John Malcolm's Mayoral Report

Not surprisingly, these matters dominated thinking and meetings for much of the year.

In accordance with a decision taken a year ago, your Council has applied for recognition as a Quality Council which meaans being recognised as operating to a high standard.

To achieve this, various procedures and processes have had to be altered or improved. Matters such as agendas, minutes, reports, the amendment of Standing Orders, and the conduct of meetings have all had to be changed.

Time has had to be spent by the staff on training courses and on making all the numerous adjustments that were necessary. The decision as to whether or not Chard has been granted Quality status should be announced very shortly.

Why does Chard want this recognition? You will be aware of the impending reorganisation of local government. Whichever way the matter is resolved, it is the Government's declared intention to pass more decision making to Town and Parish Councils that have achieved the Quality Council status and this is likely to provide more funds for Chard and hopefully help to keep Council Tax under control.

The beginning of the year was dominated by a claim from the Guildhall Developer for a sum in excess of £700,000 for what he claimed was unpaid work. Confident in the professional advice we received both from our Lawyers and our Quantity Surveyors, we told the Developer to sue us if he had a case. Gradually he shifted his position and we were finally able to settle for £23,000, a figure very close to what we believed to be outstanding.

This was a great result for Chard, particularly when you consider the problems associated with Bath Spa, the Scottish Assembly and Wembley Stadium. Over the years the Guildhall has had its 'knockers'. I am able to report that bookings are up 21%, usage has increased by 26% and Revenue by 29%.

I am pleased to report the year 2007/8 will see the Guildhall licensed for marriages and continue to be a venue for receptions. During the year the Guildhall has been subjected to a full Quinquennial Inspection designed to highlight deficiencies and suggest matters that require attention. It is the policy of the Council to implement any recommendations made by the Inspector.

In his report, the Inspector praised the overall standard of the building, however, he did find some slight penetration of water, damp in the Auditorium party wall and on one occasion during severe weather in late 2006 water got into a service duct causing flooding in the Dressing Rooms.

There has been much severe weather since, but no repeat incidents, so we hope that the problem has been solved. The success of the Guildhall reflects the hard work and dedication of the staff under the management of Mrs Sandra Hutchings. Naturally there are still some teething problems.

For example, as the Guildhall usage increases there is a need for more care taking cover. Towards the end of 2006, the booking system manifested several problems which have now been corrected.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and look forward to a successful 2007/8. Finally under this section, I am pleased to be able to report that Chard Town Council has completed the purchase of Watts Brothers Store. A survey of the premises concluded that the general condition of the building is much better than expected. It will be used for storage and for other purposes.

Sadly for Chard, 2006 included two Tribunal hearings, the outcome of both have been well-rehearsed in the press.

The preparatory work for these Tribunals took up hours of valuable time, including telephone conversations and meetings with our legal advisers. The net result was to divert the attention of the Council away from its day-to-day tasks. The tribunals are now over and I hope all those matters are behind us and that the incoming Council will be free to drive Chard forward.

The Amenities Team, under their energetic manager Andrew Hensher, has continued their work to improve the Town. The streets are regularly cleaned and to a high standard.

Things are spoilt, however, by fly tippers dumping their rubbish in the streets, rather than taking their black bags to the tip. The identities of some of the people responsible are known. Evidence has been forwarded to SSDC by the Council with a request the tippers be prosecuted. I particularly want to mention the cemetery, the allotments and Britain in Bloom. Chard Town Council often receives favourable comments about the high standard of maintenance in the cemetery.

Unfortunately, it is currently running at a loss of some £10,000 per annum. To help redress the situation, cemetery fees have been increased for 2007/8 and are to be further reviewed for 2009/10. Before the charges were increased, staff conducted a review of charges as levied by neighbouring authorities. Such a comparison shows that Chard cemetery is still excellent value for money.

Chard allotments are leased from a local farmer who reviews his rent every three years. 2007 is such a year and the Council will be passing on any rent increases to its allotment holders in October 2008. Under the agreement, Chard Council has to give one-year's notice of any proposed rent increases. We are grateful to Wessex Water for all their help and advice on how water can be supplied to the allotments.

As a matter of fact the Council does not have a statutory duty to supply water to the allotments, but is pleased to help In 2006, competing in the Britain in Bloom Competition, Chard achieved a silver-gilt award. This was an excellent result when you look at the size of the towns that Chard is competing against. In the judgment we were told the only reason we did not win a gold was because the judges saw a lack of community involvement.

For 2007, and to answer this criticism, a group has been formed called 'Chard in Bloom' to develop community involvement and to try and win that elusive gold medal. There are some other matters that I wish to bring to your attention, but not in any particular order. Chard TIC- Tourist Information Office has a high turnover of contacts and is regarded as the busiest in South Somerset.

It receives a small grant from SSDC, but relies heavily upon volunteer helpers to remain open. At the present time the TIC costs £17,000 per year to remain open. One of the tasks of the new Council will be to review the future, and the structure, of the TIC.

In 2006/7 Chard has received start up grants from our two County Councillors, Jill Shortland and Paul Buchanan out of their Community Funds. Jill has supported Stress testing for Christmas Lights £560, Christmas Lights Display £1000, TIC/Guildhall uniforms £750, Chard Young People's Centre £500, Chard Disability Action Group £200, £340 for money for trees to be spent in association with Chard in Bloom and the Community. Paul has given £1000 for Christmas Lights display, Avishayes pool fund £500, the cinema screen in the Guildhall £500, Chard in Bloom seed money £500, Chard Schools £1000, the Portuguese Association £500 and Chard Young peoples Centre £425. The Town is grateful to our County Councillors for their pump-priming support. A new departure for 2006 was that the Christmas Lights were put up, operated and taken down by an independent Xmas Lights Committee. They ran several successful fund raising events in 2006 and will be doing the same in 2007. We thank all those involved for their work and commend them on their enthusiasm. Please support their fund-raising efforts so that the display in 2007 will be the best ever.

The 2006 Carnival was one of the largest in recent years and raised more money for charity as a result. This event was witnessed by visiting Mayors, including Bridgwater, and the High Sheriff of Somerset.

If there is to be a Carnival in 2007, volunteers are urgently needed to fulfil the role of marshals - an essential component of Carnivals. Please help if you can. On a personal note, Barbara and I have decided to retire from Council work. We were astonished when we realised that between us we have very nearly 30 years service to this town. We want to take this opportunity to thank Chard for giving us the opportunity to serve.

I want to thank my Chaplain, the Rev Marilyn Tricker, who attended nearly every meeting of the Town Council and gave us some stimulating thoughts for the day. I want to thank all of the Councillors for their hard work in the last year, and I particularly want to thank the Town Clerk and the Deputy Mayor for their support, especially when I was away ill.

Finally, I want to thank all staff for their hard work, the results of their efforts can be seen all around the Town. Barbara and I wish the new Council every success as they strive to build on what has already been achieved.

John D Malcolm, Mayor of Chard