HUGHENDEN PARISH COUNCIL Remote Full Council Meeting Held on Tuesday 14th July 2020 at 7.00 pm Via Zoom Video Communications
Unconfirmed Minutes Participating Cllr P Nicholls (Chairman) Cllr P Gieler, Cllr R Gould, Cllr S Kearey, Cllr C Waterton
Candidates for co-option re. casual vacancies James Air, Andrew Capey, Peggy Ewart, Mary Hilder, Daniel Glasheen, Marianne Tyler, Carol Sammut, Peter Williams
Officers Shona Hadwen (Clerk); Jill Armshaw (Deputy Clerk)
Public Participation The Chairman welcomed members of the public to the meeting and explained the procedure for public participation. Members of the public are permitted to speak once in respect of business itemised on the agenda for no more than 2 minutes. The period for public participation shall not exceed 15 minutes. Eight members of the public were logged on via Zoom Communications at the start of the meeting.
i. A member of the public addressed the Council concerning the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2019/2020. The member of the public stated that they had raised concerns with Council but had not received a satisfactory response and so she had written to the External Auditor raising two objections to the Annual Governance and Accountability Return. The objections concern 1) filling casual vacancies and poor corporate governance 2) allotments and poor corporate governance. Copies of the objections have been sent to the Clerk to the Council, Buckinghamshire Council Monitoring Officer and Council’s Internal Auditor. Copies of the objection may be obtained from the Clerk.
The Chairman responded that Council had sought and followed legal advice concerning the co-option process.
ii. A member of the public addressed the Council concerning a proposal to operate a mobile business selling food and drink at Great Kingshill Common (agenda item 13).
Buckinghamshire Council (Cllr Steve Broadbent) iii. Apologies were received from Cllr David Carroll. iv. The first meeting of the new Community Board was held last week chaired by Cllr Gary Hall. Future Community Board meetings will be held in public. The purpose of the Community Board is a formal point of commination between Buckinghamshire Council, parish councils and community groups. The next meeting will be held in early September 2020. v. There is concern about the parking of lorries associated with Country Supplies on Warrendene Road, Hughenden Valley. This matter has been raised with the new Community Board and the matter is under investigation to find solutions. vi. Cllr Broadbent had attended a meeting of the England Economic Heartland Strategy Transport Forum and suggested visiting their website to find out above future developments. vii. The first full meeting of Buckinghamshire Council will be broadcast live at 4pm on Wednesday 15th July 2020.
1. Apologies for absence 20174 There were no apologies. The meeting was quorate with 5 members present (1/3 of full complement of 15).
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2. Declarations of interest Members were asked to declare any pecuniary or non-pecuniary declarations of interest and confirm any relevant dispensations. 20175 There were no declarations of interest.
3. Minutes of the previous meeting (Appendix 1) RESOLVED 20176 That the minutes of the remote Full Council meeting held on 9th June 2020 be approved as a true record. The minutes will be filed in the Minute Book and signed by the Chairman at the first face to face Full Council meeting.
4. Co-option to the Council re. casual vacancies (Appendix 2) On 20th May 2020 Council served formal Notice of Vacancy by posting notices on parish council notice boards and on the parish council website. On 11th June 2020 Wycombe Electoral Office confirmed that no-one had come forward in any of the four wards to call a by- election. Further notices were issued on 12th June 2020 inviting candidates to apply for co- option to the Council until the postponed Parish & Town Council elections in May 2021.
The Chairman invited each candidate to give a brief summary of why they wish to join the Council and explain what skills and experience they bring to the role.
The Clerk confirmed that all candidates had completed the Eligibility Form and satisfy eligibility criteria and thus qualify for co-option to the wards listed below.
The following is a list of casual vacancies and candidates:
Great Kingshill Ward – 1 vacancy candidate – Carol Sammut
Hughenden Valley – 2 vacancies candidates – Andrew Capey & Mary Hilder
Naphill & Walters Ash – 3 vacancies candidates – Peggy Ewart & Peter Williams
Widmer End – 4 vacancies candidates – James Air, Daniel Glasheen, Marianne Tyler
A vote took place for each candidate individually and it was:
RESOLVED 20177 That the above listed candidates be co-opted to Hughenden Parish Council.
The Clerk explained that under normal circumstances at this point in the co-option process the Declaration of Acceptance of Office document would be signed however this is not possible given the remote nature of the meeting re. Covid-19 restrictions. Candidates will sign the Declaration of Office document and send the signed document to the Clerk. The Clerk suggested that this change in process be resolved by Council and noted in the minutes of the meeting.
RESOLVED 20178 That given restrictions due to Covid-19 resulting in the holding of remote council meetings that the Declaration of Acceptance of Office document be signed by new councillors and returned to the Clerk by 22nd July 2020.
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The Chairman welcomed new councillors to the Council, informed them that they were now councillors, eligible to participate and vote in the meeting and outlined how the induction process will take place during July and August 2020 given changes to office staff.
5. Correspondence report (Appendix 3) 20179 The report was received.
6. Financial reports (June 2020) a) Financial Report (Appendix 4) 20180 The report was received.
b) Budget YTD (Appendix 5) 20181 The report was received.
c) Bank Reconciliation Statements (Appendix 6) RESOLVED 20182 That the Bank Reconciliations Statements be approved as a true record.
7. Authorisation of payments (June 2020) (Appendix 7) RESOLVED 20183 That the payments listed in Appendix 7 be approved.
RESOLVED 20184 That authority be delegated to the Clerk to make payments in accordance with Financial Regulations during August 2020 when there are no scheduled Council meetings.
8. Clerk’s report (Appendix 8) 20185 The report was received.
The Clerk is leaving the employment of Council on 23rd July 2020. The Clerk thanked Councillors present and past, the Deputy Clerk and council contractors and wished the new Clerk well on her appointment.
The Clerk informed members that the Warden/grounds person will commence employment on Monday 27th July 2020 working 9am – 2pm Monday to Friday.
The Clerk gave an update on playgrounds with respect to Covid-19 restrictions and equipment repairs. No date has been agreed for the re-opening of playgrounds.
The Chairman thanked the Clerk for her service to both Council and the Parish and wished her and her husband well in the future.
9. Proposal to waive lease rent for community sports groups re. Covid-19 (Appendix 9) The proposal was considered, and it was agreed that waiving rent for the current financial year may assist community sports groups given the impact of Covid-19 restrictions and any resulting financial burden.
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RESOLVED 20186 That rent due for land leases held by Great Kingshill Cricket Club, Hughenden Valley Football Club and Widmer End Football Club be waived during financial year 2020/2021.
10. Application for financial grant re. Speen & North Dean News (Appendix 10) The application was considered, and Cllr Gieler expressed concern that the magazine is largely distributed within an area outside Hughenden Parish. RESOLVED 20187 That the financial grant be approved but that the applicant be reminded that they should also seek financial support from other parish councils within the circulation area of this publication.
11. Planning delegated comments report (Appendix 11) 20188 The report was received.
Cllr Kearey raised a question concerning the application for the redevelopment of Uplands and the footpath proposed for Four Ashes Road. Cllr Gould responded that to date he had no information about this footpath. AGREED 20189 That the Clerk write to Buckinghamshire Council enquiring about the status of the proposed footpath on Four Ashes Road re. Uplands Planning Application.
12. Proposal to review allotment rent (Appendix 12) The Chairman thanked the Deputy Clerk for her report. There was discussion about rent comparisons and the relevance of revising rent during the Covid-19 pandemic.
RESOLVED 20190 That written notice be given to allotment tenants that on 29th September 2021: a) rent will increase to £52/whole plot and £26/half plot b) an administration charge of £15 will be made for any change to the Allotment Tenancy Agreement or application to erect a temporary structure c) concessionary rent may be granted at the discretion of the Clerk
13. Application from food & drink vendors to operate on Great Kingshill Common (Appendix 13) The Chairman summarised the applications and shared feedback received from Great Kingshill Residents Association and other residents. There was concern about possible anti- social behaviour, litter and lack of provision of toilet facilities. RESOLVED 20191 That both applications from food & drink vendors to operate on Great Kingshill Common be declined.
14. Proposal to delegate authority to resolve Walters Ash Lease with HCST (Appendix 14) The Chairman summarised background information concerning the proposal. The lease between the parish council and the Hughenden Community Support Trust (HCST) has not been agreed because of an issue concerning the access road to Ann’s Cottage which runs through Walters Ash Allotment. Agreement is required concerning maintenance of the access road before the lease may be signed. The Chairman proposed that further discussion with the Trustees of the HCST may be required and that delegated authority be given to Cllr Nicholls, Cllr Gieler, Cllr Gould, Cllr Kearey & Cllr Waterton (HCST Committee)
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to conclude negotiations and sign the lease given that the next Full Council meeting will not be held until September 2020. RESOLVED 20192 That delegated authority be given to Cllr Nicholls, Cllr Gieler, Cllr Gould, Cllr Kearey & Cllr Waterton to conclude negotiations with the Hughenden Community Support Trust and that Cllr Nicholls sign the lease for Walters Ash Allotment on behalf of Hughenden Parish Council.
15. Consultation on Local Government Association Code of Conduct (Appendix 15) The Local Government Association has launched a consultation on the new Model Member Code of Conduct and is inviting feedback via an online survey. RESOLVED 20193 That members consider the Local Government Association Draft Model Member Code of Conduct and submit feedback individually via the online survey.
