Council Tax & the Town Council Precept.

Have you ever looked closely at your Council Tax bill to see who gets your money, what proportion they get, and what percentage increases have been added to the different elements since last year?

In what is known as two-tier Local Government, your Council Tax will be shared out, in varying amounts, between Central Bedfordshire District Council, Bedfordshire Police Authority, Bedfordshire & Luton Fire  Authority and Biggleswade Town Council.  In Local Government jargon, the amount paid to each of these bodies is known as a precept.

Each body sets its own precept every year and the total of all the precepts determines how much your total council tax bill will be.

The District Council is responsible for collecting all the tax and then distributing it to the others. Due to there having been some horrendous increases in council tax in recent years, and in an attempt to limit the increases in the individual precepts, the previous Government specified a maximum percentage increase that could be applied.  This was known as a cap.  This cap was applied to the precepts demanded by each body with the exception of Town Councils!  This means that Town Councils could increase their precepts by whatever percentage they wish. This still applies in the current situation where Central Government has reduced the amount of grants to our District Council.

Being well aware that the cap does not apply to Towns , a growing number of District Councils are offloading some of their non-statutory duties onto Towns.

Councillor Tricia Turner MBE, Leader of Central Bedfordshire Council has said "We are presenting a balanced budget that protects vital services while ensuring that for the first time in a generation, householders in Central Bedfordshire will not have any increase in the demand from the council in their annual council tax," 

When you get your Council Tax bill for 2011/2012 just have a look at how much the Biggleswade Town Council element is.

NOTE: It was proposed at the District Council meeting on 24th February 2011, that the Biggleswade Town Council element would be reduced by 1.78%. Go to page 8.

http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/modgov/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=21708

Central Bedfordshire Council - Members Allowances 2011/2012

A report was submitted to the District Council Meeting on 24th February, by Councilor Maurice Jones, (Biggleswade District Councillor), Portfolio Holder for Finance, Governance & People.

http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/modgov/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=21652

This report recommended :

1. that the Council resolves to make no changes to the Members’ Allowances Scheme for the year 2011/12.

2. that a meeting of the Independent Remuneration Panel be convened in the summer of 2011 to review the Scheme and submit a report to the Council.

In other words whilst workers are having pay freezes / reductions and are being sacked, the Councillors Allowances would remain untouched.

Something went wrong because the BBC News web site are carrying a report, that Conservative Council leader Tricia Turner said:

"At the meeting to discuss the cuts we asked councillors to consider reductions in their allowances."

I find it amazing that they could ever consider maintaining their allowances whilst people are losing their jobs. We will see, if after considering these reductions, they actually reduce them.  Just remember, we are all in this together.

London Road & The Baulk, Biggleswade - safer routes to school

A report by Basil Jackson, Assistant Director for Highways, Central Bedfordshire Council will be presented to the Traffic Management Committee to be held 1st March 2011.

The recommendation of the report is:

"That the portfolio holder approves the suspension of the current proposals and that further scheme options be prepared in consultation with stakeholders in 2011/12"

__________________________________________________

email sent 25th February 2011

Dear Mr Jackson,

I have taken the time to read your report that is being put to the Traffic Management Committee of 1st March 2011; that is:

Agenda Item 4, Page 29

Subject: London Road and The Baulk Biggleswade

Report of: Basil Jackson

Summary: The purpose of this report is to present to the portfolio holder for Safer Communities and Healthier Lifestyles a report on a recent consultation on a safer routes to school project in Biggleswade, to set out the wider context and seek approval for a way forward.

It is to be found at:

http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/modgov/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=21745

I was the instigator of the ePetition which ran from 12/12/2010 to 24/01/2011. 122 people signed this ePetition hence I am concerned that your report only says 76 (page 33 of the agenda) which was clearly prior to its closure and at that time was below the trigger figure of 100.  Therefore, it is inappropriate to give this inaccurate information to the Committee and I expect to read in the subsequent minutes that you have updated the Committee as to the true number.

Furthermore, I understand that there was also a paper petition that had many more signatures (something of the order of 300 comes to mind) yet there is no mention of this; perhaps you could explain this to me?

