[Graham:] All here.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Graham:] Well, before we start, once again, we're on air. Recorded by, what's it called? The Corpus,
[speaker002:] Erm, British Corpus.
[Graham:] British Corpus. That's, best language, best behaviour, this evening. That's a microphone.
[speaker002:] Incredible. This is new, you've gotta explain, cos I was a bit concerned last night, unless you know about it. Yeah, what is what is the reason behind this?
[Graham:] It's M I Five.
[speaker002:] Collaborate. [LAUGHTER]
[Graham:] It was the, the British Corpus asked us if we would be willing to record the last council meeting, because they wanted to, erm, get dialects and accents and use of words from different parts of the country, and they were so enthralled by our display, they've asked for a further two meetings. So we did last night's, and now we're doing tonight's.
[speaker002:] And they couldn't understand the vocabulary. [LAUGHTER]
[Graham:] Yeah, we had too many oohs and ahs. [cough] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] There's two more.
[Graham:] I think there's no real point to, to start them with before, is there? Seeing as we're gonna ask young ladies to, to talk.
[speaker002:] Only thirty second early.
[Graham:] Right, well, good evening, ladies, gentlemen and members of the public, and erm, the first thing I'd like to do is to ask the youngest of the young ladies at the end of the table, who have come to talk to us, and I'm not quite sure, let me guess which one, but I reckon that that's Miss and, and that's Miss. Have I got it right? So we've got, I did have the first names somewhere. Katy an Katy and Amy. That's Katy, no Amy and Katy, who gonna talk to us about project they're doing, which is called a dog called Mock. Okay, so ov over to you two.
[speaker002:] You ready? [LAUGHTER] No, [] Well, the book in her own time, produced these eight books of which four we're going to put into print. Perhaps you'd like to pass them are you, erm, [crackling] you could have a look at them. The teachers felt that they'd put so much effort into it, that it er, should be taken a stage further, [people talking] and, perhaps go towards printing, and to this end, they erm, approach from John. Er, this entails erm, producing a book exactly the same size as the Trade Directory. It will have the same feel to the cover, forty pages and er [paper rustling] contain four of the stories. Erm, to this end, we need about six hundred pounds for the printing, and then all the proceeds will go towards the legal and also to buy additional equipment for the primary school. Erm, it's their last year at the primary school so it would nice to leave a couple of benches or something like that behind, for the old'uns to sit on. But it's all their own work, they're at the moment re-drawing every single page of the four stories that will be in the book, and I think that Amy's got, this is the work in progress. Erm, the book here is the one that she's working on at the moment. Some stories they've chosen to use. And you can see actually [phone rings] [phonecall starts] Hello, So they've all Yeah. Got to be re-drawn in black and white, that'll be gone over Hello, okay, my love, yeah, I will do finish, okay, okay, fine, see you then, Happy Christmas, bye [phonecall ends]. putting a lot more detail in, rather than, any Beano Annual you should buy, there is always things in the background that draw you eye in to the picture, so Amy's putting a lot more detail into the picture as it coming up for re-drawing. Erm, we've got to set out, haven't we, Amy? And as I say, Bill is doing it all at cost, so, you know, he's not making anything out of it, himself. Erm, we've got a few sponsors, and also a few places that people have agreed to sell the book and display, so Nurseries, Redferns, Malcolm, College Bookshop, Toy and Candy, erm, a bloke from Manchester Insurance has given me a couple of days to sell the book out there. At the lunchtime, they've got a big social club, erm, and all main hospital fund raising coffee mornings and events will be able to sell the book there. So, you know, there is an end to the product, we can see when...
[Graham:] And,an and, and in our Portsmouth Information Centre.
[speaker002:] Great, that would be lovely, yeah. And I also hoping to contact the Parent Teacher Association, of the schools that the hospital will service, and see if they will sell the books at their stall as well because it's all to benefit... hospitals, you see. So there are outlets.
[Graham:] We hmm, now, young ladies, how long have you been working on this? A year?
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Graham:] And erm, how much time do you spend on it?
[speaker002:] They te it, they tend to do a lot like in the holidays and half term, when they can get together, because obviously there are other demands on them with Brownies and Guides and stuff like that. But it's really when you're together, you work on them more, don't you? [LAUGHTER]
[Graham:] Right, the production cost is say six hundred pounds, right?
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Graham:] And you've raised some sponsorship.
[speaker002:] We've raised about two hundred, just over two hundred.
[Graham:] Great. Has anybody got any questions for these young ladies, or their mums?
[speaker002:] Can sponsor money?
[Graham:] Sorry?
[speaker002:] That they would raise as a sponsor what to give, or, give us some idea, what er, Yeah, they, they've got sponsorship down beneath the two hundred pounds.
[Graham:] Paul.
[Paul:] They seem to work very hard on these. Have you any idea how many books you might actually sell?
[speaker002:] Erm, we're no we're not sure about selling. I mean, this, the six hundred pound will produce one thousand books. That gives us the potential of raising two thousand pounds, because we intend to sell them for one ninety nine. We've been told if we go over the two pound, they won't sell, sell so well, erm, so really I'm not too sure, but er, I, I can work on bigger, er, like I got this couple of days off living Manchester, I'm sure if I approach erm, you know, the police, they might give me a couple of days selling out there.
[Graham:] Can I
[speaker002:] I'm sure of ways and means. Mm.
[Graham:] can I ask you, it's a thousand pounds to sell two hundred and fifty of each of the four?
[speaker002:] No. No, this book, well it's
[Graham:] Will...
[speaker002:] two thousand of this book which contains the four stories
[Graham:] Contains the four of th oh, right, that's fine.
[speaker002:] Yeah, yeah.
[Graham:] So, what we've got is four of these books that will go and condense into one copy,
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Graham:] and two thousand copies of, a thousand copies of that.
[speaker002:] One thousand of this, yeah.
[Graham:] Right.
[speaker002:] Yeah, Same size. [car horn]
[Graham:] Who's gonna pick which four go in, then?
[speaker002:] They both are.
[Graham:] They both are.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Graham:] And have you got any ideas which ones they are?
[speaker002:] Yes, Gail, you show them. that one. please. and er, this one. That's the one where it's properly drawn up, is it? Yeah, and the dog show. And the dog show. And the seaside one. And the seaside. and the seaside.
[Graham:] Right, have we got any timescale on this?
[speaker002:] Erm, yes. It will be produced by Easter.
[Graham:] Right.
[speaker002:] Yeah, we've drawn out deadlines for the books to be copied and, and it will be launched at Easter. Erm, colours. Er, we've got black and white with three other colours. Er, blue red and yellow, which mixed together should also give us purple, green and pink. So we're probably talking about eight different colours.
[Graham:] Right.
[speaker002:] We thought if anybody.
[Graham:] Right, now. First thing, I wanna thank you for coming in. I wanna thank you for the initiative you've shown. I can't tell you till we've had our meeting what we're gonna decide. Whatever happens, we wish you very well. I think I speak for everybody and say that we wish you well in this project. And if either mum likes to phone in, or come into the office tomorrow, by tomorrow you'll know what we can do, or if we're gonna do anything to help you. Okay. Right, so we won't keep you waiting. We'll get it sorted tonight.
[speaker002:] Thank you very much.
[Graham:] Okay. Thank you for taking the time and come to see us. Anyway, I think these young ladies deserve a round of applause for what they've done so far.
[speaker002:] [clapping]
[Graham:] Don don't to be afraid to come and see us again, alright? It's quite nice to have people here. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] We'll be selling copies next time. [LAUGHTER]
[Graham:] Right before we actually st [paper rustling] plans, please. Now, before we, again before we start the actual meeting proper, I've invited Carol along, you'll see that we've got er, oh sorry, for those who don't know Carol. leading night in Rio. And you'll see we've got an application up for Rio tonight. We thought it would be a good opportunity for Carol to come along and tell you, as quickly as she can,
[speaker002:] Yeah. [LAUGHTER]
[Graham:] where we've got to with our recycling initiative, and then we can look at that grant in the light of what we've been told by Carol.
