26-11-20 Finance and General Purposes Committee Agenda

CHEPPING WYCOMBE PARISH COUNCIL
Finance and General Purposes Committee
Members of the council are summoned to attend the meeting to be held on Thursday 26 November 2020 at 7pm 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

The meeting is open to members of the public and press

Committee Members: Cllr I Forbes – Chairman Cllr M Wilkes
Cllr J Herschel – Vice-chairman Cllr R Wilks
Cllr B Kin Cllr J Gurney
Cllr H Darch Cllr D Johncock
Cllr C Dodds Cllr K Wood (ex-officio)
Cllr L Willis

Members of the committee are summoned to consider the following business:

AGENDA
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 members’ interests in agenda items
To receive any pecuniary or non-pecuniary declarations of interest and confirmation of any relevant dispensations.
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.
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. Staff Matters
3.1 Staff Absence Report

4. Policies & Procedures
4.1 Risk Register
4.2 Anti-harassment and Bullying Policy
4.3 Lone Working Risk Assessment
4.4 Ethical Banking
4.5 In-house Audit

5. Health & Safety

6. Legal

7. Grants

8. Publicity

9. Calendar of Meeting Dates

10. Fees and Charges

11. Budget
11.1 Committee Budget (Period 7) October
11.2 Council Finances (Period 7) October
11.3 Opens Spaces Project Line 2020/21
11.4 Works & Services Project Line 2020/21
11.4 F & GP Committee Draft Budget 2021/22
11.5 Council Draft Budget 2021/22
11.6 Precept
11.7 Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

12. Questions from council members and the public

13. Accounts for Payment

14. Confidential Item – Report from Chairman’s Meeting
AGENDA ITEM 3
Staff Matters
3.1 Staff Absence Report
Members are asked to RECEIVE a report on the sickness absence of staff since the last committee meeting in September.

AGENDA ITEM 4
Policies and Procedures
4.1 Risk Register
Members are asked to REVIEW the Risk Register following further work undertaken by Cllr Herschel. Members are asked to RECOMMEND the Risk Register for approval at the next full Council meeting in December APPENDIX A

4.2 Anti-harrassment and Bullying Policy
Members are asked to CONSIDER and, if so minded, APPROVE the attached model policy from NALC. Members are advised that this policy will be new to the council. APPENDIX B

4.3 Lone Working Risk Assessment
Following the last committee meeting in September the Clerk, with the assistance of the Chairman of committee, have worked on the above risk assessment; specifically for office staff with the addition of a line on lone working for the grounds team . Members are asked to REVIEW the assessment with a view to recommending for approval at full council. APPENDIX C

4.4 Ethical Banking
Members are asked to NOTE that work on finding the best three banks for recommendation to the committee is ongoing and will be brought to the next committee meeting in February.

4.5 In house Audit
Members are asked to NOTE that the in-house audit team of two councillors are nominated at the Annual Council meeting each year. The current in-house audit team of Cllr L Willis and Cllr C Dodds are asked to arrange a time to come to the office and undertake an audit before the end of the financial year.

AGENDA ITEM 5
Health & Safety
Members are asked to NOTE that there have been no incidents since the last committee meeting in September.

AGENDA ITEM 6
Legal
Flackwell Heath Scouts & Guides – Waste-Water Treatment Plant
Members are asked to NOTE that a signed agreement was received from the Scouts & Guides ensuring that they have full responsibility for the ongoing care of the waste-water treatment plant. It would appear that all the works have been completed and the ground put back.

Members are asked to NOTE that a request has been made for the commissioning report.

AGENDA ITEM 7
Grants
Members are asked to NOTE that the current budget line for Grant stands at £5,000. Payments, for already
approved grants, to Flackwell Heath Minors Football Club for £1,000, have yet to be made but an accrual was made in last years’ numbers. A grant of £1,500 was made to the Flackwell Heath Scouts & Guides but this has now lapsed being originally approved in January 2017.