If you wanted to see a big difference made for the residents of Biggleswade, and further afield, you would have ensured that the mini-roundabout at the junction of Sun Street and Shortmead Street would have been in place by now.  Please update me on this.  You should know that this was the highest priority from the residents as recorded in the Biggleswade Town Plan which has been adopted by Biggleswade Town Council.  Perhaps you have not taken the time to read that; you will find it on page 12 of

http://www.biggleswadetownplan.org.uk/files/Biggleswade_Town_Plan_Questionnaire_Results.pdf

This is the summary:

20. Do you think that any of the following junctions, identified in the initial consultation, need improving?

Response          Response

 Percent            Count

Sun St /Shortmead St                               66.6%              813

London Rd /Dells Lane /The Baulk /Back St    59.4%              725

London Rd /Eagle Farm Rd /Drove Rd            32.2%              393

London Rd /Kitelands Rd                              4.3%                52

London Rd /Chambers Way                         13.4%              163

High St /Rose Lane                                   27.7%              338

(no response)                                          12.4%              151

Other (please specify)                                                      47

Summary of Text Responses:

• Some of these could happen now. There was a recent variation on the East Biggleswade Schedule 106 Agreement that allows for the Council to claim back from developers the cost of work carried out in advance of the agreed trigger points. We need the Sun Street/Shortmead Street roundabout now.

• Station Road/Saffron Road/Palace Street

• Where Station Road meets Saffron Road outside the station. It's a mess

• Back Street onto Station Road junction is dangerous.

• A1 south access from Biggleswade.

• From the Dunton roundabout to the industrial estate/Homebase roundabout. Prevent traffic turning right to access the rear of Matalan, instead use the roundabout industrial estate/Homebase to loop round and return to make a left turn in. This will avoid the traffic delays and congestion and will make the access safer. Similarly make traffic exiting only turn left and use the Dunton roundabout to loop back.

• Dells Lane/Windermere Drive

• The junction of St John's Street and Sun Street.

• Rear exit from Asda into Rose Lane, road markings non compliant this should be a stop line.

• London road/ Elm Road – mini-roundabouts would be helpful

• Mead End/Dells Lane

I think you can see where your priorities should lie.

Thank you for your attention and I look forward to receiving a positive response from you; this will be followed with great interest.

Mike Strange

Member - Biggleswade Town Plan Steering Group

Let's Play Pass the Parcel - Comments and update

Roundabout at junction of High Street / St Andrews Street / Shortmead Street



8th February 2011 email to Highways at Central Bedfordshire -  I attach a picture, that I took  in December 2010, of the railings at the above location.  Can you tell me when they are going to be repaired / replaced ??

19th February 2011 - Fault report note added on line - "These are not highways responsibility these are the responsibility of the Town Council. Highways do not maintain these types of  barriers"

19th February 2011 email to Biggleswade Town Council -  I reported the problem to Central Bedfordshire Highways on 8th February 2011 - photo attached.

They have now told me that: "These are not highways responsibility these are the responsibility of the Town Council. Highways do not maintain these types of barriers"

These railings have been damaged for some months, so can you tell me when they are going to be repaired / replaced.

23rd February 2011 reply from BTC - The Town Council are not going to repair or replace the railings as they do not belong to the Town Council.

23rd February 2011 email to Highways at Central Bedfordshire -

Comments on the fault say: "These are not highways responsibility these are the responsibility of the Town Council. Highways do not maintain these types of barriers"

I have contacted Biggleswade Town Council who say:

"The Town Council are not going to repair or replace the railings as they do not belong to the Town Council."

I am not prepared to go backwards and forwards between the two of you, so can you sort it out amongst yourselves and let me know who is going to deal with this problem.

____________________________________

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Let's Play Pass the Parcel":

As a further check, it would be interesting to see who 'Fix My Street' would forward this request to - and to see what reply they get...


Posted by Anonymous to Biggleswade OnLine at 24 February 2011 21:34

__________________________________________

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Let's Play Pass the Parcel":

This isn't the first time this type of railing has been damaged.

There was an incident on the other side of the road when the railings outside of Louise's Boutique were hit a few years ago. We wondered at the time if the motorist was distracted by the lingerie display in the Boutique window!

So who took on the repair responsibility last time?

Posted by Anonymous to Biggleswade OnLine at 25 February 2011 09:39

_________________________________________________

25th February 2011 reply from Highways -  I have noted your comments to the report history.  I have forwarded your email to the Highways Area Team requesting they respond again regarding this issue.  As soon as I receive their response I will contact you with the details. 

