Annual Report

NEWQUAY TOWN COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 2009-2010

KEY/ - Present,  NA - No apology, O -  Apologies – no reason, AR - Absent with reason,  S - Sickness, FC – Family commitments, LA - Late Arrival, ED- Early Departure,  H  -   Holidays, R - Resigned from the Town Council, WC - Work Commitments .

THE MAYOR’S REPORT 2009-2010

This year commences a new chapter in the life of local government for Newquay.  On 1^st April 2009 we changed over to One Cornwall and that presented new opportunities for Newquay to engage directly with the new authority.

It was my privilege to lead the town on the start of this exciting journey during my year of office.  I would claim that we have been a ‘doing council’.  We have funded 50% of the cost of a full time police officer, commissioned a memorial plaque for the victims of the Penhallow fire and taken over the running of the Tourism Information Centre from Cornwall Council – the first stage of the journey to reclaim assets.

While doing this, we have for the second year running held the precept. 

A special thank you to Lady Long and the committee who are overseeing the Town and Parish Plan.  This important document will map out the future hopes and aspirations of Newquay and it’s people.

I would also like to thank the support given to me by fellow councillors and the people of Newquay during my term of office.

COMMITTEE REPORTS.

Town Council

There are 20 members of the Town Council and each member has a specific responsibility on each of the standing committees on which they sit.  The full council meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 7.00pm in the Council Chamber, Marcus Hill (except in May when Mayor Making takes place and the council business meeting is deferred to the following week) and there is an opportunity for all residents to come and voice their concerns to the council.  This is also the case that all residents can attend any committee meeting when there is the opportunity in public question time to put questions to the members.  The Annual Town meeting which is normally held in March is where members of the public can take the floor for the majority of the meeting and chairmen of the committees give an annual report.     Standard Orders and Financial Regulations govern the council in what and how decisions can be made.  These orders and regulations are defined by the National Association of Local Councils.

Finance and Policy

The Finance and Policy Committee comprises the Chairman and Vice Chairman from each of the four main Council’s standing committees and is chaired by the Deputy Mayor.

This committee is responsible for co-ordination and review of the Council’s financial matters including the annual precept.  This precept is set after the individual committees have forecast their budgets for the forthcoming fiscal year.  The precept is the income of the Council and is allocated from taxes.  It also is accountable for the review of standing orders and financial regulations which govern the Council and the administrative costs that occur throughout the year.  The administration budget for 2009-2010 was £80,008 and the expenditure was £83,952.00.The budget for Finance & Policy was £16,300.00 and the expenditure was £5,400.00. The precept set for 2009-2010 was £270,000.00 and this committee meets once a month.

Planning

Since the Unitary Authority of Cornwall was formed on 1^st April 2009, things have been moving forward apace with regard to input to the Central Area Planning Committee.  With a serving committee of eight members, decisions are taken on planning applications every two weeks by the Town Council.  The Chairman and Vice Chairman have attended many meetings with Cornwall Council’s Local Planning Liaison Group over the past year and these meetings have proved beneficial to both Cornwall Council and Parish and Town Councils in that more communication between the Planning Officers at Cornwall Council and the Parish and Town Councils.  As at all committee meetings, there is time set aside for Public Questions and very often members of the public attend planning meetings to voice concerns they may have regarding certain applications.  This committee does not have a budget and meets twice a month.

Tourism & Leisure

Over the past year, grants have been made to various groups in Newquay to assist in the Tourism industry.  Beneficiaries have included the Carnival organisers, Harbour Sports, Newquay Christmas Street Fayre, Fireworks on New Year’s Eve, Fish Festival, band concerts on the Killacourt and the biggest support is to the Summer Festival which is now an annual event and takes place on the Killacourt.

As from 1^st May 2010, the Tourism Committee will be responsible for the running of the Newquay Tourist Information Centre.  Negotiations have been taking place with Visit Cornwall and Cornwall Council to hand over the TIC from them to Newquay Town Council.  This is an enormous venture but the Town Council is confident that it will be successful and the Tourist Information Centre will go from strength to strength over the next few years.  The budget for this committee was set at £53,250 and the expenditure was £56,283.00. and this committee meets monthly.

