MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE STOKE POGES PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 5 DECEMBER 2016 AT 7.30 P.M. IN THE LIONEL RIGBY ROOM AT THE VILLAGE CENTRE, ROGERS LANE, STOKE POGES, SL2 4LP
Present:- Cllr Bagge (Chair), Cllr Carter, Cllr Cox, Cllr Finan, Cllr Fox, Cllr Hoskins, Cllr Lynch & Cllr Taylor.
In Attendance:- Mrs J Simmonds (Clerk)
Also Present:- PC Burnell, David Jones & Helen Fincher from BCC.
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MINUTES
143/PC/16 – Police
PC Burnell read out a report from the police which was tabled.
144/PC/16 – Public Session Time (7.30 pm-7.45 pm)
The meeting is open to the public and press and fifteen minutes will be reserved, if required, for public comment.
David Jones and Helen Fincher gave a presentation from Bucks County Council regarding them and Aylesbury Vale District Council, Chiltern District Council, South Bucks District Council and Wycombe District Council all merging to become one Single Unitary Council. They answered many questions from the Parish Council.
145/PC/16 – Apologies for Absence
APOLOGIES were received from Cllr Crocker.
146/PC/16 – Declarations of interest
Members to declare any personal interest in any item of business as defined in the Code of Conduct 2012. If that interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest as defined in the Code; the member should withdraw from the meeting for that item.
Cllr Bagge declared and interest in item 162, being a District Councillor and sitting on several committees connected with the County Council.
Item 162 was bought forward:-
162/PC/16 – BCC – Single Unitary Council
DISCUSSED and Cllr Carter proposed that this Parish Council do not favour a single unitary council for Bucks, and that the clerk should write to the Secretary of State their reasons, seconded by Cllr Taylor, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
147/PC/16 – Minutes
RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the Council meeting held on 14 November 2016 which were signed by the Chairman.
148/PC/16 – County Councillor’s Report
Councillor Egleton not present.
149/PC/16 – District Councillors’ Report
Cllr Bagge reported that the Local Plan consultation ends on 12 December 2016.
He also reported that the District Council had put in a bid for the Tatling End Police Station and the 8 surrounding houses which had been accepted and housing for rent will be built on the site.
The Local Enterprise Partnership has been awarded £20.5 million in the Local Growth Fund round 3 and will be undertaking three schemes all in the Aylesbury Vale area.
150/PC/16 – Chairman’s Update from last meeting.
Cllr Bagge read out an invitation from The Stoke Poges Society to a wreath laying at the memorial to Thomas Gray in Poets’ Corner on 26 December 2016, all members already have personal commitments, clerk to reply.
Stoke Poges News is now published digitally on the Parish Council website. Cllr Bagge will put in a proposal to upgrade to the professional version of the free software (Calameo) currently being used.
A village community events diary will now be available on the website thanks to another piece of software which the vendor has agreed to provide at no cost in response to Cllr Bagge’s application on behalf of the Council as a ‘not for profit’ organisation.
The advert for a new editor of the SPN has generated some interest and Cllr Bagge will liaise with those people and report back to the council.
151/PC/16 – Bells Hill Green
Advice has been given on the lease and the changes have been requested to SBDC, document returned.
Cllr Carter proposed to agree to the changes and agree to the clerk signing the lease, this was seconded by Cllr Finan, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
152/PC/16 – School Lane Residents Association
Cllr Carter updated the committee after a satisfactory meeting held with Mr Ian Snudden from Environmental Health, SBDC, and the agreed way forward.
153/PC/16 – Flag Pole
DISCUSSED and Cllr Carter proposed that the quote tabled for a new flag pole be accepted along with the delivery charge and that Progress Services install the pole to an agreed location on the Bells Hill Green, total cost approximately £850 to include new flags and approximately £200 to install., this was seconded by Cllr Hoskins, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
154/PC/16 – Parking
NOTED letters sent to residents of Tubwell Road/Deans Close/Larkins Lane/Hartley Close, who are suffering parking problems from the hospitals, with a deadline for responses end of December 2016.