________________________________

Central Bedfordshire Council - Biggleswade Customer Service Centre

On 14th July 2010 CBC issued a press release entitled "Customer Services set for overhaul."

http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/news/news/july-2010-press-releases/customer-services.aspx

This press release followed a document, named “Remodelling of Customer Services” dated 13^th July 2010, which was presented to the Executive.

http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/modgov/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=15732

This talks about “Community Hubs” and says:

“ Initially, we will develop business cases with the Department of Work and Pensions for the co-location of the existing Job Centres with our Customer Service Centres at Biggleswade, Dunstable, and Leighton Buzzard.”

 

Biggleswade Town Council have been preparing  for CBC giving up their lease and vacating the front part of Town Council Offices. At the Council Meeting on Tuesday 22nd February 2011 costings were provided for the Town Council's move to the front of the building. They intend to take up occupancy 21st / 22nd March. At the meeting there was an element of panic and grabbing of  diaries, when someone mentioned there was a Council meeting on Tuesday 22nd March. The moves will not affect the Council Chamber.

 

Costs involved in the move:

 

Phone System £234 +VAT; Computers, server, telephone lines & supervising BT move £600 + VAT; internal move of furniture £492 inc VAT.

 

Costs to enable lease of the rear of the building:

 

Complete lease £900; Install alarm activation / deactivation to rear door £400 - £800 +VAT.

 

It was said at the Council meeting that CBC intend to move on 18th March 2011, but Mayor Councillor Mrs Wendy Smith said that apart from being told that some time ago they had heard nothing else.

 

I emailed CBC and have received this reply from their Customer Services Team Manager:

 

Thank you for your enquiry regarding the intended move of the Central Bedfordshire Customer Service Centre currently based at Saffron Road Biggleswade.

 

Our intention is to move the operation just prior to the 22/3, keeping the level of service disruption to a minimum for visitors looking for help  and advice, while telephones and computers are disconnected and reconnected at our new base.

 

The Customer Service Desk will be moving in to Job Centre Plus in Biggleswade, 78 The High Street, Biggleswade.

Recent Comments left on the blog

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Biggleswade Town Plan":

Copies of the Full Town Plan Report can also be found at Biggleswade Library (ask at the desk)


Posted by Anonymous to Biggleswade OnLine at 22 February 2011 13:02

__________________________

Rob has left a new comment on your post "Biggleswade Town Council Accounts - year ended 31s...":

Congratulations on your perseverance. It's a shame the council don't put these up on their website as a matter of course.


Posted by Rob to Biggleswade OnLine at 23 February 2011 18:58

__________________________________

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Biggleswade Health Facilities - The Future":

"Councillor Wilson said the Biggleswade Town Council survey could not be relied upon as only 1200? commented and of those ??% said the town. "
This is amusing as it's not unusual for a candidate to be elected to the Town Council on a 20-30% turnout, but still winning a majority with less than 50% of the votes actually cast...

Does this mean we shouldn't 'rely' on the election results as a true measure of public opinion either?


Posted by Anonymous to Biggleswade OnLine at 23 February 2011 19:15

___________________________________________

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Biggleswade Health Facilities - The Future":

Is this quote correct? Is Cllr Wilson saying that the Town Council's own survey cannot be relied upon? or is he referring to a 'Bigg Picture' survey perhaps?

Posted by Anonymous to Biggleswade OnLine at 24 February 2011 09:24

Let bloggers film meetings, Eric Pickles tells councils !!!

At the Biggleswade Town Council meeting on Tuesday 22nd February 2011, the standing orders were updated from banning mobile phones to banning other electronic devices or the like, I cannot remember the exact wording.

Eric Pickles department has contacted councils to ask that they adopt a "modern-day approach". It follows reports that some bloggers were stopped from using Twitter or filming during public meetings.  Mr Pickles said it was important local bloggers were given the same access as professional journalists at a time when budget decisions are being made.

He said: "Fifty years ago, Margaret Thatcher changed the law to make councils open their meetings to the press and public. This principle of openness needs to be updated for the 21st Century. More and more local news comes from bloggers or citizen journalists telling us what is happening at their local council.  "Many councils are internet-savvy and stream meetings online, but some don't seem to have caught up with the times and are refusing to let bloggers or hyper-local news sites in."

He added: "Opening the door to new media costs nothing and will help improve public scrutiny."

The move was backed by Mr Taggart, who founded the website OpenlyLocal.com, who said "hyperlocal" bloggers were doing some of the best council reporting in the country and it was "crazy" for councils to stop people "videoing, tweeting and live-blogging their meetings".