[speaker002:] Okay. I'll sit round here and you can see me. Right, just like reading that through, I'll give you the Readers Digest version, and then you can ask me any questions to fill in, there's er, quite a bit to tell. We started off about a year ago, looking at recycling that's available in which is just basically the paper, cans and glass out at the park car park. We thought, there's a lot more that you can do. There's a lot more that you can do than this. How can we go about doing it? We thought that the site over at the station centre would be good as a shop outlet and as office space for recycling, and that the site behind it would be a good place to keep all the stuff until it can actually be recycled, erm, so we identified the site to start with, then we started looking at what's actually possible as op opposed to desirable. To this end we had a feasibility study written by Ken who is Devon's Community Recycling Network Coordinator. His study took three months to prepare and, considers the markets available, it considers things like recycling credits that the councils can give you. It looks at other initiatives similar to the one that we're planning, and Derek has got a copy of that, if anyone would like details, on any of that. The next thing we did was starting to support and run it, of course. So far, we've got support from Waste Watch which is a Department of the Environment's er recycling group. They've sponsored us a consultancy, They twinned us they've twinned us as it were, with a town called Wye, which is a similar size to Ottery St Mary in every respect. And our consultant has been running varied recycling for the last four years, and they are currently recycling seventy percent of the waste in that town. That's as against a national average of about five percent. So obviously this consultancy gives a lot of good ideas, and a lot of very practical advice, because they were actually doing it. We've been to visit him, he's back to visit us, and he's available to us on the phone for a year, and all of that's covered by this Department of the Environment. In terms of hard cash, we've applied to the Community Council of Great Britain, and their Rural Action Project, and they've promised us two thousand pounds as an actual funding, so as and when funding becomes available from councils or from private sector or from our own efforts, they match that pound for pound as we go along. Er, other money is being raised from local businesses, we've got support from Otter Nurseries and we've got support from as well. Who are local support. As far as council support goes, we've been granted the use of both the station centre itself, so that we can have a retail outlet for furniture, bric-a-brac, books, the kind of thing that might go to landfill, but which people might very well want to use. And that would also give us office space which would give us a headquarters for a recycling education group, which would go out to schools, to councils, to Brownie groups, to [crackling] to anybody who might be interested in recycling, what they can do, how they can it better. Erm, that would all be based in the station centre, erm, as I say, we've also been granted permission to use the site behind and planning permission is on the way through now, that's looking good. We've got support of social services, who actually own the access onto that site. They're obliged to charge us a certain amount for access, but they're talking about giving us that money back as a grant. So all of, all of that is under way. Er, what do we need now? Well, it's all very well saying you're gonna recycle things, you've gotta have something to keep them in. We looked into all sorts of different buildings, and [crackling] that would be suitable, and we've decided the best thing is on the shipping containers, they're water proof, they're vandal proof, and they're recycled as well, which helps. We are looking at a cost of about five hundred pound for these, plus two hundred pound shipping charges, and we're going to need four or five of them. At the moment, we've got, Devon County Council's Recycling Working Party who are very likely to be paying our site's rental charges, for at least the first year to get us off the ground. Er, I can't say definitely yet, [sniff] because the meeting comes up after this meeting, but I've had a lot of positive noises. East Devon District Council has looked at the paperwork and has realized that the Community Council is going to match anything that they give, so I've spoken to their recycling officer and he thinks that the way the budget is, we're very likely to get one of the containers from them, which would be matched by another from the Community Council. So, basically what I'm here to ask you for this evening is your support of the project, and specifically, if the town council could buy us another one of these shipping containers. Then we effectively double their money, because that would give us the fourth and final one that we do need to set up and start operating. [paper rustling] In the long term we'd like to go on, and build a workshop, make our own recycle refurbish electrical goods, because, obviously, this is something a bit more in capital intensive, and it's something we're looking at it in the future. [shuffling of papers]
[Graham:] Thank you.
[speaker002:] That's it. Mm.
[Graham:] Questions.
[speaker002:] Out of that Mhm. Would you recycle goods or whatever you like to call it? No. Have you any? Yeah. Erm, last week we consulted Devon County Council, we sell it for peanuts, unfortunately now, because the market as we know, with people being keener on to the recycling plus products flooding in from Germany creating products. Er, from the sound business point of view, we can only recycle glass, because we get what are called recycling credits, which is that the County Council gives us fifteen pounds a ton at the moment. That's going up April of next year. For everything that we collect. So they will take the glass and they will pay us recycling credits for that. Newspaper, difficult one, generally, but we're lucky in that we've got a place down in Exmouth that shred this all up for animal bedding, and they'll take that, and again we'll get recycling credits, so although it's low value in terms of the actual material, it attracts this big recycling credit so so a subsidized market, if you like. Aluminium cans, can only start at seven hundred pounds a ton. Steel cans, you can just about cover the costs of it. You mentioned all the figures that you can Yes, yes. You mentioned Germany. Sorry? Germany has a big problem, hasn't it? Germany does have a big problem. They are, they are the top recyclable nation in the world. That's right. Well, the problem is that they They have so much, they can't get rid of it. That's it. The problem, the problem with Germany is, as you say, they're flooding the market, they've, they've gone at it from one end only. You know, they thought, recycle things, marvellous, they've got people separating their waste, they're collected separately, and then they, oh well, now what, oh we'll ship it to England. Invasion. You, you go somewhere over Philippines, and you've got land sites full of glued up old recyclable German plastics. they do with it, I agree. It's a... But do you think you can compete with that? Yes. Because, as I say, we've got recycling credits on our side, we've got the fact that we've got this outlet in Exmouth which will take the paper, and that's why we're looking at producing this workshop area, so that a lot of this stuff that goes to landfill, I'm talking about, fridges, tables, whichever else that can be repaired and reused er, I know this is only on a very small scale, but one of the things that I think is very important with is that we're not purely a recycling centre, we also want to set an education project, to raise people's awareness of what yo yet waste production isn't about recycling, it's about not producing it in the first place, That's right, yes. and the more people are aware of that. It's not a question of how good it is to recycle several tons, it would be better still not to produce it. So I think that's er, an important part of it. We've actually had a recycling paper project going on over the last couple of months, which made paper out of shredded newsprint and then made Christmas cards out of them. They sold those on the profit for Rio. So it's, it's small things like that which although on their own, as we didn't recycle but for all those people who bought cards and the people they send them to are, are now aware, that they need to create a market.
[Graham:] Thank you. Anybody else?
[speaker002:] can you ask, ah, sorry,wh what products do you actually recycle? You mentioned glass and paper. Glass, paper, cans, steel, scrap metal, generally. Timber which can either be good usable furniture, or furniture that can be repaired, which can go straight back out to anybody who wants to buy them. We've also got [cough] through Social Services, and Honiton, who are desperate serving source of furniture, and you just see it going on top of the estate cars going down towards all the time. If we can divert that back into Social Services, that'll be instantly reused. Waste oil can be collected, and we can re-sell that to be used as fuel oil. Er, scrap timber can be stacked up at one side, and used as firewood. Erm, textiles have a high re-sale value. Even if we did something like jumble sale clearance, and get people's old clothes, you could sell that for about a hundred pounds a ton. Erm, off the top of my head. We're not going to be touching plastics, because the market isn't in place yet. Just create a problem for ourselves at the moment. As and when the market develops, we might look at that. Erm.
[Graham:] Will you restrict what's, how, how are you collecting, people bring it to you, or will you actually...
[speaker002:] Yeah. The idea is to make it a bring facility at the moment, which is why we like the station centre and the yard behind it, because people tend to drive out that way as they go to Exeter and back. Wh wh what are the problems with throwing out plastic dustbins full of rubbish and just dumping it on your doorstep, and finding it unusable? Well, that's obviously one of the problems with a recycling centre. We've done quite an extensive survey around Ottery, looking at the times people use these facilities, and the weekends, especially Saturdays, is the favoured time. What we're planning to do in the very early stages, is to have the site staffed on a Saturday, and have people there, so we can actually turn away rubbish. We will have a skip on site, so that any rubbish that accidentally sneaks through, can be put in there, and that's something we've budgeted for, the fact that we will have to remove rubbish. Because I think you will have a real problem, coming on board now is, finding a building place.
[Graham:] Devon waste money on controlling tips in Devon.
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Graham:] They're raising their fees, restricting what you can tip there.
[speaker002:] That's right.
[Graham:] And then, a lot of these skip hires, do an awful lot of domestic
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Graham:] erm, skips, and I think what we ought to do is, if you can travel, deter people from having skips at home, and I, I think if, if you set up there, you'd be...
[speaker002:] But there again, if you look at the number of building sites outside people's houses, and the amount of stuff in there, that just breaks my heart to see it all go into landfill. You've got bricks, which can be reused, you've got timber which can be reused.
[Graham:] Right, right, well you say that but it's
[speaker002:] right highly unlikely.
[Graham:] Right. Thanks,. Anyone else got a question? Okay, Carol, thank you for the time you've given to us to see it.
[speaker002:] Well, thank you for listening.
[Graham:] Right, erm, obviously we'll come to our deliberations as we go along.
[speaker002:] Right oh.
[Graham:] Okay, and, and we will be asking you back at regular intervals.
[speaker002:] Thank you very much.
[Graham:] Alright.
[speaker002:] Thank you.
[Graham:] Right.
[speaker002:] Thanks a lot
[Graham:] Thanks for your time.
[speaker002:] Well, thanks for yours, I hope you... I know how precious it is at meetings.
[Graham:] Right. Okay.. Well, can we get down to business. Town Clerk to receive apologies.
[speaker002:] Erm, Councillors, and.
[Graham:] , and, right. Item two, under the, go on to grants now. Reports of correspondence.
[speaker002:] No, I've got er, no er, reports, in fact. Oh yes, I can report, I phone erm erm my work today, about the place save, because I'm obviously very concerned about that. I met up with her two and three times, to see where we're at. And apparently the firm that she ordered the thing from in the first place had been er, re-set up. I don't know whether it's exactly the same company, or whether it's erm, brackets nineteen ninety three or whatever it is. But it has some of the same staff, with a new manager director and so on. She apparently phoned him shortly before I spoke to her today, and she's got an assurance that she'll get her money back. So, this is to be hoped for, and he, he's guaranteed reconciliation by the thirty first of this month. So she was writing to him at the time I telephoned. He's getting the letter and has promised that action will be taken, so I, it's only words at the moment.
[Graham:] Right, hopefully, I think we must take this as erm, part B agenda item at the main council meeting. Because we've got to get this sorted out, because if we don't, the, the end of the year will be, any enhancement money, be lost won't it?
[speaker002:] Yep.
[Graham:] So we've really got to get, put some, we'll take that as a part B in, in, in the January meeting.
[speaker002:] I was slightly alarmed when we got that copy of the Tipton Times, and there was a fire inside it, begging people to come forward for the er
[Graham:] And that was no chairman, no secretary, no treasurer in the organization.
[speaker002:] And perhaps there was only
[Graham:] There were erm, what I think, you know, things were not as they seem. However, we're in a situation now, we've got to rectify, so I think that's the only course of action we can take. See what comes by the end of the month.
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Graham:] And then, do something, even if it means calling her in I'm not afraid to call her in
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Graham:] for part three of the meeting,
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Graham:] erm, and take it like that.
[speaker002:] Said she's guaranteed to phone me before the next council meeting, so that we know what we're doing, so I'll keep at her.
