllr Miss Davey), Environment and Open Spaces (Chairman: Cllr Dave Gordon), Properties (Chairman: Cllr Hogan) and Staffing (Chairman: Cllr O’Brien).
MEETINGS
All Town Council meetings and committee meetings are open to the public. Dates and times of the meetings are published on the town hall notice board, on the website and in the library. There is time allocated at the beginning of each Town Council meeting for members of the public to speak. As the Town Hall was closed for a number of months Full Council meetings were held in the Liberty Suite (the old Liberal Club) and committee meetings were held in the upper room of the Southgate Arch. The Council moved back into the Town Hall in February.
FINANCES
The precept for 2010/11 was £308,268, amounting to £108.23 per annum per band D property. Other income came from bank interest (much reduced from previous years), the Westgate Street car park, Launceston Cemetery, the lease of the Green Room to LADS and the allotments. Income is also received from Cornwall Council for carrying out grass cutting and other horticultural works on its behalf. Income from the Southgate Arch ceased as it became the Council’s offices for the year. Income from the Town Hall also was much reduced as it was a building site for much of the year. When the Town Hall reopened in February income from lettings was higher than for the same period in 2009/2010.
All income and expenditure is reported to and approved by the Finance & General Purposes Committee, which meets monthly. An independent internal audit is carried out three times a year, and an independent external audit by the Audit Commission takes place in May. Copies of the accounts for 2010/11 will be available for inspection by the end of May.
The Council banks with HSBC but its reserves are held with the Co-operative Bank in order to spread money on deposit and minimise risk.
STAFF
One full-time appointment was made during the year. Mr Steven Fry was appointed as Property Manager, responsible for the Town Hall and the Council’s considerable assets in the way of property and land. Mr Fry is the line manager for the outdoor workers. The three outdoor staff work full time and are responsible for the cemetery, grass cutting and grounds and property maintenance. Unfortunately one member of the grounds staff became seriously ill in March and temporary alternative arrangements have had to be made. The Town Clerk works full time, and the Deputy Town Clerk and Administrator work part-time, making one full time equivalent post. The Town Clerk and her staff are responsible for the smooth running all aspects of the Council’s work. Mr Andrew Frain completed 25 years as a Council employee, he was given gifts by the councillors and was presented with a framed certificate by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall at the formal re-opening of the Town Hall on 15 March.
TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE
On 1 April Launceston Town Council became responsible for the Tourist Information Centre. One member of staff came over to the Town Council through TUPE, and another part-time post was created to assist in the TIC and to run the Town Hall bookings. The TIC is still based in the Market Arcade, but in a different unit.
CONFERENCES AND COURSES
The Town Clerk attended the Regional Conference of the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC), the CALC Larger Councils Conference and the annual Health and Safety seminar run by Zurich. The Town Clerk also attended the annual conference of the SLCC in Durham. The Town Clerk and three councillors attended the AGM of the Cornwall Association of Local Councils in Truro in February.
APPOINTMENTS
The Town Clerk was appointed to the CALC Larger Councils liaison committee, one of only two officers on this important link between town councils and Cornwall council. The Town Clerk continued to represent Cornwall on the National Executive Council of the SLCC, attending three meetings and one video conference. Cllr O’Brien was appointed to the Executive Committee of CALC.
POLICY DOCUMENTS
The Council continued to review its policy documents. The Strategic Plan was reviewed and updated for 2011-2016. The Property Manager put together a number of Health and Safety and risk assessment documents for the Council’s buildings and staff. The Council became CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety) accredited.
QUALITY COUNCIL
Following a submission in the summer of 2010 the Town Council was very proud to be awarded Quality Council status at the CALC AGM in February. In order to achieve Quality Status, parish and town councils must demonstrate that they have reached the standard required by passing several tests. These are:
• Electoral Mandate
• Qualifications of the clerk
• Council meetings
• Communication and Community Engagement
• Annual Report
• Accounts
• Code of Conduct
• Promoting local democracy and citizenship
• Terms and conditions
• Training
Quality Parish or Town Councils are expected to be representative of, and actively involve, all parts of their community, be effectively and properly managed, with members and officers upholding a high standard of conduct, work closely with voluntary and community sector groups, and articulate the community’s needs and wishes through effective communications, which might include the production of parish plans or other similar documents. Quality Councils are also expected to work in partnership with other local authorities and agencies, and be able to deliver local services which give the best deal for the local community.