Members are asked to CONSIDER the attached grant application from Flackwell Heath Minors Football Club, the request being in the sum of £20k – £25k for the re-surfacing of the extension car park at Green Dragon Lane Recreation Ground APPENDIX D. The club understand that planning permission is required for any works to the area and will undertaken the application process only when they have the money to cover the cost of the works.
AGENDA ITEM 8
Publicity
Members are asked to NOTE that the first draft of the newsletter has been sent to the printers.

AGENDA ITEM 9
Calendar of Meeting Dates 2020/21
Members are asked to CONSIDER and, if so minded, RECOMMEND the meeting schedule for 2021 up to May for approval at the full Council meeting in December. APPENDIX E

AGENDA ITEM 10
Fees and Charges 2020/21
Members are asked to CONSIDER and, if so minded, RECOMMEND the fees and charges for 2021/22 for approval at the full Council meeting in December.

Members are asked to NOTE that no increase is being recommended for next financial year. APPENDIX F

AGENDA ITEM 11
Budget
11.1 Committee budget (Period 7) – October
Member are asked to NOTE the current status of the committee’s income and expenditure. APPENDIX G

11.2 Council Finances (Period 7) – October
Members are asked to NOTE the summary of income and expenditure by committee. APPENDIX H

11.3 Open Spaces Project Line 2020/21
Members are asked to CONSIDER and, if so minded, APPROVE the virement of £20,000 to cover the following projects inter alia:
• Orchard Green hedge £13k
• Replacement Allotment gate FH £2.5k
• Fencing completion Magpie Wood £2k

11.4 Works & Services Project Line 2020/21
Members are asked to CONSIDER and, if so minded, APPROVE the virement of £5,000 to cover committee projects.

11.5 Committee Draft Budget 2021/22
Members are asked to CONSIDER and, if so minded, APPROVE the committee budget for recommendation to full Council in December. APPENDIX I

11.6 Council Budget 2021/22
Following each committee’s consideration of their budget meetings with committee chairman and vice chairman members are asked to CONSIDER and, if so minded, APPROVE the budget for recommendation to full Council in December. APPENDIX J

11.7 Precept
Members are asked to RECEIVE a short presentation from the chairman of committee with a recommendation that there is no need to increase the Precept as our balances are healthy and therefore a request for 0.0% change in our Precept charged to householders is proposed. However, there could be a slight change to the Precept if the housing numbers vary. APPENDIX K

11.8 Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
Members are asked to NOTE that the current CIL total stands at £45,238.00. £2,480 which needs to be spent by 2021/22, £23,338.58 which needs to be spent by 2022/23 and £19,416.08 which needs to be spent by 2023/24.

AGENDA ITEM 12
Questions from council members and the public
A maximum of fifteen minutes will be given to members of the public, who may make representations, ask and answer questions and/or give evidence in respect of any item of business included in the agenda. If the chairman of the meeting agrees, representations and questions may be taken at the beginning of the meeting. Members of the public wishing to speak at the beginning of the meeting should inform the Clerk of this request as soon as possible.

AGENDA ITEM 13
Accounts for Payment
Accounts for payment are to be circulated at the meeting for consideration by councillors.

Confidential items – exclusion of public and press
In view of the confidential nature of the business to be considered it is RECOMMENDED that the committee resolve to exclude the public and press from the remainder of the meeting as permitted under the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960.

AGENDA ITEM 14
Confidential Item – Staff Panel Report
Members are asked to RECEIVE a short presentation from the Chairman of the committee with a view to making recommendations for approval at full Council. APPENDIX L

Date and time of next meeting: Thursday 11 February 2021 @ 7pm – TBC

Meeting link:

Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer or mobile app
Click here to join the meeting
Or call in (audio only)
+44 1494 362643,,261765865# United Kingdom, High Wycombe
Phone Conference ID: 261 765 865#
Find a local number | Reset PIN