Venue: The Pavilion, Cricketers Lane, The Green, Englefield Green, TW20 0YX

Contact: Democratic Services 

Items
No. Item

518.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 59 KB

To confirm and sign, as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 17th January 2023

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 17 January 2023 were confirmed and signed as a correct record.

519.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Mr S Brisby (Resident’s Representative)

520.

Declarations of interest

Members are invited to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests or other registrable and non-registrable interests in items on the agenda.

 

Minutes:

No declarations of interest were received.

521.

Maintenance and Management of the Green pdf icon PDF 147 KB

Minutes:

The Committee was updated on progress on management and maintenance of the Green since the Englefield Green meeting in October 2022.

 

Wildflower planting

 

Officers reported that the Councils Green Spaces Manager had been liaising with members of the Committee regarding location and choice of wildflowers.  Once purchased the flowers would be passed to volunteers for planting.  In order to expedite it was agreed that delegated authority be given to agree a wildflower planting regime.

 

Event applications

 

The Committee was asked to consider two event applications which had recently been received.

The first application was from James Beach.   The application was for a funfair to be held on the Green from 19th to 21st May 2023.  Expected attendees were in the region of 500.   The Committee considered the application.  Members recalled previous damage caused to the Green caused by the funfair.  It was noted that no business case had been submitted along with the application to allay the Committees previous concerns so therefore Members asked Officers to reject the application on this occasion.

 

The second application was from the Englefield Green Village Residents Association (EGVRA) to hold to the Englefield Green Village Fair on the Green on Saturday 24th June 2023. The fair would run between 12 noon and 5pm.   Set up would be on Friday 23rd June and the morning of the 24th.  The event would be taken down between 5pm and 7pm on the 24th.  The Committee was fully supportive of EGVRA holding the village fair on the Green again this year.   The fair was always well supported and enjoyed by local residents.

 

New Street lamp located on Englefield Green

 

The Committee was advised that the post thought to be a new streetlamp had now been removed.   Officers had liaised with Surrey County Council who had confirmed that the post was intended to support a Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS) and not a streetlight.  A future consultation exercise would take place to agree a suitable alternative location.

 

Additional grounds maintenance charges and arrangements post Idverde contract

 

Since the mutual termination of the Idverde Grounds Maintenance contract in November 2022 Environmental Services teams were currently being built up.  A new in-house team would deliver grounds maintenance across the Borough including Englefield Green. 

Any additional work requested by the Committee would incur additional charges as stated in paragraph 2.8 of the report.  The Committee was advised that any additional work required 1 months’ notice.  Whilst Officers would do their best to accommodate additional work requests it would depend on the work demands on Officers at that time.

 

A member of the Committee reported that the leaf clearance had been unsatisfactory and subsequently the grass had been damaged.   The Committee was advised that barring manned parks Englefield Green was the only Green Space to receive leaf clearing.   Officers could arrange for a second leaf clearance, but the cost would be £200 as detailed in paragraph 2.8 of the report. 

 

Given the damage to the surface  ...  view the full minutes text for item 521.

522.

Events on the Green pdf icon PDF 82 KB

Minutes:

The Committee received an information report regarding a planned event on the Green to mark the King’s Coronation.

An application had been received from the Englefield Green Cricket Club to host a street party on the Green between the hours of 11am – 10pm on Sunday 7 May 2023, which under Section 21 of the Town Police Clauses Act would require the Council to make an Order for a road closure.

The proposed area for closure is the stretch of road either side of the Cricket Pavilion between private roads, some 110m in length.

Runnymede Officers had been in touch with Officers from Surrey County Council as the highway’s authority, who have raised no objections to the closure.

 

The Committee was supportive of the event and complemented the Cricket Club on the previous street party held in 2022 to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. 

523.

Exclusion of Press and Public

Matters Involving Exempt or Confidential Information in respect of which reports have not been made available for public inspection

Minutes:

By resolution of the Committee, the press and public were excluded from the remainder of the meeting during the consideration of the remaining matter under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that the discussion would be likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information of the description specified in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A to Part 1 of the Act.

524.

Venue for future meetings

Minutes:

Following recent Officer concerns regarding the suitability of the Englefield Green Cricket Club as a venue for the Englefield Green Committee.  Officers emailed all Committee Members on their views on moving future Committee meetings to the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre in Addlestone.  All but one Committee member responded.   There were 3 Committee Members in support of moving the meetings to the Civic Centre and 3 against.

 

The layout of the Cricket Club obliges attendees to sit close to each other and unlike the Council Chamber it is not possible to indicate when to speak.  The Council Chamber is a more structured/business like venue which was designed to accommodate council meetings.

 

The Englefield Green Committee was established by the virtue of the lease the Council has of the land described as Englefield Green.  That lease does not impose any obligations as to the location at which meetings of the Englefield Green Committee should be held. 

 

Officers had made enquiries at two Englefield Green venues for the extraordinary meeting held in January 2023.  St. Jude’s School and the Englefield Green Community Hub.  St. Jude’s School had worked very well for the extraordinary meeting in January.  Officers had yet to look at the Englefield Green Community Hub to ascertain its suitability. 

 

 

The Committee voted in favour (with 1 vote against) moving the meetings to a more suitable venue.     Whilst it was appreciated a move to the Civic Centre required residents to travel it was considered the most suitable venue to ensure a more structured approach to future meetings.   It was noted that the proposed new Englefield Green member working party would be held in the Englefield Green locality. 

 

 

 

 

 

Resolved that:

 

Future meetings of the Englefield Green Committee be held in the Council Chamber at the Civic Offices in Addlestone