Full Parish Council - Meeting Minutes

Monday 12th May 2025

Introduction

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL FULL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING OF THE STOKE POGES PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 12 MAY 2025 AT 7.30PM IN THE LIONEL RIGBY ROOM AT THE VILLAGE CENTRE, ROGERS LANE, STOKE POGES BUCKS, SL2 4LP.

Present: Cllr Carter (Chair), Cllr Bassi, Cllr Crocker, Cllr Finan, Cllr Harwood, Cllr Pritchard & Cllr Wilson.

In Attendance: Mrs J Simmonds (Clerk)

Also Present: 1 Member of public.

Agenda Items

001/PC/25- To Elect a Chairman for the coming year.

Cllr Finan proposed Cllr Carter to be Chair, this was seconded by Cllr Crocker RESOLVED to agree all in favour and Cllr Carter signed the declaration of acceptance of office for Chair.

002/PC/25 - To Elect a Vice Chairman for the coming year.

Cllr Carter proposed Cllr Crocker to be Vice Chair, this was seconded by Cllr Pritchard RESOLVED to agree all in favour and Cllr Crocker signed the declaration of acceptance of office for Vice Chair.

003/PC/25 - Vacancy Co-Option

NOTED Applications Circulated. (1) & (2)

Meeting adjourned at 7.33pm to allow two applicants to speak and for councillor’s to ask questions.

Meeting re-convened at 7.40pm.

Cllr Finan proposed the co-option of Mr John Harwood to the Council this was seconded by Cllr Pritchard, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.

Cllr Bassi proposed the co-option of Mr Rod Wilson to the Council this was seconded by Cllr Pritchard RESOLVED to agree all in favour.

Both signed a declaration of office and joined the meeting.

004/PC/25 - Public Session Time

The meeting is open to the public and press and 15 minutes will be reserved, if required, for public comment on items on the agenda.

One member of the public thanked all of the Councillors and the new Co-opted Councillors and wished them a pleasant four-year term.

005/PC/25 - Apologies and Acceptance for Absence.

APOLOGIES were received from County Councillor Dev Dhillon.

006/PC/25 - Declarations of interest

Members to 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

007/PC/25 - Minutes

RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the Council meeting held on 7 April 2025 which were signed by the Chair.

008/PC/25– Review of Standing Orders, Financial Regulations, Financial Risk Assessment for 25/26 and all adopted Policies.

Cllr Carter proposed no changes to any of the above, this was seconded by Cllr Finan, RESOLVED to agree all

in favour.

009/PC/25 - To Appoint Committees (Current list circulated).

To decide whether to continue for the time being with the committees or amalgamate into the Full Parish meeting until we have more members.

(a) Recreation & Environment Committee

AGREED by all to amalgamate this committee into Full Council going forward. To be reviewed as and when necessary.

(b) Planning Committee

(6 members plus Chairman ex officio)

AGREED by all - Cllr Bassi, Cllr Carter, Cllr Crocker, Cllr Finan, Cllr Wilson and Mr Harris.

Cllr Finan proposed co-opt Mr Harris of Stoke Poges who sits on this committee for the four-year term, this was seconded by Cllr Crocker. RESOLVED to agree by all.

AGREED by all - Cllr Bassi, Cllr Carter, Cllr Crocker, Cllr Finan, Cllr Harwood, Cllr Pritchard and Cllr Wilson.

010/PC/25 – NOTED AND AGREED - Fix times of meetings (every month except August at 7.30pm.)

Full Council - second Monday except July and December (first Monday sometimes) and if a bank holiday falls on second Monday, then it will be the previous week.

Planning Committee - Every third Monday at 7.30pm (including August)

Finance Committee – fourth Monday twice a year May or June and November.

Subject to change by the Clerk.

Cllr Crocker proposed to agree to the changes to other bodies, this was seconded by Cllr Wilson RESOLVED to agree all in favour: -

Allotment Representative – Rich Huckle

Webmaster/Website Liaison – Rich Huckle

Parish Newsletter Editor – Rich Huckle

Flag master – Jim Budd

Beeches Community Board – Cllr Bassi

MVAS Rota and Co-ordination – VACANCY – Cllr Finan to do temporarily.

