Saturday 20 February 2016

WESTGATE AND WESTBROOK RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION February 2016 meeting


 
 

MINUTES OF A GENERAL MEETING HELD AT THE TOWN HALL BUILDINGS ON MONDAY 8th FEBRUARY 2016 AT 7.15PM.


 


PRESENT


Abigail Carden, (vice-chair), thirty members, Thanet District Cllr Ash Ashbee, Westgate Town Cllrs Ash Ashbee, Tom King, Dave Morrish, and Hannah Scott, and KCC Warden Laura Bungard.

 

Abigail welcomed all to the meeting.

 

APOLOGIES

Apologies had been received from KCC Cllr Jeff Elenor, TDC Cllrs Sam Bambridge, and Carol Partington.

 

CHAIRMAN

1)      W&WRA Officers.  Abigail informed the meeting that following the resignation of Richard Charlton the committee had co-opted her to act as vice-chairman, and Pat Sawyer-Jones as secretary and in charge of bookings to hire the Bake House.  For the three remaining general meetings before the AGM three of the TDC ward councillors had agreed to act as chairman, starting today when Cllr Ash Ashby has kindly agreed to fill this roll.

2)      Post Boxes.  A letter from the W&WRA is to be sent to the appropriate department of the post office requesting the required maintenance.

3)      Flower Budget for Westgate.  This has been halved to £1,500, and the best use for this will be looked into.

4)      Rent for Bake House and Meeting Room.  This has been increased from £235 to £260/month and will be held at this level for two years.

5)      Committee.  Nomination sheets for the new committee to be elected at the AGM in May will go up in the Bake House at the beginning of April.

6)      Gardening Club.  This club now meets at the Bake House once a month.

7)      Business Rates Refund.  This has been fully agreed and  is now awaited.

8)      Pancake Race.  This had had to be cancelled due to the necessary paperwork not being completed.  It would be carefully looked at for future years so that the division of tasks between the W&WRA and the Rotary Club are made clear or even possibly that the W&WRA may take over completely.  It was hoped that the £100 road closure fee may be recovered.  The bus company had been informed of the cancellation.

 

MINUTES OF LAST MEETING

The minutes of the last meeting, (11th January 2016), which had been circulated, were amended and then adopted on a prop. by Don Eacott seconded by Ray Taylor.

 

 

 

MATTERS ARISING

1)      Amendments to the Minutes.  Page 1, matters arising (1) Chris Wyer had raised the subject of the post boxes.   Page 2 planning (1) The application at 36, Westgate Bay Avenue involved one large building. 

2)      Road Safety.  Cllr Ash Ashby reported that procedures for a possible additional crossing in Westbrook Avenue are at the moment held up due to the inquest into the fatal accident, but a consultation will take place in due course. 

3)      Refuse/Recycling.  TDC have discussed the Christmas arrangements and hope to improve on this for next December.

 

COUNCILLORS' / WARDEN'S / PCSOS'  REPORTS

TDC Cllr Ash Ashby:

1)      Bus Service.  There had been interest in the division of the no 8 and 8A buses between Canterbury Road and Westbrook Avenue and the debate was ongoing.

2)      Dog Bone Road Markings.  Three had  been requested including one for a resident for a garage entrance with a drop kerb.  Funding was awaited.

3)      Bridge Road Green.  Members had seen some shrubs/hedges removed and the ground levelled and seeded with grass.  This had been done to facilitate mowing.  No previous notice or consultation had taken place, and Chris Whittingham asked councillors present to make known to other councillors and TDC officers residents' concerns about the hedges around Westgate and Westbrook.  It was recalled that about ten or twelve years ago TDC had intended to remove all hedging around the footpaths and greens of St Mildred's and West Bays and at a site meeting with councillors a very large number of residents had attended and expressed their views that these hedges which had been present for over one hundred years should be retained. Councillors should be called if any further hedge destruction is seen.

 

WTC Cllr Hannah Scott:

1)      Grants Available for Not for Profit Community Groups.  Cllr Scott told the meeting that £5,000 is available for applications which should be made before 28th February.  Application forms are on the website or from the Town Clerk.

 

WTC Cllr Dave Morrish:

1)      Double Yellow Lines.  TDC are proposing, subject to comment and consultation double yellow lines from the URC Church to the zebra crossing. In Ivanhoe Road, following consultation the lines will be put to the correct side of the road.

 

KCC Warden Laura Bungard:

Laura reported that TDC would be placing a rubbish bin opposite the library.

Vulnerable Elderly – There is a multiagency operation taking place and any information on those needing help such as warm home alterations, Age UK services etc would be welcome. 

