Showing posts with label starting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label starting. Show all posts

Monday, February 07, 2022

Flo the Yorkiepoo Dog is starting a journey reviewing Doggy Friendly Places in Rutland and other lovely places with Pippy Woodley on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

Flo the Yorkiepoo Dog is starting a journey reviewing Doggy Friendly Places in Rutland and other lovely places with Pippy Woodley on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook




Flo says: I am Flo, I enjoy going out and about with my humans...
I will give a paw rating 1-5 

Any ideas, where we should try?

You can send me an email: flo@petlover.com













Wednesday, April 21, 2021

THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE PARISH OF OAKHAM TOWN TUESDAY MAY 4TH 2021 STARTING AT 6.00PM

It is important to remember this meeting is not a council meeting and is the only time of the year you can actually tell Oakham Town Council what you think of them and what they do. You can also asks questions.

The meetings are normally for some reason in this town very poorly attended, as you can see from Adam Lowe's comments in the meeting held in 2019, that meeting ended in about 15 minutes he is not that popular. Attendance of Town Meetings often it relates to the popularity of the current Mayor, some have recorded zero attendance.

The meeting is not meant to be a popularity contest. You could put suggestions to your council from the comfort of you own home this year as the Town Meeting is to be held via zoom.


Oakham Town Council

Rol House, Long Row, Oakham, LE15 6NG

Telephone: 01572 723627

e-mail: enquiries@oakhamtowncouncil.gov.uk

PUBLIC NOTICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT

THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE PARISH OF OAKHAM TOWN

WILL BE HELD VIRTUALLY ON

TUESDAY MAY 4TH 2021

STARTING AT 6.00PM

FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO ATTEND THE MEETING,

PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW:

https://zoom.us/j/98404309531?pwd=Z2NRaVpjaFdjbHRFbEQra05xRUtPUT09

THE BUSINESS TO BE CONDUCTED IS SPECIFIED IN

THE AGENDA BELOW

AGENDA

1. OPENING REMARKS BY THE MAYOR OF OAKHAM

2. TO CONFIRM THE MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL TOWN MEETING HELD

ON TUESDAY 7TH MAY 2019

3. TO CONSIDER ISSUES RAISED BY THOSE ATTENDING RELATING

TO THE TOWN OF OAKHAM

Cllr David Romney

 Chairman of the Council

19th April 2021


There was no Town Meeting last year due to Covid.


DRAFT MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE PARISH OF OAKHAM

TOWN HELD AT THE VICTORIA HALL, HIGH STREET, OAKHAM ON

WEDNESDAY 7

TH MAY 2019 AT 6.30PM

Councillors in attendance:

Cllr Adam Lowe (Chairman)

Cllrs, Sally-Anne Wadsworth, David Romney, Paul Buxton, Joy Clough

Residents: 15

Councillor Lowe welcomed everyone to the meeting

01/19 OPENING REMARKS BY THE MAYOR OF OAKHAM

Oakham Town Council is a Parish Council consisting of 12 Councillors and two paid Officers.

The 12 volunteer Councillors are elected by the people of the Town. Over the last year the

Council has been stable with little or no movement as regard to vacant seats, however this May

2019 we have seen new Councillors join the Council. I welcome you to the Council and thank

you for your commitment. Some Councillors chose not to stand this May, some of these

Councillors have been in public office for years and I extend the sincere thanks and appreciation

from the Council.

The Councillors, I have stated who all give their time for free, meet once a month at the main

Council meeting and many attend another monthly meeting as well as other committees,

working groups as well as being representatives on outside organisations. Their report and

agenda writing, preparation and administration is all conducted in their own time when not at

meeting.

So as a Councillor if you attend the two standard meetings per month, you are on one

committee, one working group and one outside organisation that is around 60 hours of their time

per year, you can double that for agenda and report reading, and administration. If all

Councillors do this as a ballpark figure that means the Councillors are contributing 36 weeks of

volunteer work to this town as an organisation per year. Based on an MP’s pay that would

equate to £55,000.

Councillors are encouraged to undertake training, some training is now becoming mandatory,

like the General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR.

In 2018/19 there were only six Councillors that attended any form of training, however as the

Council have adopted a more pragmatic and structured approach the expectation is that all

Councillors will undertake Councillor Training, GDPR and where appropriate Chairman Training

in 2019/20.

Councillors can undertake additional training outside of the Council, for instance I undertook the

Introduction to Local Council Administration (ILCA), this I might add is at their own expense and

only cost around £120, as well as their own time again, you are given 12 months to complete

the course and this is a nationally recognised Council qualification.

I should point out that having done Councillor and Chairman training is not the end, I have also

attended both of these training requirements twice since becoming a Councillor in 2010 as the

rules, legislation and guidelines do keep changing and all Councillors should remain up to date.

The Town Council also employ two staff, a Part Time office Assistant who works up to 18 hours

per week, this contract has incorporated flexible hours of working to accommodate the busy

family life of working parents. The Office Assistant is managed and trained by the Clerk to the

Council.

