Market Weighton Town Council

Chairman's Report for the 2003-2004 Civic Year.


Market Weighton Town Council is made up of 13 members who are elected on a strict 4-year cycle. The most recent election took place on 1st May, 2003 when 12 duly nominated candidates for the 13 vacant seats were returned without formal ballot. The remaining vacant seat was filled by co-option by MWTC in June 2003. (A list of current members of MWTC and contact details are given at Appendix 1).

Market Weighton Town Council meets twice a month - usually on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday - at the Town Hall, 2 Linegate.
These are public meetings and everyone is welcome to attend.

Public participation is not permitted by law unless prior permission has been sought from the Town Mayor but, in the interests of open government, MWTC has determined that a ‘Public Consultation’ item appears on the Agenda at each Regular Meeting of the Town Council (the first meeting in each month) when members of the public, members of the electorate and representatives of groups and societies within the town are able to address the Council on matters of mutual concern. Four days notice of an application to address the Council is required in order that the subject matter can be properly advertised.

MWTC welcomes public participation and constructive criticism and is always willing to hear the views of the town upon issues of local concern or matters upon which the Council has been formally consulted. A regular surgery is held by Councillors between 10.00am and 12 noon on the third Saturday of each month – to coincide with the new Local Producers’ Market - at the Town Hall to which everyone is cordially invited.
This Annual Town Meeting also gives the electorate an official opportunity to raise similar matters with the Council.

At the Annual Town Council meeting held on the evening of Wednesday, 14th May, 2003 Cllr S J King was re-elected to the position of Town Mayor and Cllr M G Seaward re-elected to the position of Deputy Town Mayor and Councillors were formally elected to represent the Town Council on various bodies, including:

East Riding and Northern Lincolnshire Local Councils'
Association.
Pocklington and District Crime Prevention Panel.
ERYC Conservation Advisory Panel.
Humberside Police Authority, Pocklington Police Community Liaison Committee.
Regional Management Committee of the Citizens' Advice Bureau.
Weighton Area Regeneration Partnership (WARP).
Market Weighton Community Hall Management Committee.
School Governing Bodies at Mount Pleasant C of E Infant and Junior Schools and St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School.
MW and District Chamber of Trade and Commerce Committee.
MW Christmas Lighting Committee.
ERYC Parish Council Liaison Committee.
Yorkshire Wolds Heritage Trust Committee.
Giant Bradley Day Committee.

Members of Committees and Sub-Committees of the Town Council were also formally elected, including:

Planning and Finance Standing Committee.
Personnel Sub-Committee.
Cemetery, Parks and Leisure Sub-Committee.
Annual Garden Competition Sub-Committee.
Property and Development Sub-Committee.
Town Enhancement Sub-Committee.
Information Technology Sub-Committee.
Conduct and Grievance Procedure Sub-Committee.

On the staffing side; Mrs Sally Furness, Town Clerk began a period of sick leave in July 2003 from which she has yet to return to work and Mrs Tracy Simms, Administrative Officer returned to work in November 2003 after maternity leave following the birth of a daughter.

The Town Council Precept for 2003/2004 was £104,360.00 (a nil increase to all Council Tax payers on the 2002/2003 figure - when the Band 'D' demand for the year was £53.50 (£1.03 per week).

This year saw the completion of major improvements on the Council-owned Market Site between York Road and Londesborough Road including levelling, drainage, provision of electrical facilities, surfacing and refurbishment of the market manager’s office. This work was partially funded through Yorkshire Forward by a WARP-supported grant and has resulted in much-needed off-street car parking and a renewal of interest in the long-established Friday Market on the site.

A new monthly Local Producers’ Market on the site has the full support of the Town Council and early indications are that the venture will have a positive effect upon the town as a whole.

Resurfacing work on Providence Row – between High Street and the War Memorial Playing Field - was begun in April of this year will be completed in the near future.

The Town Council, once again, organised the very successful Annual Garden Competition and supported the town’s Christmas Lighting Scheme through a donation of £4,999.52 to the Chamber of Trade.
During the course of the past year, provision was also made for financial support to be given to:

Childline – Yorkshire and North East
Croft Pre-School
The MW Royal British Legion
The RNLI
Londesborough Park Cricket Club
MW Chamber of Trade (Giant Bradley Day entertainment)
MW Tennis Club
MW Scout and Guide Hut Committee
Market Weighton in Bloom
Market Weighton Skateboard Committee.
Weighton Area Regeneration Partnership.

The Council also gave financial support to the Humberside Police-managed Mobile CCTV Scheme which covers Market Weighton, Pocklington and neighbouring parishes; contributed - by way of a subsidy - to the ERYC to help maintain the Friday shoppers' bus service linking Holme-on-Spalding-Moor and adjacent villages to MW; contributed towards the energy costs of lighting All Saints Church tower and clock, and was fully responsible for the maintenance of that lighting and met 50% of the costs of grass cutting in All Saints Churchyard and continued to be responsible for the closed cemeteries at All Saints Church and on Londesborough Road.