16. Confidential items That under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, the public and representatives of the press and broadcast media are excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business as publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest because of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted. RESOLVED 20194 That the meeting be closed to members of the public and that business be transacted under confidential items. 17. Application to lease Hatches Field, Hatches Lane, Hughenden Valley (Appendix 16/confidential) The Chairman gave background information concerning the application and summarised the applications to lease Hatches Field for agricultural purposes for a period of three years. RESOLVED 20195 That the lease be awarded to Charles Fox.
18. Future agenda items AGREED 20196 That the following matters be added to the agenda: a) policy review b) re-establishment of council committees c) strategic plan d) Quality Council Scheme
The Chairman informed members that there will be no council meeting in August. The next Full Council meeting will take place in September 2020.
The Chairman thanked the Clerk, Deputy Clerk, Cllr Gieler, Cllr Gould, Cllr Kearey & Cllr Waterton for their support during recent months when the council has functioned with reduced membership and the Covid-19 pandemic.
19. Close of meeting 20197 There being no other business, the meeting closed at 8.55pm.
20. Date of next meeting 20198 Tuesday 8th September 2020 at 7.00 pm.
Chairman’s Signature: Date:
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Appendix 1 HUGHENDEN PARISH COUNCIL Remote Full Council Meeting Held on Tuesday 9th June 2020 at 7.00 pm Via Zoom Video Communications
Unconfirmed Minutes Participating: Cllr P Nicholls (Chairman) Cllr P Gieler, Cllr R Gould, Cllr S Kearey, Cllr C Waterton
Officers: Shona Hadwen (Clerk); Jill Armshaw (Deputy Clerk)
Public Participation Five members of the public participated in the remote meeting by observing proceedings. Dr Linda Derrick addressed the meeting and asked that the following statement be recorded in the minutes and that her name be included in the minutes as a matter of public record.
" I wish to raise two concerns formally. I have raised these concerns before with HPC but I have received no response to the first of these concerns and an unsatisfactory response to the second. My first concern is about Council’s decision to sign 99-year leases to rent land from Hughenden Community Support Trust. I am concerned because the absolute titles to the land are registered to the Council on the Land Registry. I am concerned that these leases would be unlawful and the expenditure of public money on the leases improper. I also remain concerned that the Council did not take legal advice on the ownership of the land when it took decisions to transfer the titles of the land to the Trust and that the Council has never explained the legal case for disposing of these assets. My second concern is that the process that the Council is pursuing for filling casual vacancies does not comply with the law and in particular Section 87(2) of the Local Government Act 1972. I have asked Council for a copy of the legal advice on this issue. Hopefully, this would clarify the position for potential candidates for co-option. I would be grateful if these concerns could be recorded in my name."
1. Election of Chairman Cllr Nicholls, retiring Chairman of the Council called for nominations to the office of Chairman for the ensuing local government year. Cllr Nicholls intimated that he was happy to continue should no-one else wish to put themselves forward. Cllr Waterton proposed Cllr Nicholls and this was seconded by Cllr Kearey. There being no other nominations, it was: RESOLVED 20125 That Cllr Paul Nicholls is elected as Chairman of Hughenden Parish Council for the ensuing local government year. 2. Declaration of Acceptance of Office 20126 The Declaration of Acceptance of Office to be signed before the next Full Council meeting to be held on 14th July 2020. 3. Election of Vice Chairman The Chairman called for nomination to the office of Vice Chairman of the Council for the ensuing local government year. Cllr Kearey proposed Cllr Gieler and this was seconded by Cllr Waterton. There being no other nominations, it was: RESOLVED 20127 That Cllr P Gieler is elected as Vice Chairman of Hughenden Parish Council for the ensuing local government year.
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4. Declaration of Acceptance of Office 20128 The Declaration of Acceptance of Office to be signed before the next Full Council meeting to be held on 14th July 2020. 5. Apologies for absence 20129 There were no apologies. The meeting was quorate with 5 Members present (1/3 of full complement of 15). 6.. Declarations of interest Members were asked to declare any pecuniary or non-pecuniary declarations of interest and confirm any relevant dispensations. 20130 There were no declarations of interest. 7. Minutes of the previous meeting (Appendix 1) RESOLVED 20131 That the minutes of the remote Full Council meeting held on 12th May 2020 be approved as a true record. The minutes to be retained in the Minute Book and signed by the Chairman of the Council at the first face to face Full Council meeting.
8. Report from Internal Auditor (Appendix 2) 20132 The report from the Internal Audit review held on 28th May 2020 was received and noted. 20133 The Action Plan prepared by the Clerk and included with Appendix 2 to address the points raised by the Internal Auditor was agreed and accepted. AGREED 20134 that the Chairman write directly to the Internal Auditor acknowledging the points raised. 9. Asset Register (Appendix 3) The Clerk informed members of amendments to the Asset Register in the last year. The amended figure of £517,157.53 (which includes several pieces of equipment no longer in use by the Council having been removed from the Register) to be included in the Accounting Statements (Appendix 8). 20135 The updated Asset Register was received. RESOLVED 20136 That the updated Asset Register be approved and adopted by Council.
10. Review of Risk Management Register (Appendix 4) 20137 The Governance and Management Risk Register was received. AGREED 20138 That the register be reviewed by the Services and Finance and Policy Committee of the Council at their subsequent Committee Meetings or alternatively by Full Council every three months as a minimum, commencing in September 2020. 11. Annual Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2020 (Appendix 5) 20139 The Annual Accounts for the period 1st April 2019 – 31st March 2020 were received. Total income for the year was £247,205, total expenditure for the year was £222,286 resulting in a surplus of income over expenditure of £24,919. RESOLVED 20140 That the end of year accounts presented in Appendix 5 be approved. 12. Allocation of Reserves (Appendix 6) 20141The Clerk summarised the position with regards to the level of reserves held by Council. With a surplus of £24,919 recorded for the year end 31st March 2020, the following transfer to earmarked reserves were:
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RESOLVED 20142 Road Safety - £2,000; Election - £2,000, Street Lighting Maintenance - £3,000; HCST Legal Fees - £1,300 and Burial Ground - £4,875. The balance of £11,834 to be transferred to Operating/Contingency Reserves in the first instance, awaiting further costs from the Tree Management Project which may require additional funding. 20143 Cllr Kearey expressed his thanks to both the Clerk and Deputy Clerk for their management of the finances over the past year. This was acknowledged by the other members. 13. Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) 2019/2020 a) The Annual Governance Statement – Section 1 (Appendix 7) The Clerk referred to the supporting paper (Appendix 7) submitted with the Agenda which gave background information on all aspects of the AGAR. The Clerk read through each of the Statements in Section 1 and Council considered their responses. It was: RESOLVED 20144 That the Annual Governance Statement – Section 1 of the Annual Governance Statement be approved and signed by the Chairman of the Council and the Clerk noting the following responses:
That in response to Statements 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 and 8 that Council answer “yes”.
That in response to Statement 3, Council answer “no” and the following reasons be submitted as part of the AGAR.
Statement 3 Response – “No”. Reason – During the year 2019-2020 it came to light that the council had acted unlawfully in terms of the co-option process of its councillors. Correct Notices advertising Casual Vacancies had not been posted in line with S87(2) of the Local Government Act 1972. Legal advice was sought, and council took all necessary precautions to ensure that any decisions made previously were re-resolved by the remaining councillors. The Council is now ensuring proper practice in relation to the Casual Vacancy process and has received legal advice to ensure compliance with the Law moving forward.
That in response to Statement 5, Council answer “no” and the following reason be submitted as part of the AGAR.
Statement 5. Response – “No”. Reason – whilst Council have engaged with Ellis Whittam (External Advisory Consultancy) to act as its Responsible Person from a Health and Safety perspective, there remains outstanding the completion of risk assessments at allotments and open spaces and several actions remain outstanding from a health and safety checklist. To rectify this position, risk assessments will be completed and scheduled in for regular monthly checks which will form part of the workload of the new Groundsperson who is due to be employed in July 2020. Personal Protective Equipment to be ordered for officers and the new Groundsperson and Council need to consider the implication of Covid-19 on the office environment and working practices moving forward.
b) The Accounting Statements – Section 2 (Appendix 8) The Clerk presented the Accounting Statements for the year ended 31st March 2020 which had already been signed by the Clerk as is required by Law. The Clerk reminded Council that the figure for total fixed assess plus long-term investments and assets to be amended down to £517,154 to account for the amended value on the Asset Register.
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RESOLVED 20145 That the Accounting Statements – Section 2 of the Annual Governance Statement be approved and countersigned by the Chairman of the Council.
c) Public Inspection Period for the 2019/2020 Accounts (Appendix 9) RESOLVED 20146 That the Exercise of Public Rights will commence on Monday 15th June 2020 for a period of thirty working days, ending on Friday 24th July 2020. The notice confirming the inspection period to be displayed on the Council website and noticeboards from 11th June 2020.
d) Supplementary Information (Appendix 10) 20147 The supplementary information contained in Appendix 10 and required to be submitted with the AGAR was noted.
The Chairman referred to the first statement made by the resident regarding the signing of the 99-year leases of land to Hughenden Community Support Trust and acknowledged that this item is not listed on the Agenda and the decision to lease the land has already been lawfully made. The Chairman also referred to the second statement made by the resident regarding the Co-option process and that this would be discussed under Agenda Item 16.