Stoke Poges Village Hall Committee – Cllr Carter and Cllr Pritchard

Heritage Committee – Cllr Harwood.

011/PC/25 – Beeches Community Board

Cllr Bassi is waiting for an announcement from County for the new boards.

Simply Walking initiative meetings were held on 1 April 2025 and on 30 April 2025 where several volunteers were trained to oversee the walks. The first walk is taking place on 14 May 2025, meet at St. Andrews Church at 10.45am for an 11.00am start, finishing at St. Andrews with option tea/coffee in the cafe. The walks will then continue weekly.

012/PC/25 - Buckinghamshire Council Report

Cllr Dhillon has arranged to meet with the Chair, Vice Chair and Clerk in the next couple of weeks when they will discuss Communication/Reports/Co-ordination with the Parish.

013/PC/25 – Chairman’s/Councilor’s Update from last meeting.

Cllr Carter reported that the tennis club/church drainage issues since last August were still happening. We are trying to get a coordinated approach between all three groups.

Cllr Carter will talk to Cllr Dhillon about lack of parking enforcement after several residents have made contact about it.

Cllr Carter and Cllr Crocker were invited to the Riding School for the Disabled 60 birthday celebration. They were invited to represent the Parish Council in the receiving line where Princess Anne was in attendance.

014/PC/25– Neighbourhood Plan

Update

Cllr Carter proposed to ratify the item from the last Planning Meeting as below, this was seconded by Cllr Crocker, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.

145/PL/25 Neighbourhood Plan

Following the External Examiners report of our Neighbourhood Plan Bucks Council have decided to push back on Policy SP5. They have said:

“To be consistent with other Neighbourhood plans such as for Penn and Westbury, we shall need to propose a further modification to your plan. This is to Policy SP5: Addressing the Performance Gap.

We shall start a six-week consultation on this proposed modification tomorrow. This should still enable us to hold the referendum for your plan in June, subject to the capacity of our Electoral Services team to run it.”

What this means is that under government Policy developers can be tested post occupancy on new build Passivhaus standards. BC are saying they do not have the expertise or staff to uphold this policy.

We are very keen to get the plan to the referendum and have been advised by our consultants to go with what BC wants. Post referendum we can, if we choose, ask for a review with the intention of getting SP5 reinstated.

Cllr Carter proposed that we go with the advice of our consultants and bring back to the May Full Parish meeting to ratify, this was seconded by Cllr Crocker, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.

015/PC/25 - VE Day (80 Years) 8 May 2025 – VJ Day (80 Years) 15 August 2025

The event had a great turnout, and everyone enjoyed the sing along in the social club afterwards. Thanks to

Andrew M Smith OBE DL for attending and reading, The Social Club, The Stoke Poges Singers and Cllr Finan for lighting the beacon.

VJ Day will be brought back to the July meeting to finalise details.

016/PC/25 – Electronic Notice Board

Cllr Carter updated everyone on the results of the questionnaire which was circulated. It was agreed to take the results away and digest them and bring them back to the June meeting to discuss and decide whether to go forward with any ideas, clerk to re-circulate all information.

017/PC/25 – Sefton Park

Cllr Carter and Cllr Crocker met with the agent today for the second time and an update on both meetings was given.

018/PC/25 – RECEIVED and ADOPTED minutes from previous meetings of sub committees and working parties:

Planning Committee Meeting 17 March 2025 – Signed 14 April 2025

019/PC/25 – Finance

Financial Summary & Statement Cashbook –April 2025 – NOTED to be sent out with the minutes.

RESOLVED to approve list of cheques/Bacs for signature - April 2025

Bank reconciliations – April 2025 - To be sent prior to the meeting either electronically or tabled.

020/PC/25 – Accounts for Year Ended 31 March 2025

NOTED that the accounts have been audited with no issues.

Cllr Finan proposed to Receive, Approve and Sign the summary income and expenditure account, balance sheet, supporting statement and assets, auditor's matters arising, this was seconded by Cllr Crocker, RESOLVED to agree all in favour and to be signed by the Chairman of this meeting and the RFO.

Cllr Finan proposed to Receive and Approve the Annual Return to be signed by the Chairman of this meeting and the RFO and receive and approve bank reconciliation and statement of significant variation, this was seconded by Cllr Crocker, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.

021/PC/25 – 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.