CBC's Draft Biggleswade Town Centre Strategy & Masterplan - additional displays

If you go to the bottom of this page on the CBC web site:

http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/consultations/default.aspx

An exhibition displaying the plans for the masterplan will take place on Saturday 26 February at St Andrews Church in Shortmead Street, Biggleswade between 10am and 3pm.

The displays will also be available to view after the exhibition at;

• Biggleswade Town Council offices from Thursday 3 March to Friday 11 March. The display will be staffed for one day between 12pm and 4pm on Thursday 3 March.
• Biggleswade Library from Monday 14 March for one week. The display will be staffed between 3pm and 6pm for two days on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 March.

A printed full copy of the draft town centre strategy and masterplan can also be viewed at the following locations (opening times vary) during the consultation period:

Central Bedfordshire Council Offices, Priory House, Monks Walk, Chicksands, Shefford, Bedfordshire, SG17 5TQ

Biggleswade Library, Chestnut Avenue, Biggleswade, SG18 0LL

Biggleswade Health Facilities - The Future

 

At the Biggleswade Town Council meeting last night, (22nd February 2011), Dr Hollington and Christina Ward both of the Ivel Medical Centre, attended to provide their insight into the future for health facilities in Biggleswade.

The Primary Care Trust (PCT) will no longer be responsible for organising the facilities required, that is now the responsibility of the doctors. Representatives from The Health Centre and The Ivel Medical Centre will be meeting the Kings Reach Developer to explore the S106 agreement, which at present allows for a payment of monies and the provision of land. (£625,000 index linked and 0.5 hectare of land). Dr Hollington and Christina Ward said that area would not be enough for both surgeries but they were not particularly in favour of one centre. There are associated problems with accessing one large site. I will add here that during this discussion Councillor Mrs J Lawrence said that Kings Reach was the developers name for the development, not ours and that half an acre was only big enough for the car park.

Apparently all options are open but The Practices would not commit to Saxon Gate. The practices could develop individually although the Saffron Road, Health Centre was not as critical for space. There could be the possibility of a third practice, just for Kings Reach. There could be two or three sites and the practices share them.

The practices would need to get PCT approval to their proposals and would need to address the Biggleswade Town Council survey results that said the majority of respondents wanted a new health centre in the town. If that "box was not ticked" it would fail.

Councillor Mrs J Lawrence said that the people of Biggleswade did not realise how big the town was going to be in the future, so consequently they did not realise how big a health centre would be needed. She said the survey showed that one third of people use a car to get to their doctors.  The town centre is not actually the centre of the town.

Councillor Wilson said the Biggleswade Town Council survey could not be relied upon as only 1200? commented and of those ??% said the town.

Councillor D Lawrence asked if the asset value of the two practices had been looked at. Dr Hollington did not consider this an issue.

At this point Mayor Councillor W Smith suspended the Council Meeting to let "the public" have their say.

A representative from the Biggleswade Town Plan Steering Group said they had data which might be helpful to the Doctors in formulating their options and they were willing to share it with them.

M. Russell said the town had not been given the facts. Something more than surgeries were needed. People  have to arrange transport to and from Bedford for the eye clinic and  go to Stevenage / Bedford for an X ray. A local drop in centre was needed.

The Council Meeting then resumed.  Mayor Councillor Wendy Smith said we needed to communicate more with our doctors.

CBC's Draft Biggleswade Town Centre Strategy & Masterplan

This document has been published for public consultation for a period of five weeks from 23rd February to 30th March 2011.  Other related reports and a summary booklet can also be downloaded. Click on the links on the Current Consultation tab at http://www.biggleswademasterplan.info/

Please ensure you either respond to the short online questionnaire on the above web site to ensure your opinion and feedback on the proposals regarding the town centre strategy and masterplan are heard.

A public exhibition displaying the draft proposals will take place on Saturday 26th February (10am to 3pm) at St Andrew’s Church, Shortmead Street, Biggleswade.  If you would sooner respond in person or discuss the options then this is your opportunity; make the most of it, don't waste it and complain later!

The draft masterplan document sets out the planning and development framework to guide improvements and new development within Biggleswade Town Centre and will form part of the Local Development Framework (North) for Central Bedfordshire as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

Results from the  Biggleswade Town Plan consultations and questionnaire, which covered the entire parish, not just the town centre, made a significant input to CBCs Masterplan project.  The resident steering group web site is http://www.biggleswadetownplan.org.uk/ where all reports produced by the group can be downloaded.

