PARISHES FORUM Thursday 13th December 2018 | 19.00 – 21.00 Council Chamber – Civic Offices AIMS: • Discuss or resolve issues that have a broader interest to all Parish Councils • To report back from MKALC conference and Actions • Meets 4 times a year and is a public meeting Attendance Name Parish & Town Council Cllr Moriah Priestley Chair Cllr Jean Nicholas Vice Chair Cllr David Monk Broughton & Milton Keynes Parish Council Vicky Mote - Clerk Broughton & Milton Keynes Parish Council Cllr Phil Ayles Castlethorpe Parish Council Cllr Nellie Hyacinthe Great Linford Parish Council Cllr Nick Phillips Great Linford Parish Council Cllr Carol Langham Haversham Cum Little Linford Parish Council Cllr Sharon White Lavendon Parish Council Cllr Ann Kelcey Lavendon Parish Council Cllr Alan Francis New Bradwell Parish Council Cllr Phil Winsor Newport Pagnell Town Council Cllr Kevin Geaney Shenley Brook End & Tattenhoe Parish Council Cllr Michael Cato Shenley Brook End & Tattenhoe Parish Council Cllr Dave Tunney Shenley Church End Parish Council Cllr David Pye Simpson & Ashland Parish Council Cllr Carole Baume Simpson & Ashland Parish Council Cllr David Wright Stantonbury Parish Council Cllr Geoff Parker Stantonbury Parish Council Cllr Amanda Taylor Walton Community Council Cllr Ernie Thomas West Bletchley Council Cllr Sue Smith Woughton Community Council Cllr Alan Williamson Woughton Community Council Cllr Kevin Wilson Woughton Community Council & MKC Labour MKC Officers Sarah Gonsalves MKC Acting Director Policy, Insight and Communication Kay Pettit MKC Programme Manager – Parish & Town Councils Heather Baker MKC Partnership Officer – Parish & Town Councils Paul Cummins MKC Head of Legal No ITEM ACTIONS 1 Welcome and apologies Apologies Cllr Sally Milford Bow Brickhill Parish Council Cllr John Keane Castlethorpe Parish Council Cllr Victoria McLean Emberton Parish Council Cllr Steve Gibson Emberton Parish Council Cllr Andy Sargent Loughton & Great Holm Parish Council Cllr Steve Weller Shenley Church End Parish Council Cllr Veronica Belcher West Bletchley Council Cllr Yvonne Cook Wolverton & Greenleys Town Council Cllr Steve Weller Shenley Church End Parish Council Cllr Anwar Hussain Wolverton & Greenleys Town Council Cllr Peter Geary Ward Councillor MKC Cllr Andy Reilly Ward Cllr Lib Dem Representative Substitutions Sally McLellan (Clerk) Wolverton & Greenleys Town Council 2 Minutes of the Last Meeting Minutes from 13 th September 2018 were agreed Bullying and Victimisation? In light of the Ledbury Case – raised by 3 Broughton & MK Village PC This issue was raised by Broughton & MK Village PC as something that needs discussion it does not mean in any way that there is bullying and victimisation in Broughton & MK Village PC. This item will be done in 2 Parts 1) Set the scene tonight – see Briefing Note attached prepared by Paul Cummins – Head of Legal Services. 2) Some clerks and Councillors are doing some work with BALC. Because of this work, the feedback / progress from it will be bought to the March Parishes Forum (and will look at application and learning) The Localism Act repealed statutory standards and changed to a light touch. All Authorities have a Code of Conduct and MKC has arrangements in place to investigate councillors who breach the Code of Conduct. There is now a new name and shame regime. The Ledbury Case Cllr Elizabeth Harvey (councillor at Ledbury Town Council) brought the case and was successful on all points. In pursuing the case she did it on behalf of all Councillors Further discussion in March at the PF, will look forward from hearing from Vicky Mote (clerk B&MK Village PC) and the work being done – emotive and sensitive issue Link to the case is http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2018/1151.html Post Meeting Note PC was asked who paid the costs. He has checked this but has been unable to find any information but his expectation is that as Cllr Harvey won, the Town Council would have had to pay costs. 3a Q. Do es the ruling go against duty of care to staff, can it be temporarily removed until the Standards Board meet. A. Change in legislation is needed; NALC is looking into this. No major progress but NALC made the strongest protest. The bulk of cases being raised are against parish councillors not council councillors. There are some cases of actual physical assaults. NALC pressing for all standard board regimes. Comment from forum. Clerk could pursue wrongful dismissal – 1st point of call people should be in a safe environment seems crazy can’t temporarily remove someone Q. What motivated the Localism Act to move to a light touch? We want councillors to be properly represented and clerks also. Mutual contradiction and potential conflict. There seem no sanctions of real consequence – does employment law have any bearing? A. Abolished highly bureaucratic and cost the then Secretary of State was against it – cross party got this put in. Eric Pickles theory was it should be the electorate to get rid of councillors. Q. How do you promote good behaviour if you can’t sanction bad behaviour? A. Embody what a good councillor is about, create