Minutes of Wortham & Burgate Parish Council Playing Field Committee meeting, held in Wortham Pavilion on Wednesday 29th January 2025 at 6:30pm.
- Councillors present
- Carl Baker, Nick Castle, Jenny Piper, Esta Piper
- In attendance
- Jane Challis (Clerk)
- Chair’s welcome and to consider accepting apologies for absence – Cllr Baker welcomed everyone to the meeting.
- To record declarations of interest from members in any item to be discussed – None.
- To consider any dispensations from members in any item to be discussed – None.
- Adjourn the meeting to allow public participation – 6:32pm - no members of the public present.
- Re-convene the meeting – 6:33pm
- To receive the Clerk’s report and any outstanding items/actions
The goals have been ordered and will be delivered to Cllr Baker. Everything else is covered on the agenda.
- To consider and approve the draft contract between Palgrave Wanderers and Wortham & Burgate Parish council
Cllr Castle has prepared a draft contract which has been shared with Harry Green from Palgrave Wanderers. Once Harry has confirmed there are no amendment requests from Palgrave Wanderers, it will be finalised for approval from the Playing Field Committee, and signed by both parties.
- To consider work required to football pitch including expenditure
Cllr Castle proposed expenditure up to £750.00 plus VAT, for Top Garden Services, the grass cutting contractor, to look at levelling the dip in the playing surface, and reseeding. Seconded by Cllr J Piper, and approved unanimously.
Cllr Baker will assess the mole hills and rabbit holes, and report back at the next meeting.
- Action: Clerk to speak to Top Garden Services as above. Cllr Baker as above.
- To discuss quotations for maintenance work to play equipment
HAGs have said they need to conduct a site visit to assess the work required to their play equipment, the tyre buffer and zip wire. There is a cost of £85.00 for this, which will be refunded against any repair work carried out.
A quotation has been requested from NGF Play. All items are low or very low risk. Wicksteed have been asked to provide a quotation for a new spring cover and hand/foot rests for the spring horse, with a cost for a brand-new one for comparison.
Cllr E. Piper proposed proceeding with the site visit from HAGs at a cost of £85.00. Seconded by Cllr J Pier and approved unanimously.
- Action: Clerk to advise HAGs as above, and pursue quotations from NGF Play and Wicksteed.
- To discuss issue with lights and alarm system in pavilion
Niki Hinton has reported that the lights are not working in the side loo and area leading to the changing rooms. In addition, the alarm system keeps triggering.
Cllr Castle proposed asking electrician Paul Wilby to look at the problem with the lights, and proceed with any repairs up to an expenditure amount of £750.00. Seconded by Cllr Baker and approved unanimously. The Clerk has spoken to Firesite who have said they will attend the next time the alarm is activated. They have requested that when this happens the alarm is silenced rather than being reset. The alarm sounded during the meeting, so Cllr E Piper silenced it, and the clerk will arrange for Firesite to look at it.
- Action: Clerk/Cllr Baker to ask Paul Wilby to look at the lights. Clerk to ask Firesite to look at the alarm system as above.
- To discuss table tennis table
Cllr Castle has looked through the archived documents held in the pavilion, and the Clerk has looked through physical and digital records, with no evidence of an official agreement for members of the tennis club, or anyone else, to play table tennis in the pavilion. The Clerk has however found an email exchange with Cllr Diana Kearsley from 7th April 2015, confirming that she gifted the table to the Parish Council whilst acting as District Councillor for Gislingham Ward. After discussing, and giving consideration to the conflict of interest with the village hall who offer table tennis at a cost, it was agreed unanimously to fold the table up and store it in the lockable room at the back of the pavilion. Committee members will consider whether to keep the table or gift it to another community organisation at a future meeting.
- Action: Councillors as above.
- To receive items from councillors – none.
- To discuss any correspondence received – An email has been received from a resident asking if the council would consider adding a skatepark to the playing field area, and providing details of a second hand skatepark for sale. Councillors noted that the resident had contacted East Harling Parish Clerk prior to Wortham & Burgate, who had replied to say that their area is a multi-play area so there is no room, and agreed this applied to Wortham playing field as well.
- To receive items for the next agenda
- Playground quotations
- Contract with the Tennis Club for use of the pavilion; Cllr E Piper volunteered to look at this with Cllr Castle.
- Date and time of next meeting - TBA
- Meeting Close – 7:02pm.