From Mike Strange, member Biggleswade Town Plan Steering Group

Biggleswade OnLine - posting of pictures by visitors to the blog

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Biggleswade OnLine":

I see there are some images here but is it possible for visitors to post pictures (on the basis that they are worth 'a thousand words')? Posted by Anonymous to Biggleswade OnLine at 22 February 2011 13:04

____________________________________________

Unfortunately I cannot reply directly to the email as it was posted anonymously, but the answer is, there is no facility for doing this.  If you have a suitable picture you want posted that is not copyright  then I would try and publish it. You can send stories and pictures to me at my email Richard Mason and if I published them I could do so without identifying you.

Biggleswade Magistrates' Court - signage

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Biggleswade Magistrates Court":

I wonder how many people ever noticed the double a on the pedestrian sign in the first picture. Maybe it was supposed to make up for the missing apostrophe.


Posted by Anonymous to Biggleswade OnLine at 16 February 2011 18:50

_____________________________________________

 

Here is a picture taken today, 22nd February 2011, as the signs are still there. I must admit I didn't notice it.

Biggleswade Town Council Accounts year ended 31st March 2010

These are the accounts it has taken me 6 months to get. I'm sorry if you get a stiff neck trying to read this but I have tried all ways to get it to fit and still be legible. You could print it, there are 17 pages in all. Alternatively if you want it in pdf file format, turned around, just contact me Richard Mason 



Biggleswade Town Council Accounts - year ended 31st March 2010 - another saga

This one goes on and on and on, but stick with it like I did until the end. This is a summary of 6 months of bashing my head on a brick wall.

On the 6th August 2010, I asked the Town Clerk:

Can you provide me with a copy of the of the Town Council Accounts for year ended 31st March 2010, together with any supporting breakdown sheets.

If you could let me know when these are available I will come in and pay whatever the photocopying comes to.

On the 19th August 2010, the response from the Town Clerk:

I am unable to provide a copy of year end accounts as they are with the external Auditor for signing off.

The accounts were available for members of the public to view and comment on from the 10th May 2010 to the 7th June 2010.

The accounts when completed by the external Auditor will be placed before Council and fourteen days after that meeting notices will be placed that the Accounts can be inspected or copied by members of the public.

So much for Open Government, but I am not unreasonable, so my reply was:

That’s fair enough, can I have a copy when they are available please.

Having heard nothing by 18th October 2010, I sent another email:

It is now over two months from the date of my original request. I understand that the accounts for year ended 31st March 2010, should have been approved by 30th September 2010.

Can I now have a copy of all of the documents within the next 20 working days please.

I got an immediate response:

As explained before the accounts were available between the 10th May 2010 and the 7th June 2010 for inspection.

The accounts have been signed off by the auditor and the report will go before the Council on 26th October 2010.

You are now entitled to view the annual return between 10.00 am and 3.00pm via appointment up until Wednesday this week.

If you wish to view the annual return, please arrange an appointment with a member of the office staff on 01767 313134.

My response, the same day:

Under the Freedom of Information Act I am formally asking you for a copy of the accounts with the supporting breakdown, repeating my request of 6th August 2010. I am not restricted to only having a copy between the dates you determine. I have had a copy in other years, from your predecessor, Doreen King and I do not see why I should not have one now.

I will not be able to view the Annual Return, which is only a basic summary, and not the document I want, as I am otherwise occupied for most of the week.

I trust you will be able to comply with my request.

Email on Monday 25th October 2010 from the Town Clerk:

A copy of the accounts are being prepared and will be available to collect by the end of the week. I will let you know the cost of producing the copy.

The following Monday 1st November 2010.

I am still waiting for you to let me know the cost of copying and when I can collect the documents.

Friday 5th November 2010.

Accounts are available for collection at a cost of £2.50, or alternatively they can be posted at a cost of £3.20. If you require the accounts to be posted please can I have your full address and payment at your convenience.

I collected the documents, in a sealed envelope, that day but did not get a chance to have a look at them until 19th December 2010.

I emailed the Town Clerk:

I have now had a chance to have a look at the documents I collected and paid for on 5th November 2010.

They are entitled Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2010 and are not the documents I asked for was expecting or wanted.