155/PC/16 – Cllr Finan proposed to RATIFY and NOTED decisions made by Finance & General Purposes on 28 November 2016, this was seconded by Cllr Taylor, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
016/F/16 Budget 2017/2018
CONSIDERED amounts to be included in the budgets for 2017/2018 and Cllr Bagge proposed that the attached income/expenditure figures be put forward for recommendation for the Parish Council Meeting to be held on 5 December 2016, this was seconded by Cllr Finan, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
017/F/16 Precept
Cllr Bagge proposed that the recommended Precept requirement for 2017/18 stay the same as last year £186536, this was seconded by Cllr Carter and be submitted for approval by the Full Parish Council Meeting to be held on 5 December 2016, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
018/F/16 Projects/Reserves/General Fund
CONSIDERED monies held in the General Fund and Reserves & CONSIDERED any new projects. Cllr Fox proposed to make recommendations to the Council for the cancellation of the Fighting Fund Reserve and to add to Reserves the following:-
Bells Hill Recreation Ground Jogging Path – £8k Grant
Bells Hill Green – £70k Grant
Community Cohesion Reserve – £17718k – Difference between income & expenditure final figures.
Bells Hill & Plough Lane Recs Toddler Play Area Fencing – £10k already agreed at R & E.
Pavilion Maintenance Fund – Unspent maintenance budget to be vired each year already agreed at R & E.
Christmas Lights Fund – £2.5k from the general fund and any unspent funds from the budget to be vired each year – Already agreed at R & E.
The above was seconded by Cllr Lynch, RESOLVED to agree all in favour to be ratified at Full Parish Council on 5 December 2016.
019/F/16 Fighting Fund
NOTED status of fighting fund. Cllr Bagge proposed to resolve to vire from the general fund to the Fighting Fund reserve at the end of March 2017 for the final balance of £38052.46, this was seconded by Cllr Carter, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
020/F/16 Website
Cllr Bagge answered technical questions and then left the room at 8.50pm. Quotes were discussed and Cllr Finan proposed that the maintenance of the website as carried out by Cllr Bagge was in comparison very good value for money, he proposed that he remains as the current webmaster doing all of the technical tasks for the same sum of £70 per month, and that the clerk learns to do more administrative duties within the site, this was seconded by Cllr Carter, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
156/PC/16 – Battles Over – A Nation’s Tribute and WW1 Beacons of Light
NOTED and AGREED to light the beacon on 11 November 2018 at 7pm.
157/PC/16 – Planning Equipment
RESOLVED to agree to clarify with Planning Committee at next meeting about spending the budget on equipment for the planning meetings as researched by all planning committee members, and to bring back to next meeting for final decision.
158/PC/16 – Playground Inspection Course
Cllr Finan proposed to resolve to agree to send the inspector on this course and cover expenses, and to carry out a DBS check, total costs approximately £310, this was seconded by Cllr Lynch, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
159/PC/16 – Bucks County Council Conference Invitation
NOTED no members available to attend on 12 December 2016.
160/PC/16 – BT Removal of Red Telephone Boxes
DISCUSSED and RESOLVED to agree all in favour to remove the box at Sefton Close due to constant vandalism and non-use.
161/PC/16 – RECEIVED and ADOPTED minutes from previous meetings of sub committees and working parties:
(1) Planning Minutes – 17 October 2016 – Signed 21 November 2016
(2) Finance & General Purposes Minutes – 23 May 2016 – Signed 28 November 2016
163/PC/16 – Finance
(1) NOTED Statement of Accounts – November 2016.
(2) RESOLVED to approve list of cheques/Bacs for signature November 2016
(3) RECEIVED & NOTED Bank reconciliations, November 2016
(4) NOTED Budget monitoring, November 2016.
164/PC/16 – NOTED Circulars List/Correspondence and Items received by clerk but not on agenda.
List appended to the agenda of all circulars received in the office and available to view for one month after this meeting.
Correspondence:-
(1). NOTED SBDC Local Development Framework – Chalfont St Peter Neighbourhood Plan, Iver Neighbourhood Plan
165/PC/16 – NOTED Dates of Future Meetings
Planning Committee –12 December 2016
Full Parish Council – 9 January 2017
Meeting ended at 9.20pm.