DRAFT MINUTES
CHEARSLEY PARISH
COUNCIL
DRAFT MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL
GENERAL MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 15th MAY 2017 IN THE
VILLAGE HALL AT 7.30PM
PRESENT
Councillors: Nic
Brown (NB), John Lewis (JL), Julia Witcher (JW), Martin Hearmon (MH), Paul Bown (PAB), Michael Edmonds (ME
), Michael Hawkett
Parish Clerk: Helen
Spurgeon
Responsible
Finance Officer: Robert Parkes (RP)
Parishioners: There
were 2 Parishioners
DECLARATIONS OF
INTEREST
There were no interests declared.
1. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN
Nic Brown elected Chairman.
2. APOLOGIES
John Howard (JH)
3. ELECTION OF VICE CHAIRMAN
John Lewis elected Vice Chairman.
4. DECLARATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE BY
CHAIRMAN
Signed by Nic Brown, Chairman.
5. REPRESENTATIVES OF COMMITTEES/WORKING
GROUPS
Michael Heybrook to continue as Footpaths
Officer.
PB
& JL: Village Hall
Representatives.
ME:
Parochial Church Council Representative.
Clerk:
responsible for reviewing insurance policy and for regular monitoring of
location and use of assets. ACTION: NB to advise Clerk.
JH:
Currently dealing with a number of transport projects.
It was decided not to assign any further
areas of responsibility to specific Councillors but to continue to do this on a
project basis that has clear boundaries.
PB requested for
2018 to have a separate Agenda to cover the AGM items and then a standard
Parish Council meeting Agenda to follow.
PARISHIONERS
QUESTION TIME
Margaret Moreby asked the Parish Council to confirm who
the Village Hall representative is. ME
is the ongoing representative but for the rebuild project it is JL and PB.
6. APPROVAL OF MARCH 2017 MINUTES
Minutes were agreed as a true record and signed by Chairman, Nic Brown.
7. MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES
·
Bank
Mandate forms. These have now been submitted.
·
Trees in
Village. There is no list of public owned trees in Chearsley. ACTION: ME
to identify on a map trees the Parish Council are responsible for.
·
War
Memorial repair and conservation. ACTION: Clerk and JL to complete War Memorials Trust Grant Application form.
·
Signage for
Village Green. The first ‘No Parking’ sign is to be removed. ACTION: MH.
·
Bus
Shelters. New bus stop signs have been ordered. ACTION: NB to make payment. Wooden
benches and flooring in bus shelters are to be replaced. ACTION: MH to instruct Jon Parry to carry
out work over the summer holidays.
MH has put a screw in the plywood in the bus shelter roof to hold it
together. ACTION: JW to double check inside of bus shelter roof. ACTION: NB
to contact Jay in the shop to see if he is able to replace the bin outside the
shop.
·
Communication.
ACTION: JW to set up Chearsley PC Facebook
page by June meeting.
·
Kerbing. The
kerbing work in Dark Lane is due to start on Monday 22nd May 2017.
·
Approach
Roads to Chearsley. The Councillors have had the report from the meeting
with Transport for Bucks on 2nd May and now have the support of the newly
elected Councillor (Clive Harriss). JH/NB
still need to do more work regarding involvement of Thames Water (contact with
Dave Smith/Anna Coles).
·
Feasibility
Study. Initial meeting with Trevor Bonsor (24th March) - report
circulated to PC members. TfB have already implemented speed tests on Aylesbury
and Crendon Road. Initial proposals are due in next few weeks.
·
LAF
Funding. We have been advised that the cost of the Feasibility Study is not
now eligible for 2017/18 LAF Funding because work commenced during March. It is
hoped that we will be able to apply for support for some of the new traffic
calming measures recommended in the Feasibility Study (under the heading of
‘implementation’). JH will try and
arrange this following further discussions with Trevor Bonsor/Korinne Leney and
resubmit our application by the deadline of 1st June and will keep
PC posted on the detail of options available before submitting the final
application, which will need to be finalised before the next PC meeting.
·
Defibrillator.
This is to go in the bus shelter but an electricity supply to the bus
shelter is needed. ACTION: NB to send Paul Oliver electrical
report to JL. ACTION: JL to follow up with Paul Oliver or appropriate electrical
contractor.
·
Pruning
of horse chestnut tree. South Bucks Tree Surgeons have quoted £980+VAT to
carry out the work. It was agreed to go ahead.
·
CHUF
parking. NB spoke to Hannah Eames to request parents do not park on grass
verges.
8. PLANNING
·
16/03565/APP
– 2-4 Winchendon Rd, Chearsley HP18 0DP
The
amended plans are a reduction in the number of dwellings from 7 to 5.
The PC had No Objections to the first application but requested certain
conditions in the planning consent. ACTION: NB to review plans and previous PC
comments and submit a response for the Clerk
to comment by 17th May.
