William Nowell Perhaps He Would like to read the notes taken by Cllr Paul Mills before he tweets "shit" again, Oakham Street Lighting

William Nowell Perhaps He Would like to read the notes taken by Cllr Paul Mills before he tweets again

William is the son of former Oakham Town Councillor and Master Mason John Nowell


At the meeting we had with Cllr Matthias and Rutland County Council Highways
staff it was said if we did not agree to contribute to the cost of the residential lighting
the council might consider switching of the lights.

This is the reason for Cllr Mills question in his notes.

If we do not agree are we to be “blackmailed/threatened” into submission?

Nearly all town councillors present went away feeling this was the case.

Oakham Town Council

Streetlighting

Notes of Meeting held at the Victoria Hall

Monday 6^th October 2015 @ 10:30

Ref: 1/2015

Present:

OTC - Stan Stubbs, Joyce Lucas BEM, Paul Mills, Michael Haley, and Martin Brookes

RCC – Tony Matthias Councillor, Neil Tomlinson, Dave Brown

Meeting

Unfortunately we had not been sent an Agenda, nor had we been supplied with any notes or a briefing. In addition there was no formal presentation. The object apparently was to gauge OTC’s feeling on RCC’s outline proposals which were:-

1. To look at upgrading some of the lighting around Oakham to LED bulbs so as to save energy costs

2. To ask OTC for a contribution to the energy costs of the town’s lighting

Apparently other parishes already make a contribution to energy costs and we are the only one that doesn’t – (since 1997)!

We are in fact a Lighting Authority in our own right and can seek/change lighting within the Parish.

RCC suggested that the current lighting bill for the town of £19,000 pa could be reduced to £13,000 

IF all the upgrading that they are proposing is completed.

The cost of upgrading the total lighting stock (in Rutland?) would be c. £100k.

OTC would be expected in future to contribute £13k pa towards energy costs.

Eventually the discussion just went round in circles with all the OTC Councillors saying that no decision or support could be made on the “skimpy” details given.

Questions left outstanding:-

If we were asked to pay £13k pa where would the money go exactly?

We might have to ask for an increase in our Precept which would make it looks though we were the “ogres”, rather than RCC who will have forced the increase on us.

If the lights were upgraded would RCC pass the savings back by a reduction in the rates – this was brushed off by RCC for various reasons.

If the costs are all being covered at the moment, why does RCC suddenly want us to pay £13k?

When can we have a FULL and clear briefing with all the financial alternatives made available to us?

When does the decision have to be made?

If we do not agree are we to be “blackmailed/threatened” into submission?

Tony Matthias undertook to produce some sort of report for OTC to consider but this will take several weeks.

A brief discussion then followed on the number and siting of “A” frames outside shops in town.

The subject of cycling everywhere and anywhere was raised, but the RCC response was that it is nothing to do with them - that is a Police problem!

Paul Mills

5^th October 2015