12-10-21 Council Agenda and Summons

CHEPPING WYCOMBE PARISH COUNCIL

 

COUNCIL AGENDA

 Members of the council are summoned to attend the Council meeting to be held on Tuesday 12 October 2021 at 7.30pm at the Council Chamber, Cock Lane, Tylers Green, Bucks  HP10 8DS

Members of the public are permitted to make representations, ask and answer questions, in respect of any item of business included in the agenda.   A fifteen minute period is permitted in total.

 1. Apologies for Absence

Schedule 12 of the Local Government Act 1972 requires a record be kept of the Members present and that this record form part of the minutes of the meeting. Members who cannot attend a meeting should tender apologies to the Clerk.

 

2. Declarations of Interest and Code of Conduct

To receive any pecuniary or non-pecuniary declarations of interest and confirmation of any relevant dispensations.

1. i) Under the Localism Act 2011 (sections 26-37 and Schedule 4) and in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct, Members are required to declare any interests which are not currently entered in the Member’s Register of Interests or if he/she has not notified the Monitoring Officer (Clerk) of it.
2. ii) Should any Member have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in an item on the agenda, the Member may not participate in consideration of that item unless a Dispensation has first been requested (in writing) and granted by the Council.

 

3. Council Minutes

To CONSIDER the attached minutes of the Council meeting held on Thursday 8 June 2021 (Pages 4-6)

 

4. Open Spaces Committee

To CONSIDER the attached report of the Committee meeting held on Tuesday 31 August 2021

(Pages 7-11)

 

5. Works & Services Committee

To CONSIDER the attached report of the Committee meeting held on Thursday 9 September 2021. (Pages 12-15)

 

6. Finance & General Purposes Committee

To CONSIDER the attached report of the Committee meeting held on Thursday 23 September 2021 (Pages 16-18)

 

7. Planning Meetings

To CONSIDER the attached reports of the Planning Meetings held on Tuesday 29 June (Pages 19-21)  Tuesday 13 July (Pages 22-23), Tuesday 27 July (Pages 24-25), Tuesday 10 August (Pages 26-27), Tuesday 24 August (Page 28), Tuesday 7 September (Pages 29-30) and Tuesday 21 September (Pages 31-32).

 

8. Bee Squared Project

Council is asked to RECEIVE a short report from Mr Stephen Morton about the above project which involved the distribution of packets containing small quantities of wildflower seeds (about 1 g, sufficient for 1 square metre) to members of the public to plant in their own gardens as a source as nectar for bees. The seed was bought in bulk and packaged by volunteers.  This project was commercially funded in Hazlemere but in unparished areas of High Wycombe the High Wycombe Town Committee stepped in with funding.  It is hoped that the project will be picked up by the Community Boards.

 

9. Code of Conduct

Council is asked to APPROVE the recommendation from the Finance & General Purposes committee to adopt the Buckinghamshire Council Code of Conduct APPENDIX A (Pages 33-46)

 

10. Green Dragon Lane Recreation Ground, Flackwell Heath

Council is asked to NOTE that against advice from the Clerk back in March 2021 the football club have allowed a commercial tea bar to be run from the club house.  It also appears that the company concerned are running deliveries from the club house during the week.  When asked about the situation after finding the company in situ while doing a fencing check the Chairman of the club answered;

 

‘They now run the tea bar for us at the weekends, prepare all their own food as well as serving coffee/tea etc and then we charge them a monthly fee…..means we don’t have to worry about employing staff or stock control and just concentrate on running a football club for the community’.

 

After advising that approval from council would be required no further notification was received that this was taking place and no insurance cover from the company concerned.

 

Council is now asked to CONSIDER the next step, bearing in mind that currently there is no live lease.

 

11. Grants

11.1       S137 – Payment of Grants

Council is asked to NOTE that under the Local Government Act 1972 S137 (4) (a) the statutory expenditure limit for 2021/22 is £8.41 per elector.  S137 enables parish councils to spend a sum, per elector, on activities and projects not specifically authorised by other powers.   Council is asked to NOTE that the current budget allocation for the financial year of £5,000 is well below the aforementioned limit.

 

11.2       Grant Application

Council is asked to APPROVE the recommendation from the Finance & General Purposes committee to award a £5,000 grant to the Flackwell Heath & Loudwater Age UK Day Centre for the purchase of a new minibus.  

 

Council is asked to NOTE that the organisation only asked for £3,000.  A previous grant awarded for the same item in 2018 expired.

 

12. Earmarked Reserve Transfer

Council is asked to APPROVE the recommendation from the Finance & General Purposes committee to vire the £12,880 in the earmarked reserve for play equipment for the fencing around the play area at Straight Bit as follows; £10,000 into the salaries budget line and the balance of £2,880 into the dog waste collection budget line.

 

Council is asked to NOTE that it is proposed to pay for the play area fencing from the Community Infrastructure Levy budget line which currently stands at £33,575.00.

 

13. Ongoing Vandalism at the Straight Bit Recreation Ground, Flackwell Heath

Due to the issues currently being sustained at the above site Council is asked to CONSIDER the use of a security company.  Quotations currently being obtained for discussion and approval if so minded.

 

Contact has been made with Golf Mike (Buckinghamshire Council), however permissions for CCTV appear to take a considerable amount of time.

 

14. Skatepark Petition – Flackwell Heath

Council is asked to NOTE that a petition has been received for the installation of a skatepark in Flackwell Heath, this will, of course, be discussed at the next Open Spaces committee on Tuesday 26 October 2021.  

 

15. Thank you

Council is asked to NOTE that a letter of thanks has been received from the Queen’s Private Secretary following our letter of condolence following the demise of Prince Philip.

 

16. Office Credit Card

Council is asked to CONSIDER the introduction of a credit card, specifically for purchases made from Screwfix and B&Q who no longer take cheque payments.   The credit card to be limited to £1,000 per month.  If approved the Clerk to investigate best options.

 

17. Informal meeting of council members

Council is asked to NOTE that the date for the informal meeting is Thursday 4 November 2021. Council is asked to submit agenda ideas to the Chairman of Council or Clerk for inclusion.

 

18. Questions by Members of the Council

At the time of agenda dispatch, no questions by members have been received.

 

19. Public Participation

Members of the public wishing to speak at the beginning of the Council meeting should approach the Clerk with this request as soon as possible.

 

20. Accounts for Payment

Accounts for payment are to be circulated at the meeting for consideration by councillors.

 

Confidential items – exclusion of the public and press

Council is asked to RESOLVE to exclude members of the public and press from the remainder of the meeting as permitted under the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960 so that it may have an open discussion on the following items.

 

Decisions are a matter of public record and are included in the minutes of the meeting under GDPR guidelines.

 

Staff Salaries for 2021/22

Council is asked to CONSIDER and, if so minded, APPROVE the recommendations made by the Finance & General Purposes Committee meeting on 23 September 2021 for an increase to staff pay to be back dated to April 2021 of 2%, with an additional 1.5% for the Clerk.  Also, the bonus payments to staff totalling £4,400 in relation to the year 2020/21.

 

 

 

Wendy Thompson

Clerk of the Council

4 October 2021

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