[Graham:] Right. Fine. We're going to erm, item three, the supermarket applications, now under youth grants, you remember that we advertised, this is the money we precepted, which we won't be using for the detached youth work workers' scheme. Plus the rebate that we had from that project. The total we've got, er, available to us, to support mainstream, and different youth activities is six thousand, one hundred and thirty two pounds. And that's precepted to use by March of ninety four. Okay. I must say, I've been pleasantly sur you know ve pleased, by the number applications from youth activities that have come through. The first one on our list tonight, ah, one seven nine, is for the young ladies that we've just seen, with a production of their book, A Dog Called Mock, and I think that we er, talked about this, and asked them to come in, because we wanted to know the substance, and whether this thing was actually taking place, and what was, I, I, I don't know what the rest of you feel, I think they made a fine presentation, and it's obviously something which is going ahead, and I hope that some of you feel, we should reward initiative. Comments.
[speaker002:] Well, I, I think Mr Chairman, they've done a fair job in there. The work they've put in, erm, and obviously, if you give your support to erm, make them a grant, it's basically a grant for adults. Because a lot of the profits, that would er, be generated by this book is being put back into Yeah, I, I Er, in a way...
[Graham:] I, I like the idea they're gonna raise six hundred pound wherever they can, then all the money they raise, they can sell the books for is going back into the community.
[speaker002:] Mm. Sorry, did I miss out on something, that, didn't they say who they were selling it to? Presumably parents, but
[Graham:] Yeah, well I suppose any, I mean if they go to London or Manchester or, or er I, I think they're gonna produce something rather like th the books you buy for your kids when they're young, you know.
[speaker002:] Sort of Nanette Newman books, they're very similar. I've got one of two of those at home, and they're very similar. [LAUGHTER]
[Graham:] Oh, I do like that. [LAUGHTER]. Right, well,
[speaker002:] That's four hundred quid, weren't it
[Graham:] Yeah, I'd like to propose for maybe about two hundred.
[speaker002:] Oh, that's what I'd been thinking, fifty percent of what they want.
[Graham:] Fifty percent of what they've got left. That means, they've raised a third, we've given them a third, and they got a third to raise. All in fa all in favour?
[speaker002:] It's getting used to thinking that somebody's doing something for 'em.
[Graham:] Well, I think we can actually get a bit in the newspaper with this one. Right. All agree?
[speaker002:] Yes.
[Graham:] Thank you very much. Number one eight four. Tipton Scout Troop, erm, basically we, we have helped Tipton Scout Troop before, was it last year?
[speaker002:] No, it was this year.
[Graham:] This year. We've given them five hundred pounds. Remember John and I went on a, a visit down to see their hut and to be honest, they were making a very good job of the hut, what they come in for, is er, a second bite, really, erm, they've got to, to [LAUGHTER] floor the roof [] which we er, thought was quite interesting. I think what they mean is, they're putting a floor, well, I know what it means, they're putting a floor so they can store stuff across the erm,
[speaker002:] Roof space.
[Graham:] yeah, you know,
[speaker002:] Is the roof flooring.
[Graham:] That my floor, yeah.
[speaker002:] I call that a ceiling, but that's a second
[Graham:] That's right, yes and t to, to line the walls, and paint the exterior, they've got virtually, well they got nine hundred and fifteen pounds' worth of work they need to do to the hut. They've actually asked us for five hundred. I thought that see as we've given them five hundred before, perhaps you'd consider giving them, perhaps two hundred and fifty this time. Any comments?
[speaker002:] Can I raise a question. It's the same old thing I'm, I'm what, I'm called a coordinator, it's all good saying we're gonna put a mezzanine floor in one of those, you've got to line the building out. Is there any specification going with it?
[Graham:] Well, all I can say was, I been, seen the building, and there were a lot of the work was being done under supervision of David under a community project, and for the amount of money they're talking about, three hundred pound, they're not going to put a mezzanine, I mean what they were doing, is gonna put something across the trusses so they can store something there, aren't they? I mean, it's a, it's a wooden prefab type hut, it's very hardy done, concrete floors, they've made a good job of it. Erm, and we have got six thousand pounds to spend.
[speaker002:] Yep. I don't want to give up work, but
[Graham:] Yeah
[speaker002:] can the building support it? I mean, I seen people
[Graham:] Support it?
[speaker002:] Well string timbers up and you build it up, and the whole lot comes down.
[Graham:] Yeah, well all I can say, is that I've seen the building and I would I would think th that it's no problem. I mean, I haven't done a detailed survey on anything, but I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw when I went in there, and I must say, I went there expecting it to be no more than a garden hut.
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Graham:] Right. I mean,pi pity that John isn't here because he can, can ver I said take your points, but then I mean, the other two jobs I don't think there's any problem with them.
[speaker002:] Even though you say there wasn't, could you, could you fund them money after that?
[Graham:] Oh, I don't think we are. I mean, tonight, there was, paint the walls was six hundred and fifty pounds,
[speaker002:] Well, that's, yeah.
[Graham:] and we're talking about two hundred and fifty pound towards that.
[speaker002:] I'd like to go along with it, but I think it's an area that ou ought to be clear when, er, grants coming in for some or even minor building works, there ought to be a specification within, whether the building can cover it or whatever. Yeah, I know it puts more work back on the people asking for the money, but if, if that went ahead, and they it up, and the whole lot came down.
[Graham:] Well, in the same way, you see, when we lent six thousand pounds, they paid up back over a ten year period. We're actually in the business of trying support, and I think failure is not to have tried. Now if they do try and it failed. You know, at least we're supporting the activity of the young people. Young people learn a lot from failing, don't they?
[speaker002:] They, yes. Oh my God, Mr Chairman, I, I take your point, but I also support erm, Paul, actually, because if we do support things like this, and like you say, if it were, do collapse on these kids, erm, they could come back and say, well, you know, council give us the money towards it, you know, they should have,
[Graham:] Oh, I don't think that's true.
[speaker002:] But it could well do, you know.
[Graham:] No, no
[speaker002:] You get bad
[Graham:] No, I mean, they constituted, they're insured...
[speaker002:] I know that, I mean, er,we what Paul said, is basically that, we could have problems, if it, if it did go wrong.
[Paul:] I mean, if you, if you into, if you were trying to look into building or commercial and you had to send them a planning application for it, you'd have to prove that building could support the weight.
[Graham:] What I'm saying is this. If Tipton Scouts have written to us and said that under the grant that we're trying to give tonight, towards. If they said, would you please give five hundred pounds towards our running costs, there's a chance we would have looked at it We'd have looked at it. What they're doing is actually going a lot further, and supply us all the their ac accounts and details, and they've actually sort of called it a grant for partial costs of materials, right, so we're actually
[speaker002:] Is it not incumbent though, on the councillor or ward councillor to make sure when the money has been granted, that how it's used and spent, so he's going to keep an eye on it, anyway? Because, that's part of the thing, that the, the ward councillor is meant to b keep an eye on... the actual project
[Graham:] Well, I've just seen a new way forward why don't we get a report on this, I mean he's more operative, I mean, to consider, the building is worthy of what something or other
[speaker002:] Well, there's no harm in you doing it, is there?
[Graham:] your ward, your ward, you're experienced in this sort of thing.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Graham:] I would like to think that we've pass for two hundred and fifty, subject to Trevor being satisfied. Wait a minute.
[speaker002:] How did this hut started, was it, did it start as an agricultural building, or a house, or a just a plan hut?
[Graham:] I think it started as an agricultural building, which they got for nothing. And transported there, and they've re-done it, and put it on site with a concrete floor. Quite impressive.
[speaker002:] There's no reason why you should get somebody
[Graham:] I don't call for it, but I think he's right in bringing it along.
[speaker002:] ask you for it, is as it was reasonably sound, there is no reason why it should just sit and suddenly collapse. No. Then it's the first It's the basic principle. I mean, I'm not after money, but you, you've, you've got to make sure you're giving the money to, to a project like that, the thing is viable. That's right. We are the caretakers of this pub public community's money. Yeah. And it's only right that we should say how it's spent. But surely that isn't the case, I mean that, you know, we can't be responsible for the way in which all these groups actually behave and all the rest
[Graham:] I, I, I agree with you
[speaker002:] We have to draw the line at some point.
[Graham:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] I mean, it's like Rio, you know, somebody could crawl Yeah. underneath it, you know, under those trucks or something, but I mean we, we, we can't be responsible for that.
[Graham:] What we're here to do is
[speaker002:] gone and do
[Graham:] showing more initiative. We're trying sports and
[speaker002:] Is there anything in the constitution anywhere, cos I happily to go along with that if it's written in
[Graham:] Whose constitution?
[speaker002:] Or,wh what that, that we just give out grants, and we're not responsible how the money is spent. I think that's irresponsible. It's worth looking into, I think. It's just that, nowadays in life, you make a mistake and someone bangs you on the head for it.
[Graham:] Oh, making it for quite a while
[speaker002:] Yes.
[Graham:] with as it turned out.
[speaker002:] Yes.
[Graham:] Erm, the money is here for us to allocate.
[speaker002:] Yes, I know.
[Graham:] The council passed it for allocation to youth activities. It remains with youth activities. Now we're not going to be able to go out and check where, which way that every pound is spent.
[speaker002:] No, I, I appreciate that.
[Graham:] Right.
[speaker002:] You've got a squadron that need a training course. What about the lady first with the books, I mean,th th that could, someone could fall out, lose interest, you've given a grant
[Graham:] Sure. Well, look at Tipton Play Area.
