Minutes of a meeting of the Northam Burrows Advisory Committee held in the Council Chamber, Windmill Lane, Northam on Tuesday 10 th November 2009.

 

PRESENT: Chairman - Cllr R W A Miller

Members - Cllrs P Hames, C K Langton

 

Other Members in attendance Cllrs B Edwards and R Johnson

Apologies were recorded on behalf of The Town Mayor, Cllr R H Osborne and Cllr R Tisdale

1. Minutes of the meeting of the Northam Burrows Advisory Committee held 6th August 2009

The minutes of the meeting of the Northam Burrows Advisory Committee held 6th August 2009 were approved and signed.

(Vote: Unanimous)

2. Terms of Reference

Members considered the draft Terms of Reference and it was RESOLVED to accept them as amended.

1. The Committee will comprise 7 elected Members plus those co-opted.

2. The quorum of the Committee shall be 3 elected Members of the Town Council.

3. The Committee shall co-opt additional members as it sees fit. These additional Members shall have an interest in Northam Burrows; these would normally comprise the owners (Torridge District Council), the Royal North Devon Golf Club, the graziers, Natural England and the 1716 committee;

4. The Committee shall undertake the following roles and functions: -

(a) It will allocate the grazing and enforce the grazing rules.

(b) It will ensure that the common right is protected;

(c) It shall prepare an annual budget which is restricted to the net income from the Burrows;

(d) It shall have delegated authority to incur expenditure within approved budgets;

(e) It shall respond to consultations from other bodies relating to the Burrows and the coast defences, in particular the pebbleridge.

(Vote: Unanimous)

3. Locking of gates

Members considered letters of complaint written to the Council with regard to the locking of gates at nighttime during the winter months from 6 pm to 7 am. It was RESOLVED to send the letters to the District Council as the owners and managers of the Burrows asking them to respond. It was also RESOLVED to write to the complainants advising them that their letters had been passed on and that the Council supported the action to lock the gates. It was also RESOLVED to respond to the letter from Geoffrey Cox MP in similar terms.

(Vote: Unanimous)

4. Any other items

(a) The Town Clerk reported that he had a telephone message from the Chairman of the Golf Club seeking a meeting to discuss the future of the Burrows in view of the District Council's latest request that the Town Council and the Royal North Devon Golf Club consider a joint approach. It was RESOLVED to nominate Cllrs Hames, Johnson and Langton to attend the meeting.

(Vote: Unanimous)

(b) The Chairman raised the question of how best to prepare the Business Plan in support of the Town Council's application to control the Burrows and it was generally agreed that this would need to be professionally done.

 

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