Agenda and minutes

PCSO Liz Francis arrived at the meeting at 6:10pm and gave a brief verbal update.

The local police are currently dealing with two known youth instigators and informed the Cllrs of two recent successful raids in Dawlish. Liz asked if the officers could promote a poster about crime and shops and officers agreed to help promote.

Finally, Liz also thanked Cllr Comer for his help with the information regarding town graffiti.

Cllr Cox informed the Cllrs that he is currently experiencing difficulty with his internet and is not receiving able to send emails. Mayor Cllr Williams asked Cllr Cox to please drop in a copy of his report to Bitton House and Cllr Cox confirmed he would.

Cllr Atkins informed the Cllrs that chewing gum signs went around the town and TCC Cllr Peter Williams gave a brief update regarding this.

There is a chewing gum project called Gum Busters and a team will be wearing a backpack which blasts gum stuck to the street/signs etc and the gum is removed within a matter of seconds. This service will be coming to Teignmouth soon and there is a video on YouTube if anyone wanted to find out more.

Mayor Cllr Williams stated she had received both Cllr Myers and Cllr Jackson’s reports, thank you.

None were received.

In accordance with Minute 30, mobile phones be limited to personal use only (in case of emergencies) and in which case the Councillor is to leave the room to respond. Councillors must switch their mobile phones to silent during the meeting to avoid disruption.

Taken as read.

To receive, note and where requested, approve the reasons for apologies for absence.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Lloyd

Resolved that the apology be noted.

To declare any disclosable interests relating to the forthcoming items of business (if any).

None were received.

To receive and consider requests for dispensation (if any).

There were no dispensations.

To approve, sign and adopt the minutes of the Council meeting held on XXXX.

Members considered the minutes of the Council meeting held on 10/09/2024.

Cllr Walsh questioned the HR vote that took place at the previous meeting and stated he did not think we were in accordance with standing orders. Cllr Cox agreed and stated he wanted the monitoring office to intervene. The TC said he would clarify with DALC and Tozers to which Cllr Cox said going to Tozers would be incestuous and he wanted another vote. Cllr Williams said there would not be another vote just because Cllr Cox did not like the outcome.

Resolved that the minutes of the Council meetings held on 10/09/2024 be approved and signed as a correct and accurate record of the meeting.

Proposed:      Cllr Chasteau

Seconded:     Cllr Atkins

Carried with 1 abstention

The TC informed the Cllrs that the CCTV has already been quite beneficial to the police and to the facilities department. Cllr Jackson said she has seen a post on social media questioning the CCTV but how brilliant she thinks it is as she knows people who were attacked in Bitton Park and the CCTV should help as a deterrent.

Cllr Atkins wanted to congratulate the TC on the most recent external audit, which has been returned and is clear for the 3^rd year running.

To note the reciept of the Civility and Respect pledge Certificate 1652.

The TC informed the Cllrs that Teignmouth Town Council has received our Civility and Respect Certificate, to which he passed over to Cllr Williams to sign. This will go up on the website and will be framed and hung in the council chamber.

Cllr Jackson would like to attend more training regarding this and the TC said he would send something out to the Cllrs.

To receive and note the conclusion of the External Audit for 2023/24 financial year

Noted.

To receive and approve the list of payments for September 2024.

To receive and approve the list of payments for September 2024.

Proposed:      Cllr Jackman

Seconded:     Cllr Rudge

Carried:          Unanimously

To establish a Rota of councilors to be one per month and of councilors not on the finance committee.

The suggestion from finance was to Rota in two consecutive months. With the aim of commencing no later than November 2024.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Minutes:

Town Clerk to seek legal advice from DALC of the legal implications of signing should a mistake have occurred.

Deferred until legal advice received, which will hopefully be by the next meeting.

Proposed: Cllr C Williams

Seconded: Cllr M Jackman

Carried unanimously

Advice obtained; A briefing note and worked example are attached.

Council is now asked to populate the calendar starting with December 2024 and through 2025.

To establish a rota of Cllrs to be one per month and of Cllrs not on the Finance committee.

Cllr Walsh questioned the legal liability for Cllrs who undertake the bank reconciliation. The TC informed Cllr Walsh that the officers will have already done the bank rec so the Cllrs only need to corroborate and there are insurances in place and audit observations. He also sated that he was available if there were any questions or if any of the Cllrs needed guidance, should they choose to accept it. Cllr Walsh was still concerned about liable ramifications and refused to participate in the bank rec.

Rota:

January – Cllr Robert Phipps

February – Cllr Robert Phipps

March – Cllr Chloe Myers

April – Cllr Chloe Myers

May – Cllr Jackie Jackson

June – Cllr Jackie Jackson

July – Cllr Dan Comer

August – Cllr Dan Comer

September – Cllr Chloe Myers

October – Cllr Jackie Jackson

November – Cllr Dan Comer

December – to be decided at a later date

The TC will send out invitations to the above Cllrs so they can add these dates to their diaries.

To receive the minutes of the Finance Meeting of 24^th September 2024 and approve the actions therein.

To receive the minutes o the Finance meeting of 24^th September 2024 and approve the actions therein.