[speaker002:] This is what's at the back of my mind
[Graham:] The minute we stop doing this, we might as well stop the whole plans procedure. That's how I view it.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Graham:] And we're here to try and, alright if, if seven out of the ten that we look up tonight come through, we've done well. No. At the end of the day, you can't be one hundred percent, but I'm, I, I think it's a good idea, that we actually pass something to the people, pending Trevor being happy.
[speaker002:] I think that's a yeah.
[Graham:] He'll look on that. So, do you agree two hundred and fifty pounds?
[speaker002:] Yeah, I think I'll go along with that. Yeah. Yeah, I think it's a good investment. Sounds good, anyway.
[Graham:] Right. Okay. A hundred and eighty five is erm, the Boxing Club. Er, I was hoping the president of the Boxing Club, Councillor would have been here tonight. Erm, they're applying for a grant of five hundred pounds for equipment, equipment being a Senior Stand Ball, cost two hundred and eighty, and a new canvas for the boxing ring, cost two hundred and twenty pound. Er, this is obviously in answer to the questionnaire, yes they have four hundred and fifty pound in the bank, and yes they do organize boxing tournaments for self-help. Must say, I know some of you don't like boxing, erm, I was at the last tournament in Honiton. It was very well organized, and I'm impressed with the way the kids behave at these dos, and I'd like to see you support it.
[speaker002:] I see you've add three hundred pounds, is that right?
[Graham:] Yeah. Th that this, erm, what you bear in mind, that this is out of our usual grants.
[speaker002:] Did they have one this year? Yes. Yes.
[Graham:] They had one thi but this is out of our grants. This is specifically for our youth grants. So, quite rightly, they've already had some support, and at that time, we didn't know how much money, you know, we were working on a different budget.
[speaker004:] Can I just ask, is Ottery St Mary erm, Boxing Club and,Otter...
[Graham:] Yes,
[speaker004:] they're
[Graham:] Yes,
[speaker004:] one and the same?
[Graham:] Yeah,
[speaker002:] They thought it would draw people in from a wider
[Graham:] They're trying to draw from a wider, yeah
[speaker002:] area My question
[Graham:] Comments.
[speaker005:] Yes, I think we should er, give them something, but seeing as they've had three hundred pound, I think or less or perhaps... two hundred pound, they've got the five hundred, do they want erm, anything else.
[Graham:] They've asked us for five.
[speaker002:] They've asked for five.
[Graham:] If you wanna give them half of that. Two fifty.
[speaker005:] Well, you'll have to think how much
[speaker004:] Mr, you know that's grant
[Graham:] Yeah, I know
[speaker004:] work out all the way down.
[Graham:] I've added it all up. [LAUGHTER] Well I, well I, I mean I've had to do my homework, before I come on this meeting for you, and I, and if I can start at the back and [LAUGHTER] work forwards [] we have got enough money.
[speaker004:] Right.
[Graham:] Right. We have got enough money to give 'em five hundred, actually.
[speaker002:] Right.
[Graham:] If we gave them the five hundred, we won't, we are within, having said that, we're not going to give everybody everything, I don't think. So I mean, I think that would be quite fair if we erm, given 'em two hundred and fifty pounds, at this stage, or...
[speaker002:] Further in the summer. Two hundred
[Graham:] Two hundred and eighty.
[speaker002:] Well,
[Graham:] Well, why don't we do that then? Support one of the two items they've asked for. They've asked for a stand-ball. Cost two hundred and eighty.
[Paul:] Yes.
[Graham:] You happy to pay that on receipt of... invoices for that money?
[speaker002:] Yes.
[speaker004:] Yes.
[Graham:] Right.
[speaker002:] two fifty No, hang on.
[Graham:] No, you're...
[speaker002:] Personally, I mean, I'm against er, encouraging Boxing but er, I don't... I, I obviously gone have a way of doing this, but erm, it's difficult, if you, if you're at the bottom of the... No. of the agenda, I mean It's gonna be alright dropping off the end. No.
[Graham:] I promise you, I promise you that isn't
[speaker002:] grant available. I don't think you Oh, yeah. Right, erm, [everyone talking]
[Graham:] Communities Theatre, erm, of er... th they want a grant to support their current production. Now, I've put this in a as youth, because I do think there are quite a, a large number of young people in this, and erm, as, as broadly across the spectrum er, as, as we can, as we can give it, erm... they're expecting to pay three hundred and ninety five pound of hire charges for the institute and on top of this it's necessary to hire extra lighting, as the existing sy system is unsuitable for the theatrical use. And they have a bill, an bill of two hundred and fifty four pounds for the lighting, erm... they think it's an important [cough] community opportunity to have good entertainment on their doorstep, and they've only been able to balance their proposed production this year, by putting up the price by fifty pence. So they're actually charging people a little bit more to get in to the pantomime this year. I would have thought that if we were to put forward the two hundred and fifty pound to cover the, their extra lighting bill, that would have been money well spent.
[speaker002:] How much are they asking for?
[Graham:] They've actually said, that their cost of three hundred and ninety five pound, out of which two hundred and fifty is for lighting.
[speaker002:] Personally, I'd love to see us support it to the hilt, because I believe that, you know, the community theatre, above all else in Ottery, really does give it a good name. Excellent productions. Very well, professionally, done. And, you know, for a small place like Ottery, you know, I mean, Honiton, as far as I know hasn't got anything like this. No, years ago. Brings in all sorts of... Sorry? companies of Ottery as a community place, about five or six years ago, weren't it? That's right, that's right. That's when it all started. I chaired the first meeting in the institute. You know, it's no amateur sort erm, well it is amateur, but I mean, it's very
[speaker005:] As long as it's going to run, I mean, I don't know, I think, I think they up against
[Graham:] Everybody says give a bit more than that.
[speaker002:] I think, I think, I'd love to see us give this full amount. I mean, I know, for instance, the institute charges for them are crippling them, you know, and to put on a production is incredibly expensive. And to think, you know, I mean, one of the people came along tonight, actually very much involved in it. The people that do this, spend a hell of a lot of time and energy doing it. Repairing costumes... I could, I could go along with Phil on that. Erm, it is a real community pro I don't watch it, I'm not interested in it, but it is a real community project and obviously reaches right to the family. The family of this community. And I think it might be as well to support it.
[Graham:] Right. Trevor.
[Trevor:] I, I been thinking
[Graham:] Right.
[Trevor:] we take advantage of it, not just
[Graham:] Well, in actual fact we've cut down on the boxing bit from what I thought, perhaps. We could give 'em a bit more, we could give, we could give 'em the four hundred pounds.
[speaker005:] What, that there?
[Graham:] Community, together, if you wanted to.
[speaker002:] Well, I think we ought to
[speaker005:] Depends on on the success of their audience they got for the pantomime, not...
[speaker004:] It doesn't look like
[speaker005:] They've got to do it, but I mean...
[speaker002:] I think we should, you should support these, Phil. I, I would like to think they'd been supported the same as the boxing club, but after all the boxing club is for youths, and I think they've got to look after the youths erm, try and find something for them to do, as much as erm, community
[Graham:] They work hard. I mean, to my, to my mind,
[speaker002:] They don't want to know
[Graham:] I mean, a lot of these grants go sporting wise, very few are arts type grants, and it's something that a lot of people participate, and a lot of people get pleasure out of. They put their, they put their tickets up by fifty pence, which is itself out.
[speaker005:] You see, they do charge for people to go and see it.
[Graham:] Yeah. They do.
[speaker005:] They have to do
[Graham:] I, I propose from the chair, we give 'em four hundred pound.
[speaker005:] I declare my interest, Mr Chairman, I think I'm the Vice President, so [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] They given the same grant [LAUGHTER]
[Graham:] Well, why don't you get that in writing, yeah. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] I was going to.
[Graham:] Right. All agree, all agree?
[speaker002:] [everyone talking]
[Graham:] I don't actually think that a Vice Presidency is somehow, should rule you out of organization Okay. Move on to number one eight seven. The Sports Centre. Now, I think this is a very interesting reply to our advert. They're, er,th they've got three suggestions been made, which to consider or discuss further. One is a lump sum to be given to the Sports Centre to be used to offset junior activities of their choice. The centre would then, were promoting this activity as they weren't supported by Ottery town council. This scheme would benefit anyone participating in the chosen activity not just Ottery youth. Two, a lump sum to be held by the town council, to be used as a form of grant, or financial support for low income families, students, unemployed, etcetera, on production of the relevant proof, erm, depending on the individual's needs, this could be either a full financial or part financial support for an activity of the person's choice, and this scheme could be used purely for Ottery based people. Three, a lump sum could be given to the centre for training employment of certain Ottery teenagers. We have, over the years, employed several students, but over the last few, have been unable to do so, for financial constraints. A youth training fund would enable us to continue this scheme, not only with a view to employment, but enabling us to provide training and development of personal skills, which would benefit them in future employment or future education. There. Three interesting concepts. Purely a matter of personal choice. I s I, I like the first one. A lump sum can be given, and then erm, they administer it. But I don't know that we can get in the day to day running of the Sports Centre.
[speaker002:] How much have they asked for?
[Graham:] Well, they haven't asked. But I, in my workings out, I'd thought five hundred pounds was the... you know... you can give 'em a lot less than that, and not, not gonna fund much of an activity, I don't think... the silence was deafening.
[speaker002:] Well, I'm afraid I'm against the erm, Sports Centre to be honest. For the amount of money we pay, so much now, towards this... Yeah. and such like, I think we support it very well. But, then again, it does do a good thing, and I wouldn't be against giving them some support, Yeah. But I think we do as a council, support that Sports Centre very well at the moment, which we didn't expect to be doing.
[Graham:] Well, all I, all I can say, and I take your point, is there is an awful large number of Ottery people using that place, and I think that that, I think East Devon do a very very good job with the Sports Centre, and we all know the giving a
[speaker002:] Yes.
