MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE COASTAL AND AMENITIES COMMITTEE

Held on 17 March 2008

Present: Cllr Mrs M Rolls (in the Chair)

Cllrs G Gooding A Howard P Jackson Mrs C Lewis Mrs M Morgan G Parkhurst E Rolls R B Shields, MBE C Tebbutt

In Attendance: Cllrs B Dobbs and Mrs J Taylor

88. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Mrs J Gooding (illness) and Miss H Parkhurst (illness).

89. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Cllr G Gooding declared a personal interest in minute 94 due to having business interests in the town and his membership of the District Council, and minute 95 due to membership of the District Council and the Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board.

Cllr A Howard declared a personal interest in minute 94 due to membership of the Tourism Forum and minute 95 due to membership of the Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board.

Cllr R B Shields, MBE declared a personal interest in minute 95 due to membership of the Environment Agency and the Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board.

Cllr P Jackson declared a personal interest in minute 94 due to membership of the Tourism Forum.

Cllr Mrs M Rolls declared a personal interest in minute 94 as the Town Council’s representative on the In Bloom committee.

90. MINUTES
It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 25 February 2008, having been previously circulated, be signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

91. ACRE GAP SUB-COMMITTEE
It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting of the Acre Gap Sub-committee held on 29 February 2008 be received and noted.

92. FINANCIAL AID
Mablethorpe Art Group – financial support towards the purchase of two banners to advertise the group’s art exhibition and the cost of hiring the hall.

It was noted that the application indicated that the proceeds of the event were for charity. Some members considered that the group should retain some or all of the surplus to fund future exhibitions rather than relying on grants from other organisations. It was felt that the Town Council’s grants should be awarded direct to charitable organisations rather than through a third party group. However, it was also recognised that other art groups had been supported by the Town Council.

It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved:
(i) That a grant of £150 be made to the Mablethorpe Art Group towards the cost of the exhibition and purchase of banners.
(ii) That the Mablethorpe Art Group be advised to retain funds from the exhibition to support future exhibitions.

93. NEW DOG WASTE BINS
Requests for new dog waste bins in Acre Gap and on Highgate Lane, Trusthorpe were considered. It was noted that, with effect from 1 April 2008, dog waste would be collected from litter bins.

It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: That new dog waste bins be installed in Acre Gap and on Highgate Lane, Trusthorpe subject to no “dual purpose” litter bins being in the locality.
(Note: Cllrs G Gooding, A Howard and R B Shields, MBE declared a personal interest in this item due to membership of the District Council.)

94. FLORAL DISPLAYS 2008
The Committee considered a report on the floral displays arranged by the Town Council. Details were also provided of the proposals being considered by the In Bloom committee. It was noted that the Town Council had a contractual arrangement which detailed the planting and maintenance of a number of hanging baskets and planters. The In Bloom proposals were to provide additional planting to enhance the area. The Committee were also informed that the criteria for In Bloom extended beyond floral displays and included community involvement, environmental issues and sustainability.

It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved:
(i) That the floral displays for 2008 be in accordance with the contract let in 2007 with provision made for the planting of better established bedding plants.
(ii) That the planters from the High Street, Sutton-on-Sea be relocated to the grassed area at Main Bridge, Trusthorpe or other suitable locations within the Town Council’s area.
(iii) That the arrangements for 2008 and the proposals for 2009 be reviewed during the autumn of 2008 to enable any changes to be implemented prior to the next planting season.

95. PITT REVIEW
The interim conclusions of the review into the 2007 floods, undertaken by Sir Michael Pitt, were considered. It was noted that one of the main problems identified was the inadequacy of the surface water drainage system in many areas. This being compounded by the increasing amount of impermeable surfaces being laid by householders and businesses.

It was also recognised that there needs to be a single agency responsible for surface water flood risk. However, the Committee considered that the Environment Agency was not the most appropriate body. The Environment Agency had not demonstrated that it was capable of maintaining its own water courses to an acceptable standard.

The Committee was disappointed that the work of the Internal Drainage Board had not been recognised in the report. It was further considered that national legislation and the Environment Agency had placed too much emphasis on maintaining the water courses as environmental habitat rather than the primary purpose of removing surface water. This had proven to be at the expense of property and potentially life.

It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved:

(i) That the Town Clerk be instructed to respond to the interim conclusions of the Pitt Review setting out the Town Council’s comments.
(ii) That a copy of the response be sent to East Lindsey District Council for consideration by the Flooding Task and Finish Group.

96. SHELTERS - TRUSVILLE
The Committee were asked to consider a number of issues relating to the “igloo” shelters at Trusville. It was suggested that the shelters were unique

and had historic value. Members of the Committee felt that the shelters should be properly maintained and that some recognition should be given to their history.

It was proposed, seconded and
Resolved: That the Town Clerk be instructed to write to the District Council requesting that the shelters be properly maintained and that the historical significance of the shelters should be acknowledged.

97. CLERK’S CORRESPONDENCE
(i) Information on the beach nourishment campaign for 2008 to include nourishment of the beach between Mablethorpe and Trusthorpe and Sandil ands to Huttoft.

(ii) An update on the Mablethorpe.info and Sutton-on-Sea.info web sites.

(iii) Correspondence from East Lindsey District Council regarding the possible provision of a glass recycling facility in Trusthorpe.

(iv) Details of the Good Citizens Awards 2008 for Lincolnshire County Council.

(v) Notification of the Lincolnshire Best Kept Village and Small Town Competition 2008.

98. MATTERS FOR URGENT DISCUSSION
(i) Notification that Cllr Miss H Parkhurst was being sponsored for the Race for Life, any contributions were welcomed.

(ii) Concern about the damage to the planting on the grassed area at Main Bridge, Trusthorpe caused by the contractors.

(iii) A suggestion that the historical aspect of some buildings should be recognised with blue plaques; it was noted that a heritage trail had been publicised in the past.

(iv) It was noted that a traffic warden had been operating in the area and that there seemed to be a reduction in illegal parking.

(v) The Acre Gap Open Day on Saturday 15 March 2008 had been a success, there would be a walk in Acre Gap on Saturday 12 April 2008 at 10.30 a.m.