Meeting Agenda:
Full Council
| Meeting Date: | Monday 9 May 2022 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 19:30 |
| Councillors | Jon Aldridge, Angela Baker Vice-Chairwoman, Sarah Compton, Alan Damodaran, Michael Gemmell Smith, Vic Jennings, Alan Layland, Nick Lloyd, Margot McArthur, Stuart McGregor, Angela Read, Peter Smith, Stephen Sumner, Steve Taylor, Bob Todd Chairman. |
| Committee: | Full Council |
| Venue: | Rickards Hall. 72a High Street Edenbridge, TN8 5AR Kent |
| Notes: | |
| Summary: |
Agenda
Minutes
Planning Committee - 22 March (9697-9702);
Planning and Transportation Committee - 4 April (9706-9708);
Planning Committee – 25 April (9714-9716)
| PRE-071 - Minutes of Planning and Transport | 22 March 2022 v.1 |
| PRE-073 - Minutes of Planning and Transport | 04 April 2022 v.1 |
| PRE-075 - Minutes of Planning and Transport | 25 April 2022 v.1 |
21 March (9695-9696a)
| PRE-070 - Minutes of Finance and Governance | 21 March 2022 v.1 |
28 March (9703-9705)
| PRE-072 - Minutes of Emergency Planning | 28 March 2022 v.1 |
11 April (9709-9713)
| PRE-074 - Minutes of Open Spaces | 11 April 2022 v.1 |
Details in the Finance Committee minutes, agenda item 6.
The Parking Groups have not met in the past year, and as matters are currently reported to the Open Spaces Committee, do Members want to consider merging the two parking groups?
Open Spaces Committee oversees any planting programmes and the Community Warden works with the Open Spaces manger/Deputy Clerk and Head Groundsman on planting programmes with the volunteer bulb planters. Is the Planting/wildflowers working group still required?
Aviation Consultation Group have not met for several years, but there are members who follow activities at Gatwick and consultations. Aviation matters is also an agenda item on the Planning and Transportation Committee. Do members want to continue with this working group or are they satisfied that it is represented by the P&T Committee?
Payroll
Some maintenance and waste clearance for Leather Market
Grass cutting and Water Meadow management services
Ground maintenance services, Town Field, playground inspection, weed spraying on residential estate
Maintenance of War Graves Professional services engaged
(software packages for Finance, Assets register, Epitaph and Rickards Hall hire)
(IT support)
(security and fire alarms)
(facilities security management)
(Council insurance broker)
(vehicles)
(internal auditor)
(external auditor)
Streetlights
(legal advice of FOIs, contracts and agreements and other matters)
(HR and H&S support)
(photocopier)
payroll software services
Play Place
(employee assistance/wellbeing mental health programmes) year 2 of 3- year agreement
Do Members confirm the representation for each external body/organisation; and to make changes accordingly?
| Representatives on External Bodies |
Do Members confirm the Council’s Assets and the closing balance for year-end 2021/22 of £4,085,958?
| Fixed Assets register |
The Council’s insurance is renewed July each year. This is the third year of a 3-year agreement. Last year’s premium was £11,559.44. There have been additions for the SID; Monitor; IT for groundstaff; and there will be a claim for the Depot theft.
| Insurance Cover |
Do Members confirm the subscriptions 15.1-15.14?
There are currently no Standing Orders.
Do Members confirm the list of direct debit arrangements, and amendments?
| Direct Debits |
TO CONFIRM THE COUNCIL’S BANKING SIGNATORIES: To confirm the signatories for the
Town Council’s accounts:
| ACCOUNT | Current signatories (min 3 each accounts - 2 signatories required) |
|---|---|
| Barclays | Lloyd, A Layland, M McArthur, B Todd, S McGregor, |
| CCLA | N Lloyd, A Layland, M McArthur, B Todd, |
| Lloyds | A/c to be closed - to appoint 2 members |
| Charity Accounts (Natwest a/cs) | B Todd, M McArthur, N Lloyd |
|
Norman Foundation (Investment accounts |
A Layland, S Mcgregor, M McArthur |
NB: SO and Financial Regs does not specify that signatories need to be Finance Committee members.
Members to confirm and appoint signatories to each account.