The Clerk to the Council, Ms Greaves, carries out all the duties associated with the running of

the Council Administration, ensuring the Council operates and performs all of it statutory legal

requirements, having joined the Council in 2009 as an Assistant Clerk, Ms Greaves became

Clerk to the Council in 2016 and in line with the Council requirements undertook and achieved

the qualification, Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA), this was confirmed by the

Society of Local Council Clerks, (SLCC) in May 2019, the qualification provides a broad

knowledge of all aspects of a clerks work - roles and responsibilities, the law, procedures,

finance planning and community involvement, being a level 3 foundation qualification for local

council officers and other working with local councils.

As a result of this qualification and the Council having the required elected number of

Councillors, the Council can continue to adopt the General Power of Competence.

This states that a Parish Council has the power to do anything that individuals generally may do

as long as they don’t break other laws. It has wider powers to deliver more for their

communities. Looking back over the last year, the Chairman reported at the last Town meeting,

“I am pleased to advise that the Council received an unqualified External Auditor Certificate,

2016/17.”

An unqualified External Audit means we have fully satisfied audit requirements, backed up that

the internal audit, the external auditor have no concerns.

This evening I would like to echo in part the words of that Former Chairman and Mayor by

saying, I am pleased to advise that the Council received an unqualified External Auditor

Certificate, 2017/18.

The Council’s income from Council taxpayers, last year’s demand was £273,990. This year it is

£265,180, which is a reduction of £8810.

The adoption of a Strategic Plan was undertaken in 2018, the high-level document is under

constant review, along with all the Councils Polices, Procedures and Regulations.

The Town Council owns and maintains three open spaces within the town.

These are Cutts Close, Royce’s Recreation Ground and the open space off Barleythorpe Road.

It also has a long lease on the Willow Crescent Play Area. In addition, it owns four areas of

allotments, namely Kilburn Road, Burley Road, Elm Close and Willow Crescent. These are

managed on the Town Council’s behalf by two Allotment Societies who each pay an annual

rent.

The Town Council also owns the land at the Vale which is occupied by Oakham Tennis Club

and Oakham Bowls Club as well as a Community Centre on Princess Avenue.

All of these community assets contribute to the wellbeing of the Oakham people offering

recreational activities and compliment the open green spaces already mentioned.

Rutland House Community Trust Limited leases an area of land of Willow Crescent and

provides a residential home for people with learning disabilities. Recently the Council agreed to

further development of that facility and is currently working closely with the RHCT, the

discussions are ongoing and there is actually opportunity now for the Town Council to be able to

demonstrate by their actions through support of an essential community asset by reviewing the

whole package associated with this development, in plain speak, the Council I feel could now

offer a reduced rent and or fees as the facility directly supports Oakham and Rutland residents. I

believe the Council would appreciate any feedback from residents who share this vision.

The Council is also responsible for the management and maintenance of the Public Toilets in

Church Street car park, two car charging points at the same location and currently the Town

Council leases its offices and chamber situated here in the Victoria Hall, the arrangement helps

support the Victoria Hall as an important community asset. 

The Town Council contributes to the grounds maintenance of the closed All Saints Churchyard

and in the last two years undertook the transfer of community lighting un-metered energy costs

from the Rutland County Council at a cost of £11499.97 per annum, subject to an annual

increase.

In the last year 2018/19 the Town Council as a whole have made significant improvements, to

the path on Cutts Close that runs from Burly Road to Church Street, the path was uneven,

breaking up and in places less than 400mm wide. The project was accomplished by utilising

community levy money which was specifically earmarked for Town improvements. Equally a

Task and Finish Work Group of the Council saw a revised Christmas Lighting offering which

was well received.

Even what appear less significant projects, activities or just general maintenance go very much

unnoticed on a day to day basis, the benches do not maintain themselves and the annual

painting programme and replacement of old and damaged benches ensure again the green

spaces are geared towards a leisurely approach, 2018 saw the repainting of the railings around

Cutts Close and the Centenary Field, it is suspected the first time this has happened since the

railing were installed. The installation of a vehicle barrier at Cutts Close was a long overdue

replacement and helps ensure that vehicular access to this prominent well utilised green space,

complete with goal posts being purchased in 2018, is controlled.

The Town Council continued with its programme in 2018 of Band Concerts, Family Fun Day and

other activities, one Councillor, Cllr Sally-Anne Wadsworth has really taken ownership

and I am sure my fellow Councillors will agree that Cllr Wadsworth commitment deserves a

mention.

The green spaces continue to be utilised for other events, the Circus, the Fair, The Proms

Concert by the Rutland Concert Band and a Candle Lit Walk to mention the main activities, all of

these types of activity are welcome, encouraged and will continue.

The Council continued to support Oakham In Bloom with money from the precept used for Town

Centre floral displays that enhance the Towns appearance and again generate a feeling of

wellbeing for residents and visitors alike.

In 2018 the Council supported the national 100th commemoration of the Great War, 1914-1918.

