SKEGNESS TOWN COUNCIL

Report of the Town Council’s

Activities -2012/2013

Annual Town Meeting

7.00 pm Wednesday 1^st May 2013

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I take great pleasure in presenting this report of Council activities for the past year.

Council and Committees

The Council comprises 20 elected members. The Council takes overall responsibility for decisions and can choose to delegate authority to Committees or to Council Officers, but cannot delegate authority to a single Councillor.

In order to be more effective the Council has created a number of Committees to spread workload, review issues in more detail and operate more effectively. The Standing Committees comprise Business and Resources, Direction and Strategy and Planning and Planning Policy. Additionally an Appointments and Appeals Committee meets occasionally to discuss staffing matters.

The Council has met on 16 occasions, the Business & Resources Committee on 4 occasions, Direction & Strategy Committee on 4 occasions, Planning & Planning Policy Committee on14 occasions and the Appointment and Appeals Committee on 2 occasions. Additionally Task and Finish Groups met several times throughout the year. A total of 40 formal Council and Committee Meetings were held to carry out Council business.

In addition several Councillors and the Town Clerk serve as the Town Councils’ representatives

On various Outside Bodies, Partnerships, Liaison Groups and regularly attend associated meetings.

Planning and Planning Policy Committee

The Planning committee usually meets at 21 day intervals in order to achieve consultation deadlines. The Committee has delegated authority from Council to respond to consultation requests in respect of Planning Applications and is also responsible for developing the policy in relation to planning matters for Council to approve.

The Committee has considered 100 applications and in each case the Committee decided to support, oppose or withhold comment. In some cases, the Council’s decision may have been conditional. Full details of decisions are contained in the minutes of the Planning meetings and the comments available on the East Lindsey Planning Website.

Business & Resources Committee

The Business & Resources Committee comprises 11 Councillors including the Mayor and Deputy Mayor who chairs the meeting. It is responsible for the operational matters of the Council, including the detailed monitoring of performance, financial management and risks. The Committee is concerned to see that Council functions are operating as expected. Each quarter the Committee examines a detailed Governance Report identifying any issues and reporting findings to Council so that appropriate actions can be put in place.

The Committee also has a responsibility for communication and has decided that in future the Council will use its web site as the main method of communication and has stopped the production of paper newsletters to save money.

The Committee sets up Task and Finish Groups from time to time, to examine issues in more detail or undertake work that could not be carried out by a whole Committee. These groups then report back to the Committee.

During 2012/13 the Committee has been involved in:

• Governance of Financial Management and Risks.
• Various new operational policies and procedures.
• Proposals to reduce the Council’s operational budget.
• Modernisation and improvement of services.

Direction & Strategy Committee

The Direction and Strategy Committee comprises 11 Councillors including the Mayor, who is the Chairman, and Deputy Mayor. This Committee has responsibility for examining issues beyond the current year, reacting to new situations and legislation, developing new policies and examining longer term financial and resource planning. The nature of the business considered means that issues may be examined over a much longer term than operational issues and so may take longer to complete.

Like Business and Resources, this Committee also sets up Task and Finish Groups to examine things in more detail and undertake work.

During 2012/13 the Committee has been involved in:

• An on-going review of Cemetery and Burial Ground requirements and management.
• A review of Allotments.
• A review of Christmas Illuminations which resulted in the award of a new three year contract.
• Considering how to tackle the Town Plan
• Various strategic consultations
• The budget review

Councillors Allowances

Under the provisions of the Local Authorities (Members Allowances)(England) Regulations 2003, Councillors’ Allowance for 2012/2013 was set at £500, this payment is subject to tax and is paid quarterly in arrears. During the year one Councillor was elected and therefore only received the allowance for the period in office. One Councillor chose not to take the allowance.

Attendance Records at Council and Committees

Not all councillors serve on all committees. The table below lists the number

of meetings to which councillors were summoned, the number of meetings attended and the percentage attendance.

Grants

All organisations who request a grant have to submit an application form giving details of the proposed use of grant, how this will benefit the community and supporting financial and/or business planning information. The Council uses this information to determine whether and organisation should get a grant and the amount.

All applications were carefully considered and the following grants were awarded:-

£1000 to Skegness Carnival Committee

£1000 to Town Twinning Association

£378 to 1^st Skegness Scouts

£750 to Coastal Access for All

£750 to East Coast Juniors Football Club

£750 to Home Start East Lindsey

£750 to Lincolnshire Army Cadet Force

£470 to Skegness Ability Group

£750 to Skegness Community Youth Centre

£750 to Skegness Fire Cadets

£500 to Storehouse Food Larder

£750 to Winthorpe Youth & Residents Association

Partnerships

During the year, the Council has worked with various partner organisations to promote Skegness and deliver activities.

Skegness Partnership – the Council has supported Skegness Partnership in its joint Public and Private Sector funding bid for a sea front scheme.

Summer Illuminations Switch On – the Council is a member of the Committee overseeing the Switch-On and associated events and made a contribution to the costs.

Destination Management Organisation – the Council is a member of the partnership which has been established to market the area and attract visitors.

The Council also worked closely with the Hildreds Shopping Centre and other local organisations to organise the Christmas lights switch-on. A special thank you is recorded to Mr Hawkins who once again supplied the electricity for the Christmas tree lights.  

Additionally this year the Council provided some funding through Skegness Partnership to support evening activities in the period leading to Christmas.

Changes

This year the Council has changed the way in which it manages its Cemetery and Public Property. The Council decided to bring the management of the Cemetery back in house and has created a new Team creating 2.5 new posts with a further apprenticeship post to be appointed later in 2013.

The Council has adopted the General Power of Competence which gives the Council new powers under the Localism Act to provide new services in new ways. The adoption of these new powers gives the Council greater flexibility to tackle issues or provide services that previously it would not have had the legal power to undertake.

Town Clerk Financial Report

Although this year has seen difficult economic times, the Council is in a sound financial position having delivered its objectives for the year within the agreed budget. As part of the budget setting process for 2013/14, the Council has recognised the need to plan for future service development, replacement of assets and has established earmarked reserves provide for the future. This year has seen changes in the way in which the Council’s precept is calculated, with the Council now effectively contributing towards the cost of local Council Tax Benefit funding. The Council has reduced its unspecified reserve to about two months revenue spending.

The accounts will be reviewed and approved by Council in June. The accounts will then be subject to external audit in July and the Council will formally publicise the accounts no later than 30^th September 2013.

Below is the provisional summarised expenditure for the year. Accounts and other financial information will be posted on the website once approved.

Conclusion

The Town Council continues to work hard to ensure improvements are made throughout the town for the benefit of our residents.  You may be sure that the Council will continue to serve you to the best of its ability.

Thank you.

Councillor Mark Anderson

Town Mayor of Skegness