Agenda and Papers, including those
from Sub-Committees and relevant to meeting
for
Meeting of 2nd February 2015
Attached
1. Agenda
2. Minutes of the Meeting held on 5th January 2015
3. Open Spaces Report and Chair’s Report
4. Communications Group
5. TRAP (Towpaths, Roads and Pathways)
6. Ashland Amenity Group
7. Budget Notes – Cllr Baume’s Confidential Report (not included on pack for website)
8. Dates of Meetings to be held in 2015
Simpson & Ashland Parish Council
Agenda Items
To: All members of Simpson and Ashland Parish Council
For the meeting to be held on Monday, 2 February 2015, 8.00 p.m. at Simpson Village Hall
Agenda item / Presented by:22/14 Apologies:
Schedule 12 of the Local Government Act 1972 requires a record be kept of the members who cannot attend a meeting should tender apologies to the Clerk/RFO as this should also be recorded. Under Sections 85(1) of the Local Government Act 1972, members must decide whether the reason for the absence is acceptable. / Cllr David Pye - Chair
23/14 Declaration(s) of Interest: / Cllr David Pye - Chair
24/14 Minutes of the meeting held on 2 January 2015: / Cllr David Pye – Chair
25/14 Matters Arising from the Minutes / Cllr David Pye air
26/14 Public Forum / Cllr David Pye - Chair
27/14 Finance Report:
(a) To note the balance of Current Account as at 31 January. Any cheques to be written will be signed after the meeting.
(b) Progress on Financial changes, i.e. new signatories
(c) VAT progress / June Bryant; Cllr Catherine Green
28/14 Reports of Sub-Groups
(a) Open Spaces – Chairman’s remarks
(b) Communications Group
(c) TRAP
(d) Chair’s Report - Chairman’s remarks
(e) Ashland Amenity Group – Football nuisance / Cllr David Pye
Cllr Sheila Thornton
Cllr Richard Freeman
Cllr David Pye
Cllrs Thornton & Freeman
37/14 Clerk’s Report:
1.Policies – now in place; Councillors to approve policies.
2.Training course of councillors – update from Old Woughton
3.Summer play sessions – additional sessions to be decided
4.Precept submitted as signed off by councillors at last meeting.
5.Venue for Annual Public Meeting to be discussed.
6.Progress on recruiting new Clerk.
7.Invitations issued by The Mayor, Cllr Eastman
8.Reports invited from the Bus Subsidy meeting
9.Landscape Users Group meetings (Minutes of meeting
requested). / June Bryant
Cllr David Baume
Date and time of next meeting:
Monday, 2nd March 2015, 8.00 p.m. at Simpson Village Hall, Simpson Road, Milton Keynes, MK6 3AD
Simpson and Ashland Parish Council
Minutes of Meeting held on 5 January 2015 at 8.00p.m., Simpson Village Hall
Present: Cllrs David Pye (Chair) Peter Barnes, David Baume, Richard Freeman, Cathy Green,Sheila Thornton, Sheila Tyler, Marc Whelan; June Bryant (Clerk/RFO)
Min.Ref. / Item / Action
38/14 / Public Forum:
Three members of the Parish attended and were welcomed by the Chair, and invited to raise any questions with the Council.
22/14 / Apologies:
Apologies for Absence were received from Mrs Ann Binnie
23/14 / Declarations of Interest:
Cllr Freeman, Cllr Thornton & Cllr Green declared interests.
24/14 / Minutes of the meeting of the Council on 1st December 2014
After amendment, the minutes were signed as a correct record of the meeting.
25/14 / Matters Arising from the Minutes:
37/14 – Old Woughton Council to be chased to see if Cllrs wish to take part in joint training.
39/4 - Cllr Baume reported that the appraisal of the Clerk was completed on 18 December and he had issued a report of meeting.