YOUTH COUNCIL
The Launceston Youth Council was established in November 2009. It consists of representatives from all three Launceston primary schools, Launceston College and St Joseph’s. It is run entirely by the young people involved and its objectives are to celebrate the achievements of young people in Launceston and to make improvements to the town environment for the benefit of young and old. The Youth Council has its own budget of £3,000. The Youth Council has purchased a projector and screen for the Orchard Centre and sponsored two films at Launceston Town Hall in partnership with FLIC (Film Launceston in the Community).
LAUNCESTON CEMETERY
The cemetery is owned and managed by Launceston Town Council, which acts as the Burial Authority. Fourteen burials took place during 2010/11. An annual risk assessment of the gravestones is undertaken. Although the site is large, there is not a great deal of room remaining for burials and the council is considering alternatives, including better use of the existing site. The cemetery has been extended by removing a redundant path and a large laurel hedge, this has increased capacity by about 30 spaces. In February the Council reviewed the fees charged and decided to increase them by a flat rate of £25 for all interments.
DOCKACRE CEMETERY
The Council owns and manages the closed cemetery at Dockacre Road. The cemetery is locked but visits are permitted by arrangement with the office.
PARKS AND PLAY AREAS
The play areas at King George’s Field (Priory Park) and Grammers Park continue to be well used. Both play areas are inspected daily, with an annual inspection from RoSPA.
Grammers Park is a real community success, the new allotments are full of produce (even a few chickens!) with allotment tenants working hard while local children enjoy the play equipment alongside them. The grass area by the stream has been cleared and two picnic tables installed. New fencing has been put up and some old fencing removed to open the area up. Grammers Park has been given a whole new lease of life, and although some small acts of vandalism continue it is much quieter than before.
ALLOTMENTS
All three allotment gardens at Grammers Park, Kensey and Dutson continue to be very popular. There is a small waiting list for Dutson and Kensey but there is still availability at Grammers Park. Water has been installed at both Grammers Park and Kensey which means that all three now have a water supply. The rents are £25 for Grammers Park and Dutson and £35 for Kensey, which has much bigger plots. There is a flat rate charge of £10 for water at all sites.
LAWRENCE HOUSE MUSEUM
Lawrence House is owned by the Town Council through a long lease with the National Trust. The council is responsible for maintenance of the fabric of the building. The house contains a museum of Launceston, run as a charitable trust by the town council as Trustee and managed by a management committee consisting of councillors, the curator and others with an interest in the museum. Part of the house is let as a flat and the income from this and the adjoining Coach House (let as a garage) goes to the Museum funds.
LAUNCESTON TOWN HALL AND GUILDHALL
Work finally finished on the Town Hall in January 2011, although we continue to welcome back builders, electricians and other workers to tidy up the loose ends. The Council held two Open Days in mid January, when the Town Hall was open to everyone who wanted to come and see what had been achieved over the past twelve months. Almost 400 people took the opportunity to have a look and the unanimous opinion was that the finished Town Hall was a real triumph. At the end of January the Town Mayor hosted a charity concert to inaugurate the building and on 15 March the Council had the pleasure and honour of welcoming HRH The Duchess of Cornwall to Launceston for a formal re-opening. HRH spent an hour with the Council and its guests, and seemed very impressed with the finished product. Launceston schools and local people turned out in force to welcome her, with Launceston College providing the catering, St Joseph’s School providing the music and Launceston Community School providing two pupils to present flowers.
On the advice of the Conservation Officer the Town Hall has been entered into the Cornish Building Awards for 2010/2011. We await the results with interest.
LAUNCESTON PRIORY
The Priory is open most days of the week and is supervised by the Friends of Launceston Priory. It is closely watched and there has been little vandalism.
