Stourbridge Township Council meetings

EXTRACTS FROM THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING (324th Meeting) OF STOURBRIDGE TOWNSHIP COUNCIL
HELD IN THE TOWN HALL STOURBRIDGE ON THURSDAY 12th JUNE 2008 AT 7.15 P.M

PRESENT:
Stourbridge Township Council: Mrs E M D Scott (Chairman of the Council) in the Chair, Mr J B Shepherd (Vice-Chairman & Clerk to the Council), Mrs M Wakelam (Deputy Clerk to the Council), Mr B S Craddock, Mr A C Dawes, Mrs E E Fellows, Miss A Green, Mr K C Jones, Mr P J Miles, Mr R S Owen, Mr D M Price, Mrs K C Shepherd, Mr B D Waller and
Mr D I West.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION SESSION
Nothing was raised under this section.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from; Mrs G P Waller.
Apologies were also received from; Mrs J Collins, Ms M James, Police Sergeant T Osborne, Ms B Sykes, Mr A Turton and
Mrs Lynda Waltho MP.

POLICE MATTERS

Item A; Details of the PACT meeting arranged for 11am Saturday 2nd August at St Thomas Church Hall had been forwarded by Police Sergeant Tony Osborne. There were no other communications from the police.

Item B; Mr B D Waller told members that the drop kerb provisions for the disabled were still being obstructed by motorists in the town centre. He told of a motorist who had threatened violence when spoken to about one incident of obstruction. Mr Waller also said that Bell Street car park was still creating late night problems for town centre residents. The car park is not secured at night, ‘boy racers’ continue to gather causing noise and nuisance often until 3am. He also said the car park lights are on well into the early hours.

Members debated the plans for the future of Bell St and discussed current car park difficulties. Mr B S Craddock spoke of the original sensible plans for underground parking provisions. Mr Craddock also said that perhaps a charge to enter the car park could bring an end to the boy racer practice of driving around the car park. The meeting discussed the CCTV provisions in the car park, is the quality now good enough for security or for prosecution purposes? Are the car park ‘security’ staff actually carrying out security patrols, or are they there merely as revenue collectors? What will be the future arrangements for a new Bell Street car park?
It was noted that indiscriminate long term parking was still a problem for residents in areas in the vicinity of our bus and train stations where vehicles were being parked throughout the working day causing obstruction problems.

Item C; The dangerous practice of vehicles stopping on The Ring Road to visit the ‘caravan café’ continues, passing attention has been promised by police patrols.
Members had noted reports of a PCSO being attacked and stabbed. The incident was not in our force area, but further enquiries will be made to ascertain the full details in view of our stab-vest provision concerns for our own PCSO’s.

CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS

Our Chairman spoke of Leasowes Park Halesowen where over the past ten years some £600,000 of project funds have been swallowed by fees and management costs. This is matter of considerable concern Mrs Scott said, funding is very difficult to obtain for local projects yet here we have seen funds lost from the very purpose for which they had been awarded. We will continue to monitor the funding provided throughout the Borough, and why so very often, Stourbridge is overlooked in these considerations.

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the 323rd meeting of the Township Council held on Thursday 8th May 2008 were received as a correct record and signed by the Chairman Mrs E M D Scott accordingly.

MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES (There were no matters arising from the minutes).
ITEMS RAISED UNDER STANDING ORDER NO 13 (There were no items raised under this section).

MATTERS RELATING TO PERSONAL SERVICES

Members praised the patient care work of doctors and nurses of Russells Hall hospital, but were worried by the instances of reported hospital acquired infections. The deep cleans, planned to combat MRSA and C.Diff, have not been seen to be very effective.
Mr A C Dawes said that to be effective these deep cleansings should be thoroughly done as a continuous rolling exercise. There was agreement that there was room for considerable improvement in deep clean strategies throughout the National Health Service.

Mr P J Miles reported that the problems being experienced in the grounds of Kennedy Court where damage is being caused by badgers remains a cause for concern. Badgers are a protected species; Mr Miles described the difficulties involved to the meeting.

MATTERS RELATING TO TECHNICAL SERVICES

Item A; Hagley Road A491 road works, to replace underground pipe and for resurfacing work, will bring traffic disruption for several weeks. Mrs E M D Scott commented upon a poor standard of hit and miss repairs to the pot holes in the vicinity of the bus station.
Mr R S Owen spoke of the damage being caused to footpaths by vehicles mounting and parking on the footpaths in High Street.

Item B; We still have no details of licensing provisions for the old Yorkshire Bank building, particularly with regard to its proposed use as a restaurant/wine bar.
The Bell Inn, Market Street has now re-opened, the new manager’s plan, for the pub to be a part of Stourbridge in Bloom and Carnival arrangements this year. Mr David Harcourt has been informed.
The meeting was pleased to note the considerable care being shown by the developers of The Old Library toward the preservation of the many items of importance to the town contained in the building.
Mr A C Dawes raised the question of the old snooker club near Parkfield Road where the flats development is awaiting a decision. He also drew attention to the fact that in addition to a number of empty shop premises around the town, there are now several vacant units in the Ryemarket. It was agreed that the centre manager should be contacted to liaise further on Ryemarket matters.

Item C; No reports were received of any increase in drunken/disorderly behaviour in the town centre.
Litter; Members spoke of the accumulation of litter on land adjoining St John’s Church. Further problems were seen on private land where disused premises are being used as a dumping ground for rubbish and litter.
Environmental Health officers have been contacted as requested. The alleyway adjoining Market Street near to the Express and Star office has now been cleaned. Further work is required however and EH officers will be taking action.

FINANCIAL, CIVIC AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT MATTERS

(a) Some room rental invoices are yet to be received.
(b) Stourbridge Area Committee Meetings; Full details of all meetings were circulated on our current bulletin.
(c) The Township Council will meet Thursday 10th July and Thursday 11th September 2008. (There will be no August meeting)

REPORTS FROM THE CLERK TO THE COUNCIL

The Clerk gave full details of communications forwarded and received on behalf of the Township Council since our May meeting. Much of this information had been prepared and distributed to members in the form of our monthly bulletin. He spoke of our ongoing efforts toward the restoration of the Grade II Listed Gates at The Mary Stevens Park. Mr Shepherd again described the difficulties and failures to obtain answers or action in these matters from officials at DMBC over many months and years. He said that together with our Chairman he would attend the Stourbridge Area Committee meeting on Monday 16th June, but it already seemed likely that the long awaited promised report would yet again fail to be delivered by DMBC. Without this report Dudley College is effectively prevented from making any decision with regard to a college participation project at The Mary Stevens Park.
The meeting agreed with Mr Shepherd that the time for definitive answers on funding and restoration work was long overdue.

CHAIRMAN’S OTHER BUSINESS

The Chairman had no other business to raise at this time. She formally closed the meeting.

The Township Council rose at 8.50pm.

323rd meeting
322nd meeting
321st meeting
320th meeting
319th meeting
318th meeting
317th meeting
316th meeting
315th meeting
314th meeting
313th meeting
312th meeting
311th meeting
310th meeting

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