The meeting focused on the election of the Chairman and Vice Chairman for the next municipal year, followed by discussions on various administrative and financial matters. Councillor Barry Pierpoint was reappointed as Chairman, and Councillor Tricia Marsden was appointed as Vice Chair. The committee also discussed the financial statement, public conveniences, and the work programme for the upcoming year.

Election of Chairman and Vice Chairman

• Chairman: Councillor Barry Pierpoint was reappointed unanimously.
• Vice Chairman: Councillor Tricia Marsden was appointed unanimously.

Financial Statement

• Overview: Councillor Gosh presented the financial statement for the new municipal year.
• Key Points:
  • The final out-turn position showed an overspend of £37,000, offset by reserves.
  • Opening balance on 1st April 2023 was £328,000; closing balance on 31st March 2024 was £118,000.
  • Public convenience spending was significantly higher than forecast due to a water leak and staffing issues.
  • Members requested a more detailed breakdown of spending for future meetings.

Public Conveniences

• Issues: Significant overspend of £63,000 due to a water leak and other costs.
• Actions:
  • A detailed report on the overspend and preventive measures was requested.
  • Officers responsible for public conveniences to attend future meetings to provide detailed explanations.

Work Programme

• Footway Lighting: To be discussed in the next meeting.
• Finance Breakdown: Detailed financial breakdown to be presented in the next meeting.
• Public Conveniences Update: Follow-up on the overspend and preventive measures.
• Community and Charity Groups: Two separate meetings to be scheduled to engage with community groups and charities.
• BTAC Assets: An audit of BTAC assets to be conducted.
• Town Council Discussion: A task and finish group to explore the feasibility of establishing a town council.
• Street Cleansing and Recycling: A report on street cleansing and recycling in the town centre to be presented.
• Income Generation: Discussion on potential income generation methods for BTAC.

Other Discussions

• Business Engagement: Proposal to engage with local businesses to improve communication and collaboration.
• Enforcement Officers: To be discussed after the scrutiny meeting on the same topic.
• Green Flag Award: A working group to meet and discuss the application process for the Green Flag Award.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to organize the work programme and ensure relevant officers attend future meetings to provide detailed information and answers.