The new members of Market Deeping Town Council gathered for the first meeting on Wednesday last week. As my first meeting as a councillor, it was an interesting experience but after careful preparation and research of the items on the agenda, I felt able to make some relevant and hopefully useful contributions.

Thanks were given to the outgoing Mayor Roy Stephenson for the work over the difficult last year the Council has faced. Cllr Lester was welcomed as the new Mayor, with Cllr Redshaw as Deputy Mayor.

The Council agreed upon the membership of the committees as follows:

Amenities and Open Spaces

Bob Broughton (Chair)
Adam Brookes
Xan Collins
Simon Fraylich
Paul Hanson
Jean Sked
Roy Stephenson

Planning & Highways

Pauline Redshaw (Chair)
Adam Brookes
Colin Gamble
David Shelton
Jayne Reed

Town Hall & Cemetery

Roy Stephenson (Chair)
Bob Broughton
Simon Fraylich
Paul Hanson
Pauline Redshaw
Jean Sked

The Finance & Personal Committee is chaired by the Mayor with its members being the Deputy Mayor and the chairs of each of the other committees. Other members of the Council can attend and vote at meetings. I’m particularly pleased to be able to join the Amenities and Open Spaces Committee given issues that myself and others have expressed about the policy for events on the Council’s John Eve Field. This is something I’m going to be working to improve.

I had asked that the issue of the HSBC closure was on the agenda and was please that the Council agreed that we should write to HSBC to raise the concerns expressed by residents and ask to be invited to any meetings held to discuss the issue with other local groups.

Other issues discussed included recent planning applications, residents concerns over swans nesting on Stamford Road, the appointment of a new internal auditor, planning for the Market Deeping Christmas Market, a memorial bench for the late Cllr Reg Howard, clerks membership of the Society of Local Council Clerks, the year-end accounts for 2014/15, and the management of the Council’s bank accounts.

The next full council meeting will be on 9 September. The Amenities and Open Spaces Committee will meet on 29 July.

Full Council July 2015 Agenda
Minutes not yet available