14. Vexatious Policy (Appendix 11) Council considered a draft revised Vexatious Policy. RESOLVED 20148 That with some minor amendments, that the revised Vexatious Policy be adopted. 15. Access at Hughenden Valley Allotments (Appendix 12) 20149 A Statement regarding access at Hughenden Valley allotments, issued on 21st May 2020 was received. Council recently received feedback from allotment tenants concerned about the risk of infection from Covid-19 due to significantly increased public presence within the perimeter of the allotment. An area of particular concern was the section of the permissive path south of Whitfield Road where the path is narrow and close to tenanted plots making it difficult to maintain 2m social distancing. Following the closure and subsequent re-opening of the pedestrian access to Hughenden Valley allotments, council had agreed to review public access to the site and in particular the use of the Right of Way HUG/52/1 which runs along the southern and western perimeter of Hughenden Valley allotment and the permissive path which runs along the northern inner perimeter of the allotment, east of Whitfield Road. Officers contacted the Rights of Way Officer at Buckinghamshire Council to seek advice on how best to resolve the access and use of the paths in the allotment site. The Rights of Way Officer confirmed that cycling is not permitted on Rights of Way nor on permissive paths in Buckinghamshire. RESOLVED 20150 That additional Right of Way waymarking posts and signs be installed on Right of Way HUG/52/1 to clarify the route for residents and walkers. RESOLVED 20151 That small circular waymarking signs stating “No Cycling” be attached to the waymarking posts and plot marker posts along the Right of Way and permissive path within the perimeter of the allotment. RESOLVED 20152 That “Please Keep This Gate Shut” signs be installed on both sides of the allotment vehicle entrance gates at Hughenden Valley Allotment and all other sites. RESOLVED
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20153 That “2m Social Distancing” signage be installed on both the Right of Way and the permissive path at Hughenden Valley Allotment as well as at the Right of Way at Walters Ash Allotment. RESOLVED 20154 That “Permissive Path, Dogs must be kept on Leads” signage be installed on the Right of Way at Hughenden Valley Allotment.
16. Co-option Process (Appendix 13) Following the Full Council meeting in May 2020 where it was resolved that “Notices of Casual Vacancies” be published in line with S87(2) of the Local Government Act 1972, the notices were posted on 20th May 2020 and the fourteen day notice period ends on 10th June 2020. If no polls are called in a ward, then Council also resolved to advertise the vacancies for a further period of three weeks with a view going through the Co-option process as per the council’s Casual Vacancy Policy at the July Full Council meeting on 14th July 2020. Further correspondence from a resident questioning the legality of the Council’s intention to co-opt has been received and following this, the Clerk sought further legal advice. This advice has been shared separately with Council. The Clerk stated that when the vacancies arose in January 2020, Notices of Vacancies were not posted at that time as there was less than six months until the elections in May 2020. This should have been done irrespective of the timescale until the elections and is a requirement under S87(2) of the Local Government Act 1972. Despite there being less than six months until the election, the seats should have been declared vacant at that point by posting the Notices of Vacancy informing members of the public that there were vacant seats on the Parish Council. This did not happen and as such resulted in a procedural error. As a result of this error, the Clerk sought legal advice on this matter to ensure that Council could now legally co-opt to fill the vacant seats even although it had not correctly advertised the vacancies in January 2020. The advice received from the lawyers reiterated that there is nothing in law preventing the Council from advertising the vacancies at this stage. 20155 The Clerk asked Council to consider the subsequent legal advice received since it’s decision regarding co-option in May 2020. Having considered the legal advice received based on the failure to comply with Local Government Act 1972 S 87(2) in January 2020 by not posting the vacancies at the time the seats became vacant Council: AGREED 20156 That Council confirm the correct legal advice was sought regarding the failure to post the Notices of Casual Vacancies in January and based on the legal advice received in respect of this, it re-affirms Council’s decision in May 2020 to follow the co-option process. 20157 Council have been asked by the resident to share the legal advice received in this matter. Considerable discussion to place regarding whether to disclose the legal advice. Both Officers advised Council that in the interests of full open-ness and transparency that legal advice in this matter be made public. A full discussion followed. The Chairman called a vote and the following was: AGREED 20158 That the legal advice received remains confidential as it is classed as Legal Professional Privilege which protects confidential communications between legal advisors and clients. 17. BT Openreach – access to Cockshoot Woods (Appendix 14) Correspondence had been received from BT Openreach concerning groundworks to be done in Cockshoot Woods to upgrade the telecom mast for Thames Valley Police. RESOLVED 20159 That Delegated Authority be given to Officers to deal directly with representatives from BT Openreach in reaching a solution for groundworks in Cockshoot Woods. 18. Correspondence Report (Appendix 15) 20160 The report was received. Page 5 of 6 Initials…….. www.hughendenparishcouncil.org.uk [email protected]
19. Financial Reports a) Financial Report – 1st May 2020 – 31st May 2020 (Appendix 16) 20161 The report was received. b) Budget YTD – 31st May 2020 (Appendix 17) 20162 The budget year to date report was received. c) Bank Statements – 1st May 2020 – 31st May 2020 (Appendix 18) 20163 The Bank Statements and Bank Reconciliation Statements were received. RESOLVED 20164 That the Bank Reconciliations Statements be agreed as a true record in relation to the presented Bank Statements for the period 1st May 2020 – 31st May 2020. 20. Payments to be made in June 2020 (Appendix 19) 20165 The list of payments to be made in June 2020 were received. RESOLVED 20166 That the list of payments contained within Appendix 19 be approved. 21. Clerk’s Report (Appendix 20) 20167 The report was received. 22. Lease for Hatches Field (Appendix 21) 20168 The lease for Hatches Field has expired and several enquiries have been received regarding the future lease of the field. AGREED 20169 That an advert be placed on the Council website and Council noticeboards for the lease of Hatches Field with a closing date for submission of tenders of Friday 3rd July 2020. 23. Confidential Items That under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, the public and representatives of the press and broadcast media are excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business as publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest because of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted. 24. Staffing Committee 20170 The minutes of the Staffing Committee Meeting held on 26th May 2020 were received and the following recommendations were: RESOLVED 20171 That applications received for the new Clerk/RFO be vetted by the Staffing Committee as a whole; 20172 That interviews are conducted by the Staffing Committee as a whole; 20173 That an ECM be arranged for Thursday 18th June 2020 to appoint the new Clerk as soon as possible after interview.
25. Items for the next Agenda a) Review of allotment fees – Cllr Gieler and the Deputy Clerk to review during June b) VJ Day – Saturday 15th August 2020 – Cllr Kearey to put forward a motion regarding marking this occasion. 26. Date of next meeting Tuesday 14th July 2020 at 7pm
There being no other business, the meeting closed at 9.20pm.
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Appendix 2 Co-option of Councillors On 20th May 2020 Hughenden Parish Council served formal “Notice of Vacancies” by posting notices on all parish council noticeboards and on the parish council website. On 11th June 2020 Wycombe Electoral Office confirmed that no resident had come forward in any of the four wards within Hughenden Parish to call a by-election. Further notices were then issued on 12th June 2020 inviting residents to apply to be co-opted onto the Council until the postponed Parish & Town Council elections in May 2021. The following vacancies currently exist on the Parish Council and the following applications have been received in respect of each Ward. Great Kingshill – one vacancy Applicant - Carol Sammut
Hughenden Valley – two vacancies Applicants – Andrew Capey & Mary Hilder
Naphill & Walters Ash – three vacancies Applicants – Peggy Ewart & Peter Williams
Widmer End – four vacancies Applicants - James Air, Daniel Glasheen & Marianne Tyler
New advice received from NALC (dated June 2020) in respect of the Co-option process states that “where the number of candidates is less than or equal to then number of vacancies, the candidates shall be appointed to the council if they meet the s.79 eligibility criteria and they are not disqualified under s.80”. I can confirm that I have received completed “Eligibility Forms” from each candidate listed above, therefore in line with the advice from NALC, all applicants can be co-opted.
