To receive any questions relating to items on the Agenda from members of the public and replies thereto.
Minutes:
Honorary Alderman David Nation referring to Item 9 (Local Improvement Schemes) on the agenda stated that he recalled that the Leader had switched political parties as you were so disgusted with the County Council’s closure of Chawleigh Primary School because it was too small to be financially and economically viable. How can you then justify selling the Crediton Office on the open market for financial reasons when it is clear that this is contrary to the expressed wishes of residents in the Crediton area and contrary to the Council’s policies on improving and regenerating town centres as it is with working with Town and Parish Councils.
The Leader stated that he would answer the question when the other public questions had been given.
Mrs Judy Tucker also referring to Item 9 on the agenda stated that further signatures had been added to the petition and this would now take it to well above the required 1500 signatures needed to trigger a debate at Full Council. I would like this Council to assure us that no contracts will be exchanged or definite legal commitments made to sell our building until that debate has taken place.
Mr Joe Ward again referring to item 9 on the agenda stated that he had listened to the PM last night and it had struck him how there were strong parallels between her Cabinet and the Council’s Cabinet in the sense that all over the country people were increasingly angry that councils were implementing policies against the clear wishes of the majority of their electorate and full Council and that this is leading to campaigns to change the system. Here in Mid Devon not many more signatures need to be collected to prompt a referendum for the Council to abandon this system in favour of a more democratic one.
The Leader stated that he would answer the first question and then hand over to the legal officer to address the second and third question.
The Leader responding to Honorary Alderman David Nation stated that in 2007 the Liberal Democrat Devon County Council closed Chawleigh Primary school much against local wishes. Chawleigh now had no primary school in the village. If Crediton Town Council move out of this building there will still be a Crediton Town Council. That will remain in position (Honorary Alderman Nation: ‘Homeless’) He then referred to and quoted from the minutes of the Town Council meeting on 17 July 2018 where it was stated in minute 1807/074….. “To consider available office space for the Town Council to relocate to and agree a course of action. An options report prepared by the Clerk had been issued with the agenda and was considered by Members. It was unanimously agreed to proceed with Option 1, with a new lease commencing on 1 October 2018 and the Town Council to terminate its existing tenancy on 31 October 2018, which will allow a one month overlap to facilitate an effective and efficient move. Proposed by Cllr Piercy, due to the confidential of this item no further information can be disclosed at this time.” That was signed as a true record by the Mayor, Cllr Frank Letch, on the 18 September 2018.
Honorary Alderman Nation responded stating that action had to be taken because they knew that you were intending to go ahead with the sale of the building. Obviously they had to make other arrangements that being the case but the reality is that even if that happens smoothly, as we all hope it will, should you proceed with this ridiculous policy, the fact is that they have got to have somewhere but it won’t be owned by the public so there will be no security of tenure. We thought people in the Crediton area, being part of Mid Devon District and because we knew you wanted to do the best for your parishes etc. that we could rely upon you to look after the building that was given to you upon local government reorganisation in 1974 and that it could continue to be used as a public building. It is entirely different when the Town Council, and for that matter Crediton Hamlets, has to go off and rent somewhere else which may or may not continue to be available to them. We were obviously mistaken so far as your loyalty to the Crediton area was concerned if you continue with this policy.
The Leader responded by stating that he was referring to the fact that Honorary Alderman had used the word ‘Homeless’ and I am stating that that was not the case because of the minutes of that Crediton Town Council meeting. He continued by stating that Honorary Alderman Nation had referred to Crediton Town Hamlets Council who he believed were in a position, if they so wished, to remain in that building just as Crediton Town Council could. That is the situation as I understand it with the proposed purchaser. Whether we know the terms or not the offer has been made, it’s as simple as that.
With regard to Mrs Tucker’s question the Monitoring Officer stated that asset disposal was for the Cabinet to decide, it was not a matter reserved to full Council. It is for the Cabinet to decide to proceed with the sale, (as it had done), full Council could not intervene with this decision even if there is to be a debate following receipt of a full petition with the requisite number of signatures. The Council can debate the issue but cannot overturn it. She referred to Cllr Letch’s motion to Council which was to ‘urge’ the Cabinet and not to ‘direct’ it.
With regard to a further petition with regard to Governance arrangements, the Leader was not aware that anything had been presented to the Council within the last 12 months.