Wendover Parish Council
Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting

Held on 11th June, 2012

In Wendover Library Room at 7.30 pm

Present: Cllrs: Mrs Ballantine, Mrs Carroll, Duggan (Chairman), Grant, Mrs Green, Lewis, Mrs Saunders,

Mrs Stamper, Walsh, Worth

Locum Clerk: Mrs Bridget Bradford

7 members of the publicattended the meeting, including Mr Walls of Wendover Celebrates and three members of the press.

PC13/23Apologies for Absence
Apologies for absence were received and accepted from Cllrs Mrs Clayton,Mrs Gregoryand Statham and District Cllr Bowles.

PC13/24Declarations of Interest - there were no declarations of interest

The meeting was closed for Public Participation at 7.37pm.

Wendover Celebrates, Mr Walls reported that the event had been a resounding success with at least 6,000 people attending, no public order problems reported, wide ranging media coverage and a net profit likely to be in the region of £10,000 generated - thanks to the Parish Council’s faith and grant a substantial sum will be set aside to finance a future event as well as contributions to local projects, details of both yet to be determined.

Meeting reconvened at 7.42pm

The Chairman tabled a proposal received in writing from Cllr Statham that Wendover Celebrates Committee be congratulated and thanked on the realisation of an outstanding event, and that those thanks be conveyed to all those who played a part, no matter how small, in organising and running the event.

There being no further contributions from the Public Gallery, the meeting continued

Cllr Grant reported that the coffee shop had opened successfully and should ultimately provide an income stream for the Youth Club. Volunteers are required from 8am to 10.30am and a suitable request would be placed in the next Wendover News.

Local Policing Report - see later in minutes

County Councillor’s Report- none received

District Councillor’s Report - none received

PC13/25Correspondence and Clerk’s Report

Outstanding actions from Parish Council meetings:

  • PC12/226 - Churchyard Care Agreement. Drafting of a letter to the Church was requested to take priority in the Clerk’s workload as the next financial contribution is due on 21st June.
  • PC12/248d – Website – Clerk requested to work with the Chairman to resolve the outstanding issues and/or propose next steps.
  • PC12/245eClerk to rearrange meeting with builder and project manager re Clock Tower works

Correspondence

  • Wendover News enquiry re continued use of back page by WPC when the agreed first year expires in August. Resolved that the Chairman continue to supply copy (and was reminded of lateness of submission for next issue)
  • Cllr Lewis advised that he had resolved two issues regarding the streetlight power contract. Firstly the contract was not renewed in January and no payments have been made to e-on since the contract expired in December 2011. Cllr Lewisadvised that he felt he had had no choice but to commit the Council to a minimum of a new two year contract back dated to January 2012 that would involve charges of around £1,000 per month for the current lighting stock as e-on would only provide a quote valid for 24h. This was beneficially a better Wholesale Market Rate than the rate offered earlier in the year. The second issue was to clarify why the payments increased without warning in September 2011. This was due to an error on the part of e-on who were still taking payments at the 2010 rate for the first half of 2011. E-on rectified this without warning and took a payment of £2388.57 in August 2011 to cover the underpayment and increased subsequent payments.

PC13/26Minutes
The minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on 8th May 2012were agreed and signed as a true record.

Finance & General Committee

PC13/27General

  1. Standing Orders

The revised document had been circulated, RESOLVED that after incorporating the amendments discussed at the meeting and noted below, the procedures be adopted forthwith. Action: Locum Clerk to update as agreed.

  • To highlight Wendover personalisations of the model version by use of italics
  • Item 2 j ii be deleted but another suitable item incorporatedto specify that co-option of councillors should be considered whenever there is a vacancy
  • Item 4 a and c to specify 3 clear days to be consistent with the notice required for calling a meeting.
  • Item 12 b should merely say “refer also to Item 21 below”
  • Item 17 d the required no of councillors should be 2, not 4.
  • Item 20 a should state before the end of October in order to meet WPC and AVDC timescales for precept notification
  • Item 26 c The Chairman of Amenities should conduct the performance review of the Grounds staff, the Chairman of Staffing that of the Clerk, and the Clerk of those staff for whom they are line manager.
  • Item 28 a and b The Locum Clerk will supply a draft Policy for dealing with the press/media for consideration for adoption at the next meeting.
  • Item 30 Financial matters shall state merely, “refer to WPC Financial Regulations” which will avoid any discrepancy arising between the two documents.

It was further noted that a revised national model Code of Conduct (Item 7 and 31) is expected for July 1st, and the Power of Wellbeing (Item 25) is to cease with the progression of the Localism agenda.

Members briefly considered the merits of the division of the roles and duties of Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer (RFO). The Locum Clerk, whilst appreciating the difficult staffing issues of the past 12 months, expressed relatively more concern about the potential conflict of interest of a Councillor being RFO than of the Clerk being RFO. There are other staffing options and she advised that these should be considered as soon as practical.

Cllr Grant left the meeting

  1. Data Protection

RESOLVED to notify the Information Commissioner of details of the Clerk as Data Controller for Wendover Parish Council, paying the required £35 annual registration fee.

RESOLVED also to adopt the circulated draft Freedom of Information Policy and Publication Scheme.

  1. Committee Membership

A new organisational structure had been circulated and with the following additional amendments the structure was RESOLVED to be adopted forthwith: Cllr Mrs Green to join Amenities Committee. It was noted that Cllr Mrs Ballantine wished to be notified of Parking and Premises working group meetings as they arise, whereas Cllr Mrs Green did not wish to be included in these groups.