S Hadwen 9th July 2020 Appendix 3
Correspondence Report – 14th July 2020
Reference Details Action Date by FC Rec’d
2020-06-05 Response to resident FOI re Co-options No 05/06/2020
2020-06-05 Response to resident re Annual Governance Statement No 05/06/2020
2020-06-05 Response to resident re further questions re Co-options No 05/06/2020
2020-06-05 Email re donations from third parties (process) No 05/06/2020
2020-06-08 Quotation from Wilkins Kennedy re Accounting Cover No 08/06/2020
2020-06-09 Street - naming , Cryers Hill No 09/06/2020
2020-06-10 Re tree at Primrose Hill Allotments No 10/06/2020
2020-06-11 Re By-elections for Hughenden Wards from WDC No 11/06/2020
2020-06-11 Re Hedge trimming at Walters Ash Allotments No 11/06/2020
2020-06-11 NALC Code of Conduct Consultation Yes 11/06/2020
2020-06-14 Inspecting the Accounts – Co-option Information No 14/06/2020
2020-06-14 Inspecting the Accounts – Transfer of Land to HCST No 14/06/2020
2020-06-15 WDALC Agenda & documentation No 15/06/2020
2020-06-16 Response to resident re Annual Governance Statement No 16/06/2020
2020-06-17 Re Skip at HV allotment No 17/06/2020
2020-06-17 Re response to resident re meeting on 9th June 2020 No 17/06/2020
2020-06-19 Re ICO Confirmation Membership No 19/06/2020
2020-07-03 Re FOI Information No 03/07/2020
2020-07-06 Re Inspection Annual Accounts – further information No 06/07/2020
Appendix 4 Financial Report June 2020
Payments made 1st June 2020 – 30th June 2020
Invoice Received From Amount £ Payment Information (inc VAT ) Method
HMRC 1,195.70 BACS PAYE & NI Contributions May 2020 NEST 345.99 BACS Pension contributions May 2020 Wilkins Kennedy 3,657.88 BACS Salaries June 2020 Heart Internet 12.59 D/D Website Hosting May 2020 Mainstream Digital 26.68 D/D Telephone Bill, awaiting May invoice, paid by D/D Opus Energy 14.86 D/D Gas Costs, awaiting May invoice, paid by D/D Castle Water 83.99 D/D Water usage, awaiting May invoice, paid by D/D ICO 35.00 D/D Annual Fee Tidy Up Ltd 28.00 BACS Office Cleaning in May 2020 (2 weeks only) Clarity Copiers 28.88 BACS Photocopy costs May 2020 Clarity Copiers 105.59 BACS Contract charge 30/06/20 – 29/09/20 SR Farm Services 1,923.86 BACS General Maintenance and Grass Cutting May 2020 Spruced-Up 1,587.66 BACS Garden of Rest Contract May2020 Spruced-Up 420.00 BACS Grass Cutting Great Kinsghill Common x 1 cut May 2020 TBS Hygiene 792.00 BACS Dog Bin collections May 2020 E Newhouse 375.00 BACS Internal Audit 27/05/2020 SLCC 180.00 BACS Annual Membership of SLCC for Deputy Clerk Veolia UK Ltd 14.66 BACS Waste removal at Garden of Rest – May 2020 Emp 1 167.93 BACS Microsoft Office, IONOS, Adobe Builder - May 2020 Emp 2 35.07 BACS Knack Subscription, Zoom Subscription, May 2020 Service Charge 18.00 BACS Service Charge Unity Current Account TOTAL: 11,049.34
Money received 1st June 2020 – 30th June 2020
Description £ CIL Monies 15,534.34 Burial Fees 1,325.00 SSE Sub Station Rental 10.50 Gross Interest 95.83 TOTAL 16,965.67
Bank Transfers – 1st June 2020 – 30th June 2020
Date From To Amount £ Reason
16/06/2020 HSBC Unity Current 20,000.00 Transfer to cover payments Current
16/06/2020 HSBC High HSBC Current 10,000.00 Transfer to cover payments Interest
Bank Balances 30th June 2020 £
HSBC Current 29,071.57 HSBC High Interest 284,799.88 HSBC Imprest 1,000.00 NS&I 83,061.37 Petty Cash 20.75 Unity Bank Current 15,558.44 Unity Bank Deposit Account 2.72 Totals 413,514.73
Hughenden Parish Council Budget Year to Date 30th June 2020 Appendix 5 2019/20 2020/21 Actual % 2020/21 Projected % Notes on Projected Year end Actual Annual Year to Date Actual to % to Year End Projected ughenden Parish Council Inc/Exp Budget £ Prior Year Actual to £ to Budget Income & Expenditure by Budget Heading 19/20 £ Month 3 Budget Budget and Precept Report 19/20 Month 3
IncomeAllotment Rents 43004009 £ 6,661.00 £ 6,500.00 £ 345.00 5% 5% 0%
Burial Ground Fees 44004001 £ 14,948.00 £ 20,000.00 £ 4,300.00 29% 22% 0% Grants & Donations Received 52004002 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Rent Received 52004009 £ 12.50 £ 120.00 £ 10.50 84% 9% 0% Bank Interest Received 52004400 £ 1,049.78 £ 1,000.00 £ 227.49 22% 23% 0% Miscellaneous Income 52004903 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Rent Income 45004904 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Devolved Services income 48004099 £ 11,410.20 £ 11,410.00 £ 11,410.53 100% 100% 0% Projects Income (MVAS) 59004009 £ 1,500.00 £ - 0% #VALUE! - Precept 52004100 £ 211,625.00 £ 215,856.00 £ 107,928.24 51% 50% 0% WDC Tax Based Grant 52004101 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - CIL Receipts 52004200 £ - £ 5,000.00 £ 15,534.34 0% 311% 0% Total Income £ 247,206.48 £ 259,886.00 £ 139,756.10 57% 54% £ - 5%
Expenditure
Administration Advertising 52007507 £ - £ - £ 1,050.00 0% 0% £ - - Internal Audit 52007601 £ 300.00 £ 350.00 £ 395.00 132% 113% 0% External Audit 52007602 £ 600.00 £ 1,000.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Bank Charges 52007901 £ 72.00 £ 100.00 £ 18.00 25% 18% 0% Books & Publications 52007506 £ 52.50 £ 300.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Repairs and Renewals 52007800 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Premises Expenses 52007803 £ 837.23 £ 1,500.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% CCTV Maintenance 52007807 £ 208.88 £ 700.00 £ 255.00 122% 36% 0% Chairman's Member's Allowance 52007013 £ 120.71 £ 300.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Members Allowances 52007014 £ - £ 750.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Election 52007015 £ - £ 2,000.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Entertaining 52008205 £ 411.21 £ 300.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Expenses (incl mileage) 52007306 £ 95.52 £ 200.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% 52007002 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Health & Safety (incl Fire) 52008206 £ 3,271.93 £ 3,000.00 £ 19.78 1% 1% 0% Insurance 52008204 £ 1,773.88 £ 2,500.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Legal Fees 52007600 £ 8,209.00 £ 3,000.00 £ 562.50 7% 19% 0% Office Cleaning 52007801 £ 687.00 £ 800.00 £ 28.00 4% 4% 0% Office Running Costs 52007505 £ 453.36 £ 200.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Shredding 52007504 £ 289.00 £ 550.00 £ - 0% 0% 0%
Photocopier Costs 52007503 £ 802.05 £ 820.00 £ 136.72 17% 17% 0% Postage 52007501 £ 6.50 £ 200.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Software Support 52007551 £ 1,152.00 £ 1,200.00 £ - 0% 0% 0%
Computers & Software 52007552 £ 1,604.15 £ 1,500.00 £ 288.76 18% 19% 0% Professional Fees 52007604 £ 450.00 £ 500.00 £ - 0% 0% 0%
Page 1 of 4 Hughenden Parish Council Budget Year to Date 30th June 2020 Hughenden Parish Council 2019/20 2020/21 Actual % 2020/21 Projected % Notes on Projected Year end Income & Expenditure by Budget Heading Actual Annual Year to Date Actual to % to Year End Projected Budget and Precept Report 19/20 Inc/Exp Budget £ Prior Year Actual to £ to Budget Month 3 19/20 £ Month 3 Budget
Software Subscriptions 52007606 £ 953.98 £ 1,800.00 £ 491.71 52% 27% 0%
Materials Purchased 52005000 £ 837.47 £ 1,000.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Miscellaneous Purchases 52005002 £ 51.64 £ 100.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Rates 52007103 £ 232.04 £ 250.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Room Hire 52007202 £ - £ 100.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Salaries 52007000 £ 57,100.24 £ 80,000.00 £ 24,677.29 43% 31% 0%
Pension Costs 52007003 £ 4,438.88 £ 6,300.00 £ 1,054.29 24% 17% 0% Employers NI Costs 52007006 £ 5,382.85 £ 7,200.00 £ 1,236.92 23% 17% 0% Stationery & Office Supplies 52007502 £ 713.32 £ 1,000.00 £ 37.14 5% 4% 0% Subscriptions 52008201 £ 2,629.03 £ 2,200.00 £ 993.99 38% 45% 0% Sundries 52008250 £ - £ 250.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Telephones 52007550 £ 700.04 £ 800.00 £ 192.35 27% 24% 0% Training & Conferences 52008203 £ 1,283.77 £ 2,000.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Electricity 52007200 £ 413.33 £ 400.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Gas 52007201 £ 452.15 £ 600.00 £ 41.28 9% 7% 0% Water Charges 52007102 £ 92.60 £ 250.00 £ 85.60 92% 34% 0% Website 52007553 £ 305.37 £ 5,000.00 £ 122.37 40% 2% 0%
General Maintenance 52007811 £ 877.00 £ - £ - 0% 0% - Grounds Maintenance 52007805 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Admin Total £ 97,860.63 £ 131,020.00 £ 31,686.70 32% 24% 0%
Allotments Water Charges 43007102 £ 1,418.51 £ 1,300.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Contractors - Grass 43007808 GC £ 3,531.25 £ 4,500.00 £ 1,406.56 40% 31% 0% Contractors - Hedges 43007809 H £ 630.00 £ 1,400.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Contractors - Trees 43007810 T £ - £ 2,000.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% General Maintenance 43007811 G £ 2,043.56 £ - £ 506.00 25% 0% -