[Graham:] four thousand pound a year grant. But this isn't one-off, is it? This is something different again Town Clerk. I think just to answer that the, the pitch, because obviously I looked into this, and tried to get a reduction,
[speaker002:] Yes.
[Graham:] the amount we have to pay for the pitch is no fault of the Centre, it's the fact that East Devon and Devon County permitted competitive pitches to be opened up quite close,
[speaker002:] Quite close, yes.
[Graham:] long after they said they wouldn't, because I understand there was a firm assurance, there wouldn't be other pitches around. And, all of a sudden, they opened them in competition. We lost the team, we lost all sorts of things.
[speaker002:] Yes, but why they got the to offer it, because we were promised that this, [lorry noise] this event would be decreased.
[Graham:] Would be decreased
[speaker002:] That given time, they would be a self-supporting but those of us, there was Axminster, there was Exeter, there was Exmouth er, they've all got them
[Graham:] Honiton, Exmouth,. But, if we hadn't of paid the four thousand, there wouldn't be a pitch there now.
[speaker002:] Well, that, that's what they said. I mean, wouldn't know, I wouldn't know, I wasn't here at the time.
[Graham:] Difference, you know,
[speaker002:] Yes. [clears throat]
[Graham:] is, is whether you support Richard 's initiative, in coming forward to ask us to try and support a different scheme. Perhaps a scheme, where they say, sponsored by Ottery Town Council.
[speaker002:] I'd sooner see that kinda thing, than er, sponsoring a whole, sort of, like a hall, or something like that.
[Graham:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Yes, I agree with that. I, I think you have to be sure
[Graham:] To offset junior activities of their choice,
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Graham:] I, I, would it be, would it be erm, wrong of me to ask you say, grant up to five hundred pounds, and I go in and talk to him, so we come back with a council, with a scheme. We keep the money, rather than just say, there's five hundred pound. Let's find out what scheme first.
[speaker002:] Mr Chairman, I like, I like the sound of that.
[Graham:] Alright.
[speaker002:] We've got to do that, really. Yeah.
[Graham:] Yeah, we can't just throw five hundred pounds,
[speaker002:] I'd like to explore these these additional schemes, and not er subsidize one
[Graham:] Well.
[speaker002:] Yeah. Well I, I look on this all with a I don't think, I don't think we regret East Devon a step with every everything you come to. I would have thought the community...
[Graham:] I'm going down to the
[speaker002:] Yeah. Well, I'm looking at this, we didn't promise not about this, any more than the community there once
[Graham:] Well, by very few people.
[speaker002:] More people, could get benefit out of the five hundred, then there what there is for four.
[Graham:] I can assure you, the way it's going, at the end of the annual review
[speaker002:] just going.
[Graham:] at the end of, no we won't. At the end of the night, we're still gonna have some money, which we've gotta get spent, or w would hope to get spent by next March, so we're gonna have you to come in again. We're gonna have to look for more, you know, it's December now,
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Graham:] and you've got the money to use by March,
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Graham:] and they're all pretty valid, and I can assure you that, if we allow up to a maximum of five hundred... and we check out what they're doing with it, and we put all the right s it's not going to be money wasted.
[speaker002:] Well, let's put it the other way. Why, why should we give five hundred to the Sports Centre, and only four hundred to the community centre?
[Graham:] Cos that's what they asked for
[speaker002:] Or three hundred to the something else, three hundred to erm,
[Graham:] Well, cos hopefully, hopefully,
[speaker002:] Yeah
[Graham:] we're tying all these grants
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Graham:] to what people have asked for, rather than just saying, I mean, it would be very easy, if you said, right, all the people who've applied, we'll give them five hundred pound each. But that's not really the way to do, is it?
[speaker002:] why not give them what they asked for, since you...
[Graham:] Because, hopefully, the product of this discussion is that we'll look at each grant, judge it on its merits, and then come up with what we think's the right figure. So I'll be proposing, we have five hundred pound based on satisfactory outcome of the discussions. All those in favour?
[speaker002:] Yeah, I think rather a good idea.
[Graham:] Right. Fine. Busy Otters Play Group. Erm, they're writing on behalf of the, to apply for a grant as detailed in the advert, erm, and basically, erm, it's, it, they're, they're, they're really asking for us for help to keep the thing running.
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Graham:] They're not asking for anything in specific. They're actually saying, can you please, seeing as you've got this money for youth, help us keep the job going.
[speaker002:] I think they're they doing a good job, actually. Yeah.
[Graham:] And we've, you know I put down two hundred and fifty pounds.
[speaker002:] I think that's er, that's a fair assessment for them. I think they will be well pleased with that, to be honest.
[Graham:] Councillor
[speaker007:] Sorry, er, sorry, Mr Chairman, I'm just thinking about it. I don't erm, I don't erm,
[speaker002:] You hear what he said?
[speaker007:] I don't see anything wrong with the proposal, I erm, I'm not against any of this. I mean I think we should er,
[Graham:] They have, they have sent up very detail detailed accounts,
[speaker007:] They are, they're master of speci specific amount. Or have they?
[speaker002:] I second two hundred and fifty
[Graham:] Right. All those in favour?
[speaker002:] Yes.
[Graham:] Thank you. Otter Vale Hockey Club.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Graham:] Well, they've sent us in an application er, very detailed, very go good letter, actually. And what they're actually asking for is some help towards item of kit, erm, a goalkeeping helmet, sixty pounds. Pads, hundred and twenty. Chest pads, fifty two. [LAUGHTER] Tickers is that Tickers [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] Tickers.
[Graham:] Sixty five pounds, gloves, forty and a set of shirts, two hundred and fifty eight. They say a set of gear is costing them five hundred and ninety five pounds. They're running five teams, from five to nine year olds upwards. They charge... they charge twenty five pounds erm, subscription and two pounds for each game that people play. Erm, they're actually asking us to supply one set of gear. So they they're actually asking us for five hundred and ninety five pounds.
[speaker002:] Sorry, Mr Chairman, I'm only thinking aloud. [LAUGHTER]
[Graham:] I put down five hundred on my lists for you to decide.
[speaker002:] It is surprising how much this has widened out in the last twelve months, to be honest. Erm, the amount that young children and adults that are playing hockey now, surprised me. I, in actual fact, went there and erm, just thinking about it The amount of people that's involved with it now, is astronomical to be honest, I didn't realize the interest was in hockey as it is. No. Erm, I would say, say yes, we support 'em. To how much, Mr Chairman, I will leave that
[Graham:] We, we, we can afford, within the scope of what we've got, we can afford to pay five hundred pounds.
[speaker002:] You see, then, then my argument is the same, well, why give the Hockey Club five hundred pounds, and the Play Group only two fifty? You see, that... You can't The Play Group with er, people with small children, and erm Perhaps only thirty people in the hockey field. Right. Proposal. six hundred Yeah. I propose
[Graham:] Anybody second that? All those in favour?
[speaker002:] It must be, mustn't it? Aye.
[Graham:] Five hundred, out of the five ninety. Again on receipt of the bills for that. We've got erm, the next application in from the station centre for a youth and community activities. Their problem is that they've lost five hundred pounds. Which was the anticipated work for the detached youth worker, erm, project. They er, are making the building available to, to Rio. They are supporting several other different users, but clearly if the five hundred pound, which they were anticipating, doesn't come to them they are in grave financial difficulties again. Whether you wish to support the, that, that building
[speaker002:] Can I just make a point
[Graham:] Yes.
[speaker002:] for the future. Erm, I've been in discussion, because I've been trying to rescue their electricity bill situation, which is again, something which has blown up on them. Their lease runs out at the end of, I think it's April, and we are going to receive an approach from Devon County Council, that we become involved in any extension of that as a council, and that perhaps we offer them rather more in the way of guidance, which I think, is their main need. And rather than make it into a viable erm, organization. Erm, we're not ready with the proposal yet, because obviously we haven't had anything to come to us. But if this station youth centre is to continue, and I think personally that it is very important that it does, and that it develops. But it's controlled in a way rather differently to that which it's controlled now. Erm, obviously, as soon as we get something, it'll be put before the council, but this is just an interim thing, Yes, yes, yes. so that it stays afloat. I think part of the problem with the station youth centre, surely is that, we don't seem to know from one year to another, what the future's gonna be, other, you know, there doesn't seem to be any forward planning whatsoever. Yeah. And, personally, I mean, I know, having been there in the evening in that hall, it's, it's not very easy to hire it out, but it's freezing still. You know, I mean, there's draughts coming in, in here and there and everywhere. The whole place has got an air of being run down, and county council, I think to be honest, would quite like it to fall down, or just to be able to develop the whole site.
[Graham:] Well.
[speaker002:] We've got planning applications, haven't we?
[Graham:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] So I think th th that the one thing which is good I think, is a possibility of re-opening it up, and possibly using it to a fuller extent, which might actually give it er, er, new lease of life. Well, also erm, the Education Authority, if it were used properly, would be prepared to make more money available to it. Erm, at the moment, they're looking to give, possibly a prefer a preferential grant to the one that's there now for any cost of a hiring from Devon County Council. They said what they mean by using it properly, I mean... Well, this has got to come in a letter, I mean, this is what we want. Erm, they haven't said, because at the moment, it's, it's at the end of one lease, or nearly the end of one lease, with some small horror stories in there of sorts, and I think it's got to come on to
[Graham:] We did, er, we re we were hopeful, that in the next few months, there would be a full scale debate on the future on this building, and that we as the council, will take some initiative in, in actually the, the renewal of the lease. If we don't grant a, what's going there now, it could well be that by default, the building will revert to the county council, and it would be lost to the people of Ottery. Clearly, I don't want to see us having just an open ended thing, that every time they get into trouble, we bail them out, but I do think that we need to give breathing space now, until we can come with a, a, a decent set of proposals for the future of the building. Remembering of course, that they have painted the outside, the county council, but clearly, erm, there is need for a fair refurbishment package inside. In my discussions with the police, it was one of the buildings we offered them, and I went with erm, the new inspector to look at that, and I still said they were somewhat put off by the cold austere sort of feeling of the place. But there are possible,
[speaker002:] Potential's there.
