Notes from Framlingham Town Council meeting

Communication, Events & Partnerships Committee - 16th May 2023

At the latest meeting the main topics for discussion and agreement were as follows:

1. We reviewed the Coronation events which took place on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th May and noted that this was generally considered a great success. The final costs were under budget and the pay-bar in the church worked well and made a profit. There were helpful donations as well. The simplicity of the arrangements were noted as being part of the reason for its success - a damp start on the Sunday morning meant it took a bit longer to set up, and sadly the lambs were unable to come due to licensing difficulties. The sharing table was popular, and there was great entertainment. The use of the Pavilion veranda as a covered stage worked well, although little cramped. As to improvements - a drinks tent would have been good, even though many people liked the idea there were no catering vans.
2. The Christmas on the Hill will hold its first Working Group on Monday June 5th at 2pm in the Town Council office. Christmas Tree quotes are being sought from three suppliers. The new electrical sockets for Market Hill may not be possible as envisaged, and an alternative solution is being sought. If any members of the public would like to join this Working Group to help plan the event please contact James Overbury at townclerk@framlingham.com or call the office on 01728 720183.
3. Refreshments for the Annual Parish meeting on 31st May were agreed, and it was confirmed posters were now up. The online Zoom function would not be available at the same time as the speakers presentations, so any questions would have to be either submitted in advance, or at the meeting itself.
4. We discussed issues regarding the use of social media - the need for a small team of people to post news items, how to respond to comments on community Facebook pages in a timely and accurate manner, changes to the Council Facebook page presentation, and to agree best practice for Councillors. It was agreed an outline of the scope of the work was needed to before proposals could be agreed.
5. It was noted the Annual Newsletter should be delivered to all households and businesses in Framlingham before the end of May.
6. Our Communication & Media Policies revision, necessary as a result of the new social media news publishing over the last year, can now be started. It was noted this was not a simple task as it involved rationalising and updating up to 10 different policies into two or three documents. Two Councillors agreed to prepare a draft for consideration at the next committee.
7. It was agreed the remaining copies of current "Then & Now" Calendar held some historical interest and that copies would be kept for future reference by interested parties. In addition an online version could be given to the Framlingham Historical Society, or the Lanman museum, for publication on their websites and on ours - possibly with QR codes linking to the new town trail currently being planned.