Grounds Maintenance 43007805 GM £ - £ 3,000.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Rent 43007100 £ 200.00 £ 4,475.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Materials Purchased 43005000 £ 361.03 £ 500.00 £ 166.22 46% 33% 0% Miscellaneous Purchases 43005002 £ 71.60 £ 100.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Allotment Subscriptions 43008201 £ - £ 70.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Training & Conferences 43008203 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Refreshments 43008205 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Sundries 43008250 £ 25.00 £ - £ - 0% 0% - Projects 43007816 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Allotments Total £ 8,280.95 £ 17,345.00 £ 2,078.78 25% 12% 0%
Burial Ground Utilities 44007200 £ 189.92 £ 200.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Water Charges 44007102 £ 47.11 £ 90.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Contractors - Hedges 44007809 H £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Contractors - Tree Work 44007810 T £ - £ 4,000.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% General Maintenance 44007811 G £ 1,250.00 £ 2,600.00 £ 1,250.00 100% 48% 0%
Page 2 of 4 Hughenden Parish Council Budget Year to Date 30th June 2020 Hughenden Parish Council 2019/20 2020/21 Actual % 2020/21 Projected % Notes on Projected Year end Income & Expenditure by Budget Heading Actual Annual Year to Date Actual to % to Year End Projected Budget and Precept Report 19/20 Inc/Exp Budget £ Prior Year Actual to £ to Budget Month 3 19/20 £ Month 3 Budget
Grounds Maintenance 44007805 GM £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - GOR Contractor 44007804 £ 14,790.00 £ 16,000.00 £ 2,646.10 18% 17% 0% Waste Collection 44007802 £ 791.96 £ 750.00 £ 48.55 6% 6% 0% Materials Purchased 44005000 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Burial Ground Subscriptions 44008201 £ - £ 90.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Burial Ground Reserve Transfer 44009998 £ - £ - 0% 0% -
Burial Ground Total £ 17,068.99 £ 23,730.00 £ 3,944.65 23% 17% 0%
Open Spaces Water Charges 45007102 £ 192.33 £ 100.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Contractors - Grass 45007808 GC £ 2,187.50 £ 3,300.00 £ 2,029.16 93% 61% 0% Contractors - Hedges 45007809 H £ 1,005.00 £ 500.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Contractors Trees 45007810 T £ 17,870.00 £ 13,000.00 -£ 1,400.00 -8% -11% 0%
General Maintenance 45007811 G £ 7,394.81 £ - £ 3,594.00 49% 0% - Grounds Maintenance 45007805 GM £ 396.00 £ 1,000.00 £ - 0% 0% 0%
Bus Shelters 45007813 £ 4,385.60 £ 300.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Dog Bins (incl waste removal) 45007814 £ 6,864.00 £ 7,500.00 £ 1,188.00 17% 16% 0% Seats 45007815 £ 102.08 £ - £ - 0% 0% - Noticeboards 45007816 £ 4,497.62 £ - £ - 0% 0% - Miscellaneous Purchases 45005002 £ 450.00 £ - £ - 0% 0% Materials Purchased 45005000 £ 141.39 £ 500.00 £ 31.43 22% 6% 0% Open Spaces Subscriptions 45008201 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Health & Safety 45008206 £ 120.00 £ - £ - 0% 0% - Skip Hire 45007802 £ 220.00 £ 660.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Open Spaces Total £ 45,826.33 £ 26,860.00 £ 5,442.59 12% 20% 0%
Playgrounds Contractors - Grass 46007808 GC £ 1,093.75 £ 1,700.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Contractors - Hedges 46007809 H £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Contractors - Trees 46007810 T £ - £ 1,000.00 £ 1,400.00 0% 140% 0% PlayGround-Materials Purchased 46005000 £ 61.99 £ 500.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% PlayGround-Miscellaneous Purchases 46005002 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - PlayGround-Legal Fees 46007600 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - PlayGround-Professional Fees 46007604 £ 1,135.00 £ - £ - 0% 0% - PlayGround-Repairs and Renewals 46007800 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - General Maintenance 46007811 G £ 682.00 £ 55.00 8% 0% - Grounds Maintenance 46007805 GM £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Health & Safety/Inspections 46008206 £ 1,531.27 £ 2,000.00 £ - 0% 0% 0%
Equip. Maint./Insp/Projects 46007817 £ 11,330.41 £ 5,000.00 £ - 0% 0% 0%
Playgrounds Total £ 15,834.42 £ 10,200.00 £ 1,455.00 9% 14% 0%
Street Lighting Street Light Energy 47007200 £ 787.52 £ 600.00 £ 84.34 11% 14% 0%
Page 3 of 4 Hughenden Parish Council Budget Year to Date 30th June 2020 Hughenden Parish Council 2019/20 2020/21 Actual % 2020/21 Projected % Notes on Projected Year end Income & Expenditure by Budget Heading Actual Annual Year to Date Actual to % to Year End Projected Budget and Precept Report 19/20 Inc/Exp Budget £ Prior Year Actual to £ to Budget Month 3 19/20 £ Month 3 Budget
Street Light Maintenance 47007806 £ - £ 3,400.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Street Lighting Total £ 787.52 £ 4,000.00 £ 84.34 11% 2% £ - 0%
Projects Community Traffic Calming 59008002 £ 4,074.72 £ 6,500.00 £ - 0% 0% 0%
Donations 52008200 £ 1,725.00 £ 1,000.00 £ - 0% 0% 0% Grants - Annual 59008003 £ 8,350.00 £ 15,000.00 £ 1,600.00 19% 11% 0% Grants - Other 59008004 £ 6,000.00 £ - £ - 0% 0% - Loan Repayments 52008100 £ 2,451.25 £ 2,500.00 £ 1,190.00 49% 48% 0% Section 137 59008102 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Strategy Plan 59008103 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Youth Provision 59008104 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Accounts 52007607 £ 830.00 £ 1,200.00 £ 350.00 42% 29% 0% Misc. Expenses/incl. Devolution 48006900 £ - £ - £ - 0% 0% - Devolution 48007002 D £ 13,196.00 £ 25,000.00 £ 5,040.00 38% 20% 0% Projects Total £ 36,626.97 £ 51,200.00 £ 8,180.00 22% 16% 0%
Total Income & Expenditure
Total Income £ 247,206.48 £ 259,886.00 £ 139,756.10 57% 54% £ - 0% Total Expenditure £ 222,285.81 £ 264,355.00 £ 52,872.06 24% 20% £ - 0% Net Income / (Expenditure) £ 24,920.67 -£ 4,469.00 £ 86,884.04 £ - To Agree to Sage Report
KPI Areas Grass Cutting GC £ 6,812.50 £ 9,500.00 £ 3,435.72 50% 36% £ - 0% Hedges H £ 1,635.00 £ 1,900.00 £ - 0% 0% £ - 0% Trees T £ 17,870.00 £ 20,000.00 £ - 0% 0% £ - 0% Devolved D £ 13,196.00 £ 25,000.00 £ 5,040.00 38% 20% £ - 0% General G £ 11,370.37 £ 2,600.00 £ 5,405.00 48% 208% £ - 0% Grounds Maintenance GM £ 396.00 £ 4,000.00 £ - 0% 0% £ - 0%
Page 4 of 4 Appendix 6 Date: 02/07/2020 Hughenden Parish Council Page: 1 Time: 14:50:30 Bank Reconciliation
Bank Ref: 1200 Date To: 30/06/2020 Bank Name: Bank Current Account - HSBC Statement Ref: 1200 2020-06-30 01 Currency: Pound Sterling
Balance as per cash book at 30/06/2020: 29,071.57
Add: Unpresented Payments
Tran No Date Ref Details £
0.00 Less: Outstanding Receipts
Tran No Date Ref Details £
0.00
Reconciled balance : 29,071.57
Balance as per statement 29,071.57
Difference : 0.00
Appendix 7 Payments to be authorised July 2020 Invoice Received From Amount £ Payment Information (inc VAT ) Method
HMRC 1,198.71 BACS PAYE & NI Contributions June 2020 NEST 345.99 BACS Pension contributions May 2020 Wilkins Kennedy 3,657.88 BACS Salaries July 2020 Heart Internet 12.59 D/D Website Hosting June2020 Mainstream Digital 6.36 D/D Telephone Bill, awaiting June invoice, paid by D/D Opus Energy D/D Gas Costs, awaiting June invoice, paid by D/D Castle Water D/D Water usage, awaiting June invoice, paid by D/D ICCM 95.00 BACS Annual Subscription Fee Tidy Up Ltd 70.00 BACS Office Cleaning in June 2020 Clarity Copiers 37.71 BACS Photocopy costs June 2020 Shred on Site 70.20 BACS Shredding costs May & June 2020 SR Farm Services 1,890.66 BACS General Maintenance and Grass Cutting June 2020 Spruced-Up 1,677.66 BACS Garden of Rest Contract June 2020 Spruced-Up 840.00 BACS Grass Cutting Great Kinsghill Common x 2 cuts June 2020 TBS Hygiene 633.60 BACS Dog Bin collections June 2020 National Allotment 66.00 BACS Annual Subscription 2020 Assoc Wilkins Kennedy 144.00 BACS Quarterly Payroll ARD Playgrounds 100.80 BACS Quarterly Playground Inspections Veolia UK Ltd 43.60 BACS Waste removal at Garden of Rest – June 2020 Emp 1 186.19 BACS Microsoft Office, IONOS, Adobe Builder - May 2020 Emp 2 282.86 BACS Knack Subscription, Zoom Subscription, Signs & Mileage June 2020 NPOWER 6.13 BACS Electricity (Office) March – June 2020 SSE 90.71 BACS Street Lighting May 2020 Gabris Gardening 450.00 BACS H&S Tree Work at Primrose Hill Allotments Staples 279.38 BACS Office Stationery Grafton Merchandising 10.45 BACS General Maintenance Materials Country Supplies 263.01 BACS General Maintenance Materials – HV allotments Castle Water 7.56 BACS Vincents Meadow Supply April, May 2020 Caste Water 16.18 BACS Louches Lane Allotments, April, May 2020 Hughenden Valley Res 500.00 BACS Resolution No: 19523 (July 2019) states that each ward Assocation magazine be awarded £500 for next two years (2019 & 2020) to be reviewed in 2021 Great Kingshill Res 500.00 BACS As above Assocation Widmer End Res 500.00 BACS As above Assocation Naphill Gazette 500.00 BACS As above SLCC 301.00 BACS New Clerk Annual Membership TOTAL: 14,784.23
Proposal regarding August Monthly Payments
There are no Council meetings in August due to the summer recess, therefore authority needs to be given to the Clerk to make the monthly payments in line with its requirements under the Financial Regulation. All payments are required to be authorised by two individual councillors prior to payment being made via Unity Bank.