[Graham:] I know that, I know that erm, the existing committee are drawing up proposals for their refurbishment of the place, erm, obviously to look for, for help towards it. I think we as a town, don't want to lose, we got precious few buildings, for community use, and I think we need to look at this to the different light now. I think we need to say, okay, in the future, what are we, the town, gonna do, to make this building right for what we want for the town.
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Graham:] Rather than think, oh well, there's a couple of people, group running it, that's near enough and it's good enough. And I think we've reached the stage, where the county council said, you come to us with a new initiative, and we're far more likely to be, bend over to help you, than, than under the present. So on, on that basis, I would hope you feel that we could support 'em, to make up the shortfall in rent, which will in actual fact be paid on by them in rent, to keep the place occupiable.
[speaker002:] Who, who runs the new centre now?
[Graham:] It's, it's the same committee run by er, well it's the station and, and station centre for community and
[speaker002:] It's used only
[Graham:] Oh, yes indeed, there's, there's quite a few users. St John's Ambulance are based there, erm, they're all sorts of different clu are you still involved in it?
[speaker004:] No.
[speaker002:] No, use the theatre.
[Graham:] Yeah. It's, it's got quite a lot erm, users who would be without a home, albeit boxing club.
[speaker002:] I think we'll have to support that. Yes, yes, yes. As long as it's being used, then I think we've gotta keep it.
[Graham:] Right. You're happy with the five hundred?
[speaker002:] Yeah. I see wi with the additional five hundred last year, I should think you couldn't do less than that, could you?
[Graham:] Right. Fine. Now then, that's one, one is the squad room, Air Training Corps. Now the reason we've got this, is there are quite a few erm, Ottery boys who are members of this corps, and get taken down there by bus every Friday evening, and the Town Clerk erm, went to speak to them. Yeah, I attended, I used to run an A T C squad, well I used to run the two different ones in London, and A T C squadrons, and I must say I've been invited to the last two open nights. There was one about a fortnight ago, and would have given my ears for the sort of civilian committee, and the methods that they're using here, compared with the ones I saw in London. It's well run, there's a good attendance, they've got some very very good results on examinations this year, and of course this is all extra to their school work. They're smart, the place is well maintained, and I think anything we can do to support the general thing there, and certainly the Ottery youth there is, is, is money well spent. Out of their membership of twenty four, do you know how many are Ottery?
[speaker002:] I think it's about six.
[Graham:] Six. They've got two thousand seven hundred pounds in the deposit account, erm, they'll be applying to Sidmouth town council for a grant, er the reason for the grant, they've asked for two hundred and fifty, is to sponsor as many cadets as possible to take part in activities at Haven Banks. Which I guess is a...
[speaker002:] It's er educa er training centre.
[Graham:] Er, Trevor.
[speaker002:] Mr Chairman, this, in actual fact, I can put a little bit of light on to this, I mean, having had two of my children, erm, attended this, Air Training Corps. Basically th there are two members that come over to Ottery, and pick the kids up in their own transport, when the A T C transport is unavailable, which they. They take them there, they train them and they bring them back again in the evenings as well. I might, my children in actual fact have been flown around Scotland in the Nimrods and such like. They do do a lot, they travel all over the country, er, and I think it's a worthwhile thing, I mean, you see the kids dressed up smart. I, I in actual fact went to the er, Remembrance Day Parade and to see those kids do a silent drill, it's unbelievable. In fact, it's very tearful. I, I
[Graham:] Right could we
[speaker002:] myself and I think it's a very good er
[Graham:] They asked for two hundred and fifty pounds.
[speaker002:] Yes, yes. the thing I'm thinking about, I mean terribly keen on, you know, training wh whatever the basis for it is, I mean, we don't want to start a discussion on that. But must but I don't know how much further I want to go along that sort of line. Erm, but I think, I mean, don't we have to be a bit careful about supporting other organizations in other towns? We have given them a grant, er a couple of years ago. I'm just thinking in terms of if... if I can just finish.
[Graham:] Well, we do, we do support sorry.
[speaker002:] If those six children, you know, turn out to be, you know, this would be, this year or next year or whatever, erm, what's going to happen next year? You know, are we going to get requests again when they aren't Ottery children?
[Graham:] I think we would have verify that there are Ottery kids taking part in that particular year.
[speaker002:] That is, that is the least I've known it
[Graham:] Yeah....
[speaker002:] six. I mean there's usually two car loads used to go across when my kids were there.
[Graham:] Yeah. I mean we do support, don't we, things like the talking newspaper across the area, because there's, and we do support like erm, Mrs 's holiday for youngsters, although they are not all Ottery kids, but I mean the fact of the matter is, I think we would need each time we look at any of this, that there are Ottery youngsters involved.
[speaker002:] Well, equally you couldn't have an A T C Squadron in every small town or village in the country, and therefore they've got to be, I mean, just as much as Otter Valley Boxing Club has extended its range to get more people, so the A T C have to be in some particular place. Mm. Because there's quite a lot of equipment supplied from M O D to, to support them.
[Graham:] Right. Erm. They've asked us for two hundred and fifty pounds proposal.
[speaker002:] Right, right, I'll Mr Chairman, I think that's alright.
[Graham:] Seconded. Right, all in favour? Any Right, two hundred and fifty pound it is. One nine two, the Ottery St Mary Football Club's youth section. Erm, I've got a three four... four page letter from the Ottery youth section, erm, and their... we run at the moment three teams of boys between the age of ten and sixteen. Er, we have approximately sixty boys signed on for the three teams, all of whom come from the Ottery area. We have considerable success with all the teams in the past few years, and even when not winning, the boys enjoy their football. Our expenses in running these teams include league and club entry fees, referees fees, refreshments, nets for goals, footballs and three sets of kit and changes of kit, in case of a colour clash. We pay for each boy to have a trophy at the end of the season to recognize that he had represented Ottery throughout the season. Erm, the kit that these boys are wearing is a number of years old, and therefore we are going to need think about replacing it at the end of this season. We would like to be able standardize the kit so all three teams wear the same colours. To replace this kid would cost a thousand pounds. The fund raising we did covers our cost and we rely heavily on the goodwill of parents and friends to provide transport every Sunday. Erm, we are, we are at present at the moment spending money upgrading facilities for the youths. We've already used, improved the supporters' hut to provide shelter for the many people who watch the matches, from which to serve teas. There's still a great deal to do to upgrade the changing facilities for the boys, all the work is carried out by parents and friends, but the materials cost money. We're a forward as many ideas for improving new football. At present, we have also got twenty five boys aged between eight and eleven who attend training for the under twelve team. Only thirteen players can pick to play each week, with a four in un un under eleven team. And so it goes on. [sorting papers] And finishes off by saying, erm, our Youth Committee Chairman, Roland have a forward looking attitude to developing and improving youth for many years to come, for as many boys as possible, and we would like to apply for a grant for a thousand pound to cover the cost of providing these new kits for three teams. I hope you will look favourably on this request Comments.
[speaker002:] Are they asking for a thousand, are they?
[Graham:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] I mean, seeing the amount of kids that do go out there, and the state of the changing rooms that they are using at the moment, I, I think it's really degrading.... [tape change] three one hundred and thirty
[Graham:] Yeah. Three one three O.
[speaker002:] I don't know what you think, Mr Chairman, but I just still five hundred the same as the Youth Centre, the erm
[Graham:] Right, proposal,
[speaker002:] Yeah, I second that. I propose.
[speaker007:] I propose.
[Graham:] Right, all in favour of five hundred?
[speaker007:] Hockey Club
[Graham:] Right. I think that's, thank you Councillor, that's excellent.
[speaker002:] Three six, three O, now.
[Graham:] Three six, three O.
[speaker002:] We'll have the running total in a minute.
[Graham:] Right. [LAUGHTER] Er, Ottery St Mary Scout roof repairs, amount request a thousand pounds. Membership of the organization, one hundred and four boys. Membership fifteen pounds per annum. Balance sheet, quote for three thousand pounds to strip the existing roof covering, and basically well, they're putting on a new roof.
[speaker002:] Is, is this building here not so long ago?
[speaker007:] Yes, that's the ones where you put a little under six thousand.
[Graham:] Isn't that, meant we, we say that I know time goes on but in years they took to pay the loan. So it's a ten year old building and they're
[speaker002:] Is it?
[Graham:] looking to re-felt the roof.
[speaker002:] And was it a flat, flat roof?
[Graham:] Er...
[speaker002:] No.
[Graham:] no, it, er... I can't remember what it was. No.
[speaker002:] Is it a gabled roof, is it?
[speaker007:] I forget what when they ordered, but I cannot remember now.
[Graham:] Probably flat, one of them. Hot, hot, hot bonding and
[speaker002:] Oh, it's gotta be a flat roof then.
[Graham:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] In fact, I mean, yeah, ten year, Yeah. that's all you'll get out of 'em.
[Graham:] They gotta soak
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Graham:] soak the roofing. Yeah ten years, about right. What they're applying for. The bill,th the, it's three thousand pound, and they're asking us for a thousand. Looks a bona fide, I mean, obviously, we want to make sure the work's done. What do you think?
[speaker002:] I can't think what building it is then, if it's got a flat roof.
[Graham:] Yeah, they're all, there's another one along the end.
[speaker007:] I have for a number of years
[speaker002:] Tipton Scouts, Tipton Scouts two fifty.
