2024.03.12-Officer-Reports-

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2024/11

a)
Date:

7th March 2024

Title:

Town Clerk Report A & E committee meeting 12th
March 2024

Purpose of the Report:

Updates and a request for 2 items for consideration

Contact Officer:

Gareth Hughes

This report is for councillors to note and to make recommendations to full
council on the following items
2- Bath Street Toilets, (confidential) 1. Solar panels tenders
1.

Chard Stone
We have a signed licence for the works and the contractor has been
instructed it is hoped that within the next 2 months works will be
completed

2.

Toilets – Bath street
Request from Somerset Council to take over contract for opening /
locking of Building with cleaning
As under devolution Somerset council have confirmed they will shut the
toilets on 1st April 2024
Please see details of emails from Somerset Council in accompanying
document
The proposed cost for 2024/ 2025 is £13,228 for opening closing and
cleaning at its current level.

3.

20mph Zone - Henson Park
This work will be completed by Somerset Council, we do not yet have a
date for the works

4.

Cemetery Chapels
We have now had the agreed survey of the Chapels completed and
await the results to establish a way forward

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5.

Cemetery works / purchase of land
This is progressing and completion is hoped for by end of March
2024
(CONFIDENTIAL)
That the following items be formally considered and resolution made on
how to proceed.
1. Solar panel
TENDERS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE SOLAR PANEL AND BATTERY STORAGE
PROJECT
To consider the tenders and information in the attached report and make a proposal
for a preferred contractor to undertake this work.

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b)
Amenities & Events Committee
Date: 12th March 2024
Purpose of the Report:
To provide members with an update regarding the
operations of the Amenities Team, Guildhall operation and the progress of ongoing
projects.
Contact Officer: Kevin Dyer
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Operations 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4
Cemetery 1.1
Allotments 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
Operations Team.

1.1

Community Garden project.
Ingrid Edginton has requested the use of Wills Meade to create a natural park and
for it to be linked into the community garden which she is creating alongside
Holyrood School. Ingrid is creating a support team to help her achieve this.
Wills Meade has been left unloved for many, many years and is part of my park
regeneration projects for 2024/2025, I believe this is an incredible opportunity to
create and amazing open space which benefits the local community.
The possibilities this project creates has a longevity that will last generations for
Chard, this also creates a close working relationship with Holyrood School which is
vital for Chards success.
Id like to recommend to the Council that Ingrid and her team present her ideas to
you at full Council in May.

1.2

See Attachments

1.3

The Trough
The Chard Trough is currently located hidden away at Jocelyn Park, I would like the
Council to consider moving the Trough from its current location back into the Fore
Street.

1.4

Upper and Lower Henson Park Boundary Protection
Back at my first council meeting in September 2023 it was discussed at public
question time how we as a council would look to prevent travellers entering our
parkland, Last year we had an encampment at Upper Henson Park although it
ended without too much bother it highlighter the vulnerability of all our parks to
encampment events.

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Can the Council Consider a Task and Finish Group to review all our open spaces
with a view of securing and protecting all our boundaries? Secondly to create
protection initially around Upper Henson Park to prevent a second encampment
taking place this summer.

1.1

Cemetery
The Task and Finish Group has met to discuss the progress of the new cemetery, we
have removed the pre-existing sleeper wall and graded out the existing bank, we
have now dressed the existing rough ground and prepared the ground for wild flower
turf, this will create a beautiful and colourful natural area of land.
This will eventually spread into the new cemetery area, where id would like to
continue the wild flower theme and create a wild flower cemetery.
I would like to recommend to the council that any graves dug within the new cemetery
area has wild flower turf put on top of the graves rather than the existing turf we
currently do, over time this will create a wild flower meadow.
Allotments/Holcombe Play Park
1.1 The terms and conditions of allotment tenancy agreement Section X 2 (C2) to be
adjusted to make the managing of the allotments easier and more efficient, to reduce
allotment miss usage and to abolish over grown plots and the frustration these cause
existing paying allotment tenants. New wording of the tenancy agreement now in
place and to be brought to full council for approval.
Can the Council please consider creating a new tenancy agreement, with the support
of the Allotment Committee. This can then be agreed at full council in March 2024.
This recommendation is still with the allotment committee and I am awaiting their
responses to the proposals made at full Council in January.
1.2 Change of Access to Holcombe Park:
To change or create a new double gated access to Holcombe park, to allow entrance
for large machinery and vehicles, this would allow both cars and larger vehicle access
to the park, which needs to be considered if the potential new earth BMX Track was
to be installed with the section 106 money.
This would also allow additional car parking spaces for the allotment users to use in
the summer as currently the existing car parking space is in adequate. This would
also allow the council to use Holcombe more effectively and maximise the use of the
park.
The recommendation is for the council to consider to create a new double gated
access entrance to lower Holcombe Park.