a positive culture 4 Break Out Session – Draft High Level Action Plan Cllr MP outlined how the breakout sessions would work. Give a quality amount of time looking at devolution as more concrete and planned Key documentation – see attached – on how we plan we need something to hold onto. The Forum broke into 3 groups for discussion and was asked to be as open and challenging as could be. The discussions were around 1) DRAFT High level action plan for the delivery of relevant areas across MKC that can be delivered with parishes till 2020 2) DRAFT High level strategic objectives for the capacity building fund 3) DRAFT Policy statement for direction of travel of devolution agenda 5 Reconvene for final results and discussion All returned to the council chamber with the results of their discussions Overall wisdom of devolution process with the huge diversity of parishes. • Larger parishes have more appetite – lots of great ideas of mobilising the community which could be shared. • Level of precept • Motivation and moving costs around - need firm understanding of MKC cost base pushing onto parishes • Summary of concerns / thoughts/ comments from each group below Group 1 • Noted there is a lot more resource in the largest parishes • Different perceptions from range of parishes • Parishes are largely terrified at taking on services, exception larger ones • How to cope with costs, risks etc. • Concerns about what devolution will mean for smaller parishes and will MKC still be able to deliver cost effectively to them? • Long way from being convinced. Some acceptance / understanding that it’s not about the ‘money’ it’s about the service that communities need / want • Recognised no one size fits all Group 2 • Want devolution to work • Range of parishes • Challenges around communication • Issues around funding - although complex, with reference to current devolution, ie landscaping • Improve and enhance communication and understand what pressures parishes are under – parishes to speak to MKC • Evident systems and processes don’t have wriggle room – look at how things are done and learn from that. Parishes to work together and share models of good practice • Look at how communications (parish to parish and parish to MKC) can become more effective. Group 3 • TUPE is still a major challenge ( in ref to the landscaping contract in particular) • Certainty of funding is also a challenge, and one that PC’s need from MKC, although recognise that MKC doesn’t get certainty from central Government • Commencement of landscaping services for those that have provided commitment in October 2018 to be March 2020 • Lack of resources in MKC particularly with Legal and Estates– delays • Ability to take on depends on parishes – huge difference in scale from parish meetings to very large councils. May need a Community Governance Review to merge or group small councils. • Greater transparency from MKC so parishes know what they are getting • More information on Capacity Fund is needed. • Include income earning assets in CAT • Parish influence on s106 use / CIL • Community organisations want to deal with parish not MKC – light touch governance from MKC • It’s not just about doing things cheaper Cllr MP thanked everyone for their feedback and will sit with officers and collate the information and come back at the March Parishes Forum with a restructured draft. Moving forward and have conversations again March or June and bring in more detailed plans. Still a lot of questions – compile a list of implications – legal support, HR etc. Capacity Building Fund Planning to devolution process – for any area parishes need support Parity to take on work systems and process Parishes Advisory Group – support officers to work across parishes and look how we move forward. Good for parishes and MKC to shape the fund to move in the right direction 5a Q. Is the fund unrestricted? A. Cllr MP to look into - still in early stages - perfect example of working together. Q. The problem that parishes have is resources within MKC. The capacity is not there make sure money is found to bring people in to help the process to deliver outcomes that parishes want. A. Running twin track process not leaving one and starting another. Cllr MP confirmed that she has heard what has been said. 6 Good news and Hot issues • Community Infrastructure Fund Cllr PA updated the forum on the Community Infrastructure Fund saying that it was not well consulted and the scope is a lot narrower. Asked for the scheme be paused and look at new scope. Scoring system was very mechanistic – more to do with highways Proposed amalgamating the 3 previous schemes. The submissions in so far will remain. Take to the next Parishes Advisory Group • Clean-Up Fund Considering requests and delighted to receive a joint / collaborative bid being led by 7 parishes – see note attached • Planning Obligations SPD Consultation See note attached • Best Kept Village Competition To raise awareness of what is coming up - See note attached • Landscape Devolution 13 parishes have committed to delivering their own landscaping services from 2020 (in addition to the existing 6).