[Graham:] Yeah, but Tipton Scouts, you've already had one this year.
[speaker007:] Yeah, that's right
[Graham:] And this is, I mean, what they're asking, actually to be fair to them they've put in for a thousand pound against three.
[speaker002:] They've asked for a third. They've asked for a third of what
[Graham:] Erm,
[speaker007:] I, I, I go along as same as the other, five hundred that's my way of thinking, but I don't know what everybody else thinks.
[Graham:] I, I think we should
[speaker002:] We didn't, we didn't on the first request. Instead of giving it a grant, they paid back their money.
[Graham:] Yeah, they done very well, really. Would you, would you agree to seven fifty, Councillor would you?
[speaker007:] I have nothing against the Scouts, I'm all in favour of them actually. I just sort of
[Graham:] Mm. We can afford the thousand pound, if you think it's right. They've got a hundred and four boys, Cubs and Scouts.
[speaker002:] Well they, seeing the Ottery, whatever you call it, they did put in a lot of work down there, there seem to be a lot of Scouts about. I, I like to hear what the rest of erm, the Committee got to say on it, actually. I mean, it's, I seem to be talking quite a bit here tonight.
[Graham:] I'm glad you came.
[speaker002:] this year is it being [LAUGHTER] these people must be given to understand,
[Graham:] Oh yes, yes, it's up to us it's up to us, we either the club out or we don't.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] If we've got enough money, I mean
[Graham:] Thank you. But let's remember this. What we were criticized and several senior councillors quite rightly said, the five thousand pound we were spending was only going to a very few.
[speaker002:] But now it's
[Graham:] What we've done tonight, is spread that amount of money over a tremendous number of people tonight
[speaker002:] Yes, yes, yes, yes.
[Graham:] and you would have to say, that the benefit's gonna be far more, far reaching than it was before.
[speaker002:] I think yes
[Graham:] So what we're talking about is
[speaker007:] Scouts or Guides all use it or
[Graham:] I think they do, don't they?
[speaker002:] I think they did.
[Graham:] Yeah, I think they do.
[speaker002:] Yeah. She, she did mention the Guides when she came into the talk with me.
[Graham:] I mean, I think, I think that considering the work they, we ought to be looking at giving them the grant. Right, a proposal from the chair. A thousand pounds. All in favour? Any against? Fine, and the running total there
[speaker002:] How many hands have you had in favour? How many hands in favour?
[Graham:] Er, all of 'em. [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] I make it fifteen left.
[speaker004:] running out
[speaker002:] Four six, four six three O. I make it fifteen minutes to go. I haven't done anything wrong.
[speaker004:] It's just that it's running out rather quickly,
[Graham:] got there now.
[speaker004:] We have, have we?
[Graham:] This is, that's that one,
[speaker004:] That's, that's
[Graham:] now we move on that's the youth one, now we move on... so we now, we've got one thousand...
[speaker002:] I make it,on fifteen oh two left. Balance.
[Graham:] One thousand, five hundred and two pound left to spend. So that, what did you make the running total?
[speaker002:] Four six three O.
[Graham:] That's it, So, four six three O. And I added it all up to four six five O. So somebody had gone
[speaker002:] Oh, I may be wrong
[Graham:] No, no, I meant, that's what I did before. Well, no, don't pack your papers away
[speaker002:] I, I did promise that I'd be away at eight o'clock.
[Graham:] Right. Thank you Councillor
[speaker002:] You're late. Nice to see you Happy Christmas to you
[speaker007:] Thank you very much, and the same to all of you, and I hope you chaps will carry on and use it up properly. [LAUGHTER]
[Graham:] What? we were worried about that, weren't you?
[speaker002:] Oh that's alright
[Graham:] Right, move on to part two. Move on to part two, one nine four, war memorial.
[speaker002:] Can I suggest then, can, can we have er, preview of what each of these groups actually want, so we can see
[Graham:] Right. Fine.
[speaker002:] I mean, what's the likelihood of I agree with that.
[Graham:] Okay. Yeah, good idea. What we've got left in the kitty is one thousand, no
[speaker002:] No. Two one O one.
[Graham:] Two, one.
[speaker002:] It's this, it's this figure on here, of, this is what you've given out as the total of five thousand. This now goes back to the ordinary grants money.
[Graham:] Right, let's, let's, I'll run through this quickly, what I put down. The first one, I mean, er, this is not casting the stone, but this is the way I see 'em all. The first one, I think shouldn't come
[speaker004:] Not really.
[Graham:] the first one I don't think should come under this grant, I think it should go to enhancement. Because it's all about enhancing the area of the war memorial, and I think that should go for next year's enhancement. The second one,wo if we look to support the carnival and their extortionate high insurance costs. I've put down the target figure of two hundred and fifty. The Sid Valley Talking Newspaper, we gave a hundred and fifty pound before and we have done each year. Right. The Ottery Primary School is about vandalizing er, vandalized seat, and I've put a hundred and fifty for that. And R Rio is to supply one container plus costs of getting it there, seven hundred pound. In total that comes to twelve hundred and fifty, out of a balance of...
[speaker002:] Two thousand one hundred and one.
[Graham:] So there's the b so there's the basis of the discussion.
[speaker002:] Right.
[Graham:] Alright?
[speaker002:] Thank you. Yeah.
[Graham:] Okay. Now the first one, as I say, it's from a Mr it's from a Mr councillor of Porthneal it's erm, I understand Ottery Council has some money available an immediately fund that can be used to enhance the environment. Could we suggest paving the area around West Hall War Memorial. I think that falls directly into town enhancement for next year.
[speaker002:] Town enhancement Yeah.
[Graham:] All agree?
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Graham:] Right.
[speaker002:] use all of it too.
[Graham:] Fine. Erm, the next one is purely from the Carnival er, towards their erm, er, expenses and they say that insurance has risen from three hundred to twelve hundred pounds. Basically, it's another one, isn't it, where whatever money we put towards it, and the end of the day what they get left with comes back into the community. You know, they pay, they pay
[speaker002:] Oh, yeah.
[Graham:] various charities.
[speaker002:] The insurance, for what, er, public liability Yeah. Yeah. Ridiculous, int, and they're having problems of getting That's the only thing that's gonna stop the carnival. Yeah. You only gonna have one upset, and that's to be the end of it. But why have they actually said, to ask specifically, I mean, you can understand it in terms of the cars, or something, cos a lot of people are claiming for everything right left and centre. But I mean, there is not a lot of tar barrel rolling around the country. [LAUGHTER]
[Graham:] Well, what it's all about is that er, the insurers have seen things on the telly etcetera and horrified with the result,
[speaker002:] Yes, yes.
[Graham:] and basically they're running out of companies who are prepared to insure.
[speaker002:] Yes, yes.
[Graham:] Even though they haven't made claims. Trevor.
[Trevor:] Mr Chairman erm, I believe we have had a breakdown there, haven't we. Any
[Graham:] A break
[speaker002:] Any way of giving a breakdown, of what money they give out, do they?
[Graham:] Donations wise, yeah, yeah. Erm.
[speaker002:] Would you, could you read some of those?
[Graham:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Donations.
[Graham:] Well, in nineteen eighty four, they gave out four seven five in prize money, and three hundred pound in donations. By nineteen eighty eight, it was up to five hundred and five in prize money and eleven forty seven in donations. And in nineteen ninety three they gave a thousand and forty prize money and paid out two thousand one hundred and sixty pound on donations.
[speaker002:] They haven't give you the breakdown of donations and who they give it to?
[Graham:] They have.
[speaker002:] Could you give us that?
[Graham:] Last year's. Right in nineteen ninety three, twenty five pound to the Police Widows and Orphans, hundred and fifty to the Girl Guides, two hundred and fifty Busy Otters, two hundred pound to Ottery Football, a thousand pound to Ottery Dyslexia Association, two hundred pounds to the W R V S for Talking Books for the Partially Sighted, fifty pounds for the Primary School, and fifty pounds for the St John's Ambulance.
[speaker002:] They also supply computers as I understood? No.
[Graham:] No. But there you are. All things within the town.
[speaker002:] And they're giving quite a lot back, and I, I know you only give it as a, as a guide, Mr Chairman, but two hundred and fifty pound, I would think that would have to be doubled. The amount of money that they give back to this community, I would like to see it supported [LAUGHTER]
[Graham:] Right. That's what?
[speaker002:] used to be a cripple on Hollywood. [LAUGHTER] Oh dear.
[Graham:] I thought they used to run a carol service.
[speaker002:] Yeah, it's gone. Car Carol weren't there. [LAUGHTER] Oh, sorry it's seven o'clock.
[Graham:] Okay. Let somebody on the
[speaker004:] I'll second, I'll second that.
[Graham:] well, that somebody on the committee propose that.
[speaker004:] I'll propose it.
[speaker002:] it seems a bit strange though, cos I mean, indirectly we seem to be giving back to the community.
[speaker004:] The community
[Graham:] I think what they're saying is, that unless the money to start with, there's no defin definition that they can carry on. When they've raised the money at the carnival. So they, they need the money as capital up front.
[speaker002:] Up front.
[Graham:] I do think it's probably A good idea that the council back the carnival.
[speaker004:] Supports it, yes, supports it.
[speaker002:] Oh, yeah, I mean, I've, I've nothing whatsoever against it.
[Graham:] Sure.
[speaker002:] I think it's brilliant.
[Graham:] Yeah. So we'll do that. I'm a seconder for that?
[speaker002:] What was the proposal?
[Graham:] Janice proposed five hundred pounds.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Graham:] Right. All in favour?
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[Graham:] Okay, erm, the Sidvale Talking Newspaper, we've supported this before. Erm,
[speaker002:] It's them again.
