MINUTES OF THE FULL COUNCIL MEETING OF THE STOKE POGES PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 13 FEBRUARY 2023 AT 7.30 P.M. IN THE LIONEL RIGBY ROOM AT THE VILLAGE CENTRE, ROGERS LANE, STOKE POGES BUCKS, SL2 4LP.
Present:- Cllr Carter (Chair), Cllr Bassi, Cllr Cox, Cllr Crocker (at 7.40pm), Cllr Moore & Cllr Pritchard.
In Attendance: Mrs J Simmonds (Clerk
Absent:- Cllr Knox-Scott
_______________________________________________________________________________
MINUTES
182/PC/23 – 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 on items on the agenda.
None
183/PC/23 – Apologies for Absence
APOLOGIES were received from Cllr Bagge, Cllr Egleton, Cllr Finan and Cllr Flower.
184/PC/23 – Declarations of interest
Members declare any personal interest in any item of business as defined in the Code of Conduct adopted 2021. If that interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest as defined in the Code, the member should withdraw from the meeting for that item.
None
185/PC/23 – Minutes
RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the Council meeting held on 9 January 2023 which were signed by the Chairman.
186/PC/23 – Beeches Community Board
No update from Cllr Egleton as he was not present at the meeting.
Cllr Carter updated everyone on the Rogers Lane and Hollybush Hill parking schemes, both consultations are now complete and are ready to be signed off by the Leader of the Council. The Hollybush Hill scheme is recommended that it is scaled back to the legal limit under the Highway Code Act.
187/PC/23 – Buckinghamshire Council Report
No officers present to give an update.
188/PC/23 – Chairman’s/Councillors’ Update from last meeting.
No Chairmans update, Councillors were invited to give any updates they had since the last meeting.
Cllr Pritchard updated on a safeguarding issue at the Friday Club.
Cllr Cox updated on the MVAS monitoring.
Cllr Carter updated that the Friday Club was going really well with over sixty members and there was a full diary to the end of the year.
189/PC/23 – Neighbourhood Plan
Cllr Carter updated on the Neighbourhood Plan and meetings held with the working party, the Environment Assessment Policy has been drafted. The Housing Assessment Policy has been written and the HDHA Policy is nearly finished.
190/PC/23 – Pond
Cllr Carter and others that were present at the meeting updated on the meeting that took place on 25 January 2023. A local surveyor has looked at the details of the quote and agreed that it is a fair quote. The surveyor recommended another company to quote, and they met on site last week, and we are awaiting a report from them which will be slightly different as they had different ideas. The surveyor has offered to look at both details of both quotes side by side and give an opinion. It has been difficult to obtain a quote to jet the drains and therefore the Local Area Technician has offered to get County to do this again for us and has put a job into the system. All Councillors around the table were happy to proceed with this offer. To bring back to the next meeting with both quotes for works.
191/PC/23 – School Traffic/Traffic Watch Update
Cllr Carter updated on the School/Traffic Watch/Enforcement and marshalling, following a meeting held with the Head and other school members. Due to the amount of abuse and threats to Marshalls only 1 out 7 wished to continue, therefore it was agreed that the trial should come to an end. Cllr Crocker asked for it to be minuted and noted that the school stated that they were not able to support the scheme by asking staff to work alongside the Marshalls. It was agreed by all that the Clerk should write to County to ask about the camera option which was discussed at the meeting and ask what the costs are, ongoing costs and give evidence as to why Stoke Poges would be a good candidate for the trial.
192/PC/23 – Pioneer Secondary Academy
Cllr Carter read an email from the school, explaining that emails had not been received. Cllr. Carter asked that it be minuted that this had been the case rather than lack of communication from the School. The emails stated that:
“We have met with other members of the parish that are also Councillors and they have been offering their services to the school so they may not have reported back.”
Councillors felt that it is embarrassing for the Parish Council that other councillors have not updated the Clerk/Council about their discussions with the school and agreed this is unacceptable. Cllr.Carter gladly offered the role of mediating to any other councillor who wished to take it up with Sikh Academies Trust as building relationships and representing residents’ concerns was important. It was agreed by all that Cllr Carter should continue to try to get a meeting arranged and more than one councillor should attend. It was also agreed that the Clerk should write to the school to get an update on any discussions that have already taken place.
193/PC/23 – Grass Cutting Contract
NOTED that the new contractor has signed for one year starting 1st April 2023 as agreed at the last meeting.
194/PC/23 – Reception/Cups 2023
NOTED invitation is being worked on for the reception on 31 March 2023.
After much discussion Cllr Crocker proposed that Rich Huckle be awarded the individual Caldecourt Cup for services to the village including Neighbourhood Plan, Social Club, Village Centre, Stoke Poges Society and the new Website for the Parish Council, this was seconded by Cllr Pritchard, RESOLVED to agree by four. Cllr Carter proposed that the Speed Watch Group be awarded the group Jubilee Cup for their hard work in the village, this was seconded by Cllr Pritchard, RESOLVED to agree by five.
195/PC/23 – Litter Picking
NOTED the first litter picking date is 4 March 2023.
196/PC/23 – Food Festival 8 July 2023
Agreed by all that the request from PTA of the school to use the recreation ground for parking at this year’s food festival from 12-4.30pm on 8 July 2023, be accepted provided that the gate is not left open or unlocked at any time during the day, that it is manned and the parking properly organised by Marshalls especially when driving onto the recreation ground which will be being used by residents as usual with children and dogs, and that it will be locked up at the end of the day. If the weather is particularly wet, then cars must not be allowed to drive onto the recreation ground at all and only the immediate car parking area is to be used. Cllr Carter proposed, seconded by Cllr Bassi, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
197/PC/23 – Stoke Poges News
Following on from last month’s update that the current editor is retiring from the role after the spring edition, one person has come forward with an offer to trial the next edition on the same basis, providing a proper handover is given, and they would then see if it is feasible to continue. Cllr Carter proposed that this offer be accepted under the same financial terms as currently given to the editor, this was seconded by Cllr Crocker, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
198/PC/23 – Meeting Dates 2023/2024
NOTED & ACCEPTED by all the Meeting dates for the next Council year.
199/PC/23 – SLCC Conference 2023
NOTED & AGREED by all that due to a bereavement the 2022 conference was not attended by the Clerk and a full refund was obtained, and to note that the clerk will attend the 2023 conference 10, 11, & 12, October 2023.
200/PC/23 – RECEIVED and ADOPTED minutes from previous meetings of sub committees and working parties:
- Planning Committee Minutes 12 December 2022 – Agreed/Signed 17 January 2023
201/PC/23 – Finance
(1) NOTED & RECEIVED Financial Summary & Statement Cashbook – December 2022 & January 2023
(2) RESOLVED to approve list of cheques/Bacs for signature December 2022 & January 2023 – £24491.04
(3) NOTED & RECEIVED Bank reconciliations – December 2022 & January 2023.
(4) NOTED & RECEIVED Income & Expenditure Heading Detail/Budget Monitoring
202/PC/23 – 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.
None
203/PC/23 – NOTED Dates of Future Meetings
Planning Meeting – 20 February 2023
Recreation & Environment Meeting – 27 February 2023
Full Parish Council Meeting – 13 March 2023
Meeting ended at 8.51pm