Friday, February 24, 2006

Council meeting Mon 27 Feb

The regular end of month meeting of Swanage Town Council will be held at the Town Hall on Monday 27 February, starting with public participation time at 7 pm.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

When will we hear what happened?

Visited library but the last copy of Swanage council minutes was December.
Bill Storer.Born 9/12/1918.

ps My PC is a great benifit. Every old person should use one.

The Postman said...

1/ Public participation time

MInutes: one topic raised was how difficult it is for people to know what's going on if the website isn't up-to-date. Alan leeson (town clerk) noted that minutes can only be published after they are approved (at the following meeting) so that causes a delay. He notedhe would try to ensure website carries latest possible information

Seacourt Action Group: Bett Paxton Brunning expressed concern that the comments made at the previous meeting had not been properly recorded. Town Clerk agreed that (given the importance)he would look at revising records, although observing that these 'notes' are not technically minutes.

Planning: Mr Wootton questioned how it could be that the Town Council could fail to get planning application before proceeding (on installation of container at Santa Fe playground). Mayor said it had been intended to be temporary; Clerk said has been refused.

2/ Beach recharge: Mayor said all due to be completed by 15 May

3/Victoria Avenue: Mayor reported that PDC in partnership with SWERDA is going to develop the 5.5 acre site behind Triangle Garage
, hopefully may provide up to 500 jobs.

4/ Proposal by DCC for cycleway along part of Ulwell Road, to slow traffic, was approved by councillors.

5/ Shore Road: Mike Hadley raised the question of safety and trafic calming measures. Councillors agreed to discuss this in more detail on another occasion and refer it to the Highways Authority. Councillors were mostly in favour of keeping the road open in winter months but imporoving safety by slowing traffic and/or adding new crossings.

6/ Jurassic Coast Gateway signs: DCC hae proposed erection of signs at etiher end of Swanage. Mike Hadley expressed concern at proliferation of signs (and lack of information on sketch provided), asked if could be incorporated into a single 'welcome to swanage' sign. Other councillors asked to include other information, such as Britain in Bloom winner. And not to shove camping/caravanning sign on top as well. Town Clerk noted there was an opportunity to review the main approach signs. DCC to be asked to provide more detail. STC to consider further.
7/ Lower High St cctv: Mayor noted that 3 cctv cameras would soon be installed

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU very much Mr. Postman, I'm so glad someone is prepared to keep us informed without us having to sit through the drudgery of these meetings. Pity the local press doesn’t. Equally, if only “notes” are taken surely these could be posted up immediately without the need for minutes to be ratified.

Anonymous said...

There's surely no legal obligation, as far as I understand, for the minutes to be approved by councillors before they can be published on the web.
It is just the town council, or maybe its clerk, being difficult.
If there was some actual prohibition on unapproved minutes then it wouldn't be possible to distribute them, before the meeting has approved them, to members of the public.
What I have seen done is a parish council publishing its minutes promptly but saying these are the unapproved minutes of...
Seems simple, but one suspects that the ruling clique on the council doesn't really wish townspeople to know what is being done in its name.