Full Parish Council - Meeting Minutes
Monday 13th November 2023
Introduction
MINUTES OF THE FULL COUNCIL MEETING OF THE STOKE POGES PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2023 AT 7.30 P.M. IN THE LIONEL RIGBY ROOM AT THE VILLAGE CENTRE, ROGERS LANE, STOKE POGES BUCKS, SL2 4LP.
Present: -Cllr Bagge (Chair), Cllr Bassi, Cllr Carter, Cllr Cox, Cllr Crocker, Cllr Finan, Cllr Knox-Scott, Cllr Moore, Cllr Pritchard & Cllr Webster.
In Attendance: - Mrs. J Simmonds (Clerk)Also Present: - 1 Officer from County and 1 Member of Public.
Agenda Items
122/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.
Graham White from the Beeches Forum introduced himself to the council and gave a brief
description of how the forum works.
123/PC/23 - Apologies for Absence
APOLOGIES were received from Cllr Flower.
124/PC/23 - 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.
Cllr Crocker and Cllr Bagge declared an interest in item 140 as members of the charity.
125/PC/23 - Minutes
RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the Council meeting held on 9 October 2023 which were signed by the Chairman.
126/PC/23 – Beeches Community Board
Update from Cllr Bassi.
NOTED that the clerk is in discussions with the Local Area Technician about a suitable site for a static sign before proceeding with the application to the Beeches.
NOTED letter received about the Rogers Lane Scheme which requires the 50% match funding with the Beeches of £6024.10 to be paid so that the scheme can go ahead. This was approved in 2020. Cllr Finan proposed to agree and ratify the spend, this was seconded by Cllr Knox-Scott, RESOLVED to agree all in favour. To clarify the scheme includes Rogers Lane,/Duffield Lane/Broom Hill/Sefton Paddock and the Crossing barrier at the junction of Rogers Lane/Duffield Lane.
127/PC/23 - Buckinghamshire Council Report
Cllr Bagge reported that there is budget pressure on adults' and children's services due to high demand and case complexity plus supplier cost increases. The Council is working to reign in the budgets to accommodate any overspend. The new budgets for next year are in the process of being agreed but it will be a challenging year.
Cllr Bagge sits on the Bucks and Milton Keynes Fire Authority. The Fire and Rescue service was inspected by His Majesty’s Inspectorate over the summer. Inspectors identified several areas for improvement and officers are working on an action plan to address the areas of concern.
128/PC/23 – Chairman’s/Councillors' Update from last meeting.
Cllr Bagge reported that the Saturday 11/11 service at the green went very well, Cllr Carter laid the wreath on behalf of the Parish Council. Cllr Bagge commented that there were lots of families with small children present who were very well behaved.
Cllr Carter updated on a planning issue where a semi-detached house in Vine Road had been demolished without permission. The affected resident has struggled with communications with Bucks Councillors so Cllr. Carter, along with Phil Rawlings (co opted onto the Planning Committee) , has visited the affected resident. As a result Cllr Carter has been working with Cllr Egleton as it is a very controversial situation Cllr Carter would like it minuted that thanks are given to Cllr Egleton for his help.
129/PC/23 – Neighbourhood Plan
Update on information received during regulation 14 consultation period and next steps.
The Consultation ended on 26 October 2023. The working party are due to meet with our consultant on Wednesday 15 November to consider responses to statutory bodies.
The public responses will be the responsibility of the Parish Council. The working party are meeting on Tuesday 14 November to discuss them and will bring suggested replies back to the table at the December meeting for approval.
130/PC/23 – Pond
Highways have confirmed that the damage to the car park is a health and safety issue and should be repaired ASAP, and then the council can decide whether they recoup the money from theirs and the other owners’ insurance companies bearing in mind that this is tax payers’ money.
Cllr Carter proposed that the quote for repairs to the car park as per the circulated quote are accepted for £6120, this was seconded by Cllr Finan, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
131/PC/23 – Culvert
NOTED that Highways have written to the landowner. Copy
132/PC/23 – Bus Shelter Hastings Meadow
NOTED the Passenger Transport Officer quote to make the necessary changes to the area and for a small rural bush shelter. The Council did not like this shelter as it was urbanising and asked the clerk to get two more quotes one brick and one timber.
133/PC/23 – Carols on the Green
Cllr Carter updated as follows:- and to agree final details and positions and other items for the event.
26 stalls, rock choir, Scouts doing barbecue and lending tables, Village Centre lending tables. Marquees are going in on Friday morning, and removed on Monday morning.
