Stourbridge Township Council meetings

EXTRACTS FROM MINUTES OF THE MEETING (322nd Meeting) OF STOURBRIDGE TOWNSHIP COUNCIL HELD IN THE TOWN HALL STOURBRIDGE ON
THURSDAY 10th April 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
Mrs G P Waller.
Also present; Councillor Mrs J Collins, PCSO M Maxwell, Police Constable J Morgan, Police Sergeant T Osborne and
Ms B Sykes.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION SESSION
Nothing was raised under this section. The Chairman welcomed our visitors to the 322nd meeting of the Township Council.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from; Mr M D Fellows.
Apologies were also received from; PCSO G Else, Ms M James, Mr A Turton and Mrs Lynda Waltho MP.

POLICE MATTERS

Item A; Details of all arranged PACT meetings were presented to the meeting by Police Sergeant Tony Osborne, who then introduced his colleagues PC Joanne Morgan and PCSO Martina Maxwell. PS Osborne said that the results of the recent police operation held in our area, Operation Serene II, would be announced shortly by way of a press release. He gave members the crime figures for the year ending March/April 2008 and it was seen that in general terms, Dudley South area had done extremely well. There had been a reduction in overall crime of 6.49% and also an impressive reduction of 18% in violent crime.

Item B; Mr R S Owen told members of the problems existing at and around Ham Dingle Primary School. He had prepared a detailed report together with a map of the area to illustrate the problems described. Mr Owen drew the attention of members to dangers presented to children and the difficulties experienced by local residents in Old Ham Lane, White Close, Tall Trees Drive, Leys Close and Shaftsbury Avenue - all affected by dangerous parking and obstruction by vehicles. The problems regularly occur at 8.30am and again at 3.15pm Monday to Friday when parents virtually abandon their vehicles in order to drop off, or to collect children from school. Mr Owen pointed out the dangers of children running between the parked vehicles and also the danger presented to other road users. PS T Osborne recognised the problems described and was able to inform members of the actions already taken and put in place at Ham Dingle School to deal with them. These included police attending and liaison with the school staff. Fixed penalty tickets have been issued in the vicinity. Sgt Osborne told members that similar difficulties were being experienced near other schools in our area and that these are being urgently addressed with further safety measures and parking restrictions already under consideration. These have to be individually assessed for each school and for the problems arising. The safety of our schoolchildren is of extreme importance he said and the police will continue to pay close attention to the Ham Dingle school situation.

Mrs G P Waller requested that police attention be given to Bell St car park where ‘boy racers’ were gathering in vehicles and on motor cycles often until after 3am, causing annoyance. Sgt Osborne told the meeting that the police were aware of this problem which was being addressed, attention will continue whenever police resources were available.

Item C; Mrs E M D Scott was assured by Sgt Osborne that at this time the J2 police meetings are to continue.

CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS

Mrs E M D Scott informed members of the ongoing health problems being experienced by Mr M D Fellows and of his wish that he remain a member of the Township Council. She told members that Mrs P J Fellows had now resigned from membership.

The Chairman told members that proposals were under discussion to deal with the indiscriminate all day parking by shoppers and commuters in the Mount St and Parkfield Road areas. She said that these proposals included the introduction of parking permits in an effort to relieve these longstanding problems.

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING
The minutes of the 321st meeting of the Township Council held on Thursday 13th March 2008 were received as a correct record and signed by the Chairman Mrs E M D Scott accordingly.

MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

The Vice-Chairman’s monthly bulletin gave details of communications sent and actions taken by the Council since our March meeting. Mr J Shepherd spoke on the items listed including our approaches with regard to the proposed removal of our local artefacts and progress toward the restoration of The Listed Gates at Mary Stevens Park. He went on to say that our Council will miss the valued liaison which we had built up with Mr Matthew Caddick who is to leave the town at the end of the month to take up his new post in Warwick. We have written to Inspector Phil Boardman, Sergeant Kevin Jones and Sergeant Sharon Dalton all good friends of our Township Council to thank them and to wish them well in their new appointments. They will leave us at the end of the month.

ITEMS RAISED UNDER STANDING ORDER NO 13

Members were told that Mr Jonathan Fox of APAP (Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel) has written to thank our members for their support. Paramedics are shortly to be issued with stab-vest protection. It was agreed that our efforts will continue to support PCSO’s in their application for stab-vest protection to be issued.

MATTERS RELATING TO PERSONAL SERVICES

Both Mr K C Jones and Mr B D Waller raised the controversial issue of changed parking charges at the Corbett Hospital.

MATTERS RELATING TO TECHNICAL SERVICES

Item A; Ms B Sykes spoke of the ongoing efforts by Mrs Lynda Waltho MP to further assist residents in the Old Quarter. Members also discussed the kerbstone problems remaining in West Street and the need to solve pothole problems in Wheeler Street.
Cllr Mrs J Collins said that the street drains are to be cleaned in Wheeler Street.
The reported potholes in the vicinity of the bus garage have been marked for attention by DMBC.

Item B; There was nothing further to report on building or redevelopment plans from the town centre areas.

Item C; No reports were received of any increase in drunken/disorderly behaviour in the town centre.

Litter; Efforts are being made to contact those responsible and to have the Market St alleyway near The Express & Star office cleaned.

Our communications regarding the Grade 2 Listed Gates at Mary Stevens Park are continuing.

T.C. 2008/806 FINANCIAL, CIVIC AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT MATTERS

(a) Several room rental invoices are awaited at this time.
(b) Stourbridge Area Committee Meetings; These are yet to be arranged; a June date meeting is anticipated.
(c) The Township Council will meet Thursday 8th May, Thursday 12th June, and Thursday 10th July 2008.

T.C. 2008/807 CHAIRMAN’S OTHER BUSINESS

The Chairman thanked our visitors for attending; she then formally closed our public meeting in order to discuss matters of interest to Township Council members only in closed session.

The Township Council rose at 8.55pm.

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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