1.3 Replacement of Existing Swings
The existing swings at Holcombe park need replacing, this is not ideal due to us only
having the land on lease, id like to still install a new swing but have the capabilities of
being able to take it down and reassemble the equipment in another park.
The traditional swing set up ranges from £3500 to £4500 with an additional installation
cost, the aim is if the lease does not get renewed we can remove the swing and re
install into a different park.
Will the Council consider buying a new swing for Holcombe Play Park

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c)
Amenities & Events Committee
Date:

12th March 2024

Title:

Events Officer’s Report

Purpose of the Report:

To provide Members with an update on events planned
within the Guildhall and other related projects

Contact Officer:

Tim Bickham (tim.bickham@chard.gov.uk)

1.0

CONSIDERATIONS:

1.1

That the report be noted and the recommendation in 8.0 be considered.

2.0

Culturally Chard
The consortium is to have their final meeting of the funded programme on 12th
March, which will be to discuss any work ongoing during the remainder of the
programme and the sustainability beyond. During the second half of the meeting the
recently produced Culturally Chard film, celebrating the successes of the
programme will be shown and there will be further discussions on working together.
Culturally Chard lead partners will be putting together a substantial end of project
report ready for submission to Historic England and collating final bits of data from
consortium members. The final report will talk of how the programme has
encouraged new cultural activity in the High Street areas that can have a positive
legacy and how it has helped improve perceptions of the High Street and its
heritage.

3.0

Guildhall Recent Bookings
Supplementary to existing regular hirers, the Guildhall has secured additional
income from the following since date of last meeting:
Booking Name

Date

Income

Spark Somerset
Mayor’s Parlour private hire
Zumba classes
Somerset Youth Theatre
7th Day Adventist Church
Meeting of Chard Museum
Somerset Building
Preservation Trust
Chard Museum - Bondfield
event
Chard Carnival Committee
Meeting of Discovery
Young Somerset
Town Hall external hire
Meeting of Chard Museum
Auditorium private hire
Chard Chamber of
Commerce meeting
Somerset Council meeting

11.01.24
11.01.24
08.01.24-05.02.24
15.01.24-25.03.24
06.01.24-30.03.24
23.01.24
25.01.24

£388.90
£26.40
£82.50
£176.00
£763.40
£17.60
£112.60

25.01.24

£44.00

28.01.24
01.02.24
01.02.24-07.03.24
02.02.24
03.02.24
03.02.24
07.02.24

£55.00
£101.20
£165.00
£33.00
£55.00
£165.00
£89.65

14.02.24

£90.00

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Historic England event in
collaboration with Somerset
Council and Chard Museum
Chard Majorettes
Zem Carnival - Bingo night
Mediumship night
Auditorium private hire
Auditorium private hire
Chard Together event

15.02.24

£506.15

21.02.24
24.02.24
24.02.24
28.02.24
02.03.24
09.03.24
Total:

£77.00
£116.60
£39.60
£170.00
£82.50
£494.75
£3,851.85

4.0

St. George’s Day Parade – 21.04.24
The St. George’s Day dragon themed parade will take place Sunday 21st April, with
the parade departing the Guildhall at approximately 2:45pm for the service at St.
Mary’s at 3:00pm.
A road closure (rolling) will be in place while the parade takes place.
Invitations were sent out last month to those on the civic list to join the parade and
Mayor’s Afternoon Teas in the Town Hall. Separate invitations also went out to
groups and organisations of Chard for the parade.

5.0

D-Day – 06.06.24
Initial plans around D-Day are being put in place, following national guidelines, as
outlined on https://www.d-day80beacons.co.uk/.
The current plans on 6th June 2024 will be as follows:
•
•
•
•

8:00am – Town Crier will read the proclamation from the Guildhall balcony
9:00am – Raise the D-Day 80 flag – this is on pre-order
11:00am – Schools are invited to read a poem – “D-Day Heroes”
*9:15pm – Lighting of the beacon and international tribute to be read
*In the build up to 9:15pm there will also be a variety of stands, exhibits and hopefully
some military displays up at the beacon using our gazebos. We are also talking to fish and
chip shops about them offering food to have at the beacon, as it is also the revised
“National Fish and Chip Day”. Some of the groups being approached to be involved at the
Beacon with the International Tribute or offering displays will include:

•
•
•
•
•

Chard Museum
Chard Helmstedt Society
Beavers
Cubs
Scouts

•
•
•
•
•

Girl guides
Army Cadets
Air Cadets
Boys Brigade
Girls Brigade

6.0

Guildhall Newsletter launch
This was launched on 8th February and delivered to 60 inboxes, through website
sign-up. The email was opened by 76% of recipients, with 5% clicking through to
content. It is intended to send out these newsletters quarterly. The aim is to
continue to grow the distribution list by promoting on social media and other means.

