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EWHURST PARISH COUNCIL AMENDED
Minutes of a meeting of the Parish Council held at the Arthur Herdman Pavilion, Village Street, Ewhurst Green on
Thursday 16 February 2017
PRESENT Councillors Bill Hooper, Jacqui Hyett, Anne Reed,
Ian Stephenson (Vice Chairman), Dave Young (Chairman)
IN ATTENDANCE Richard Farhall – Parish Clerk; District Cllr Tony Ganly; 1 member of the public
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The meeting commenced at 7.30pm.
PART A ROUTINE BUSINESS
16.130 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence – and the reason as lodged with the Clerk – were accepted from Cllr Whitaker.
16.131 DISCLOSURES OF INTEREST
There was none.
16.132 ADJOURNMENT
The Chairman adjourned the meeting for the District and County Councillors’ Reports and Public Question Time (see APPENDICES A and B).
The Chairman reconvened the meeting.
16.133 COUNCIL MINUTES - ACCURACY
RESOLVED To adopt the Minutes of the meeting held on 19 January 2017 as a correct record of the proceedings.
16.134 COUNCIL MINUTES - MATTERS ARISING
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16.121b) Budget and Precept 2017-18 The precept demand had been sent to RDC.
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16.125 Battle’s Over – 11 November 2018 (Arranging for the Bonfire Society to light the beacon) Actioned.
16.127 Next Meeting (Re-scheduling to 16.2.17) Actioned.
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16.128 Proposed Lay-by, Cripps Corner Road, Staplecross, Resolved 2 (Advising ESCC of the outcome of EPC’s consideration of the consultation responses) Actioned.
16.135 PLANNING APPLICATIONS
RESOLVED To note the decisions following, submitted under the Clerk’s delegated authority.
RR/2017/2/L Brabons, Northiam Road, Staplecross
Proposed rear extension (as approved RR/2014/300/L) and retrospective installation of satellite dish in an alternative location to RR/2014/300/L.
Applicant: Mr D A Vandort, Brabons, Northiam Road, Staplecross
SUPPORT APPROVAL
RR/2017/4/P Quarry Farm, Bodiam Road, Ewhurst Green
Proposed ancillary living unit for family member or friends.
Applicant: Mr D J Eastwood, Quarry Farm, Bodiam Road, Ewhurst Green
SUPPORT APPROVAL Subject to the development not being used as a separate unit of accommodation.
RR/2016/2904/P The Staplecross Shrub Centre, Cripps Corner Road, Staplecross
Variation of condition 3 & 6 imposed on planning permission RR/2015/66/P to allow the café to be open between the hours of 09.00 and 23.00 everyday – and external lighting.
SUPPORT REFUSAL The proposed extended opening hours and external lighting would impact adversely on the amenities of the locality.
It was noted that there are a number of enforcement issues associated with the Shrub Centre.
16.136 FINANCE
(a) Report
RESOLVED 1 To note the receipts and payments following:
Receipts (January 2017)
Zurich Municipal – CC village sign repair £1,738.00
Payments (January 2017)
R Farhall – pay Dec 2016 £716.52
Post Office Ltd [HMRC] – PAYE Dec 2016 £271.92
R Farhall expenses – Dec 2016 £98.55
East Sussex Pension Fund – Dec 2016 £251.89
£1,338.88
RESOLVED 2 To receive and adopt the Unity Trust bank reconciliation as at 31 January 2017.
RESOLVED 3 To receive and adopt the Budget Monitor as at 31 January 2017.
RESOLVED 4 To receive and adopt the Earmarked Reserves Statement as at 31 January 2017.
RESOLVED 5 To receive and adopt the Cash Flow Statement as at 31 January 2017.