Recommendation:
That authority be delegated to the Clerk for the month of August 2020 to make payments to suppliers as per its obligations under the Financial Regulations.
S Hadwen 8th July 2020
Appendix 8 Clerk’s report – July 2020 My last report as Clerk as I leave the Parish Council on 23rd July. The past 3 ½ years have certainly flown by and there have been many interesting and challenging times. One thing for sure, there is never a dull moment being a Parish Clerk! I would like to thank councillors, both past and present and in particular my Deputy Clerk, Jill who have all supported me throughout this time. Thanks also to all Council Contractors who deliver outstanding service to keep the Parish in excellent condition. With the new Clerk starting on 22nd July 2020, the Groundsperson starting on 27th July and the co-option of several new councillors in the next week, the future looks exciting for the Parish Council and I wish everyone the very best of success for the future.
Playgrounds With lockdown measures being eased in a number of areas of life and everything adapting to a new “normal” the council are working hard to get its playgrounds open to the public. Apart from the Covid-19 guidance around the re-opening of playgrounds, there are several repairs that need to be carried out in Great Kingshill and Templewood playgrounds before they can be opened to the public. These should be done within the next two – three weeks. Although both Playgrounds are currently closed to the public, it is not uncommon to see parents and children in the Great Kingshill playground, despite the gates having been tied closed. Risk Assessments are being carried out from a Covid-19 perspective to ascertain if and how the play areas can be re-opened so that children can enjoy the facilities whilst still being able to follow government advice. Items on the Agenda Financial Reports – in the past month the sum of £15,534 was received in respect of CIL receipts for the period October 19 to March 20. Payments to be authorised – you will note that there are four payments included for each of the Village Magazines. Last year council resolved to give each magazine provider £500 for the next two years, this will be the second payment given, Council agreed to review this in 2021. Co-options With eight applications for the ten available seats, it is encouraging that the advertising campaign has generated so much interest in each of the wards. With new guidance received from NALC in June 2020, it is now a simple case of co-opting each applicant on to the Council as there are less applicants than vacancies. Each ward will now have representation on the Council which is a positive step forward for each community. Services Update – please see report below from the Deputy Clerk
S Hadwen 9th July 2020 HUGHENDEN PARISH COUNCIL
Full Council Meeting 14th July 2020
Services Update
I’m excited to soon start work with the new Parish Warden/Grounds Person. Dave will be working 9 am – 2 pm Monday to Friday and will be a visible presence working out in the parish. To date we’ve been completely dependent on contractors to come on site and respond to urgent tasks. Dave will be out in the parish every weekday morning and as a result tasks will be both identified and undertaken much faster. Dave brings lots of relevant work experience to the job.
I wish to thank Steve Rogers of SR Farm Services for his valuable work over many years as Council’s General Maintenance Contractor. Steve has done a great job and demonstrated huge commitment to council and community. I’m delighted that Steve continues to work with council but as Grounds Maintenance Contractor doing a good job cutting grass on council owned land.
For almost 4 years, Shona has been Clerk to Hughenden Parish Council and overseen delivery of all council services. Shona has done a great job in sometimes challenging circumstances and has somehow managed to remain hugely encouraging and supportive. On behalf of all council’s contractors and especially myself thank you Shona and have a wonderful adventure returning home to our Bonnie Scotland!
Tree Project The first phase of the Tree Safety Survey was completed in March 2020 and survey data uploaded to Council’s GIS mapping system. Council’s arboriculture consultant then created a plan of priority tree work resulting from the Tree Safety Survey. Tree surgeons were invited to quote for the work and asked to submit a Health & Safety plan for how they might undertake the work. Council’s arboriculture consultant vetted the quotations, Health & Safety plans and examined their professional certification and insurance indemnity policy. Following this process, it was agreed to award the first stage of Health & Safety tree work to Lowther Forestry Ltd.
Stage 1 tree work will take place on 27th, 28th and 29th July 2020 at various locations throughout the parish but work will focus on Cryers Hill Allotment, Windmill Lane Allotment and Cockshoot Woods. In advance of the tree work, an independent ecology consultant will carry out a bird and bat survey. This stage 1 tree work is the most urgent/high risk work. Tree work will continue during the summer until all high issues identified as high risk have been completed.
Jill Armshaw Deputy Clerk July 2020
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Appendix 9 Rent Waive for Hughenden Valley Football Club and Widmer End Football Club Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, local sports clubs have been unable to collect membership fees from their members which will inevitably result in a loss of income for these clubs. Annual Rent Fees: Widmer End Football Club - £5 per annum Hughenden Valley Football Club - £50 per annum Proposal That the Council waive the annual rent for the leases held by Widmer End Football Club and Hughenden Valley Football Club during the financial year 2020-2021. S Hadwen 8th July 2020 Appendix 10
HUGHENDEN PARISH COUNCIL MINOR GRANTS AND DONATIONS APPLICATION FORM
Page 1 of 3
HUGHENDEN PARISH COUNCIL Minor Grants and Donations up to £250 Application Form To be completed and submitted with the supporting information required as per the Grant Application Process of the Grant and Donation Policy
Name of Organisation Speen and North Dean News
Name, address and position of Tom Dent contact in organisation Rosebank Cottage, Chapel Hill, Speen, Princes Risborough HP27 0SP Treasurer
Telephone number/email address of 01494 488943 contract [email protected]
Is the organisation a Registered No Charity? If yes, Charity Number
Amount of grant requested? £250
For what purpose or project is the To support the magazine’s work and contribute to grant requested? printing costs
What will be the total cost? If This is the only grant we are applying for. Our annual applying for other grants/matched budget is £4000. funds for the project, please provide details.
When will the money be spent? Over the next twelve months
Who will benefit from the project? All residents of North Dean and Speen Give details of age groups catered for (if applicable)
If you require assistance in completing the application form or submitting the supporting information, please contact the Clerk of the Council on 01494 715296 or at [email protected]
Signed: . Signed: …………………………………………………..
Name: ………Tom Dent……………….. Name: ……………………………………………………
Date: ………15 June 2020…………… Date: ………………………………………..
Page 2 of 3
Supporting documentation
A copy of last year end accounts including details of reserves held by the organisation is attached.
The number, or percentage, of members that belong to the organisation and that live within the Hughenden Parish Area: we don’t have members but the magazine is delivered free of charge to all residents of North Dean and Speen.
The number, or percentage of residents of the parish that the grant will benefit: 100% of North Dean residents
Details of any restrictions placed on who can use/access their services: there are no restrictions.
Page 3 of 3
Speen and North Dean News
Account and Balance, year ended 31 August 2019
Brought forward 1 September 2018
Income
Advertisers, new or renewing ahead of Issues 73, 74 and 75 3912 Donations, grants and fund-raising 435
Total income
Expenditure
Printing Issues 72, 73, 74 and 75 4839.16 Editor's honorarium Issues 72, 73, 74 and 75 800
Total expenditure
Carried forward 31 August 2019 £7,185.43 adjusted for costs of Issue 72 £5793.85
£4,347.00
£5,639.16
£5,893.27 HUGHENDEN PARISH COUNCIL Planning Committee Appendix 11 – Planning Applications for Consideration – 15/06/2020
WDC Location Description HPC Comments Reference 20/06167/FUL Mickleden Householder application for construction of No objection. Bryants Bottom Road new porch and canopy roof across garage Bryants Bottom door as detailed. Buckinghamshire HP16 0JS 20/06202/FUL 24 Main Road Householder application for construction of No objection provided Naphill part single/part two storey side and rear there is no intrusion Buckinghamshire extensions, insertion of 7 roof lights, loft on neighbours. HP14 4QB conversion and front infill garage extension 20/06241/FUL Stoneleigh Householder application for construction of No Objection. Coombe Lane vehicular and pedestrian gates and fencing Naphill Buckinghamshire HP14 4QX 20/05986/FUL Greensleeves Householder application for construction of a No objection. Bradenham Wood single storey detached garage Lane Walters Ash Buckinghamshire HP14 4XP 20/06096/FUL Valley View Householder application for demolition of the The Parish Council Cryers Hill Road existing garage and ancillary buildings and the objects to this Cryers Hill erection of a side and rear extension. application as it is out Buckinghamshire of character with HP15 6JS neighbouring properties and would appear to contravene the Green Belt 50% rule on a further development of the property.