7.0

Guildhall hire charges increase
Following the agreement of the Amenities and Events Committee in January’s
meeting, regular hirers of the Guildhall have received prior notice of a 5% increase
in their room hire charges. The website and leaflets are being updating to reflect the
new hourly rates that come in to effect on 1st April.

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8.0

Bar Franchise
The current contract with the bar franchise, Somerset Mobile Bars, is due to end
31.03.24. This was extended by 2 years due to covid with the last agreement being
for 01.04.22-31.03.24 and at the following rates:
Up to 10 events per year
Any events in excess of 10

£300 yearly fee
£30 per event

Recommendation:
Can members agree that the bar franchise agreement continue for another 1 year
and that we remove the “up to 10 events per year” options and just have a flat rate
of £40 per event. In 2023 there were 18 functions that included a bar and 12
functions in 2022. It is anticipated there will always be in excess of 10 events per
year with a bar due to many events being annual fixtures.

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d)
Chard Market Development Report
Date:

12th March 2024

Purpose of the Report:

To provide Members with an update regards plans to
develop and reinvigorate Chard Market

Contact Officer:

Tim Bickham (tim.bickham@chard.gov.uk)

1.0

CONSIDERATIONS:

1.2

That the report be noted and the recommendations in 3.1 and 3.2 be considered.

2.0

Members of The Chard Market Development task and finish group have had a first
meeting to set out initial ideas to expand Chard’s current market offering, after there
has been an interest in doing so for some time and further supported by responses
to the Community Plan.
Some of the suggestions put forward by members included:
•

To hold themed markets periodically – examples of this could be a farmer’s market,
street food market etc.

•

Discuss with current market traders their ideas for the market expansion – one of
which (The Wife & I Sausage Co.) have already provided input, which was shown to
members in the meeting

•

Check the market charter to confirm which days a market can be held in Chard

•

Map out the available pitch space in Fore Street, with consideration to the pitch
sizes offered in the table that follows below in this report.

•

Consider expanding the market in to a car park, such as Boden Street car park –
after the space in Fore Street reaches its limit

•

See if the traders at the annual street fair delivered by Chard Carnival would be
willing to attend the market

•

Food vendors should be encouraged to be part of the market, as this will in turn
encourage visitors to the market to stay longer and increase footfall

•

Members agreed to visit other neighbouring town markets to encourage traders to
come to Chard market and present an offer to them as an incentive

2.1

The collection of pitch fees and logistics and management of pitches should be
considered, as the number of traders is increased in the market. In the short term
this can be supported by members of the Officer team, until a number of traders is
reached that would deem it appropriate to employ a dedicated Market Manager,
given the increased income.

2.2

In the last 11 months (April ’23 to February ’24) £2,027.90 income was generated
through the market.

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Having conducted a review of pitch space it appears we are able to accommodate
18x 3 metre pitches and 3x 1 metre pitches (given the spacing between street
furniture, disabled access etc.) This is at this stage only taking in to account the
Guildhall side of Fore Street, as the opposite sizes poses challenges around
roadside parking.
If able to fill all these spaces there is a possibility to generate £15,300 per year (51
weeks). This is a potential income increase of 86% compared to current.
3.1

It is recommended that an offer of reduce pitch fees be considered by council as a
way of attracting more traders.
Can members considered offering a 50% reduction to the below fees in 3.2 to apply
to a traders first 4 visits to Chard.

3.2

Can members consider implementing the below new pitch fees, which have been
considered after reviewing fees of that of other markets in neighbouring towns.

<2m
<3m
<4m
<5m
<6m
6m+

<2m
<3m
<4m
<5m
<6m
6m+

*Peak
Reg trader
Casual
£10.00
£15.00
£15.00
£22.50
£20.00
£30.00
£25.00
£37.50
£30.00
£45.00
Combine values above according to
stall size
**Off Peak
Reg trader
Casual
£6.00
£10.00
£9.00
£15.00
£12.00
£20.00
£15.00
£25.00
£18.00
£30.00
Combine values above according to
stall size
*Peak=1st April-30th September
**Off Peak=1st October-31st March

3.3

If the above recommendations can be agreed by members this will allow the next
steps to be implemented, which will involve approaching other local markets with
the offer outlined in 3.1 above. The vision is to grow and expand the current market
offering, increasing the footfall in Chard on Saturdays and having a wider range of
stalls and local produce. If the Guildhall side of Fore Street can be filled as a first
approach then the Task and Finish Group should consider and effect how the
market is managed beyond this.

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