Councillors DM Beith, BPE Gibson, P Herdman, AG Houghton, EI Hunter, JD Peggs, JE Smith, DS Stewart and J Waterhouse.
139.
1. Apologies
Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors H Bettison and JA Robertson.
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140.
2. Membership and Terms of Reference
DECISIONS: (i) To agree the Terms of Reference for the Town Committee; and (ii) to note the Membership of the Town Committee for 2007/08, and the dates of Committee meetings during the municipal year.
141.
3. Election of the Committee Chair
DECISION: To appoint Councillor J Waterhouse as Chair of Town Committee for the ensuing municipal year.
[Note: Councillor J Waterhouse in the Chair.]
142.
4. Election of the Committee Vice-Chair
DECISION: To appoint Councillor JA Robertson as the Committee Vice-Chair for the ensuring municipal year.
143.
5. Declaration Of Interest
Councillor AG Houghton declared a personal and prejudicial interest in Item 10: Requests for Financial Assistance with regards to the West End Residents’ Association application as a member of that association; Councillor JE Smith also declared a personal and prejudicial interest in Item 10 with regards to the Tweedmouth Feast Crowning and Carnival Committee application as a member of that committee; Councillor DS Stewart also declared a personal and prejudicial interest in Item 10 with regards to the Spittal Improvement Trust application as a member of that organisation.
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144.
6. Minutes Of The Meeting of the Town Committee held on 19th April 2007
DECISION: (i) To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Town Committee held on 19th April 2007; and (ii) to request a report on paving and traffic management issues to a future meeting of Town Committee.
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145.
7. Public Question Time
The following letter was received by Town Committee from Councillor AS Rogerson, Councillor for Ford Ward:
“I have received a request from an 86 year old lady residing in Ford Ward for additional bus shelters and seating in Golden Square to leave the town over the new bridge.
She travels by bus once a week to do shopping in Berwick and has to stand in the open while waiting for the return bus journey.
Please could you raise this issue at the next meeting of the Town Committee.”
Members reported that the seating within one of the bus shelters had been broken, and requested that this be repaired as soon as possible.
Members were told that problems with the configuration of the bus stop area, particularly to the south side of Golden Square, meant that there was not room to install further bus shelters, and proposals for a cantilevered canopy had not been welcomed by local businesses.
It was agreed that the issue should be referred into the Masterplan process, including consideration of whether Golden Square was the appropriate place for the town centre bus stops.
Members also discussed the provision of a bus stop at Morrisons, and agreed that the Chair of Town Committee and the Environmental Maintenance Manager should contact Morrisons to discuss the proposal.
Coach parking was also discussed, and it was agreed that proposals suggested by the Environmental Maintenance Manager should be followed up with a view to encouraging coaches to park by the North Road Industrial Estate after dropping their passengers in the town centre.
DECISIONS: (i) To request that issues relating to the bus stops in Golden Square be considered as part of the Masterplan process; (ii) to ask the Chair of Town Committee and the Environmental Maintenance Manager to meet with Morrisons with a view to providing a bus shelter at Morrisons supermarket; and (iii) to progress plans to encourage coach drivers to park beside the North Road Industrial Estate after dropping their passengers in the town centre.
[Note: Councillors JD Peggs and BPE Gibson joined the meeting during the item set out above. The Mayor left the meeting following discussion of this item.]
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146.
8. Town Committee Work Programme
DECISIONS: (i) To agree to hold a special meeting of Town Committee in September to update Members on the Masterplan process and its progress to date; and (ii) to approve the Town Committee work programme for the current municipal year, subject to any additional reports to be requested when required.
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147.
9. Town Committee Budget
DECISIONS: To note the report.
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148.
10. Requests for Financial Assistance
DECISIONS: (i) To award a grant of £750 to the West End Residents’ Association towards the costs of a memorial garden and fencing at Queens Gardens; (ii) to award a grant of £250 to the Spittal Improvement Trust to buy equipment to carry out the quarterly beach clean of Spittal Beach; and (iii) to award a grant of £500 to the Tweedmouth Feast Crowning and Carnival Committee to cover insurance costs in 2006 and 2007.
[Note: Having declared an interest, Councillor AG Houghton left the meeting during discussion of the West End Residents’ Association application; Councillor DS Stewart left the meeting during discussion of the Spittal Improvement Trust’s application, and Councillor JE Smith and JD Peggs left the meeting during discussion of the Tweedmouth Feast Crowning and Carnival Committee.]
149.
11. Public Noticeboards
Members agreed that a site in the town centre, possibly in Eastern Lane, would be the most appropriate for the Elizabeth Ward public noticeboard.
DECISIONS: (i) To instruct officers to provide information on the different proposals for the site of the Elizabeth Ward public noticeboard; and (ii) to delegate authority to the Chair of Town Committee to make a final decision on siting the noticeboard once that information is available.
150.
6. Environmental Maintenance Projects
Castlegate Car Park
Scheduled monument consent is still awaited, although all information has now been submitted to English Heritage. It is hoped that the works can be carried out in the autumn.
Stanks Lighting
Members were told that a meeting had been set up between Scottish Power and Northumberland County Council to plan the works.
Marygate
Members were told that the use of Caithness stone in Marygate and West Street is designed to withstand vehicles parking on the pavements for drop-offs and deliveries. Problems in Golden Square are in part due to the materials used there, and in time it is hoped that these pavements can be replaced using the same Caithness stone. Proposals will be put forward to the Local Transport Plan, and traffic management issues will be raised under the Masterplanning exercise.
Councillor Beith suggested that flower baskets could put attached to the new railings on the corners of Marygate and Golden Square, and it was agreed to look into how any such baskets could be maintained.
It was agreed that the Town Centres Manager should be asked to report to the next meeting of Town Committee on proposals for floral displays, and how on-going watering and maintenance of such displays could be organised.
Entrance to Co-op, Main Street, Tweedmouth
Members were disappointed that the latest proposals from Northumberland County Council were very complicated and seemed likely to increase traffic congestion and parking problems in the area. They asked that original proposals for a staggered pedestrian crossing be reconsidered, and that discussions take place to introduce a left-filter lane at the exit from the Co-op.
Lady Jerningham’s Statute
Work to repair the statue should begin in the next month. Councillor Herdman requested that the empty flowerbeds close to the statue be filled in and grassed over, as English Heritage was not maintaining them.
Members also requested that open areas around Eastern Lane be tidied up, and that the plants outside The Maltings be maintained.
DECISIONS: (i) To note the report; (ii) to request a report from the Town Centres Manager on floral displays in Marygate to be made to the next meeting of Town Committee; (iii) to ask Northumberland County Council to revisit proposals for a staggered pedestrian crossing on Main Road at the entrance to the Co-op in Tweedmouth; and (iv) to ask officers to look into the possibility of introducing a left-filter lane at the exit from the Co-op.
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151.
8. Berwick Town Council – Update
DECISIONS: (i) To request that the Leader write to the Boundary Commission on behalf of Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council, urging speedy approval of the Order to parish Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth and to establish a Town Council to represent the parish; and (ii) to request a report on the duties, rights and responsibilities of a Town or Parish Council at the next meeting of Town Committee.