20/06149/FUL Ashlyn Householder application for construction of No objection provided Valley Road two storey rear extension following removal there is no intrusion Hughenden Valley of rear conservatory on neighbours. Buckinghamshire HP14 4LW 20/06239/FUL 33 Trees Avenue Householder application for construction of Provided the Hughenden Valley single storey side and rear extension application complies Buckinghamshire with GB and AONB HP14 4PG regulations, the Parish Council has no objection.
www.hughendenparishcouncil.org.uk [email protected]
WDC Location Description Comments due Reference 20/06254/VCDN Uplands Conference Variation of condition 2 (plan) and 5 (Masterplan No objection. House And Training and planting strategy) attached to PP Centre 20/05272/VCDN (Variation of condition 2 (plans) Four Ashes Road and 5 (masterplan and planting strategy) Cryers Hill attached to PP 19/05741/VCDN (Variation of Buckinghamshire condition 2 (plan numbers) attached to PP HP15 6LB 16/05053/FUL - (Demolition of former coach house block and erection of new two storey building providing 1 x 1-bed, 10 x 2-bed & 2 x 3- bed self-contained flats. Conversion of former Conference Centre buildings including extensions & alterations to provide 54 x 1,2 & 3-bed flats with reception area/offices/storage to ground & first floor of Central Block (67 dwellings in total). Highway works to Four Ashes Road, to include provision of a footpath beside Four Ashes Road between the site and Cryers Hill, alterations to site access, amendment to parking layout within site, boundary treatment, landscaping & associated ancillary works) to allow alterations to plans and design statement) to allow for avoidance of major structural changes internally and utilize existing car levels) 20/06337/VCDN Uplands Conference Variation of condition 2 (plan) attached to PP No objection House And Training 20/05313/VCDN (Variation of condition 2 (plans) Centre Four Ashes attached to PP 19/05744/VCDN (Listed Building Road Cryers Hill application for demolition of former coach house Buckinghamshire block and erection of new two storey building HP15 6LB
providing 1 x 1-bed, 10 x 2-bed & 2 x 3-bed self- contained flats. Conversion of former Conference Centre buildings including extensions & alterations to provide 54 x 1,2 & 3-bed flats with reception area/offices/storage to ground & first floor of Central Block (67 dwellings in total). Highway works to Four Ashes Road, to include provision of a footpath beside Four Ashes Road between the site and Cryers Hill, alterations to site access, amendment to parking layout within site, boundary treatment, landscaping & associated ancillary work) to allow for avoidance of major structural changes internally and utilize existing car levels)
www.hughendenparishcouncil.org.uk [email protected] HUGHENDEN PARISH COUNCIL Planning Committee Planning Applications for Consideration – 26/06/2020 – Comments Made
WDC Location Description HPC Comments Reference 20/06250/FUL 239 Main Road Householder application for No objection. Walters Ash construction of single storey rear and Buckinghamshire front extensions, with part rebuild of HP14 4TH existing single storey side, garage conversion to create habitable accommodation and alterations to fenestrations 20/06283/FUL Stoneleigh Householder application for No objection. Coombe Lane construction of detached carport Naphill Buckinghamshire HP14 4QX 20/06406/FUL Land Adjacent Silver Erection of 1 x detached 4-bed The Parish Council strongly Birches dwelling with associated access objects to this application due Valley Road to concerns regarding access Hughenden Valley and egress to the proposed Buckinghamshire property, possible problems HP14 4LD with surface drainage and concerns about mature trees which may require removal to enable the proposed access to go ahead.
The revised application does not overcome the reasons for refusal that were given on 18/05387/FUL.
20/06357/FUL Rondene Householder application for No objection. Christopher Close construction of part single, part two Naphill storey side and rear extension Buckinghamshire HP14 4SF 20/06417/OUT Units 49, 50, 53 & 54 Outline application (including details No objection to the proposed Binders Industrial of access, appearance, layout and changes shown in this Estate scale) for demolition of 4 x existing application however more Cryers Hill Road industrial buildings and structures and detailed information will be Cryers Hill erection of single industrial shed (use needed for a full application Buckinghamshire class B2) comprising 4 x units with as has been highlighted in the associated parking (landscaping comments made regarding matters reserved) this outline application.
www.hughendenparishcouncil.org.uk [email protected] HUGHENDEN PARISH COUNCIL Planning Committee Planning Applications for Consideration – 06/07/2020 – Comments made
WDC Location Description HPC Comments Reference 20/05852/FUL Suncroft Householder application for No objection. Stag Lane Great construction of garage extension, Kingshill replacement of conservatory roof Buckinghamshire with flat roof and associated HP15 6EF external alterations 20/06474/FUL Croft End Cottage Householder application for No objection. Stag Lane construction of front porch, garage Great Kingshill conversion to habitable Buckinghamshire accommodation with construction of HP15 6EF first floor extension above and replace tile hanging with weather boarding 20/06487/FUL 38 Primrose Hill Householder application for Provided the application complies Widmer End construction single storey rear with GB and AONB regulations, the Buckinghamshire extension following removal of Parish Council has no objections. HP15 6NU existing conservatory and internal alterations
www.hughendenparishcouncil.org.uk [email protected] HUGHENDEN PARISH COUNCIL
Appendix 12 Full Council Meeting 14th July 2020 Working paper Allotment Rent Review
Introduction The Allotments Act 1950 states ‘an allotment authority may charge such rent as a tenant may reasonable be expected to pay’. This somewhat vague provision is not binding in all cases, the sub- section goes on to provide that ‘land may be let by an allotment authority to a person at a less rent, if the authority is satisfied that special circumstances exist affecting that person which render it proper for them to let the land at less rent’.
The expression ‘reasonable rent’ has been subject to legal challenge. In 1981, a court upheld an appeal by a tenant against increased rent. The judgement stated that authorities may not discriminate between charges made for allotments and those made for other recreational activities and that provision may be made for reduced rent for elderly tenants.
Tenants and authorities have launched legal challenges concerning allotment rent. The issue can be contentious. The National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG) state that ‘allotment holders are required to pay rent which the law says should be at such a rate as a tenant may reasonably be expected to pay for the land. The NSALG reports that annual rent ranges from £5 to £200 and the landlord is responsible for payment of water rates and general maintenance. The NSALG suggest rent of £1 per week.
Rent Analysis Appendix 1 at the end of this report illustrates allotment rent charged by a sample of local authorities. The sample average rent for a full-sized plot (approx. 250 square metres / 10 poles) is £54.78 and for a half-sized plot £30.15. Hughenden Parish Council charge £46 for a full-sized plot and £23 for a half-sized plot. Please note that rent includes water and maintenance charges.
Considering advice from the NSALG (£52) and average rent of sampled data (£54.78), the following may be summarised concerning allotment rent charged by Hughenden Parish Council: • Rent is less than sample average • Rent is less than that advised by the NSALG
Proportionate Rent Table 1 illustrates rent charged by Hughenden Parish Council over the past 8 years. Traditionally, allotment rent was charged by the pole, then by the metre and now many authorities simply charge for whole and half sized plots. During the year, it is usual for adjustments to be made to Allotment Agreements as plots become vacant resulting in half plots becoming whole plots and vice versa. Thus, the total number of plots can vary throughout the year. It is a simple administrative task to alter records provided rent is proportionate, i.e. that the rent for a half-sized plot is half that of a whole sized plot. When rent is disproportionate this process becomes more complex and time consuming.
Table 1 Hughenden Parish Council Rent 2012 - 2020
Year Whole Plot Half Plot 2012/13 £20 £10 2013/14 £20 £10 2014/15 £21 £10.50 2015/16 £26 £13 2016/17 £26 £13 2017/18 £35 £23 2018/19 £46 £23 2019/20 £46 £23
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Out of Parish Rent It has been suggested that tenants living out of parish be charged more rent than those living in parish. This principle has been adopted with burial fees. Approximately 25% of allotment tenants live out of parish. The rationale cited for a higher out of parish charge is that the tenant does not contribute to the precept. While this is correct, they do contribute to the precept in the wider area and the result is to impose a penalty on those who are in fact assisting council by working plots which might otherwise be vacant and fallow. Vacant plots quickly become overgrown and can become costly to maintain. It is therefore desirable to maintain a high level of occupancy at all times. Most out of parish tenants live on the fringes of the parish and contribute to our community. Only one of the authorities sampled imposes an out of area charge.
Concessionary Rate As stated in the Introduction ‘land may be let by an allotment authority to a person at less rent, if the authority is satisfied that special circumstances exist affecting that person which render it proper for them to let the land at less rent’. Several of the authorities sampled offered concessionary rates representing a discount of between 25-50% of full charge.
Administrative Charge Council financial accounts do not include administration costs under each service heading. The actual cost of providing allotments is therefore higher than shown in financial accounts for this service as staff time is not an allocated cost. Staff time spent on allotment administration is significant. This includes handling customer enquiries, issuing Allotment Agreements, approval of shed & greenhouse applications, collection of annual rent, allotment inspections and associated administration, management and administration of grounds maintenance, risk assessments, health & safety etc. Many of the authorities sampled charge an administration fee for initial set up of allotment account and for any subsequent significant administrative changes e.g. changing plots which requires re-issue of Allotment Agreement and applications for sheds & greenhouses. Sampled authorities charge an administration fee of between £10 - £20 for each transaction. This may also discourage unnecessary changes to the Allotment Agreement and half-hearted applications.
Water Charges Water charges are included in the annual rent. Water is disconnected during the winter months. Water supply infrastructure is basic and most years there is at least one water leak. The use of irrigation systems is prohibited, and this is stated in the Allotment Agreement however allotment inspections frequently reveal widespread abuse of water. Please note that for a reason not fully understood, no invoice is received for North Dean Allotment. Over the past two years the average cost of water per whole plot is £7.81/annum.
Income & Expenditure Decisions concerning allotment rent need to be considered with reference to allotment income, expenditure and budget. Please see income, expenditure and budget data for the past two financial years. Please note that Council do not own all allotment sites and land rent is a significant portion of expenditure.