Laura has also been involved in matters of highways, graffiti, ASB meetings, and dementia training.   (There is a meeting on 8th March for carers of those with dementia).  TDC parking and litter tickets have been issued.  The FIDO (dog mess clearing) vehicle has visited and will be in the Westgate and Birchington area on Mondays.  Grass verge parking can cause problems and if the marks exceed a certain depth tickets can be issued, however this can bring problems of road parking when wing mirrors are knocked off.  In some cases speeding is a considerable problem.

 

The question arose from the floor re the promised report from Westgate-on-Sea Town Council.  Cllr Ashby said one had not been prepared for this meeting but will request one for next time.

 

CORRESPONDENCE 

1)      WTC Meetings.  A letter from the Town Clerk stated that members of the public are welcome to come to the meetings, and anyone who wishes to speak at the meetings should give written notice by 4.00pm on the Friday before the meeting. Filming or photography at the meetings are not permitted without consent of the WTC, though there is thought to be a new law concerning this.

2)       Police Messages (by email).  Police had warnings of cars being broken into, fake police officers questing bank cards and personal details, and scam emails. 

 

PLANNING 

1)      Castle Cottage.  Application for UPVC windows to replace aluminium windows.

2)      27, Westbrook Road.  Change of use to flats.

 

Cllr Ashby said anyone who may wish to call in an application should contact their local district councillor.

 

TREASURER'S REPORT  

Abigail gave this report:  Bank balance stood at £7,858 on 29th December, but this included the new year lunch money that had been paid  in.  The two payments queried were cheques 200377 to the Carpenter's Workshop £110, and no 200376 for £15 for the pitch fee for the Community Centre fun day.

Abigail informed the meeting that the committee is considering a proposal to alter the financial year end to 31st January in order to provide time for the year's books to be completed and audited for the AGM.  As this would involve an alteration to the constitution approval for this would have to be given by members at the AGM. 

 

SUNSHINE REPORT

Mavis reported six cards had been sent  out to members this month.

 

MEMBERSHIP

Christina reported that seventy new members had recently joined.

 

CIVIC REPORT

Margate Civic Society. Next meeting at the Walpole Bay Hotel is on Thursday 3rd March 7.30pm when there will be a talk “Policing the Past – Heritage Crime”.

 

Westgate Heritage Centre.  Saturday 12th  March at St Saviour's Church 10.30am when the AGM will take place followed by a talk by Dr Dawn Crouch about St Saviour's church bells.  (SECOND Saturday of the month).

 

SOCIAL

Jane reported:

1)      Quiz Night.  Friday 12th February 7.00pm, £2 bring your own food and drink.

2)      Sunday Lunch at the Swan.  21st February.

3)      Sunday Lunch at the Golf Club.  March.

4)      Trip to the Secret Gardens and Afternoon Tea.  21st March £23 with Carol Peters.

5)      More local trips to be arranged.   

 

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

1)      Thatched House, 190 Canterbury Road.  English Heritage had been interested in possibly listing this house but the previous owners would not allow access.  It has now changed hands but they do not consider that it meets the requirements for listing, but the house does seem secure.

2)      27, Westbrook Road (see planning page 3), in answer to a question Cllr Ashby said this had been an illegal HMO but had now been cleared out.  The application had been called in by Cllr Sam Bambridge.

3)      Large Holm Oak Tree opposite the Library.  Those who had cut this down beyond reasonable pruning have been prosecuted by the council.

4)      Shelter on Green above West Bay Cafe.  This had suffered from vandalism, and members asked when repairs would be put in hand.

5)      Westgate Community Centre News.  Easter Hunt 26th March 11.00am to 3.00pm, £1 per child.  An application for a grant to renovate one end of the building and patch up  the car park has been applied for.  The summer fun day is still awaiting permission from TDC events dept before arrangements can go ahead.

6)      Westgate Against Rubbish Group.  A clean up at Ursuline Drive and the Town Green will take place on 27th February at 10.00am.  Future event 4th - 5th March “Clean for the Queen”.

7)      West Bay Cafe.  Alan Dolan the proprietor spoke about his application for the cafe for a single storey extension over the cafe for a restaurant.  A pre plan has been sent to TDC and Alan would be pleased to have some support from local people.  Cllr Hannah Scott said that a restaurant had been requested by residents on the recent survey forms.  Alan was also known to make his cafe available to the Local Astronomy Group for their meetings and educational purposes.  He would also make improvements to the shelter if he could have part use of this for his customers.

8)      Allotment.  Tony Snow told the meeting that he had been working the W&WRA's half plot 30B at Lymington Road, but would now like to pass this on to another member.  It was suggested that this be put in the magazine.

9)      Tea Ladies.  Pat Sawyer-Jones asked for new volunteers.

 

NEXT MEETING

 Monday 14th March, at the Town Hall Buildings, Westgate, 7.00pm for 7.15pm.

(The Bowls Club being unavailable).

 

There being no other business the meeting concluded at 8.30pm.