The support included a Grant to Arts 4 Rutland who commissioned the WW1 Community Play, it

is hoped that this play will soon become a Radio Play. The Council also supported the

Centenary Fields scheme and granted permission and completed the registration covering the

legal fees for this significant green space, they also allowed the installation of two remembrance

benches and an information board, the cost of £4K being met by other sponsors.

One of the largest undertaking the Town Council have been involved in is the Oakham and

Barleythorpe Neighbourhood Plan, currently the Plan is now at a point where public consultation

should follow and that it is expected the Plan will be adopted subject to the all the feedback.

The commitment that has gone into the NHP, it should be noted, has been by members of the

Community, not Councillors, there have been representatives from Oakham and Barleythorpe

Councils, however, the Chairman and main committee are all volunteers. The cost of the NHP

has, in my own opinion, been kept to a minimum, where available NHP Grants have been

accessed.

Looking forward, the Town Council still have to land the NHP, so I would ask that when it comes

to the Public Consultation get involved, after all it is your plan, the Council are really just

facilitating it.

We cannot ignore the extensive tree survey and subsequent works which should be undertaken

over the next 12 months along with the recurring playground reports, both need to be

actioned using the appropriate earmarked budgets from the precept. 

The completion of the Rutland House Community Trust facility already mentioned, I believe we

should support in a way that we are no longer just the landlord but a sponsor and partner.

Every Councillor should be prepared to complete the required training in order to fulfil the role

they have chosen to undertake as Town Councillors, equally there is an expectation that as

Councillors we will continue to have representatives on the Citizens Advice, Trustees of the

Victoria Hall, Parish Forum, Memorial Institute, Oakham United Charities, Rutland Together,

Oakham In Bloom, Rutland Access Group, Military Commemorations Committee, the Parish

Forum Working Party, the St George Barracks and the Oakham Partnership Board which

replaces the Oakham Task and Finish group.

Toward the end to the year the Twinning of our Town with Barmstedt, Germany was reestablished with visits now having taken place by both Towns to each other, where the Town

Council do not have a specific representative , working group or committee in place, it is

beneficial to both communities and their wider regions to maintain this friendship as it links in

with tourism, I would welcome the Council helping this friendship to continue to grow.

My time as the Chairman and Mayor of Oakham this last year has been very rewarding and

both myself and my wife consider it a great honour and privilege to have been asked to

represent the Town, it was a good year with only highlights, my chosen Charity, Out of Hours

Club Rutland was an excellent organisation to support because of what they themselves do for

the Community, which is what makes the role so rewarding, meeting and supporting such

organisations. On saying all of that, yes I am looking forward to passing the Chain on at the

AGM to a new Chairman and Mayor, the only words of advice and support I can offer, enjoy the

role, throw yourself into it and you will reap the rewards of fulfilment and satisfaction of what is a

dream job, just without the pay.

I will be staying on the Town Council, however I am planning on taking a step back, partly

because I have occupied very high profile roles on the Council for several years, time to let the

rest, maybe the best, be put to the test, also I have recently changed my job and I am learning a

new role with that. My focus on the Council is to understand more about the working of a

Council and my personal focus will be the financial procedures and regulations as this is an

area where I feel I should understand more.

02/19 CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING

It was unanimously agreed that the Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on May

8

th, 2018 be signed by the Chairman as a true record of that meeting

03/19 TO CONSIDER ISSUES RAISED BY THOSE ATTENDING RELATING TO THE TOWN

OF OAKHAM

Cllr Lowe opened the floor to questions. If unable to give an immediate response, they

will be followed up in writing if that is agreeable.

Q1. This question was raised during the pervious year’s meeting regarding the fact that

the town Council did not debate the ‘one-way system’?

A1. It was not within its remit. Potential redevelopment of the town centre infrastructure

lies with the County Council. The correct time for OTC to comment would be when a

planning application is made. The proposed scheme did not reach this stage.

Q2. What about the Neighbourhood Plan Steering group?

A2. The NPSG, under the direction of OTC, was in the process of consulting with

residents and by this time had the results of a robust survey that every householder and

business within Oakham and Barleythorpe and been invite to complete. This included 

views on the improvements to the town centre. This evidenced information was

published and is in the public domain.

Q3. I am concerned that five members of the Council are also County Councillors and

their political involvement.

A3. The Town Council is not political, and most Councillors sit as independent members

of the council. I do not think there is a problem with members acting as representatives

for both.

Q4. Thank you very much for answering that question. I am more than satisfied with the

answer.

Q5. I am disappointed with the turnout tonight particularly by the newer members and even

more so, that the South Ward was the only ward that was contested.

The Chairman felt it would have been inappropriate to speak on that matter and declined

to answer.

Q6. As former member, may I give a vote of thanks to Mrs Julie Lowe for supporting the

Mayor through his term of office.

Cllr Lowe thanked everyone for their attendance and support.

The meeting was closed at 18.41.

Signed: ________________________________________________________

Chairman

 4th May 2021

Monday, April 05, 2021

Rutland Car Boot is new for 2021 and will be held at the Rutland Showground on regular Saturdays starting from 17th April 2021.

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CONTACT

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07934247033