28 January 2025 – Agenda
SUMMONS TO ATTEND A MEETING
TO: All Members of the Environment & Assets Committee
Cllrs M Baines, D Bretherton, N Champken-Woods, P Cowell, A Dite (Chairman), H Dollman, L Emery, C Jones (Deputy Chairman), and H Richards.
Ex Officio (Voting) Members – A Gilbert (Town Mayor) and D Dawson (Deputy Mayor)
To all other Members for information
You are hereby summoned to attend a meeting of the Environment & Assets Committee on Tuesday 28 January 2025 at 6:30pm (maximum two hours) in the Upper Chamber (Thame Town Hall) for the transaction of business as set out on the attached agenda.
Mandy Sturdy
Clerk of the Council
Date: Wednesday 22 January 2025
AGENDA
1) Apologies for Absence
To receive, note and agree apologies for absence.
2) Declarations of Interest and Dispensations
To notify of any items that appear in the agenda in which there may be an interest that has not been recorded in the Member’s Register of Interest, and confirmation of any relevant dispensations.
3) Public Participation and Public Questions
To consider applications from members of the public to address the Committee (5 minutes maximum), in respect of any item of business included in the agenda. Applications to speak must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 5pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.
To consider questions from members of the public (who live, work, or run a business in the Parish). Written questions must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 4pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.
4) Minutes
To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Committee Meeting held on 3 September 2024.
5) Budget Summary
To monitor actual income and expenditure against estimates.
5. Environment & Assets Budgetary Figures to December 2024 [PDF]
6) Cuttle Brook Local Nature Reserve – Management Plan 2025-2029
To adopt the Cuttle Brook Local Nature Reserve Management Plan for 2025-2029.
6. Cuttle Brook Local Nature Reserve – Management Plan 2025-2029 [PDF]
7) Green Living Plan Working Group
To receive a report of the latest meetings of the Green Living Plan Working Group.
To support a motion to support Plastic Free Communities as detailed in the Officer report.
7. Report – Green Living Plan update – January 2025 [PDF]
8) Open Spaces Sub-Committee
Following completion of the Elms Park Play Area refurbishment project, to receive an initial SWOT analysis review of the project and function of the Open Spaces Sub-Committee.
To disband the Open Spaces Sub-Committee.
8. Elms Park Post-Project SWOT Analysis [PDF]
9) Asset Management Working Group
To approve the formation of an Asset Management Working Group and the Working Group’s Terms of Reference (to replace the Open Spaces Working Group).
To elect members to sit on the Asset Management Working Group.
9. Asset Management Working Group ToRs [PDF]
10) Thame Museum
To note repair works to the roof are now complete. £1,000 emergency expenditure was authorised following the discovery of rotten timber frames which need to be replaced.
11) Town Hall Maintenance
To note that the roof and gutters were cleaned on 21 January 2025 following recommendations within the building condition survey.
To note a repeat survey to monitor Radon Gas in the Town Hall basement will be carried out followed by a review of the risk assessment.
12) Town Hall Improvements
To receive the results of the mapping exercise.
To note the Operations Manager is exploring options for acoustic canvas wall panels to improve acoustics in the Upper Chamber.
12. Town Hall Improvements – Energy Mapping Exercise [PDF]
13) Elms Park
To receive a proposal from a resident related to two Oak Trees in Elms Park, both of which are diseased, one is dead the other is a very poor state of decline.
To consider any relevant actions arising from the proposal.
13. Report – Proposal_2 x Oak Trees Elms Park – Jan 2025 [PDF]
14) Policies
To re-adopt the following policies:
- Metal Detecting
- Personal Protective Equipment
14a. Metal Detecting Policy [PDF]
14b. Personal Protective Equipment Policy [PDF]
15) Rycote Meadow
To note the boardwalk element of the project to install a path through the meadow has been successfully installed. The project will recommence as soon as weather and ground water levels permit.
16) Verges Survey
To note the results of the verges survey.
16. Verges comparison survey 2023 vs 2024 [PDF]
17) Hampden Gardens Allotments (Bellway)
To note 10 out of the 17 allotment plots are occupied. A plan to publicise allotment plots for rent is due to take place over the next couple of months.
18) Land on the North Side of 12 Chalgrove Road
To note the Town Council are in receipt of a B107 Notice from Land Registry advising that the owners of 12 Chalgrove Road have applied to Land Registry to be the registered owner of a small piece of land to the north of their property based on adverse possession for a period dating back to March 1999.
18. Land Registry ‘Statement of Truth’ REDACTED [PDF]
19) Maintenance Report
To note the report of the Maintenance Team’s work.