RESOLVED 6 To note the reconciled account balances as at 31 January 2017:
Unity Trust bank £52,205.77
Co-op current account £2,846.38
Julian Hodge Bank Fixed Rate bond (to 17.11.16) £31,199.06
£86,251.21
RESOLVED 7 To ratify/approve the payments following:
R Farhall – pay Jan 2017 £720.13
Post Office Ltd [HMRC] – PAYE Jan 2017 £264.44
R Farhall expenses – Jan 2017 £59.58
East Sussex Pension Fund – Jan 2017 £251.89
S Hunt – various repairs/installation £150.00
D Young - Chair & Member allowances 2016-17 £455.00
A Reed – Member allowance 2016-17 £155.00
M Whitaker – Member allowance 2016-17 £155.00
J Hyett – Member allowance 2016-17 £155.00
DVLA Swansea – Megane registered keeper details £2.50
Staplecross Playing Field – play area fencing (incl £1,975.72 VAT) £11,854.35
£14,222.89
Cllr Stephenson requested that it be noted that he again would not be taking his allowance because he remained of the opinion that, all the while Ewhurst was the highest precepted parish in Rother (or amongst the highest), it was wrong to make an allowance available to Members.
16.137 OUTSIDE BODIES AND EVENTS
On behalf of Cllr Whitaker, Cllr Hooper advised that there have been problems with those visiting to play football finding the Herdman Playing Field. The Association would like the two ‘children in road’ warning signs to be replaced with ‘30mph’ – with ‘Recreation ground’ below.
The Clerk would make enquiries with East Sussex Highways. Clerk
16.138 NEXT MEETING
It was noted that this would take place on Thursday 9 March 2017 at St Marks Church Room, Staplecross.
PART B - SPECIAL BUSINESS
16.139 CASUAL VACANCY
It was noted that Dor Catt had resigned from the Council on 21 January 2017 and that there had been no valid demand for a bye-election.
Members considered a draft Co-option Procedure.
RESOLVED 1 To delete:
(a) Para 7 - and to re-number the remaining paragraphs accordingly;
(b) The final sentence of para 17.
(c) Para 14 – delete signed ballot insert show of hands
RESOLVED 2 To adopt the amended Co-option Procedure (APPENDIX C). Clerk
16.140 VILLAGE HALL
Members were invited to consider the Village Hall Committee’s invitation to commence a joint discussion on the future of the Village Hall.
Cllr Young advised that it was likely that the Bonfire Society would shortly nominate him as its representative on the Village Hall Management Committee.
Cllr Reed reported that she had highlighted the fact that EPC has been putting money to one side for a Village Hall feasibility study at a Village Hall Management Committee meeting. It had been agreed to enter into discussions about the future of the Hall with EPC and that Larry Hyett should be the Hall’s contact/liaison point.
Cllr Young suggested that the Committee needed to start to think about what sort of village/community hall – and facilities - would be needed in 10-15 years’ time. He suggested that, if St Mark’s Church (which was not well used) were to be demolished to make way for a new village/community hall, the existing Village Hall could continue to function during the construction phase – thereby removing the risk of regular Hall users not returning (if the new Hall was built on the same site as the current Hall).
Cllr Hyett suggested that there were likely to be other options to explore.
RESOLVED 1 To accept the Village Hall Committee’s invitation to enter into discussions about the Hall’s future. Clerk
RESOLVED 2 That EPC’s delegates in these discussions shall be Cllrs Hyett, Reed and Young.
Speaking from the Gallery, Larry Hyett advised that it was expected that the current Hall Committee Chair and Secretary would be stepping down at the upcoming AGM (14 March).
The meeting ended at 8.10pm.
Date ……………………………… Chairman …………………………………
APPENDIX A
16.132 ADJOURNED SECTION
(a) District Council Report
Cllr Ganly read out his report (APPENDIX B).
(b) County Council Report
Cllr Davies was not present.
(c) Public Question Time
Referring to Cllr Ganly’s report, Larry Hyett asked if it was a fair assumption that the majority of those who might receive a Council Tax Penalty were likely to be people in receipt of benefits.
Cllr Ganly responded that he did not possess such information and emphasised that the hope was that the introduction of the Penalty would act as a deterrent, thereby obviating the need to apply it.