I have previously been provided with the following documents entitled:

Budget Summary

Budget Detail

Budget Detail - By Centre - which covered Biggleswade Magistrates Court, Allotments, Street Lights, Burial Grounds, Car Parks, Market, Town Centre General, Grants, Capital Expenditure, Corporate Management, Democratic Rep'n & Mngmt, Civic Activities & Expenses, Recreation Grounds, Biggleswade CLF, Central Services, Outside Services.

There were about 20 sheets last time. Can you now provide these documents please, by 31st January 2011 at the latest.

Response 4th January 2011:

In relation too your initial request for me to provide you with a copy of the Town Councils Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2010, I have provided you with the exact documents that you requested.

If you now feel that these documents are not what you require, please could you be more specific with regard to the precise document you require in order that I can prepare this for collection or post.

My reply the same day:

I assumed back in August 2010 when I asked for:

".....copy of the Town Council Accounts for year ended 31st March 2010, together with any supporting breakdown sheets"

I would be provided with the documents I had in previous years.

In my email of 19th December, I thought I was being very specific in listing approx 20 documents by title, I have been provided with in other years and I am now requesting them again for year ending 31.03.10.

They are:

Budget Summary

Budget Detail

Budget Detail - By Centre - which covered Biggleswade Magistrates Court, Allotments, Street Lights, Burial Grounds, Car Parks, Market, Town Centre General, Grants, Capital Expenditure, Corporate Management, Democratic Rep'n & Mngmt, Civic Activities & Expenses, Recreation Grounds, Biggleswade CLF, Central Services, Outside Services.

21st January 2011 from Town Clerk:

Documents are available to collect Mon 24th January 2011 at a cost of 80 pence. If you require them to be posted an additional cost of 41 pence will apply.

I collected the documents from the Town Council Offices on Monday 24th January and was given a receipt which said "Budget paperwork for year ended March 2010." You would have thought that was the end of it but NO.

27th January 2011 to Town Clerk:

I have spent some time this afternoon looking at documents I picked up from your offices on Monday morning.

I confirmed at the time that the documents were in the format that I was expecting, but on closer examination I have discovered they are not for year ending 31st March 2010. None of the totals agree with the statement of accounts for year ending 31st March 2010.

They include the £20,000 for Biggleswade Town FC and £37,200 for a new mower, both of which were reported on at the Town Assembly of 26th May 2009 and are actually recorded in the minutes as "major achievements" for year ended 31st March 2009.

As my original request for these documents goes back to 6th August 2010, I will you now expect you to have these documents available for collection on Wednesday 2nd February, as I will not be available until then.

31st January 2011 email from Biggleswade Town Council, Accounts Assistant:

I can confirm the Accounts paperwork that you have requested, is now available for collection.

Wednesday 2nd February, I collected the documents. What is in them is another story, which I will attempt to cover in another blog. 

Avenue Centre, The Avenue - Following the money



In November 1999 the site and building, was sold by Biggleswade Town Council  to Acorn Homes, for the sum of £200,000.

I am given to believe that when BTC sold The Avenue Club, an undertaking was given, particularly to organisations using the Club premises, that the sale money would be ring fenced and be held towards meeting the cost of a town community centre. At The Town Assembly Meeting of 23rd May 2006, when Vic Brunt asked what had happened to the monies from the sale he was told by Councillor Vickers that it was no longer ring fenced !

______________________________________________________

I have recently discovered that an amount of £200,000 is shown in the BTC accounts in the reserves for year ended 31^st March 2003, and is shown as EMR (Ear Marked Reserve?) – New Office Provision.

On Tuesday 15th February 2011, I sent an email to the BiggleswadeTown Clerk asking:

1.     Can you provide me with a copy of the minutes around the time of the sale in November 1999 that mentions anything about the sale and the purpose of the proceeds?

2.     Can you provide me with a copy of the minutes which show the minuted decision (between November 1999 and 31^st March 2003) which changed the designation of the £200,000 in reserves to New Office Provision?

If you consider this task too onerous, I am quite prepared to search for this information myself, if you would give me access to your archived minutes. 

The 20 working days, by which time the information should be provided,  will expire on Tuesday 15th March 2011.