WESTGATE STREET CAR PARK
The car park continued to be well used, and to be a very useful source of revenue for the Town Council, enabling the precept to be kept at a reasonable level. The car park was repainted during the winter and a start made on reducing the overgrown plants and shrubs. The council decided not to increase the fees but it was decided to increase the fines. An excess parking fine is now £10 if paid in the first half hour, or £60 thereafter (£30 if paid within 14 days).
COACH PARK
The coach park is not as well used as we would wish, and we still have problems with vehicles other than coaches parking there. The coach park is free for coaches to park but is covered by the car park order which means that fines apply to all other vehicles parked there illegally.
NEWPORT ROUNDHOUSE
The Roundhouse is maintained by the grounds team, and no incidents of vandalism were reported although it seems to be a target for litter.
SOUTHGATE ARCH
The Arch was the base for the Town Council offices until the Town Hall reopened in February 2011. The Arch has now been let to tenants and it is anticipated that an art gallery will be opened there shortly.
SEATS, PUBLIC LIGHTS AND BUS SHELTERS
The Council maintains three public lights (Castle Green, Bush Park and Chapel Park) and a large number of seats around the town. A new bus shelter was installed in Tavistock Road during the year.
OUTSIDE CONTRACTS
Launceston Town Council had three contracts with Cornwall Council for grass cutting and horticultural work, and footpath maintenance. A contractor is employed for the County highways work and the town council’s staff look after the footpaths and undertake grass cutting and horticultural work within the town and in some surrounding parishes.
GRANTS
Launceston Town Council made the following grants to local groups during the year:
Organisation Sum granted
Launceston Association Football Club £350
Launceston Carnival £350
CAB Cornwall £350
Launceston Choral Society £350
Cornwall County Playing Fields Association £50
Launceston Cricket Club £350
Dunheved Bowling Club £350
Launceston Eventide Trust £350
FLIC (Film Launceston in the Community) £200
Friends of Launceston Priory £100
Launceston Half Marathon £350
Launceston Hockey Club £350
Launceston Male Voice Choir £350
Launceston Memory Cafe £350
St Stephens CP School £350
Southgate Colts £350
Launceston Swimming Club 350
Launceston Town Band £350
Town Square Events Team £350
Launceston & District Twinning Association £350
Launceston Youth Hockey Club £350
St Mary’s, St Stephen’s, St Thomas’ Church and the Church of St Cuthbert Mayne £125 each
Charles Causley Festival £500
Launceston in Bloom £500
Cctv £3000
Cyprus Well £1000
Application forms for grants are available in September each year for grants for the following financial year.
The Council also supports the town’s Christmas lights appeal, and sponsors four banners at the entrances to the town.
FLIC
FLIC (Films Launceston in the Community) started up again in February. Both the Town Council and Cornwall Council have supported FLIC through grants and the choice of films has been well received. FLIC is profitable and is now considering investing in some audio equipment to improve the sound in the Town Hall.
CHARLES CAUSLEY FESTIVAL
The first Charles Causley Festival was very well received. Audiences were modest but the events were much enjoyed by those who attended. A successful application was made to ECLAG (East Cornwall Local Action Group) for funding for the Festival in 2011. The funding covers a part-time festival organiser and a contribution towards print and publicity. The festival this year will stretch over five days, with a much wider range of poetry, music and artistic events. The Town Clerk and some town councillors are very involved in the festival committee.
WEBSITE AND PUBLICITY
The new website www.launceston-tc.gov.uk was set up in the summer of 2010. We hope to be able to spend more time updating the information more frequently.
The Devon & Cornwall Post and the Cornish Guardian continued to support the Council through articles on its activities over the year.
The Town Clerk continued to write quarterly articles about the Town Council’s activities for the Launceston Link magazine.
CONCLUSION
This has been a very busy year for the Town Council, but at the end of it we can look back and see real achievements. The Town Hall is the most visible achievement, but improvements have been made across the board, ranging from the cemetery and Grammers Park to new computer systems and more efficient ways of working both in the office and outside. The Council is taking on more responsibilities all the time, the most recent being the Tourist Information Centre. We anticipate that Cornwall Council will want to pass more work to town and parish councils and we are determined to be prepared so that local services will not be lost.
Rita Skinner, Town Clerk
Cllr Paul O’Brien, Town Mayor
April 2011