APPENDIX B
District Council Report 16 February 2017
Cabinet agreed to merge the Standards committee with the Audit committee which should save a bit of money.
It also decided to move towards a Building Control Shared Service with Wealden D.C. as lead Authority of the Shared Service that may include EBC, HBC and Lewes DC. The Council will investigate the feasibility of moving to a wholly owned Local Authority company.
Cabinet will propose to Full Council an increase in Council Tax of £5 on a band D property which was supported by nearly two-thirds of the 355 respondents to the recently completed consultation. The budget would include an amount for the provision of lifeguards at Camber beach subject to the findings of the inquest into the recent tragic loss of life.
The Council Tax exemption for empty properties will be reduced from one month to zero from 1 April 2018.
Residents may claim exemption or a discount on Council Tax , in particular the single person exemption. The Council is largely reliant on accurate information being supplied by residents including notifying any change of circumstances. On occasion this does not happen so it has been decided to establish a Council Tax Penalties Policy. The penalty fixed by central government is £70 which can be increased to £280 in certain circumstances. Rather than wishing to impose penalties it is hoped that the establishment of such a policy will act as a deterrent to reduce the likelihood of fraud.
Councillor Tony Ganly
APPENDIX C
EWHURST PARISH COUNCIL
CO-OPTION PROCEDURE
In the event of the Council being required to fill a vacancy by co-option the procedure following shall apply:
1 The vacancy will be advertised within the 10 working days following the deadline for electors to have requested that the vacancy be filled by election.
2 The closing date for applications will be the end of the 15th working day following the publication of the co-option notice.
3 The co-option notice will be published on the Council’s noticeboard/s and web site.
4 Details of the vacancy will be made known via the Battle & Rye Observers, other relevant web sites, other noticeboards within the parish, the window space of supportive businesses/dwellings – and other suitable publicity vehicles.
5 Members may bring the vacancy to the attention of any (potentially) eligible candidate/s.
6 Prior to submitting their application candidates will be required to contact the Parish Clerk to confirm that they are eligible to serve as a Ewhurst Parish Councillor. At this stage the Parish Clerk shall provide eligible candidates with a copy of – or link to – The Good Councillor’s Guide (for parish/town councillors) and encourage them to attend a meeting of the Council (if they have not recently done so).
7 Candidates found to be offering inducements will be disqualified.
8 (Eligible) Candidates will be invited to attend the Council meeting at which the vacancy will be filled.
9 Each candidate will be invited – in alphabetical order (by last name) - to speak to their application for up to 3 minutes.
10 Whether or not the opportunity to speak is taken, the chairman of the meeting will invite the Council to ask each candidate present up to 3 questions.
11 The chairman of the meeting shall determine whether a question is relevant, reasonable and fair.
12 Contributions or questions from members of the public other than candidates shall not be permitted.
13 Voting will be conducted by show of hands of those Members present.
14 If there is more than one candidate: The candidate with the least number of votes after each round of voting will be struck off, until one candidate remains with an absolute majority – ie more votes than the combined total of the candidates remaining.
15 If there is a single candidate: Members will be invited to vote either for
or against co-option of the candidate. The candidate shall be declared
appointed if a simple majority of the Members present vote in favour
of their co-option.
16 At any time the chairman of the meeting may use a casting vote to break
a deadlock.
17 If there is more than one vacancy, each shall be filled separately. Unless they elect to withdraw their interest, it shall be presumed that all unsuccessful candidates wish to contest any vacancies remaining.
18 Upon the filling of all the available vacancies, the successful candidates shall be invited to sign a Declaration of Acceptance of Office before the Clerk – and then to join the remainder of the meeting.
19 The entire procedure at the Council meeting shall be conducted in public.
20 If a single candidate is unsuccessful, within the 10 working days
following the meeting the Council will re-advertise the vacancy and
recommence this procedure from step 2.
Adopted 16 February 2017
Ewhurst PC Minutes 16 February 2017