Minutes:
The following announcements were made:
Councillor Mayor R Kingstone
“There have been a few questions as to why we are here in this Council Chamber this evening
I am firmly of the opinion unless we start to use this building it will fall in to a state of disrepair so the only way we can encourage other people to use this building is to use it ourselves.
So for the duration of my term of office as Mayor, all future full Council meetings unless there is a situation where we have a contentious issue and a large number of members of public wish to attend, all Council meetings will be held in this building if you have any problems with that please see me after.
With that in mind I have noticed Councillor Oates wanted to comment.
Councillor J Oates
“Thank you Mr Mayor. There was an announcement I have to make and that is that Council may be aware we applied for future high street funding earlier on in the year unfortunately we were unsuccessful with this first round of funding, so we will not be in receipt of any future high street funding at this stage, however we have bid for heritage action zone funding which is a spin off, of the same support and that bid has being submitted.
Going back to future high street funding we have received a letter from Jake Berry MP and I would just like to quote the start of the second paragraph “we were impressed by the standard of your application so I would like to offer you bespoke feedback on your bid and your proposal will be pass ported to the second round of the funding which will begin next year” so bad news is we didn’t get it this year, however from that paragraph there I would suggest we are in a good position to get it next year and they have offered bespoke feedback on our bid so at this point there is light at the end of the tunnel Mr Mayor”
Councillor Dr S Peaple
“Thank you Mr Mayor as many of you attended earlier I’m sure that I need to say very little, Which I’m sure will be a blessing but Debbie Bates was one of those wonderful lovely people that gave herself to so many people and down in the hub the other day the number of ordinary simple straight forward people who were writing in that book saying their memories of her and the number of people who were there today demonstrated just how much she touched the hearts of so many people.
It meant a huge amount to Councillor Bates and it made a real tremendous positive thing on a day which can never be right, which can never be good, but for which can be made better by the fact that there are those around you who value the person that you’ve lost and therefore Mr Mayor if we do agree I would like to invite Councillors to pause for a moment.
Councillor Mayor R Kingstone
“Yes given that Debbie was a past Mayoress of Tamworth just a few years ago it’s only right and proper that we just stand for a moment on reflection and thank Debbie for her contribution she has made to Tamworth as a whole.