Cllr Finan is on track with the Sleigh and has someone to pull it.
Cllr Bassi has Santa booked, helpers for the grotto, has arranged for Superspeed to pay for 140
Grotto presents and The Rose and Crown to pay for 40 bottles of Mulled Wine.
Cllr Moore will be in charge of the Grotto in the evening and clearing everything away.
Cllr Webster in in charge of the marshals in the evening and is working with Cllr. Carter to ensure everything is in place.
Clerk to sort the payment machine, mince pies and internal building marshalling.
Agreed to start to set up the event at 3pm and Councillors to help with set up
134/PC/23 – D-Day 6 June 2024 – 80th Anniversary
Brought back from last meeting with any ideas from councillors on a possible event.
Note the fete is being held on 8 June.
Options discussed were:
A joint event after the fete
Ask if the fete will move their date.
On the Sunday after the Hort. Soc. show but this then won’t be a D Day event
AGREED Cllr. Moore stated that the date for the fete cannot be changed but will discuss if it is appropriate to incorporate D Day in the event somehow, he will report back at the December meeting. Discussed that it might be appropriate to use bunting to decorate the village.
AGREED by all that a sing-along could be arranged in the club after the lighting of the beacon on the 6 June. Clerk to ask the club if they agree, Clerk to ask Terrarfirma Sound for a PA system for the beacon lighting.
135/PC/23 – Music Event
Brought back from last meeting with any ideas from councillors on a possible event.
Discussed the possibility of an event after the Hort. Soc. show but this would be in the school grounds or after the food festival but again it may be in the school grounds.
AGREED by all that Cllr Finan and Cllr Webster should go away and investigate further the
possibility of using the marquee for an event after the Horticultural Show and to work out the logistics and bring back a costed proposal for a decision.
136/PC/23 – Litter Picks
NOTED litter picking dates for next year agreed at R & E.
137/PC/23 – Crossing at junction of Rogers Lane/Duffield Lane
This item was covered under 126/PC/23.
138/PC/23 – Plough Lane Jogging Trail
NOTED that it was agreed at the R & E meeting to install a jogging trail at Plough Lane and accept the quote of £37380.00 previously circulated and for the funds to be taken from the General Fund, it was agreed to bring this decision to Full Council to be ratified due to the cost. If Councillors want to explore grants it was agreed that those Councillors should take this on and apply for them Cllr Carter proposed that this quote be accepted, and we go ahead with the the proposed works, and that we apply to the Beeches Community Fund for a grant towards the costs, this was seconded by Cllr Webster,
RESOLVED To agree to ratify, one abstention.
139/PC/23 – Bell Hill Green
R & E agreed to get the trees outside Living Spaces cut back and for the clerk to get a quote from the contractor for the Green and bring to the Full Council for approval. Cllr Carter proposed to accept the quote for £200 this was seconded by Cllr Crocker, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
140/PC/23 – Stoke Poges Hastings Community Fund
Cllr Bagge proposed that Sue Lynch and Cllr Carter be the two trustees from the Parish Council for a four-year term, this was seconded by Cllr Finan, RESOLVED to agree all in favour.
141/PC/23 – Pennylets Green Junction
DECIDED to ask Buckinghamshire Highways if flower troughs or a bund can be put on the junction of Pennylets Green and Gerrards Cross Road to prevent parking on the junction pavement, if allowed to get quotes.
142/PC/23 - RECEIVED and ADOPTED minutes from previous meetings of sub committees and working parties:
Planning Committee Minutes 18 September 2023 – Agreed/Signed 16 October 2023
R & E Committee Minutes 10 July 2023 – Agreed/Signed 30 October 2023
143/PC/23 – Finance
RECEIVED Financial Summary & Statement Cashbook –October 2023
RESOLVED To approve list of cheques/Bacs for signature October 2023
RECEIVED Bank reconciliations – October 2023
NOTED cost of living increase to SLCC pay scale 4.8% settled for 23/24.
(4) RECEIVED Income & Expenditure Heading Detail/Budget Monitoring
144/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.
NOTED - Thank You Letter from Jean Pierre, Etricourt-Manancourt
145/PC/23 – NOTED Dates of Future Meetings
Planning Committee Meeting – 20 November 2023
Finance & General Purposes Meeting – 29 November (2.00pm) 2023
Full Parish Council Meeting – 4 December 2023
Meeting ended at 9.11pm