MINUTES OF STUTTON CUM HAZLEWOOD PARISH MEETING held on Wednesday 9th November 2016 at 19:30 in the Stutton Village Hall.
Chairman: Cllr Mrs T Fawcett
Clerk: Mrs S Loaring. Molmill, Malt Kiln Terrace, Stutton, Tadcaster LS249SF
Telephone: 01937 339197. Email Clerkstuttonpc@gmail.com
Present: Tango Fawcett Chairman, Sally Loaring Clerk, 16 members of the public.
Apologies: Don McKay
1. Chairman’s welcome
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
2. Apologies
Don Mackay sent his apologies.
3. Chairman’s report
The Chairman gave a report on Stutton Village Hall.
It is hoped to find a volunteer to help run the village Hall in the short term.
After an expression of interest and an invitation to attend this meeting Stutton Social Committee has declined the invitation which is disappointing.
Background:
Stutton Village Hall is owned by Samuel Smiths Brewery with a peppercorn rent of £1 pa.(Original documentation appears to be lost and Sam Smiths cannot locate any documentation either).
There is a long term (almost 40 years) contracted tenant in the Village Hall who run Stutton Playgroup which is rated Outstanding by Ofsted.
Playgroup have an annual contract for 38 weeks a year, Monday to Friday 8am to 4/5pm, and pay £10 a day for the rent of the hall (until last year it was £5 per day) and 80% of the utilities. The Playgroup equipment is stored in the Village Hall for 52 weeks a year. No contributions are made to the ongoing upkeep or repairs to the building, none have been requested.
Playgroup are not currently contracted to maintain the building or fabric but are required to clear the building if it is to be used for another purpose and hired out.
Stutton PC is responsible for the administering of Stutton Village Hall in the absence of any Village Hall Committee.
No village hall committee has been in place for at least 15 years.
For the last two years a Volunteer (Rachel) has organised the administration and reported to the Parish Council. She resigned from playing this role a month ago and no one has come forward to form a committee.
There was an expression of interest in forming a Committee to run the Village Hall from the relatively newly formed Stutton Social Committee a year ago but they then declined to take it on.
Rachel left her role as Volunteer and so the administration has fallen to the PC Clerk but she is unable to commit to this for more than a week or two at most. A solution to the running of the Village Hall must be found quickly.
No one from either Playgroup or the Social Committee attends Parish Council meetings
Historically the Village Hall Committee was made up of people who used the hall.
Playgroup have always gone along with any changes requested of them for example raising of the rent and utilities bills. But without a village hall committee, communication is not always perfect.
Advice has been taken from Sheena Spence, Chief Officer, Yorkshire Local Councils Association who advised that ‘Legal advice on the constitutional and governance issues of the village hall should be taken’ and ‘that there would not be any point in trying to resolve the long term management issue without advice and the parish meeting is strongly encouraged to agree to this’
4. Discussion and general questions/answers
4.1 Deeds
The original deeds have not been seen for some time and are needed to provide a firm starting point for any new Village Hall Committee to be convened and agree its constitution.
Action: Deeds to be searched for at:
Bromets
Filing cabinets/Village Hall Loft
Previous Clerks
Samuel Smiths.
4.2 Discussion
4.2.1 A lively discussion ensued around the purpose of the hall, its primary lesee, private individuals who also rent the hall and the issues some feel are faced through the ‘monopolisation of the space’ and inability to store Playgroup assets to allow other functions to take place easily.
4.2.2 It was discussed and agreed by all that the Village Hall is a valuable asset and that much improvement could be made to both the fabric of the building and the quality of events which could take place but that there are some barriers and a way forward should be found. Much funding is available from various bodies to improve the building and its environment and it is hoped with a clear vision some significant improvements can be realised.
4.2.3 The electors discussed and resolved to accept the offer by Cllr Chris Metcalfe to hold a meeting for everyone interested in the future of the Village Hall to look at its legal status, its constitution and the role of a committee, discussing any barriers which exist, with a view to exploring ways to overcome them and the hopefully the establishment of a Village Hall Committee with a clear remit direction and purpose.
It is hoped that all interested parties will come and contribute.
4.2.4 It was discussed and resolved that Cllr Chris Metcalfe to host a meeting at a mutually convenient time at the Village Hall to discuss the facility, current issues and any way forward.
All interested parties to let the Clerk know they would like to attend and any convenient dates and the Clerk will work with Chris Metcalfe to agree a date.
5. Interim solution
A key box will be fitted to the outside of the Village Hall so that a keyholder does not have to be present to gain access at all times.
Sam from Playgroup and Sue from Stutton kindly offered to support the Clerk with managing the Village Hall in the interim period.
6 Close
The meeting closed at 9.00pm
Signed……………………………………………………………………………….. Date: ……………………………….
Action points from the meeting
Electors to let Clerk know any dates that they can make a meeting to be facilitated by Cllr Chris Metcalfe.
Clerk to contact Sue and Sam about the key.