Rights to play music at Bradley Stoke Town Council facilities have gone up from £50-per-year to £1,000 - a whopping 1,900% rise.

The figure was revealed at a meeting of the council’s finance and leisure committee on Tuesday.

The meeting also discussed the current dispute with Northavon Bowls Club but decided to do this behind-closed-doors.

One revelation from the meeting over the rental disagreement was that the external auditor has replied over allegations of misconduct at an extraordinary general meeting.

Although the council discussed the cost of the auditor it did not reveal the content of the reply to Liberal Democrat perspective parliamentary candidate John Kiely.

Councillor Mark Forsyth was also elected to chair the committee, taking over from Rob Jones who is now mayor.

For full a blow-by-blow account of the meeting please click the ‘more’ button …

7.31pm: Mark Forsyth is elected as chair of the committee taking over from Rob Jones who is now mayor.

7.32pm: Question from the public over minutes from the meeting. The committee says the minutes are confirmed at the next meeting. The member the public then says there could be delays of up to three months and that current policy on the website says minutes should be up within four days. A comparison from Stoke Gifford Parish Council - they have minutes up within nine days - and South Gloucs District has draft minutes up before they are approved. The response is that publish after approval has always been council’s policy.

7.43pm: Some debate over whether a childrens’ facility planned by Southern Brooks and Four Towns Play Association for two weeks in the summer should be charged or not. Town clerk David Chandler points out that letting them have the room for nothing would be a departure from current council policy. Cllr Brian Hopkinson proposes they be allowed free access for a five day period for free. It is eventually carried. The committee agrees further cases of this nature would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

8.02pm: Now onto talk of reorganising youth facilities. Cllr Hopkinson talks of opening up a facility at Brook Way which he believes Patchway Town Council might contribute towards the cost of. Mayor Jones says there is a lot of review work going on that Bradley Stoke could benefit from and warns they should not make hasty decisions. Cllr Ronnie Conway-Haskins says that, talking to people in her area, she would like to see facilities at both ends of the town - at Brook Way and Bailey’s Court. Cllr Forsyth asks Cllr Hopkinson to get a formal proposal with firm intentions and requirements from Ruth Cornish at Southern Brooks.

8.14pm: Talk moves on to housing excluded school children in Bailey’s Court Activity Centre. Mayor Jones says the issue is one for South Gloucestershire Council and the town council could not warrant funding it - Cllr Hopkinson debates this. The discussion goes around the houses until the mayor asks Cllr Allinson exactly what he wants from council, he replies that he wanted to know if the idea to use it for these youths would be a good one and if council would be “receptive”. Cllr Forsyth says it “probably isn’t an issue for the finance & leisure committee” but that they are “receptive”.

8.28pm: The office relocation discussion will be held after the public leaves because of “sensitive” negotiations. A great shame as we could have heard more about any possibility of a facility in the new town centre.

8.30pm: On to finance matters … No questions on expenditure or petty cash matters.

8.31pm: Talk of payments to Southern Brooks Partnership. The town council wanted to see specific payments for activities the group runs which they pick through. Cllr Forsyth asks to see a greater breakdown of the quarter expenses. Mayor Jones back this and requests more information on how money is spent. Cllr Forsyth wants to pass his thanks to Ruth Cornish for her efforts in the accounts and hard work with the partnership.

8.38pm: Bills and more are approved while I realise Spain and Sweden are losing in Euro 2008.

8.39pm: Talk moves to holiday cover. The booking clerk is away at the end of June so they need someone in. Council approves the cost.

8.43pm: Now we’re on to South Gloucestershire pension arrangements. Finance officer Rachel Pullen talks the committee through the fine details.

8.49pm: A few of the members of the public watch the rain pour down out of the window while the pension is discussed. Eventually it is passed, subject to ratification by the district, after a long debate.

8.56pm: Discussion of contractors is to be debated behind-closed-doors.

8.57pm: Next is an invitation to look over the town council’s methods for auditing. Cllr Forsyth and Cllr Hopkinson offer to inspect procedures. Russia are winning 2-0.

8.59pm: The town clerk has raised an issue over the external auditor who was brought in to look at the extraordinary general meeting held about Northavon Bowls Club earlier this year. Liberal Democrat perspective parliamentary candidate John Kiely had complained (I’m assuming this is what they are discussing, although it’s not explicitly stated) and apparently he has had a response although the meeting does not disclose this. Clerk David Chandler says the council avoided a financial charge of £250-per-hour for the work. Cllr Forsyth jokes that he “hopes members of the public are not making notes”. Too late!

9.08pm: The Performing Rights Association had been charging the council £50-per-year but a bill has just appeared for more than £1,000. Apparently community halls are charged 1% of income. Rachel Pullen says she has argued with them but with no luck.

9.16pm: Discussion moves on to a new laptop which the planning committee want. The funding is approved. Cllr Forsyth wants to use the projector to watch what the Examiner is writing during these meetings … I take requests for football scores.

9.18pm: Moving on to responses from the Strategic Performance Plan. A motion for the mayor to respond is not seconded. They decide to read through the comments. First comment is about health provision in the town; next is a request for a bus service just for Bradley Stoke, apparently not in the town council’s remit; a request for low-noise road surfaces; a request for a tree-lined avenue along Bradley Stoke Way; another asks for a litter-picker; expansion of the doctor’s surgery and want for a dental surgery; a request for allotments; and then a request for lighting in the nature reserve. Another response complains over lack of police coverage in the area which leads Cllr Forsyth to ask the watching members of the public if there are enough police. One replies “could do with more around Bailey’s Court.”

21.39pm: Another comment complains over the cost of town twinning saying it’s only good for “councillor jollies” - which apparently they don’t do.

21.41pm: Feedback for the Bradley Stoke Community Festival now. Talk over publicity and if there are better ways to tell residents about the festival in the future. Deputy clerk Lesley Osborne points out 15,000 leaflets were delivered to households among other publicity.

21.55pm: We’ve all been kicked out so the council can talk about the office move, Classic Landscapes and Northavon Bowls Club. So we’re not nearer knowing how the saga might continue …

22.08pm: So that’s it for this meeting … Thanks for reading.