Proposed:      Cllr Atkins

Seconded:     Cllr Rudge

Carried with 1 abstention

To receive the minutes of the Assets & Facilities Meeting of 23^rd September 2024 and approve the actions therein.

Please not these contain a NOM from Cllr Comer which requires a virement of funds as follows:

Funding would be achieved by a virement of £1,500 from the underspend on the Christmas lights event 4202-240 to a new installation category of 4425-330 in the Town cost centre.

Cllr Comer gave a brief description of Health Board that will be installed at the train station and all the Cllrs agreed this was a good idea. It will be relatively maintenance free as most of the information that will be provided will be valid for quite a long time. The name of the board will be TTC Community Wellbeing Board.

TTC need to get permission from DCC before this project can move forward.

To receive the minutes of the Assets & Facilities meeting of 23^rd September 2024.

Proposed:      Cllr Jackman

Seconded:     Cllr Rudge

Carried:          Unanimously

As previously reported there has been recent difficulty with the TDC administration of the scheme which was previously entirely “Market” focussed.

The latest response from TDC is that they feel we are unlikely to get the necessary permissions from TDC to complete the grant by the end of February 2025.

I have therefore looked at what non “Market” related items that fit the latest criteria we could realistically complete.

Therefore council is requested to resolve: To allow the Clerk to shift our application Circa £34K to the Changing places toilet at lower brook St Circa £20K-£25K and deployable CCTV circa £10K-£12K.

The TC gave a verbal update about what was happening with the UKSPF grant and asked if the Cllrs had any other ideas. Cllr Walsh suggested decorative lighting and the TC said that should go on next years’ budget.

Council is requested to resolve: to allow the TC to shift the application for £34k to the changing places toilets at Lower Brook street for £20-25k and deployable CCTV for £10-12k.

Proposed:      Cllr Jackson

Seconded:     Cllr Jackman

Carried:          Unanimously

Attached is Cllr Walsh’s NOM.

Report to Teignmouth Town Council on the Notice of Motion for Participation in the Devon County Council Community Road Warden Scheme

Introduction

This report addresses the Notice of Motion (NOM) put forward by Councillors Cox, Rudge, Comer, Lloyd, and Walsh to discuss Teignmouth Town Council’s participation in the Devon County Council (DCC) Community Road Warden Scheme. The proposal seeks the immediate sign-up of Teignmouth Town Council (TTC) to the scheme, with work being carried out by the Teignmouth in Bloom group and other volunteers. The proposal further nominates Councillor Dan Comer as the Community Road Warden.

The Community Road Warden Scheme facilitates minor road and highway-related maintenance projects within local communities, addressing minor works that DCC cannot prioritise due to resource constraints. These works include pothole repairs, sign cleaning, verge trimming, and more, aiming to enhance the town’s appeal and safety for residents and visitors alike.

Clerk’s Comments and Proper Officer’s Recommendations

Following the initial submission of this motion, sufficient time allowed the Town Clerk to research the scheme further. The findings from discussions with other councils and DCC officers have led to the following considerations:

1. Comparison with Other Councils: It has been observed that the majority of councils participating in the scheme are smaller parishes. Crediton, a council smaller than Teignmouth, is one of the larger councils involved. Newton Abbot, a council larger than Teignmouth, operates the scheme using its own staff rather than volunteers. This raises questions about the feasibility of using volunteers in Teignmouth, a mid-sized council, particularly for a role that may require a level of coordination and administrative capacity typically managed by employed staff.

2. Role of the Community Road Warden: Contrary to initial expectations, the role of the Road Warden is largely administrative. Responsibilities include liaising with DCC, preparing risk assessments, and ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations. This involves working closely with DCC officers, managing volunteers, and ensuring that all work is carried out under DCC’s guidance. It would also be necessary for the Council to update its Health and Safety Policy to cover these volunteer-led activities.

3. Insurance and Liability Considerations: DCC provides limited insurance for voluntary works, covering public liability for third-party claims arising from the work. However, volunteers are responsible for their own safety, which presents a potential risk for the Council. The Council will need to confirm that its existing insurance policies cover the activities undertaken by volunteers under the scheme and liaise with the insurer to ensure clarity on cover and risk.

4. Training Requirements: DCC requires that Road Wardens and their teams undergo specific training, such as Highway Safety Awareness or Chapter 8 Training for works on live carriageways. The free training offered by DCC covers only up to three participants, and additional training costs would fall to the Town Council if more volunteers were required. This could limit the Council’s ability to scale up volunteer participation if needed.

5. Health and Safety Obligations: As  ...  view the full agenda text for item 73.

Cllr Comer spoke about the DCC Community Road Warden scheme and stated he was happy for it to go towards Teignmouth in Bloom or Guerilla Gardening.

Some discussion about the positive and negative aspects of this program then took place.

Cllr Jackson proposed that this motion be adopted and will include the two amendments the TC added.

Proposed:      Cllr Jackson

Seconded:     Cllr Myers

Carried with 4 abstentions

To note the emerging 'One Teignbridge Strategy' and consider making representations, focusing on whether the Council's agrees with the priorities, is there anything missed, or anything that could be made clearer?

Noted.