The saga of the lights at Kitelands Recreation Ground, Biggleswade - COMMENT

Rob has left a new comment on your post "The saga of the lights at Kitelands Recreation Gro...":

Timer switches are very tricky, especially when you have speculative, unrealistic planning applications to prepare, submit, resubmit without dealing with the issues raised in response to your first submission, write to the local paper about a prospective (and pointless) appeal against the decision to refuse your speculative and unrealistic planning application for a health centre that it isn't your job to provide on land that you don't own...

Posted by Rob to Biggleswade OnLine at 20 February 2011 22:49

Councillor Wendy P Smith - "I'm amazed this has provoked animosity" - COMMENT

Rob has left a new comment on your post "Councillor Wendy P Smith - "I'm amazed this has pr...":

I think you are overstating the significance of most of the editing of the first letter.

Not as ill-judged as Town Mayor Councillor Mrs Smith's letter though. To show such disdain for the Chronicle's letters page seems odd for the leader of our local elected representatives. That she accuses Mr Garner of deliberate misunderstanding is almost incredible given her and her colleagues' feckless planning application

Posted by Rob to Biggleswade OnLine at 20 February 2011 23:19

____________________________________________

For the record, on another of your posts I do disagree entirely that we changed the meaning of Mr Garner's letter. True, some bits were taken out to get the overall word count down and for punctuation purposes, but in my opinion this did nothing to alter the overall meaning.

 

Best regards

 

Jim Stewart

Editor

Bedfordshire Times & Citizen

Biggleswade Chronicle

Councillor Wendy P Smith - "I'm amazed this has provoked animosity"

Mayor Dame Janet Stancomb Wills DBE - Ramsgate 1923

Firstly the letter written by J Garner to the Biggleswade Chronicle was not the letter they published (February 11th). This is the original letter, with highlighted areas that they omitted / changed. The whole sense of the letter was altered and it appeared as though health centres were being closed down. I know the Chronicle reserve the right to edit letters but surely not like this. I think they should republish the letter as it was submitted.

OUR Local council and I use the word OUR with a smile on my face, is trying once again to get the new health centre on the outskirts of the town.

Does not OUR town council listen to those they serve and who pays them. We want it put in the Centre of the Town as do those who have to travel by bus to see a doctor.

Mrs Wendy Smith you do not seem to read the letters that were sent to the Chronicle about this matter as everyone wants it in the town centre and as to the sports pitches etc I think if you read and listen to the news you will find that this government are planning to shut down these places to save money and as all the bus routes seem to be being cut back how are we going to get there when we have to get two buses that at the moment which run one (changed to once) an hour,(question mark inserted and changed to new paragraph) how are the Drs surgery going to cope with all the patients turning up at once?

Just remember councillors you were elected to serve Us and most of us have good memories when the next election comes around.

Now coming to the letter from Mayor Wendy Smith in this weeks (18th February) Chronicle. What she calls  "animosity" is what others call free speech and perhaps even constructive criticism. Something our Councillors have not been used to for many years. She still does not get the message that we do not want a health centre out of town. She can never convince anyone that concreting over wild flora and fauna and building a health centre with nearly 300 parking spaces is "saving an area of land to the East of Biggleswade as Green Belt." The "deliberately misunderstood" comment made by her has overtones of the blind, daft and stupid comment from another town councillor.

It appears our Councillors are getting a bit twitchy with the elections coming up and are trying to justifying what they have been doing without local support. I await to see which councillor next will seek to justify their actions. 

The saga of the lights at Kitelands Recreation Ground, Biggleswade



The lights were switched off on 10th December 2010, 10 weeks ago and it does not appear Biggleswade Town Council have made any attempt to resolve the problems, and switch them on again. The lights were switched off under threat from Central Bedfordshire Council, Planning Enforcement as Biggleswade Town Council could not, after five months of trying, get the lights to comply with the times in the planning permission.

"The lighting hereby permitted shall at no time be switched on between the hours of 8.00 pm to 7.00 am."

They were in fact, on all night at one stage, and after a number of attempts to resolve the problem were on until around midnight and back on again at 5.00am in the morning.

It should be remembered that these lights were provided for school children coming and going to school during the winter, on the basis that some children may be in school after normal hours, for outside activities and clubs. The provision of the lighting was very much supported by the schools. The timing of the lighting was decided on the basis that it would only be switched on when required by the school children. This would ensure that there would be no light pollution from the columns closest to residential properties during the late evening and night time hours. The Architectural Liaison Officer from Bedfordshire Police supported the principle of extinguishing the lights at an appropriate time in order to discourage youths gathering.