43/14 – The Chair reported that CAMK are currently engaged on ‘door knocking’ on Ashland and feedback to date from new residents had been positive. Cllr Whelan reported that he would follow up with Ashland Resident Group (ARG) members to ascertain if they were still happy to take part in the project . Cllr Freeman noted that he had not heard anything from ARG so presumed that this situation on Ashland was improving. He also noted that there had been a positive meeting with HSE and would be meeting with HSE again on 7 January 2015.
Actions:
i) Clerk to contact Old Woughton Council regarding joint training
ii) Cllr Whelan to contact ARG members re the CAMK project involvement
iii) Cllr Freeman to meet with HSE representative on 7 January 2015 / JB
MW
RF
27/14 / Finance Report:
The Clerk reported the balance of the PC NatWest account as at 1 December 2014 was £31,080.65. The system for approving signatories for the account is still being processed; the Chair and the Clerk have submitted the paperwork to NatWest. There has been no confirmation of the date when new signatories will be added to the accounts although the forms have been submitted to NatWest.
Three cheques were presented for payment. Now the Clerk has the card and passwords, most bills will be paid by BACS. Clerk reported that she is still not receiving the bank statements. As reported at the last meeting, VAT is recoverable from the past three years and the Clerk has been able to establish VAT for the previous two years; prior to that she has no records, but will pursue this. She will apply to recover this VAT.
Actions:
i) Cllr Green to follow up on progress re adding new signatories
ii) Clerk to apply to recover VAT for previous two financial years / CG
JB
28/14 / Reports:
a) Planning and Development – SAPAD
Nothing to report
It was agreed that Cllrs Tyler and Whelan will draw up a summary of points covered in their extensive report specifically relating to Simpson and Ashland in preparation for producing a Community Plan.
Actions- Cllrs Whelan and Tyler to produce a short paper on the development process for a community plan
b) Open Spaces
No report was submitted. The Chair and Cllr Freeman had had a meeting the Phillip Snell of MKPA, regarding the proposed Ashland play area. Cllr Thornton reported that MKC are in the process of rationalising play areas throughout Milton Keynes, which may impact on play space provision within Simpson . The pruning of the village apple trees was raised and it was agreed that the Chair would contact relevant members of the Britain in Bloom Group re progress on this and the funding of the initial consultation for pruning by the PC was discussed. Cllr Barnes reported that the tree and branches outside the Music Centre have been removed following recent branch fall in heavy winds.
Actions: Chair to email Britain in Bloom Group members regarding PC input
to the apple tree pruning
c) Communications Group
No Report submitted.
Cllr Thornton noted that the next meeting of the Communications Group would be on 26th January at her house. All are welcome. The newsletter content will be discussed. Cllr Thornton is setting up website training for councillors and will inform them once a date has been agreed.
Action: Cllr Thornton to provide details of website training date.
d) TRAP (Towpaths, Roads and Pathways):
Cllr Freeman has submitted his report. He advised councillors there will be a consultation at the end of February; probably to be held in Simpson Village Hall. A resident present raised the issue of sound-proofing along the A5. Cllr Freeman reported that all the work in the original Ashland drawings have been carried out though he said he would contact Ward Members with regard to this issue Cllr Whelan thought a boarded fenced would buffer a lot of the noise and that a noise survey could be carried out. Cllr Freeman said he would copy in the resident after speaking to Ward Members.
Action: Cllr Freeman to contact relevant ward members regarding A5 noise levels
e) Chair’s Report:
The Chair noted that SAPC needed to consider the budget for the coming
financial year.
f) Simpson Hall Management Report:
Cllr Barnes issued a report outlining plans for the running of the village hall. The PC welcomed the paper and accepted the plans. It was noted that a costed maintenance/works schedule would be useful and that the PC would be happy to consider part or joint funding requests from the management committee.
Action: Cllr Barnes to arrange the first meeting of the Village Hall
Management Committee and provide the PC with reports as and when
necessary.
g) Ashland Amenity Group:
Cllr Freeman had submitted his report. Cllr Baume had spoken to The Parks Trust regarding the fountain and they had promised to repair it, although no date had been given.
h) Vision Plan:
No report was received but Cllrs Baume and Green will provide an update on pending allocations for each of the sub-groups for the February PC meeting.
