28-01-21 Works and Services Committee

CHEPPING WYCOMBE PARISH COUNCIL
WORKS & SERVICES COMMITTEE
“Cherish the past, adorn the present, construct for the future”

Report of the meeting held on Thursday 28 January 2021 commencing at 7.00pm via Microsoft Teams

Under the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus)(Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 (4 April 2020) allowing Local Authorities flexibility to hold meetings at a time, day and frequency to suit their own needs, without the requirement for further notice.

Present: Cllr C Dodds – Chairman Cllr A Barron
Cllr J Herschel – Vice-chairman Cllr I Forbes
Cllr L Johncock Cllr C Jordan
Cllr H Darch Cllr K Wood
Cllr R Wilks

Also present: Cllr B Kin and Cllr D Johncock

WS/20/025 Apologies for absence
none

WS/20/026 Declarations of members’ interests in Items on the agenda
Declarations of personal interest on the agenda were declared as follows:
Cllr H Darch – expenses cheque

WS/20/027 Delegated Action
Members were asked to note that since the last committee meeting in November there had been no delegated actions taken by the chairman of the committee or clerk.

WS/20/028 Committee Projects
1 Office Refurbishment
Members were asked to note that, following feedback from Building Control, the drawings had been amended and returned to them for approval. They had advised that they would fast track them and we would now seek tenders for the work once approved.

2 Bus Shelters
Members were asked to consider the quotation for the replacement bus shelter in Northern Woods, Flackwell Heath (opposite Beckings Way). We had taken a single tender action from Buckinghamshire Council’s preferred supplier who installed our previous bus shelters in 2019 and who were significantly cheaper than the other quotations received. The bus shelter would be a 2-bay full end panel with poly barrel roof, full width aluminium seat with handles, flag post and timetable case, similar to those we provided in 2019 in Station Road and Kingsmead Road.

It was RESOLVED that;
Quote A at £7,576.36 be approved.

Cllr D Johncock enquired as to whether a bus shelter in Northern Woods (opposite Bracken Way) should be installed rather than replacing the bus shelter above.
This will be included in the Bus Shelters project and considered at the next meeting.

Members were asked to note that we had received Rider Numbers from Carousel Buses for the bus stops, detailed in our consultation, we are considering on Heath End Road, Flackwell Heath and Robinson Road, Loudwater and would form part of the report to members to be circulated prior to our next meeting.

3 Depot Roof
Members were asked to note that a meeting had taken place with a Solar Roofing company and we were expecting a report and quotation from them any day.

Cllr Forbes enquired as to whether we should be looking at more companies for quotes.
Once we have the quote from the company mentioned above, we can use that to seek alternative quotes if it is financially viable to continue along the solar panel route.

4 Street Litter Bins – Flackwell Heath
Members were asked to note that we had yet to have a response to our recent requests for Bucks Council to refurbish their bins in the centre of Flackwell Heath. Having made enquiries of the supplier – Broxap – the cost would be about £240 a bin, compared to the cost of £599 for a new bin.

The taking on responsibility for the BC bins in Flackwell is something we should not do lightly. The bins are not ours and nowhere else in the parish have we accepted any responsibility for bins which are not on our land.

For the moment, we would continue to press BC for their refurbishment.

5 Office Steps
Members were asked to note that the approved works to replace the steps at the rear door to the office had been completed at a cost of £1,384.

WS/20/029 LED Footway Lighting
Members were asked to note that the Deputy Clerk had written to residents whose trees were covering our lights and the response had been very positive. A quotation from the contractor was expected shortly for cutting back the remaining trees.

Cllr L Johncock reported that a tree was affecting the spill of light onto the path between Hedley Road and Straight Bit (behind Cherrywood Gardens).
The Deputy Clerk would look into it.

WS/20/030 Cemeteries
Members were asked to note that the improvement to the lower path at Altona Road Cemetery was on the project list and we would now seek quotes to lay self-binding gravel on this path.

Cllr Dodds reported that he would set up a meeting with the Warden to discuss future work in our cemeteries.

WS/20/031 War Memorial – Flackwell Heath
Members were asked to note that the Royal British Legion would not be continuing to maintain the flower beds they created around the war memorial in The Common, Flackwell Heath nor would Flowerland be able to continue donating any bedding plants in the future as they had switched their focus to help school children. The Deputy Clerk had thanked them for their generous donations and help in the past.

Members were asked to note that ongoing provision had been made in the budget for the purchase of plants.

Members were asked to make suggestions on the way forward.

This was discussed and it was decided that a meeting should be set up with the Warden and Cllrs L Johncock, D Johncock and J Herschel to discuss the way forward.

WS/20/032 Community Payback Update
Members were asked to note that during lockdown there would be no Community Payback.

WS/20/033 Committee Finances
Members were asked to note the committee’s income and expenditure to December.

Cllr Forbes suggested that, as overall income from our cemeteries was healthy and again significantly more than we had budgeted for, we should increase the amount placed in the EMR to fund planned and anticipated future expenditures in our three cemeteries.
This would be considered at the F&GP meeting in February.

WS/20/034 Questions from committee members and the public
There were no members of the public present at this point of the meeting.
There were no questions from committee members.

WS/20/035 Accounts for payment
Accounts for payment were sent via email prior to the meeting for consideration.

Cllr Herschel enquired as to the bench installation in the accounts.
The bench referred to is the refurbished bench outside Ebenezer House at the bottom of Derehams Lane.

It was RESOLVED that;
The accounts for payment be approved and cheques numbered 10386 to 10397 be signed and direct debits to Barclays, E-ON Next, Shell (Fuel Card Services), SSE and Unicom be approved for payment.

The chairman thanked members for their attendance and closed the meeting at 8.01pm

Date and time of next meeting: Thursday, 25 March 2021 @ 7.00pm

Signed: Dated: 25 February 2021