Income 2018/19 : £5,476.00 Income 2019/20 : £6,661.00
Expenditure 2018/19: £23,022.03 Expenditure 2019/20: £8,280.95
Budget 2018/19: £20,480.00 Budget 2019/20 : £17,030.00 2 of 4
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Table 2 Breakdown of expenditure 2019/20
Budget Area Budget 2019-2020 (£) Expenditure 2019-2020 (£) Water Charges 1,200.00 1,418.51 Grass Cutting 3,600.00 3,531.25 Hedge Cutting 1,000.00 630.00 Trees 3,820.00 0 General Maintenance 2,550.00 2,043.56 Grounds Maintenance 1,000.00 Rent Paid 3,400.00 200.00 Materials Purchased 400.00 432.63 Allotment Subscriptions 60.00 71.60 Training 0 0 Refreshments 0 Sundries 60.00 25.00 Allotments Total 17,030.00 8,280.95
Occupancy There are currently 18 vacant plots. These are a mix of whole and half-sized plots. This represents 7.8% of the current total of 231 tenanted plots. This is the lowest vacancy rate in the past 6 years and is due to the Covid-19 pandemic resulting in increased interest in allotment gardening.
Table 3 Allotment Occupancy July 2020
Allotment Number of plots Number of Vacant plots Cryers Hill 17 7 Hughenden Valley 42 2 North Dean 11 0 Louches Lane 38 5 Primrose Hill 15 3 Red Lion 39 1 Walters Ash 33 0 Windmill Lane 36 0
Changes to the Allotment Agreement Law requires that any change to the Allotment Agreement be sent in writing (or by email) to the tenant at least 12 months prior to the date of the change. Therefore, any changes resolved by Council in July 2020 will be notified to tenants in September 2020 and become effective on 30th September 2021. Rent day annually is 29th September (Quarter Day).
Recommendations • To consider revision of annual allotment rent (starting 30th September 2021) regarding sample local authority data (appendix 1), NSALG guidance, proportionate rent, out of parish charge, concessionary rates, administrative costs & expenditure and any other factors.
• To consider adopting a separate administrative charge for initial set up of Allotment Agreement and subsequent amendments to that Agreement including approval of sheds, greenhouses etc.
• To consider delaying any substantive changes to allotment charges until a full review of allotment provision has been undertaken including the creation of an allotment strategy/management plan.
Jill Armshaw Deputy Clerk 3 of 4
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Appendix 1 Table of Sample Allotment Rent
Authority No of Sites No of Plots Rent Half Rent Whole Plot (£) Plot (£) Ellesborough Parish Council n/a 12.50 Stokenchurch Parish Council 2 n/a 12.50 Downley Parish Council 1 52 n/a 25.00 Hazlemere Parish Council 2 64 16.00 25.00 Wooburn & Bourne End 2 90 13.00 26.00 Chalfont St Peter 20.00 30.00 Great Missenden Parish Council 6 18.00 30.00 Hughenden Parish Council 8 231 23.00 46.00 St Albans City Council 11 756 24.79 49.58 Aylesbury Town Council 7 600 25.00 50.00 Bicester Town Council 5 400 25.00 50.00 Tring Town Council 1 96 29.00 58.00 Marlow Town Council 2 37.50 n/a Chepping Wycombe 25.00 50.00 Berkhamstead Town Council 4 25.00 50.00 NSALG Range (£5 - £150) Advice n/a 52.00 Stone Parish Council 30.00 57.00 Dacorum Borough Council 16 30.00 60.00 Hillingdon Council 35 16.00 65.00 Bishops Cleeve Parish Council 1 180 38.00 70.00 Leeds City Council 100 36.00 72.00 North Hertfordshire Council 13 36.00 72.00 Bristol City Council 15 30.00 75.00 Brighton & Hove Council 36 3000 40.00 80.00 Enfield Council 37 3000 50.00 100.00 Plymouth City Council 37 4000 76.00 152.00 Average £30.15 £54.78
The data above is obtained from a sample generated by online research and contacting neighbouring authorities. The data may not accurately reflect allotment rent nationally.
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Appendix 13 Requests from Mobile Food and Drink Vendors re Great Kingshill Common/Car Par Council has received two requests from local “pop-up” food vendors requesting permission to place their vehicles on and around Great Kingshill Common including the Council Car Park. With Covid-19 and the closure of pubs and restaurants, they are seeking to offer the residents of Great Kingshill something different. The first request from David Phillips of the “Silver Bullet Airstream” serves drinks and is first of all seeking permission from Council to place his vehicle on or around the Common. He holds a “Personal Licence” and operates an over 25’s policy. He is seeking permission from Council in the first instance before he applies to Street Trading. The second request is from “Firecraft Pizza” who are looking for a space in the Council Car Park, Great Kingshill on a Friday night. Both requests are attached to this paper.
S Hadwen 8th July 2020
Request 1 Silver Bullet Airstream Hi Shona and Jill, I hope you are both well. I write to you regarding my Silver Bullet Airstream serving takeaway drinks on The Common as The Red Lion will not be opening for another 4-6 weeks due to their complete internal rebuild. I have contacted Wycombe Licensing who have advised me to seek permission from you and Street Trading. I have noticed the odd pub open for takeaway sales already eg The Plough in Hyde Heath and The Cock and Rabbit in The Lee and it really is providing a service to the local community who are all understandably desperate for a bit of human contact, especially when there’s a nearby Common to enjoy take aways. I am wondering therefore whether you may allow me to park my Airstream on or near The Common. I was hoping The Red Lion would open up on July 4th but this is not now going to happen, the inside has been completely gutted. I think it would provide a much needed service where 2m social distancing is easy and 1m is even easier as The Common is so big. The Airstream is 7 metres long so easy to have an efficient 1 or 2m queueing system where customers order and pay at one end and then collect their drinks and move away from the other end. I can serve whatever you think is appropriate incl our very own local Malt Brewery ales, i enclose a sample menu. My girlfriend and I are both Personal Licence Holders and we would adopt a very strict over 25’s policy where everyone must produce ID to prove they are over 18. We would act as our own security and litter collectors. A Pimms on The Common as the sun sets would be a beautiful thing, what do you think? Cheers David Request 2 Hi there and I hope this email finds you well. We are a local new start up company (Firecraft Pizza) that evolved during lockdown, delivering delicious woodfired Italian pizzas to families otherwise unable to have access to such things during lockdown in Great Kingshill, Prestwood and Hughenden among many other villages. We work out of a retro converted Rice horse box with a full kitchen and 5star food hygiene rating and we are now looking for new location to park on Friday nights in Great Kingshill! . Currently on Fridays we're parked up at Peterly Farm Shop where it has been a fantastic success during lockdown. But with people now wanting to get out we are in need of a new location that we can open up to serve the public directly (with social distancing in place), while still delivering to venerable groups that have become dependent on us locally. If you think that there is an opportunity for us in your carpark next to your offices in Great Kingshill I would love to chat to you further as it would be the perfect place for us if given the opportunity. Just to note we would be happy to pay a weekly rent or make a donation to a local charity/shcool etc. I've attached one of our flyers and a couple of pictures so you can get an idea on how we operate. Later down the line if you wanted any references from the landlords of the current places we work just let me know. Yours in anticipation
Mike Williams
Appendix 14
HCST - Walters Ash Allotment: Roadway Repairs
While all the leases for all the HCST sites have been finalized and agreed for signature there is an ongoing discussion regarding the maintenance of a roadway across the allotment in Walters Ash. This is the only item that has not been agreed for this lease and the Council are looking to come to an agreement with the HCST Trustees.
This roadway serves as a public footpath and allows allotment holders to reach the allocated space to park their cars. The house known as St Ann’s Cottage uses this roadway as its sole access to the main road. The previous occupant did not use the roadway for vehicular access. This will change when the house is renovated. It can be expected that traffic will increase.
The item being discussed is who will be responsible for the on- going maintenance of the roadway.
The HCST Committee have considered the response from the Trustees dated 6th July and after reflection are not willing to make this annual contribution into being on an accumulative basis to be then used towards the cost of road surface repairs.
The proposed response is that the Council will pay 10% of any roadway repair subject to the following:
1. After the house development is completed the developer will return the roadway back to the condition that it is currently in or better. Adequate safety measures are to be put in place to protect allotment holders from traffic using the roadway. 2. After the return of the roadway the Council will contribute 10% of the cost of roadway repairs that will to bring the road surface back to the condition that it is currently in at the handover above in 1. above. 3. Such work must be agreed in advance with the Council and undertaken to a level that is in line with Council policies and procedures. 4. If the householder wishes to improve the road surface then the council would be agreeable but on the basis that it does not impact on the safety of allotment holders and that any future road repairs will not be at the expense of the Council. 5. Any repair roadway costs associated with utilities that run under the roadway will be independent of the Council.
Recommendation
That council delegate authority to the HCST committee to liaise with the trustees to discuss and reach agreement based on the concept above, with minor amendments.
P Nicholls
8th July 2020
Appendix 15
LGA Consultation on new Model Member Code of Conduct
The consultation period ends on 17th August 2020. It is important for Council to acknowledge the consultation and to agree whether to complete as a Council or as individuals before the deadline date.
See below for full information. The survey is to be completed online.
The Local Government Association (LGA) has launched a consultation on a new model member code of conduct.
High standards of conduct and behaviour are of huge importance to the local (parish and town) council sector as they are needed to protect the integrity of decision making, maintain public confidence, and safeguard local democracy.
NALC therefore strongly encourages local councils and county associations of local councils to consider the proposed new model member code of conduct and respond to the LGA consultation before the deadline of 17 August 2020.
We all know the impact that poor behaviour, bullying and harassment can have on individuals and on local councils as organisations, so it is vital we continue to work as a sector to improve standards and push for further reform, at both local and national level.
Therefore, while NALC will be responding to the consultation and engaging further with the LGA, we are also calling for further action by the government to introduce a new power for local authorities to suspend councillors for a period of up to six months, and for the Committee on Standards in Public Life to review progress on the implementation of the reports wider recommendations.