Action: Report from Cllrs Baume and Green to be presented at next PC
meeting. / STy/MW
DP
STh
RF
All
PB
37/14 / Clerk/RFO Report:-
Policies: The Clerk will distribute a list of those policies in place and undertook to request model policies for those we do not currently have from MKALC. She thanked Cllrs Freeman and Thornton for forwarding copies of those policies they have.
The Clerk will establish the numbers of children attending the five play sessions held during the summer holiday so that an informed decision can be made on this year’s sessions.
Precept: After lengthy discussion, it was agreed that, as previously minuted, we would apply for a total of £20,000; i.e. unchanged from the current financial year based on the current Band D. However this will be calculated to include the reduced amount to be received from MKC. The Chair will contact Lisa Wheaton at MKC to request the format be sent to him; to be passed to the Clerk.
Action: The Clerk will complete the Precept application forms to be submitted by 2nd February 2015. / JB
JB
DP
JB
39/14 / H.R.Matters:
The Chair thanked Cllrs Baume and Green for carrying out the Clerk’s appraisal, which had produced a very positive report from Cllr Baume, which he had circulated to councillors requesting their co-operation. The Chairman suggested any questions be put to him.
Action: It was formally agreed that the Clerk undertake further training. Cllrs Baume and Green will carry out a follow up appraisal in March 2015. / DB/CG
Any Other Business:
Cllr Whelan, on behalf of the Planning Group, asked if we prefer a Community Plan or a Neighbourhood Plan. Cllr Freeman pointed out the difference and councillors discussed which would be best for S&A. Cllrs Tyler and Whelan recommended that a Community Plan would be more suitable as it is more flexible to cater for community needs. Cllr Tyler asked for guidance on the short report requested at the last meeting. Cllr Baume advised that it should only contain issues from the report most relevant to S&A.
Action: Cllrs Tyler and Whelan agreed to draw up a brief report relevant to developing a Community Plan.
Cllr Baume said that in view of David Binnie’s hospitalisation a card be sent to Anne Binnie. / STy/MW
There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.25 p.m.
Date and Time of next meeting: 2nd February 2015 at 8.00p.m.
1. Open Spaces:
PC colleagues continue to work with residents and the relevant agencies on open spaces and related activities. Activity to note includes ongoing discussions with Phil Snell regarding the open spaces (including play spaces) in Ashland, and the dialogue between Cllr Freeman and Parks Trust colleagues regarding pollution in the Ashland Lakes. As agreed via email, the PC will fund the initial visit of a tree surgeon to Simpson who will be inspecting the heritage apple trees within the village. There may be additional costs to carry out any recommended remedial work and I will update the PC as/when we are notified of actions that need to be taken. In addition, the Britain in Bloom (B in B) group have approached the PC asking if it could be sponsored in its submission to the B in B 2015 programme, and the group has been encouraged to bid for a grant from the PC as per relevant guidance on the parish website.
2.Chair’s report:
It is with sadness that we heard of David Binnie’s passing in early January and our thoughts are with Ann and family at this time. David made a real and tangible contribution to the life of the parish, both as a member of the Parish Council (particularly around planning and Ashland) and also in his involvement in other local groups such as the Simpson & Ashland Music Group. He will be sorely missed. You will also be aware that June (our clerk) has decided to leave the Parish Council and I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for all her efforts on our behalf. We are now starting the process for appointing June’s replacement and I would like to thank Cllrs Baume and Green (members of the PC HR Group) who will be leading the selection process. As June has said, she is happy to remain with us until a replacement can be found and this is very kind of her. In other matters, the PC formally submitted the precept request and if all goes to plan we should have around £20,000 in precept for the 2015/16 financial year. Linked to this, we continue to develop our financial planning as we look more closely at PC activity and related budget heads for the coming twelve to fifteen month period. Finally, June is in the process of checking the policies and procedures we need to have in place to ensure that we are legal and we should have all the relevant policies in place by the end of next month.