The Council’s complaints procedure was reviewed by the solicitors in November 2019, and in 2021. Section 8 was amended and adopted by Council in December 2021.
| Complaints Procedure |
The Communications Policy was adopted in 2018. It is already noted that this needs a full review. Members have received a training session on communications which has prompted strategy review. Some work has started, and the new policy will be presented to Council in due course (pending other work commitments and the appointment of the Communications officer).
| Communications Policy |
To note the Town Council continues to meet the conditions as resolved at its meeting 13 May 2019
The Internal Auditor attended on 28 April; he did a thorough view of the end-of-year accounts, the Council’s reserves and other risk management procedures were covered.
Do members confirm the Internal Auditor’s report?
| Internal Auditor's Report |
A copy of the end-of-year finances is attached with the Bank Reconciliation, and the budget comparisons.
| BALANCES | EOY 31.03.22 |
| General Fund | 250,811.88 |
| CIL Funds - General | 83,934.46 |
| CIL Funds - Allocated | 472,795.00 |
| Ear Marked Reserves | |
| Cemetery | 1,000.00 |
| Election | 11,500.00 |
| Neighbourhood Plan | 15,000.00 |
| Depreciation Equipment & tools | 1,000.00 |
| 10/30 Year Building Plan | 80,117.00 |
| 10/30 Year Plan Open Spaces | 225,064.00 |
| Community Warden | 3,771.00 |
| Staff Reserves | 12,000.00 |
| Grants | 772.25 |
| Projects Carried Over | 7,957.00 |
| EMR total | 358,181.25 |
Do Members confirm the end-of-year financial position?
| Income and Expenditure Accounts |
| Consolidated Balance Sheet |
| Financial Summary Cashbook |
| Bank Reconciliation |
| Financial Budget Comparison |
The Chairman to read out each statement and members to confirm each
| AGAR |
See the financial statements and complete AGAR
Do Members confirm the accounting statement figures for 2021/22?
| Statement of Accounts |
The disclosure must include the nature of the interest. If an interest becomes apparent to a member during the course of a meeting that has not been disclosed under this item, the member must immediately disclose it.
Dual hatted members of the District Council wish to state that although they would be considering planning applications at this meeting they would be reconsidering them at the district level, taking into account all relevant evidence and representations there.
Members of the public, and members with prejudicial interests on items on the Agenda, may make representations, answer, ask questions and give evidence at this meeting in respect of items on the Agenda. (This is the only opportunity for members of the public to make a contribution during the meeting.)
Both public and members are limited to three minutes per person to speak and the total time designated for public questions shall not exceed fifteen minutes unless directed by the Chairman of the meeting.
Since the last meeting report, there has been two further staff cases of coronavirus. Fortunately, there has not been an outbreak affecting service levels. The office continues to maintain safe working procedures.
The Working Group have planned for the Beacon to be installed at Stangrove Park and the lighting at 9.45 pm. The
Beacon will provide a permeant commemorative feature of the Queen’s momentous achievement.
Residents are invited to be part of this and join in to mark this celebration along with the Bonfire Society, the Town Band, the Rotary Club who will be providing bacon buttties, there will be picnics in the park, jubilee memorabilia and dancing to the tunes of the Town Band. Bunting has been purchased and will put up in the High Street on 30 May.
The Council hopes community groups will contribute in any way they wish during the celebration weekend, as well as residents perhaps organising their own street parties.
The Edenbridge (Council) logo to appear on the Shield with no wording.
Do Members confirm the Edenbridge logo on a Shield to be mounted on the Beacon post?
In December 2019 the Council confirmed where appropriate to use legal services of Wilkman Chapman. Below is a list of resolutions and activity from 2019 to date.
| Summary of categories | Actual spend | Resolutions amount |
| Re FOIs & SAR | £ 6,811.50 | £ 8,605.00 |
| Contracts | £ 1,500.00 | £ 1,000.00 |
| Charities | £ 768.00 | £ 4,000.00 |
| Market | £ 1,430.00 | £ 1,430.00 |
| £ 10,509.50 | £ 15,035.00 |
2019-2022
Freedom of Information Requests (FOI): 14
Status Access Requests: 2
Formal Compliant: 1
The above information is for noting and includes four FOIs received in April. Members will continue to be kept informed of activity and further expenditure as and when required.
Following recent Council support for a 40-mph buffer zone scheme, the first £2,500 has been paid to Kent Highways to undertake public consultation phase for the proposed scheme.
Kent Highways has confirmed its initial charge of £2,500 to undertake the public consultation. There may be an additional charge of £570 payable should the proposal receive five or more objections. This would be to cover the cost of producing a report to go to the Joint Transportation Board, who would then debate the proposal and make a recommendation on how to proceed.
