ALTON Town Council made history last week, as it held its first public full council meeting virtually using video conferencing app Zoom.

Almost every councillor was present, and members of the public (and press) were able to tune in to observe proceedings and ask questions.

Opening the meeting, town mayor Graham Titterington thanked the council’s staff and members for “working selflessly” for the community in response to Covid-19, and the people of Alton for accepting the restrictions “with good grace”.

On a more sombre note, he added a member of Alton’s grounds team had been “very ill” in hospital with Covid-19, but is now recovering at home.

With the council’s annual meeting, and mayor-making, cancelled, Councillor Titterington also confirmed The Kings Arms and Bushy Leaze will each get a second year as his nominated charities.

Council leader Pam Jones, in her opening report, also praised the community response – and confirmed the town council is facing a £41,000 loss as a result of the coronavirus lockdown.

This comes as a result of lost rent, hire fees and sponsorship – and councillors heard the loss could be even greater if the lockdown extends beyond June.

The council had been expected to discuss a request by resident David Dodd to reopen the public gardens, but this was deferred by councillors to an ‘extraordinary’ meeting of the council’s open spaces committee, to be heard on Wednesday this week, as the Herald went to press.

The main debate of the evening centred around a grant application for £750 by Alton Mutual Aid to help towards mileage costs for delivering shopping, prescriptions and taking vulnerable residents to hospital.

Addressing councillors, Penny Hames from the group said its volunteers were currently travelling around 1,000 miles a week collectively and, though volunteers are reluctant to take money, “the longer this goes on, the more they will be spending on petrol”.

Concerns were expressed by Holybourne councillor Paul Crossley that Mutual Aid was effectively asking for public money to fund a free delivery service for the town’s pharmacies.

But councillors acknowledged the “exceptional circumstances” and after an hour-long debate agreed the full £750 grant – albeit staggered across two payments, rather than the lump sum requested.

Councillor Ginny Boxall also informed members the Alton Community Cupboard had extended its food delivery service to Four Marks and Medstead in response to spiralling demand.

Youth manager for Kings Arms Alton, Lisa Hillan, informed members the charity was set to launch a new virtual support network via Zoom for Alton’s young carers – while the Kings Arms had also applied for a £20,000 grant from MIND for additional mental-health support for the young people it supports across East Hampshire.

Town mayor Cllr Titterington confirmed Veolia’s upcoming planning application for a new energy recycling plant off the A31 will be heard by the full council – not just a planning committee – before a recommendation was made to East Hampshire District Council.

In his report from Hampshire County Council, Cllr Andrew Joy reported 1,000 Hampshire-based military personnel were set to operate community coronavirus testing centres across the county.

He added major highways schemes were set to re-start imminently in Anstey Road and High Street, and confirmed selected recycling centres could reopen within a fortnight – preceding the county council’s announcement that some tips will reopen next week.