  1. Legal Advice update on land held by Crown Estates

Cllr Lewis advised that payment of a cheque for legal advice had been agreed for signature (F13/11). Further consideration of the options available to Council was agreed to be deferred to the next meeting.

  1. Subscriptions

Members considered the list of annual subscriptions provided by the Clerk, who was requested to provide detail of the benefits derived from membership of the quoted bodies before a decision on renewals could be made.

PC13/28 Finance

  1. The approved minutes of the Finance Committee Meeting held on 23rd April, 2012 were received and taken as read.

F12/80 Members noted that a Witchell Fund Trustees Meeting had been called to follow this meeting

F12/83 Members agreed that in accordance with advice secured by RFO, Cllr Lewis, that there would be a moratorium on payments to all Councillors, pending consideration of 3 options to comply with HMRC Regulations. This would take some time, since the option of a dispensation would have to await completion of certain matters concerning VAT.

  1. The payment of accounts was noted and cheques authorised for signature by Cllr Mrs Ballantine and Cllr Worth:

  1. Internal Auditor’s Report

The report had been circulated and the Clerk/Cllr Lewis as RFO had commenced addressing the points raised. The Locum Clerk expressed surprise that the report did not make reference to the audit having been conducted with reference to Governance and Accountability for Local Councils and exhorted members to become familiar with its contents via the Practitioners' Guide which is available through the NALC and SLCC websites as well as by internet search.

  1. Cllr Lewis explained that the agreed revision of the cost centres and codes had been incorporated within the RBS financial software at the end of May and accounts would be issued on a quarterly basis in line with the quarterly Finance Committee meetings.
  2. Annual Return

Draft Accounting and Governance Statements had been circulated for consideration. It was RESOLVED that the Chairman, RFO and Locum Clerk sign these statements. Members noted that item 11 on the Annual return had been answered in the positive, as opposed to last year’s negative response(see separate minutes of Witchell Meadows Trustees) and it was agreed that a letter of explanation should accompany the Annual Return when sent to the External Auditor.

PC13/29Amenities Committee

  1. The approved minutes of the Amenities Committee meeting held on 17th April 2012 were received and taken as read.
  2. Updates:
  • Surveyors had been working at the Manor Waste
  • The Carpenters’ Fellowship was now talking to the Clock Tower project manager
  • The Heritage Lottery Fund was being approached re a grant which would require significant publicity and the inclusion of learning and promotional elements for which Cllr Mrs Carroll’s assistance was requested.
  • The S106 application for London Road is to be progressed
  • Currency of fishing permits for Hampden Meadow had not been monitored due to low water levels. After the recent consistent rainfall fishermen had returned and Members RESOLVED that volunteer bailiffs should be appointed in the short term to check and collect any unpaid fees.

PC13/30Planning Committee

  1. The approved minutes of the Planning Committee meetings held on 17thApril 2012 were received and taken as read.
  2. Updates:

Neighbourhood Development Plan

Members RESOLVED to accept Cllr Statham’s proposal that Council commission a fixed cost (£275) personalised consultation with Action for Market Towns to provide guidance on the appropriateness, requirements, options and benefits of progressing with a Neighbourhood Development Plan.

PC13/31Reports from Outside Bodies - none received

PC13/32Matters of Report

  1. Cllr Mrs Green reported a problem with the kerbing and grass outside Woods Yard by the tree and that a hook for the chain around the War Memorial needs fixing - the Clerk to progress these issues with the Groundsman.
  2. Amenities to consider maintenance of the area under the trees.
  3. The road surface at the junction of Manor Road and Manor Crescent has subsided once again. Cllr Mrs Clayton and the Local Area Technician have been requested to escalate the need for a long term solution. Cllr Walsh had also reported the repeatedly defective drains in Aylesbury Road which overflow during significant rainfall. Cllr Mrs Ballantine will report to county the substantial number of small but significant potholes in Witchell.
  4. Amenities are to discuss options for the Wildflower Meadow at Ropewalk at their next meeting as the appearance seems currently to not be as anticipated.

At 8.42 the meeting was adjourned to receive a report from PCSO Evans

The Officer reported that he had been unable to collate sufficiently detailed crime statistics in time for the meeting, but could advise that year on year figures are downand that he would deliver details to the office tomorrow. There had been no incidents arising from Wendover Celebrates which had been staffed by Special Constables. Members asked PCSO Evans to convey members’ appreciation of the excellent manner in which they had undertaken their duties.

PC13/33 DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS

The date of the next full Parish Council Meeting was scheduled for Monday 2nd July 2012 at 7.30pm

8.42pm Due to the confidential nature of the business to be discussed, it was resolved to close the meeting to the press and public under section 1(2) of the public bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960

PC13/34 STAFFING COMMITTEE

There had been no meeting and it was agreed that one would be called in the short term.

An update was provided by Cllr Duggan concerning the former Clerk.

Cllr Duggan confirmed for the record that Sue Gilbert had joined on 21st May as an Administrative Assistant for a 3 month fixed term contract. This appointment has already been noted by Members as generating significant improvements in staff morale and performance. It was noted that the DeputyClerk has now instigated weekly meetings with the groundsman which was also proving beneficial.

PC13/35 CLOSURE OF MEETING
There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.57 pm

Signed ______Date: ______

Chairman