In terms of timescales, it is estimated between 9-12 months from the start of the consultation to installation on site. A request has been forwarded to the design consultant who will advise on whether the speed limit can be extended any further back and will give the reasons as to why or why not. Further stage payments will be made to Kent Highways accordingly.
(following a free trial which was extended in September)
At the September Council meeting, Members resolved not to take-up the Rural/Market Towns Group membership; but that this could be reconsidered at a future date if the need arises.
When this was relayed back, the free trial was extended urging Members to reconsider after this extension. The full email was circulated to Members 26 April.
Attached is a summary of its services. Some points from main email:
- now working with the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and if your Council are members of your county ALC organisation and through that automatically of NALC we can offer you a 15% annual subscription
- overnment grant (Funding Distributional) review that the government has announced it would wish to undertake this year (2022-23) and we do need therefore to now demonstrate this particular year the very fullest community backing
- rural services situation is becoming increasingly dire in many rural areas, and we need parliamentarians to be picking up and arguing our case. They will do this if we can show sufficient local support
Do Members want to join Rural/Market Towns Group and approve the annual membership of £85?
| Rural Market Town Group |
Food Act 1984, Part III (52) A market authority may appoint the days on which, and the hours during which, markets are to be held. See the attached declaration.
Do Member confirm and declare the legal power to use Part III of the Food Act 1984?
| Declaration of Market Powers |
revious Council meeting considered if the ATM should be scheduled later in the spring period.
To consider:
March
- March is before other significant Council meetings
- It is before May elections and the purdah period which typically begins six weeks before an election
- March allows promoting ‘becoming a councillor’ prior to the election period in an election year
- First Monday of March is established, but could be changed in the month
Other months - April/May
- End of March/April risks clashing with Easter period and holidays so the calendar date (i.e., first Monday of the month) would change each year
- Lighter evenings and hopefully warmer, could attract more people to come out
- April is busy with year-end administration
- In an election year, after mid-May would mean a newly elected Council would have to present the meeting, this would be immediately into their tenure
- May has two bank holidays (normally)
- Annual Meeting of the Town Council takes place in May
Other considerations. Edenbridge has been fortunate to have consistent good attendance at its ATMs, estimate average 70-80 people. Naturally, when there is a contentious matter (such as significant development) this can influence higher attendance, and the opposite can be seen when there are lesser activities. This is the same for other parishes and towns. Rain tends to reduce numbers. Warmer, lighter evenings potentially more community and social events/activities.
How do Members want to proceed? Do they want to keep the ATM in March of change the month?
The SLCC has written its members to call for action against growing concerns in the sector of the impact of bullying, harassment and intimidation is having on our councils, councillors and staff, and the resulting effectiveness of local councils. In response, the Civility and Respect Project has been founded by the Civility and Respect Working Group and is supported by representatives from across our sector including SLCC, National Association of Local Councils (NALC), County Associations, One Voice Wales (OVW) and councils.
You may know that on 18 March 2022, the government published its response to the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) review and recommendations on local government ethical standards. There is widespread disappointment with the report, and this is echoed by the SLCC’s Chair of the Board, Steve Trice (Town Clerk to Haywards Heath).
Despite the disappointment of the government’s response, the SLCC is hoping to raise this issue in parliament.
Dr Julian Lewis, MP for New Forest East, has tabled an early day motion (EDM) which calls for the government to establish an appropriate and effective sanctions mechanism to deal with local councillors who have been found guilty of bullying and harassment following an independent investigation.
What can you do?
The more MP’s that support this EDM, the more likely it is to get discussed in parliament. An example letter is attached.
Whilst this may not be a specific issue at Edenbridge, it does not mean that it hasn’t been and won’t be in the future. It is, however, an issue for many clerks and council employees across the country as well as councillors.
Do Members support the initiative to promote civility in public life for councillors and staff working in the sector and in doing so to support raising concerns with the local MP Tom Tugendhat?
| Model letter to MP |
Following the break-in at the Depot in March, the door to the mess area was damaged and will need to be replaced. It is currently secured with a temporary metal plate. To replace the door and frame will be costly, although covered by the insurance.
However, the proposal is to replace the door and frame with a heavy-duty security door. It would be hoped that the insurance would contribute towards this but is yet to be confirmed. Three quotes have been received ranging from £3k to £4,917.
This would a buildings cost, potentially with a buildings budget overspend as it has not been budgeted for.
Do members support changing the rear door at the Depot to a heavy-duty steel door and the expenditure of up to £3,650.
None