MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE STOKE POGES PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 2 DECEMBER 2019 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 Crocker, Cllr Finan, Cllr Fox & Cllr Knox-Smith.
In Attendance: – Mrs J Simmonds (Clerk)
Also Present: – 3 members of public
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MINUTES
178/PC/19 – 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.
None
179/PC/19 – Apologies for Absence
APOLOGIES were received from Cllr Hoskins and Cllr Lynch
180/PC/19 – 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 an interest in item 186 as Chairman of the District Council Planning Committee; he would
take part but not vote
181/PC/19 – Minutes
RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the Council meeting held on 11 November 2019 which were signed by the Chairman.
182/PC/19 – Co-option
Cllr Bagge asked if the meeting should be adjourned for questions to and from the candidate, which was declined. The candidate left the room. Cllr Carter proposed that the candidate be considered for Co-Option, this was seconded by Cllr Finan, and a written ballot took place. RESOLVED to Co-opt Maggie Knox-Smith as a councilor 5 for and one abstention. Maggie Knox-Smith returned to the room, was welcomed by the Chairman, signed a declaration of acceptance of office and joined the committee.
183/PC/19 – County Councillor’s Report
Cllr Bagge updated the committee on his recent activity, including membership of the Council’s Pensions Committee. He had met with officers to prioritise the roads for resurfacing within the Council’s rolling Capital Maintenance Programme – Collum Green Road and the junction of Bells Hill/Hollybush Hill/Pennylets Green have been prioritised. Cllr Bagge has been appointed to the Heathrow Community Noise Forum where he will be influencing Heathrow Airport Limited’s noise mitigation policy which is a statutory requirement of the Development Consent Order for the airport’s expansion.
Cllr Bagge is a member of the Buckinghamshire Council Shadow Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The committee has been busy preparing to scrutinise the draft budget for the new council, which comes into being in April 2020 – the budget scrutiny meetings are due to be held in January.
184/PC/19 – District Councillors’ Report
Cllr Bagge reported that at the Council’s most recent meeting, the Chief Constable and the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner from Thames Valley Police presented. Overall crime figures are down and the Chief Constable is optimistic that government funding will provide additional officers on the beat. He is restructuring the service to move investigation back to the local areas (it was centralised by his predecessor).
185/PC/19 – Chairman’s Update from last meeting.
Cllr Bagge reported that the Speedwatch Camera had been delivered. The SPN had been circulated in time for the Carols event. The Carols event was a big success and thanked Cllr Carter and all who helped to organise it!
186/PC/19 – Khalsa School
Cllr Carter reported that there seemed to be a lack of engagement now from the school with the Parish Council! Cllr Bagge agreed to follow up with SBDC Enforcement about a recent job advert intimating that the school plans to hold many functions at the school.
187/RE/19 Christmas Lights Ceremony/Bells Hill Green
Cllr Carter reported that the event was a huge success, very busy and all profits will go towards the defibrillator cabinet. There was a need to re-think the event as it is so big now. It was RESOLVED all in favour to hold the event on a Saturday next year and a date of 28 November 2020 was agreed. Feedback came in on how wonderful Santa was, and again the reindeer. It was agreed to cover the petrol costs of the kind participant who supplied the vehicle to tow the sleigh.
188/PC/19 – High Interest Account
New information came in and was tabled from Cllr Hoskins that the very best account is the BLME bank and that it should be re-considered. Cllr Bagge agreed to check if it is eligible for Parish Councils, bring back to January meeting.
189/PC/19 – CCLA – SP Recreation Ground.
RESOLVED to agree, all in favour to leave the funds where they are as they are very likely to grow.
190/PC/19 – Grays Field
Cllr Bagge had contacted Stoke Park regarding the maintenance of the field and the fence, but has had no reply, to pursue and bring back to January meeting.
191/PC/19 – Brockhurst Wood
RESOLVED to agree that a quote to undertake a survey in the location of the plots sold is required. Agreed to ask the arboriculturalist from SBDC the most cost effective and best way to catalogue what is on the plots. Cllr Bagge to discuss with SBDC about writing to each plot holder.
192/PC/19 – Container/Sleigh
RESOLVED to agree to defer to next meeting to discuss and consider dependent on size and costs.
193/PC/19 – Website
DISCUSSED and Cllr Bagge confirmed that the website was compliant with the new legislation. AGREED that the clerk be fully trained to enable her to update the site at all times, Cllr Bagge agreed to carry out the training. To be brought back to next meeting with an update.
194/PC/19 – Cllr Finan proposed to RATIFY decisions made by Finance & General Purposes on 11 November 2019, this was seconded by Cllr Carter, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
012/F/19 Projects/Reserves/General Fund
CONSIDERED monies held in the General Fund and Reserves & Consider any new projects. RESOLVED to AGREE to make recommendations to the Council for the cancellation of any existing Reserves and / or any changes to the sums held as below:-
Cllr Fox proposed to add two further reserves, Green Belt Protection and Anti-Littering Measurers to the list, as well as the agreed line at the June 2019 meeting for Jogging Trail Maintenance, this was seconded by Cllr Carter, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
Cllr Fox proposed to transfer £10k from the General Fund at the end of March 2019 into the Anti-Littering Measurers reserve, and transfer the remaining balance of £62641k from the General Fund at the end of March 2019 into the Green Belt Protection reserve along with the current balance at the end of March 2019 in the Community Library Fund of £94650k. Thus cancelling the current arrangement to transfer the remainder of the General Fund each year into the Community Library reserve. This was seconded by Cllr Lynch, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
013/F/19 Budget 2020/2021
RESOLVED to consider and agree amounts to be included in the budgets for 2020/2021 and put forward a recommendation for the Parish Council Meeting to be held on 2 December 2019. Circulated.
014/F/19 Precept
Cllr Fox proposed to agree the Precept requirement for 2020/21 be £206782.36, this was seconded by Cllr Lynch, RESOLVED to agree all in favour and be put forward for approval by the Parish Council Meeting to be held on 2 December 2019.
195/PC/19 – RECEIVED and ADOPTED minutes from previous meetings of sub committees and working parties:
- Planning Minutes – 21 October 2019 – Signed 18 November 2019
- Finance & General Purposes Minutes – 10 June 2019 – Signed 11 November 2019
196/PC/19 – Finance
(1) Financial Summary & Statement Cashbook – November 2019 to be circulated with January 2020 agenda.
(2) RESOLVED to approve list of cheques/Bacs for signature November 2019. £15945.04
(3) Bank reconciliations – November 2019. To be circulated with January 2020 agenda.
(4) Income & Expenditure Heading Detail/Budget Monitoring – November 2019. To be circulated with 2020 agenda.
197/PC/19 – 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:-
198/PC/19 – NOTED Dates of Future Meetings
Planning Meeting – 9 December 2019
Full Parish Council Meeting – 13 January 2020
199/PC/19 – Exclusion of the Press & Public
Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960
Cllr Carter proposed to RESOLVED to exclude the press and public from the following business because publicity would prejudice the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business, seconded by Cllr Finan, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
200/PC/19 – Tennis Club
Lease update given by the Clerk
201/PC/19 – Brockhurst Wood
Update given.
Meeting ended at 8.40pm