LIVE BLOG: Skegness Town Council Extra Ordinary meeting

Skegness Town Council is making history by live-streaming its Extra Ordinary meeting via Zoom video conference.
Skegness Town Council on ZoomSkegness Town Council on Zoom
Skegness Town Council on Zoom

The meeting is attended by Boston and Skegness MP Matt Warman who congratulated the council on being innovative.

Here are the highlights from the agenda:

TOWER PAVILION

Town Clerk Steve Larner announced the new Tower Pavilion has won the leisure section of The Royal Inst of Chartered Surveyors awards for the East Midlands. He told councillors: "I am really proud we have won that section. It's a really great thing. If you think back a year we were thinking of how we could improve Tower Gardens. We now have a new building and can't wait to get residents to see it and get pavilion up and running."

VE75

Mayor Coun Mark Dannatt has urged residents to mark the day by celebrating at home. He offered reassurance there are good times ahead.

Coun Steve Kirk was concerned the message to stay at home gets out ahead of the Bank Holiday after reports temperatures of 70F are expected.

Mayor Coun Mark Dannatt agreed. "Normally we welcome visitors but Skegness is Closed, The car parks are closed. When we are open we will welcome visitors back."

TO CONSIDER ACTIONS REQUIRED TO MANAGE THE SITUATION RESULTING FROM THE CORONAVIRUS COVID19 NATIONAL MEASURES

Town clerk explained because of lockdown procedural changes are needed to annual administrative tasks, such as electing a new Mayor and the annual meeting of parishioners. Given the current lockdown situation, there is no prospect of the council being challenged for not holding these meetings, he said.

.• Not holding an annual council meeting and falling back on emergency legislation that enables the current Mayor, committee and representative appointments, chairmen, signatory, and any procedures and policies that would have otherwise ended at the annual meeting to continue until May 2021.

• Postponing the Annual Town Meeting until April/May 2021

• All meetings to be held by video conferencing with them live-streamed for the public to view.

• Cancel all meetings in May

• Allowing Planning Applications to be considered at Full Council, Management Committee as well as Planning meetings to make the best use of available times.

• To consider temporarily changing the default time for meetings to afternoons. Those who cannot watch in the afternoon can catch up later on the Skegness Town Council YouTube channel.

Coun Mark Anderson moved the recommendations. He said he was concerned about the change of meeting times to the afternoon but would support it until lockdown ends and councillors go back to work. Other councillors agreed the time needed looking at. Coun Steve Kirk said he couldn't understand why the meeting could not be held in the evening. "If people can watch Netflix they can attend the meeting," he said. There was concern about internet speed in the evening with increased use. However, it was decided to hold the next meeting at 7pm and see what happens following the Prime Minister's announcement on Sunday regarding easing lockdown.

RESIGNATION OF COUN BOB WALKER

Town clerk said an election for Coun Bob Walker's replacement would be unlikely until next May. Mayor Coun Mark Dannatt wished Coun Walker well for the future and was joined by the other councillors in thanking him for all his hard work and service to the town, as well as the Chamber. "He's a sad loss to Skegness," said Coun Danny Brookes.

THEFT OF EQUIPMENT FROM SKEGNESS CEMETERY

Coun Danny Brookes asked the Inspector attending the meeting if there were updates. She said there are no leads at the moment but there would be a media appeal with pictures now a full list of equipment was available. Town clerk asked for the go-ahead to replace more urgent pieces of equipment, including a trailer. "I share your disgust that people would come to our cemetery and steal equipment. I am concerned if we spend £5,000 this will happen again," said Coun Steve Kirk. Town clerk said there are items the council can still store at the cemetery but reminded the council they had already talked about getting a more secure container for more valuable items. It will have an impact on our efficiency with items not being in the same place, he pointed out. The increase in burglaries in the town was also mentioned by councillors, who asked the Inspector Jacqui Barnsley for updates. Burglary is the only crime that has increased, said the Inspector, but the police have had leads, including one offender being charged with 13 burglaries. Coun Sid Dennis asked what percentage of the overall crime figure this represented. Coun Dannatt urged the public to report crime so the police had the correct crime figures. The Inspector reassured the council they cared about crime but there had also been a lot of concern about speeding.

TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON PROGRESS WITH COUNCIL ACCOUNTS AND AN IMPACT ASSESSMENT ON COUNCIL FINANCES RESULTING FROM THE CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN AND TO AGREE A POSITION IN RELATION TO MANAGING DEBTS

Town clerk said 21 per cent of the council's income now came from sources other than the precept and the Covid-19 pandemic would impact this.

He said he had estimated the council could have many tens of thousands of pounds of income could be lost because businesses are not trading and paying rents. The reserve figure for the end of May 2021 was estimated at £131,000 but if £100,00 was lost that would only leave £31,000, which is something to be considered during the budget time, he said. The council would not actively pursue rents until businesses start to trade, but from a cash flow point of view, there is enough to get through, he said. The Mayor said the council should do everything they could to support businesses and suggested that a payment scheme should be put forward to ease businesses back into a 'new norm'.

MP Matt Warman welcomed suggestions of flexibility in rent payments. He said it's right to say large amounts of money had come from the Government to district and county councils to support businesses but not parish councils. However, he said rent will be covered in other ways so businesses shouldn't be double subsidised. He said there needed to be further government support given but the balance needed to be right. He also pointed out we should be incredibly optimistic about domestic tourism in the future because people will not be' hopping on planes' and it is important business can seize those opportunities.

Coun Dan Brookes and Coun Mark Anderson said council taxpayers should not be expected to pick up any shortfall in the precept. Coun Sid Dennis was especially concerned about the businesses with kiosks who are not taking a penny and he said he had doubts they will be there after the crisis. if they did not support these people. "It's not their fault - I believe we have to give them a holiday and I mean to write some of these rents off. A payment plan is no good if you don't have any money," he said.

Town clerk said the council would strive to get money where they can but expected reserves would be low at the end of the financial year and the council would struggle should there be another incident. Mayor said he would like to stay positive - Skegness will bounce back but we need to help each other. Coun Danny Brookes warned even if the Prime Minister eases restrictions there still may be problems with social distancing and if businesses do not get fully open until the end of September there will be problems. Mayor called for an extension of season to recoup some of the losses, to be discussed at a future time.

Coun Steve Kirk said 9,000 people are employed along the coast and to help businesses, he proposed a payment plan should be agreed with businesses by December 31 2020, with first payment April 2021.

Coun Tony Tye said businesses would need at least three years to pay. Councillors agreed they needed to give businesses all the support they can.

PLANNING

McDonalds Restaurant, Grand Parade, Skegness - Consent to display four internally illuminated freestanding digital signs and one. digital booth screen - Recommend approval

Miss L Miller - Extensions and alterations to existing dwelling to provide a study with pitched roof over existing garage link and a walk-in cupboard and games/fitness room.at 25 Kennedy Avenue - Recommend approval

Ms. M Walker - Extension to existing children’s nursery Little Learners in Lincoln Road to provide two. ground floor classrooms, a snug, babies room and toilets with first-floor storage over - Recommend objection over traffic concerns

Mr & Mrs Elliott - Land north of layby on Burgh Road, Section 73 application in relation to Condition No. 4 (holiday occupancy), as previously imposed on Planning Permission Reference No. S/153/1591/18 for the 'Change of use of land for siting four static caravans to include the construction of vehicular access and an internal access road - Recommend objection.

MEETING ENDS 5.30PM.