Economic Development & General Purposes

This committee has the largest budget of all Town Council committees.  It encompasses CCTV, Decorative, Autumn and Christmas Lighting, fireworks at the Christmas Parade, temporary toilets at Tregunnel, Streetsafe Project, the fountain outside the Post Office, Youth Initiative.  The CCTV project has been put into operation at Trenance and has proved to be a successful deterrent to vandalism being caused in the area and the Streetsafe Scheme has proved to be more than worthwhile in giving assistance to those who are in difficulties in Newquay over the summer months.  A new portacabin has been installed at the bottom of the library slope where police and paramedics are stationed.  The water fountain at the Post Office was subjected to deep cuts and gouges due to the persistent skateboarders using it as a jump but this has now been repaired and is fully functioning again. Plans are in the pipeline to stage a celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee at Trenance where it will involve all of the residents of Newquay  in 2012.  The budget was set at £80,000.00 and the actual expenditure was £97,139.00 and again this committee meets on a monthly basis.

Footpaths, Bridleways and Open Spaces

The responsibilities of this committee extend throughout Newquay and cover the majority of the footpath and weed control maintenance.  The Gannel has been cleaned up and is now looking very pretty and all of the boats are now correctly moored to Health and Safety standards. It is hoped that public seating will be placed at the Gannel picnic area this year.  Grants have been extended to the Newquay in Bloom and the South West in Bloom competitions and this year, Newquay will be hosting the South West in Bloom competition.  The introduction of the ant-seagull sacks was a free service supplied by this committee to Newquay residents and has been a great success.  The Priory Woods project is now nearing completion and will soon be in the remit of the Town Council whose responsibility it will be to ensure that the woods are maintained and well kept for all to use.  The skate park has recently been refurbished by a group of volunteers who have worked tirelessly to upgrade and improve this facility.  It is hoped that major events will soon be taking place there for skateboarders and BMX.    The budget was set at £51,552.00 and the actual expenditure was £52,856.

All of the above figures were reconciled with the addition of income from various sources there was very little over expenditure of the individual budgets.

In general matters, the return of the Newquay Urban District Chain of Office and other regalia was returned to the Town Council after many years of being with Restormel Borough Council.  The regalia was handed to Restormel with the demise of the Newquay Urban District Council in 1974 but has now been returned to the people of Newquay.   There is Good Citizens Award d issued annually to a member of the public for good services rendered to charities etc.  There is also a youth award given annually.

There are several sub-committees which include the Dinard Twinning which is working towards a visit from representatives of Dinard in September 2010, Quality Status which has the responsibility to ensure that the Council is maintaining the high standard it has achieved, Transition Committee which has a great responsibility in aiming to recover the former assets of the Newquay Urban District Council which were handed over to the District Council in 1975 and is at present attempting to refurbish and make good the Towan Paddling Pool. Discussions are taking place with the Unitary Authority (Cornwall Council) to recover the Killacourt and other areas of Newquay. 

The Parish Plan

The Parish & Town Plan will be a document which sets out a view of a positive future from those living, working and using the Parish of Newquay.  It will link into many other plans, organisations and activities which are going on.  It is led by a wide ranging local partnership which includes the Town Council, Cornwall Council, resident groups, businesses, health and police working together and an independent co-ordinator to pull it together.

Consultation is taking place throughout the process which includes a wide ranging questionnaire to every household in the Newquay Parish (this will be online as well as a hard copy) to draw on the views of the whole population.  The main document will be drawn up in the Autumn and more information can be obtained at http://www.newquaycommunity.co.uk/ or contact the co-ordinator Mark Goodman on 07812538535.

STANDING COMMITTEES & WORKING PARTIES

REPRESENTATIVES TO OUTSIDE BODIES