The Council was pleased to welcome Rural Sea (Humber and Wolds Community Council) to vacant office accommodation within the Town Hall and made the Council Chamber and other facilities available for regular meetings of the Yorkshire Valuation Tribunal, the Regional Health Authority, Age Concern and WARP.

MWTC continued to operate as Burial Authority for the town, maintaining the present cemetery on Holme Road and actively pursuing the acquisition of adjacent land for use as a cemetery extension.

The War Memorial Playing Fields, the Monkey Run and the Green are all under Town Council control and, as well as funding grass cutting, routine maintenance, the replacement of vandalised equipment and the necessary annual Health and Safety inspection by RoSPA, MWTC once again set aside funding to assist in the improvement of the present facilities.

The Town Council is responsible for the maintenance, replacement and increase in the number of wayside seats within the parish and, again, this year purchased a number of litter bins to augment those provided by the ERYC.

The Council owns a small number of street lights within the town and these are lit and maintained via a Service Level Agreement with the ERYC and a similar agreement with the Authority has given MWTC responsibility for the extensive network of rural footpaths, stiles, kissing gates and footbridges within the parish boundaries.

All these financial responsibilities, together with those associated with the staffing and general administration of MWTC's financial affairs were undertaken during the 2003/2004 financial year within the precepted budget and the Council's Accounts and Annual Returns for the year to April 2004 are being prepared for approval by the District Auditor as required under current audit regulations and will be available for public inspection as required by law.

The Precept for the present - 2004/2005 - financial year was set in January 2004 at £109,715.00 a figure which means that there will be a 3.5 per cent increase this year to the Council Tax payer of Market Weighton for the service provided by MWTC to the town.

As Chairman, I would like to commend the foresight of members of MWTC over the years which has resulted in the Council's present healthy financial position and to record the thanks of the Town Council for the work of the Town Hall staff in helping to maintain this situation during 2003/2004.

During 2003/2004 the Town Council, as a statutory consultee, considered each and every planning application received by the ERYC which concerned Market Weighton - and also those which, although outside the parish boundaries, impinged upon town affairs - and responded to the Planning Authority accordingly.

All plans are available for public inspection at the Town Hall - a service the Town Council provides and which avoids interested parties having to travel to Burnby Hall at Pocklington or to County Hall at Beverley to inspect identical plans at ERYC offices.

The Council continues to support the planned footpath link between Meadow Drive and Manor Fields – undertaking during the year a widespread consultation exercise to determine the current wish for the proposed path - the provision of which formed a major condition within the original planning consent and which was supported by HM Planning Inspectorate at Public Inquiry.

A similar much-needed footpath link between Walkington Drive and York Road also continues to receive Town Council support.

MWTC participated in a Standards Monitoring Programme of ERYC Services within the town and liaised with senior officers and elected members of the Authority to progress, amongst other matters;


The new permanent one-way system in Princess Road.
The Town Square and associated seats and planters.
Speed-activated traffic signs on Sancton Road.
Provision of cycle stands within the town.
Speeding vehicles and the need for new speed restrictions.
The increasing numbers of HGV vehicles unnecessarily using the town centre and the need for HGV restrictions.
On-street and off-street parking provision and on-street parking restrictions.
Designated winter salting routes.
The winter salting of pavements within the town centre.
A Town-wide Traffic Management Plan.
General highway concerns.
Formal lease of part of the former MW railway station site and adjacent embankment from ERYC - for use as public open space to be developed and maintained by MWTC.
The impending refurbishment of the ERYC public toilets on Londesborough Road.
Street lighting along The Archway.
Unpermitted development within the town's designated Conservation Area.

MWTC has a close working relationship with the Humberside Community Police Team and senior officers are always welcome at meetings of the Council. Regular monthly surgeries for members of the public are held at the Town Hall, crime statistics are formally presented to the Town Council and the Council is in regular contact with the Police Team on matters of mutual interest and concern.

The Town Council was also consulted upon, and contributed towards, the implementation of and amendments to Legislation and to Local, Regional and National Policy - including amendments to the areas covered by the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 - The Local Authorities (Alcohol Consumption in Public Places) Regulations, Rural Housing Issues, Traffic Regulation Orders, the developing Plans for Hull and the East Riding and ERYC Managed Release of Residential Development Sites.

A formal Risk Assessment for the full range of MWTC activities - many of which are already part of standard practice as confirmed by Council minutes – is nearing completion and will be adopted by members as soon as practicable.

I would like to take this opportunity, as Town Mayor, to thank the elected members and staff of MWTC for the commitment they have shown to the town during the past 12 months and to thank them, on a more personal level, for the support they gave me during the same period.

I am happy to take questions on this Annual Report from the meeting; further questions or requests for clarification can also be addressed, in writing, to the Town Council at The Town Hall,
2 Linegate.