·
A discussion took place as to whether on
future planning applications the PC should record whether the decision to
support or oppose an application is unanimous or a majority decision. ACTION: PB to send a proposal on this topic to the Clerk for discussion at the next meeting.
·
17/01679/ALB
– The Old Farmhouse, The Green, Chearsley HP18 0DJ
Replacement
of six windows. This is a new application with comments requested by 14th
June. ACTION: Clerk to check on planning portal whether the conservation
office have been involved.
9. CORRESPONDENCE
There was no correspondence outside the Agenda
items.
10. CONTRIBUTIONS FROM AVDC AND BCC
COUNCILLORS
To note our new BCC councillor is Clive
Harriss.
11. FINANCE
a. Orders for Payment – cheques were issued
to BALC
for our membership renewal and MH’s
Councillor Induction Training, to MP Printers (Chearsley AVM leaflet) and
for the Clerk’s salary.
b. Audit 2016/17 - Jacqui Porteous was
appointed as Internal Auditor and her report has been received. There were 2
main points to note. Firstly, Venetia Davies will continue to help the PC on a
consultancy basis as required, rather than as an employee. Secondly, the PC has
not reclaimed for any VAT. This is an annual job which should take around 2-3
hours to complete. ACTION: RP to send Jacqui Porteous a copy
of the invoices and instruct her to reclaim the VAT. ACTION: PB to obtain VAT number from Jon Parry. ACTION: JL to contact Jacqui Porteous to
obtain a quote for reclaiming the VAT on a yearly basis going forward. The
deadline for the Annual Return is 30th June 2017, this is almost
complete and will be sent off shortly.
c. Finance Report - May 2017 – noted and
approved. The report included information on the PC moving to electronic
banking payments:
“Discussions have taken place with Lloyds over the
possibility of the Parish Council moving to electronic payments in the
future. This is a viable option, only if
the PC is prepared to allow one single person to make electronic payments. If
the Council chooses to follow this route, it is proposed that the RFO be the
delegated ‘payer’ on behalf of the Council, but that electronic payments be
made ONLY against invoices or other documents authorised by a different
authorised signatory, to ensure that all payments are made under the
‘four-eyes’ principle and are, in effect, authorised by two appropriate
signatories.”
The PC agreed to go ahead with electronic banking.
d. Approval of expenditure of Village Hall funds – payment
was agreed to be made to the Village Hall. ACTION: JL to let RP know exact payee.
e. Creation of a new bank account to manage
Village Hall funds – this was agreed. ACTION: RP to open a sub-account specifically to receive stage
payment from AVDC, and pay them onto the village hall committee.
f.
To propose
a donation to the Village Hall fund under Section 137 – for
2017/18 this is limited to £7.57 per elector with 433 electors in Chearsley.
This is something the PC may consider if budget allows.
12. REPORTS FROM COUNCILLORS ATTENDING
MEETINGS AND OUTSIDE ORGANISATIONS
There were none.
13. TO FORMALLY REVIEW THE ANNUAL VILLAGE
MEETING
Councillors agreed it was an excellent,
well attended meeting and had received positive feedback from parishioners.
Thanks to JH for all his hard work.
Going forward the PC would like to see more attendance at the monthly meetings.
·
Parking at the end of Bernards Close will be
included in the feasibility study.
14. PC GOVERNANCE
·
Equalities Policy – approved and adopted.
·
Financial Regulations and Risk Assessment– ACTION: RP
to review by the next meeting.
15. MIKE HEYBROOK’S FOOTPATHS REPORT
Thanks were paid to Mike for repairing the
gates. JH is arranging a meeting
with Mike to discuss issues raised in the report.
16. NOMINATING AN ASSET OF COMMUNITY VALUE –
CHEARSLEY STORES
ACTION: NB to discuss with shop operators
and report back at next meeting.
17. SUGGESTED FLAG FOR CHEARSLEY
ACTION: NB to circulate proposed design.
Other designs will also be investigated.
18. WORKING WITH OTHER PCs
NB has
spent time with Cuddington and Ashendon PCs. It was suggested that a
representative from each of the PCs get together quarterly to discuss issues. ACTION: Clerk to agenda for discussion at next meeting.
19. STREET FURNITURE FOR VILLAGE GREEN
The PC needs to press on with the
procurement of railings and litter bins for by the bus stop. It was decided to
delay the purchase of bollards for the Village Green until after the TfB
feasibility study as this may help decide what the best solution is. The
initial meeting for the feasibility study has indicated that restoring a more
‘olde worlde’ ambiance in villages encourages drivers to slow down.
20. PARISHIONERS QUESTION TIME
A Parishioner asked whether Graham would be
trimming the hedges by the public footpaths again this year. The PC confirmed
this would be happening. ACTION: Clerk to check website for dates of
BCC grass cuts.
21. ITEMS FOR INFORMATION
There were none.
22. DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING in
Chearsley Village Hall
·
Monday 19th June 2017 at 7.30pm