[Graham:] Yeah,we with this been ongoing, we've given a hundred and fifty pounds to it, erm, well I say I don't see it on the top one.
[speaker002:] I think it's pretty well supported. bottom one Pretty well supported.
[Graham:] top one on the bottom one. There you are. All in favour? two hundred and fifty. Right. Th right the next one's a sad little one. It's about vandalism of a school, of a seat outside the primary school. Erm, you may have heard that vandals destroyed our community seat on the Long Dobbs Lane last week. The seat was given to the school for a Mr headmaster and as a gesture of goodwill to all who pass the school. You'll be all to aware of the school's financial circumstances and understand we are unable to afford replacement or repair. My staff and governors wonder if the town council would be willing to help and restore in the much loved seat. Hundred and fifty pounds.
[speaker002:] Fair enough.
[Graham:] Right.
[speaker002:] Will that cover the cost of the seat? No.
[Graham:] Does, don't it?
[speaker002:] Not quite. Though about, the one that's going in the cemetery, they're just on two hundred. they're very good seats.
[Graham:] Oh, well, if you wanna make it two.
[speaker002:] I'm taking your word for it.
[Graham:] I thought hundred and fifty covered it.
[speaker002:] The time they set fire to the
[Graham:] Right. Well,
[speaker002:] I would like to see us cover the cost of the seat. Proposal. Yeah, that's the least we can do.
[Graham:] Two hundred pound. Right.
[speaker002:] You'll given them a new target to go for a?
[Graham:] Right.
[speaker002:] Give them a new target.
[Graham:] Well. Mustn't give in to vandals, must we?
[speaker002:] Well, there comes a time,
[Graham:] right. One nine eight. It's, you've heard the er presentation by Carol for Rio. They've asked us to provide them with the finance one container, that's five hundred pound, plus two hundred pound transport, which will be matched by the community council if we do it. So in actual fact, we're, we're grant aiding them to get two of their four.
[speaker002:] I think this is a very actually, Mr Chairman. I think. The only thing, the only thing that worries me is that the thing gets priority. Well, yes, I got the advert. The they put the advert in and she underlined them. I've got those sort of prices some time ago when we were
[Graham:] Well.
[speaker002:] looking for one for the...
[Graham:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] the bowling club. We are, we are paying nine hundred pound at the moment.
[Graham:] She's, she's got, she's got well, they've asked us for seven. If that does the job and on receipt of the bills, I think we should support it.
[speaker002:] Yes
[Graham:] I think they've got off the ground and they've shown a lot of initiative.
[speaker002:] I think she, yes, she presented it well.
[Graham:] Okay. All agree? I think that means we've spent a bit more than we planned. That I've put down, erm, anybody added it up as we've gone along?
[speaker002:] Yes, fifteen fifty.
[Graham:] Fifteen fifty. Fifteen fifty, which leave us a balance of... six hundred pounds, does it?
[speaker002:] Yeah. Yeah.
[Graham:] Okay. I think that's a good position to be in now, er, one more grants meeting before the end of the financial year. Well I think we're on the right, on the right side of it. Move on the buildings. The schedule action to be taken relative to necessary works. Now, you've all been down and looked at the state of the playground below. I think we put the erm, report and the guarantee which we've had from Rentakil in solicitor's hands, and he is in the process of contacting Rentakil.
[speaker002:] Yep.
[Graham:] Rentakil have said that they don't consider that the guarantee covers us. But I would suggest to you that we need to press Rentakil and say, you know you the conditions of the guarantee we feel we'd comply with, and wait until we get anything back from the solicitors, before we do anything else. I'm pleased you've all seen the state of it. But I don't think there's any action. I think it may mean that we'll have to call a meeting quite quickly after this one, to discuss, but I really don't think we've got the basis of anything till that comes back. I don't know what the rest of you feel.
[speaker002:] Can I just make the point that we are due to pay the next erm, annual subscription for this guarantee. Erm, it was due to today, actually. On the solicitor's advice we held it. Erm, in the letter that you s sending by fax tomorrow, you tend to indicate that it is held while the matter's sorted. If they say we've got to pay it, well then I'll have to come back at the council meeting. If not, well it will held pending what they do next, because there's no point, I mean, Trevor's, I think frankly, rightly said, that the guarantee is not a very solid document. If this is the case, then I co wouldn't be able to propose to the council that we continue to give Rentakil two hundred and seventy quid a year... For nothing. for nothing. So therefore
[Graham:] if you refuse to pay it, they not worth paying.
[speaker002:] No. [cough]
[Graham:] You've got to be very careful on that.
[speaker002:] No. The solicitor is wording it that we're not refusing to pay it, but we're just holding it abeyance. Holding it in abeyance. As long as it doesn't invalidate the guarantee. Well, that's what you've got to be careful of.
[Graham:] Gentlemen, I, I, I do believe, fellow councillors, what we've done now is asked the solicitor to, to take the matter in hand, and so I do think until we've got advice from him, it would be for us to actually recommend any other... So I think we may have to take this as part of the council meeting when we get a report back, cos obviously, there's a degree of urgency in whatever we do about this, but I can suggest that we can do no more than report back to the next council meeting that we've discussed this, and that it is in solicitor's hands.
[speaker002:] Can I ask, Mr Chairman, in your opinion, had we carry out the erm, works or anything to do suppose to do. I mean
[Graham:] My only candid opinion is that the thing is so loosely couched and phrased that we could claim we have and they could we haven't.
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Graham:] I'm not clear, on reading the fu I haven't read the full report. I will say that Roy dealt with it, when it happened and I know at the time he, he was very very thorough over it.
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Graham:] I mean, I know we spent a lot of time with the former clerk,
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Graham:] And with Rentakil, and if you remember at that time, as he rightly said last night... the idea of going with Rentakil, was that we thought they were a reputable firm,
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Graham:] And thought we were doing the best possible thing we could do.
[speaker002:] Dennis was also an adviser on it.
[Graham:] Yeah, well there you are. I think it
[speaker002:] I think you can stand to correct me, but the problem being with these things, that they're so It's the typical get-out clause, this, isn't it? How it looks to me, is that most of it was angled towards the bit that they were involved in last time, which was much more to do, I think, with the police officer, I wasn't here, but you know, surround it yeah, yeah. and it all sort of refers to that part. Mm. Did, did they do structural work last Sunday? Or was it, was it all dry-rot treatment?
[Graham:] Yeah,
[speaker002:] Typically.
[Graham:] yeah. Well, I think what we gotta do. I must s what's happened it this. What's happened is this. At the moment the solicitor has the report, which it took Derek quite a while to find, cos it wasn't filed where it should have been. [LAUGHTER] But we've now found that and it's gone to the solicitor's. In the me we hadn't actually had a chance go through it properly ourselves. And that's something we must do before the next meeting so that I can answer the questions, cos we don't really know at this moment. One, which was actually carried out. We just put it all in Rentakil's hands really,
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Graham:] Thought we were doing right. Now we've got to go into the fine print.
[speaker002:] Mr Chairman, may I ask What what happened, what happened to the property next door, they were going to put the claim against the council
[Graham:] Yeah, well th that all petered out in the end, didn't it?
[speaker002:] Well, I don't know. We have, we have a problem, of course, erm, in finding the exact root of the problem, we could possibly you see, so So, there's nobody can really No, no define it
[Graham:] Well that, that, that did reach a conclusion with the solicitors, didn't it?
[speaker002:] If it's any comfort, it's just been sold next door. So whoever's bought it bought all the problems, yeah. Well, apparently what's happened there, I do know, because erm, one or two of the people who looked at it got involved, and whereas the property started out at some figure in the high hun hundred and fifty, hundred and eighty thousand, something like that. It was actually sold for something in the region of fif fifty thousand. Because some people came in and had offered sixty, that's what I was told, the last lot that came in had offered sixty. Fifty, and then withdrew, but it's around that fifty, sixty mark. Oh. Can I ask, Mr Chairman, if it's possible for us to have a copy of the reports? Is it, is it possible?
[Graham:] You can borrow the copy, can't you?
[speaker002:] Yeah. I'll give it back to you
[Graham:] Would you, would you look at that, and perhaps you
[speaker002:] I will look at that, yeah.
[Graham:] perhaps, you'd speak to us at the next council meeting, then.
[speaker002:] If I get a chance to look at it.
[Graham:] Yeah. Fine. Okay.
[speaker002:] Christmas reading, then.
[Graham:] Okay.
[speaker002:] That's what I want, yes.
[Graham:] Erm, there be no other business. I like to close the meeting. Thank you for attendance. And this is the final council meeting before Christmas. Wish you a happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. And just mention, [shouting] just mention [] that there are, there is carol singing around the tree at the bottom, Thursday, seven thirty.
[speaker002:] Has anybody any idea why it's so late? Because we can't actually make it, because we're going out somewhere else, but we would have done it, if it has been earlier. It seems funny, cos you know, small kids go there
[Graham:] Well, that time of the evening, you mean?
[speaker002:] Yeah, yeah, I mean, I would have gone
[Graham:] I don't know why. I mean basically we have had organize it this year. As he has other years.
[speaker002:] Is it any later than normal or...
[Graham:] I said
[speaker002:] No, it's always about seven thirty.
[Graham:] Is it? Yeah.
[speaker002:] I think one of the things, to be honest is to avoid the traffic. Because that's quite a lot of traffic going through there.
[Graham:] Nice evening. I love it.
[speaker002:] I happen to tell you, that it's, we hope that the tree will be lit. It's lit again at the moment, but so far we've had something like fifteen bulbs stolen, and when that heavy rain comes, it fills the little cups and goes bang and the gentleman today, was busy drilling things out of the fuse box, where I think it had gone again. So. It's we lit tonight.