ENABLING LOCAL COUNCILS IN DORSET TO ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE ANNUAL REPORT

Transcription

1 DAPTC Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils ENABLING LOCAL COUNCILS IN DORSET TO ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE ANNUAL REPORT Sponsored by Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils Annual Report 2016/2017

2 Association Structure President Vice Presidents David Jenkins DL Cllr Janet Page Tony Gibb Cllr Alan Thacker Our Aim: To support local councils in Dorset in achieving excellence. Chairman Vice Chairman Honorary Treasurer Auditor Chief Executive Executive Committee Central Area Eastern Area Northern Area Purbeck Area Western Area Town & Larger Councils Cllr Haydn White Cllr John Parker Steven Pink (Donna Yea - from June 2017) Andrew Notley Hilary Trevorah Cllr Alan Thacker Cllr Jill Barry Cllr Janet Wallace Cllr Penny Yeo Cllr Adrian Hibbard Cllr Simon Firbank Cllr Mike Jones Cllr Crawford May Cllr Peter Bowyer Debbie Weller Cllr Chris Turner Cllr John Broom Cllr Debbie Snook Cllr Chris Turner Cllr Haydn White Cllr Lindsey Dedden Cllr Janet Page Cllr K D Johnson Cllr Jackie Stayt In doing this, DAPTC provides advice, support, training and assistance to its member councils, many of whom employ only one official, the Clerk, usually on a part-time basis. The advice and support offered by DAPTC is backed-up by the Association s links with the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) to which it is affiliated. Contents: President s Forward Chairman s Report Chief Executive s Report DAPTC wins national award for health project Treasurer s Report Our Sponsors Advert List of Member Council and Parish Meetings Acknowledgements: Our thanks go to all who have helped the Association during the year, particularly: Dorset County Council Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group The officers of the District Councils in Dorset All members of the Executive Committee Councillors and Clerks of member councils who have contributed to the running of Area and Town and Larger Councils Committees. All Area Secretaries Tony Gibb, Cllr Janet Page & Cllr Hadyn Front Cover: The Micro Museum set up in the newly refurbished phone box. Submitted by James Nalty, from The Stours Grouped Parish Council. Annual Report 2016/ Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils Annual Report 2016/ Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils

3 President s Forward Review of 2016/2017 As I write this, a response is still awaited from the Secretary of State to the submission made by the County Council, the two unitary councils, and three of the six borough and district councils, for a new local government structure of two unitary authorities in Dorset. There is not yet a unanimous view among all seven principal authorities as to what future arrangements will best serve the people of Dorset, as money becomes ever tighter. This Association has ensured that parish and town councils have been participants in the debate, and we will continue to ensure that the views of local councils are sought and are taken into account, both in what the overall local government structure should be, and on what the arrangements should be for the delivery of local services, under whatever structure emerges. It is encouraging that there seems to be general agreement that, whatever the future arrangements for principal authorities, there will be an increasingly important role for those parish and town councils that wish to take it up. The Association has been active over the last year in supporting member councils in preparing for new opportunities. It was very pleasing to receive at the Association s AGM last year from the Chief Executive of the National Association of Local Councils their Star Award for Project of the Year, in recognition of our work with NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group to involve local councils in the development of NHS services. The theme for our very well attended annual conference in March was Preparing for Change. Delegates were enthused to hear from Baroness Scott, the Leader of Wiltshire (unitary) Council, and from Sarah Jefferies, clerk of a number of Wiltshire local councils, about how the two tiers worked together there in the interests of their local communities. It was also very pleasing at that conference to see awards presented to those local councils whose members had been most active in undertaking training provided through the Association, to help them prepare for the future. The Association is supporting clerks of councils large and small to gain their Certificate of Local Council Administration. It is good to see the importance of the professional commitment of clerks recognised in this way. A particular highlight of the past year for me was to be able in May to present to Blandford Forum Town Council the Quality Gold Award under the National Association of Local Councils accreditation scheme. This is the highest category under the scheme and Blandford Forum are the first local council in Dorset to have achieved it. Congratulations to them, and I hope that they are the first of many. Once again, I pay tribute to Hilary, Debbie and Lisa, our small, part time, but highly competent officer team, for all they do to support the Association and member councils, and to all the members of our Executive and Area groups who contribute so much to ensure that the voices of parish and town councils in Dorset are heard. David Jenkins DL DAPTC President Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils 3 Annual Report 2016/2017

4 Chairman s Report 2016/ An interesting and challenging year for DAPTC This is my first report as Chairman of the Association and I would like to start by thanking the members of the Executive for their hard work and support throughout the year. I am particularly grateful to have had the advice and guidance of our former Chairman, Haydn White, as our Vice Chairman. I would also like to acknowledge the very valuable advice of our President whose vast experience of principal authority matters has been very helpful in clarifying issues around Dorset s proposed Local Government Restructure, enabling us to keep our members aware and up to date. It has been an interesting and challenging year. The Association took on a new challenge when it contracted with the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to assist it in reaching out to communities, particularly hard to reach communities, to encourage response to its Clinical Services Review. I am pleased to report that, with the support and co-operation of our members and our community networking, this venture went very well and the CCG seem very pleased with the results achieved. This success gives me reason to believe that there is potential for using our membership and communications network to contract with other public services for mutual benefit in the future. Taking on a new challenge, together with upcoming changes to the audit arrangements for parish and town councils, the introduction of the new national accreditation scheme for local councils and, of course, the need to ensure our involvement in the future shape of local government in Dorset, has undoubtedly put strain on our very limited officer resource. In order to try and optimise our officer resource the Association conducted a staffing review which has resulted in amendments to job descriptions and hours worked all agreed by the staff and the Executive Committee. This work was greatly assisted by advice from our honorary treasurer and the Human Resources Department at Dorset County Council. Continuous improvement and professionalism is important in every organisation and we are no exception. We must do so if we are to maintain and improve our current good standing with partners. It will also be necessary to give us the best chance of ensuring that, on behalf of our members, our voice is heard and considered in whatever changes occur to the structure of local government in Dorset. With this in mind, I have, at the time of writing, had preliminary talks with the President and the Chief Executive about the Association s strategic direction particularly with regard to financial planning and the enhancement and improvement of our training programmes. These issues will be discussed with the Executive Committee and a way forward will be decided. It will continue to be interesting and challenging in the coming year but I am sure that we can work together to further enhance and develop the reputation of the Association. I started by thanking the members of the Executive Committee and would like to finish by echoing our President s tribute to our hard working and very talented officers. Cllr John Parker DAPTC Chairman Annual Report 2016/ Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils

5 Chief Executive s Report The work of the association Above: The DAPTC Executive Committee and Officers in December Introduction was a very busy year for the Association, with the introduction of new schemes and projects as well as ensuring that our members were fully aware of many important consultations on proposals for changes to public services. Proposals for change in Local Government Consultation on proposals for unitary councils was carried out during Autumn To ensure that Dorset parish and town councils were able to participate as fully as possible, DAPTC hosted three workshops throughout the county in September. The content of the workshops was facilitated by an independent research company and our members made an enormous effort to attend these evening sessions. At the time of writing, no news has been received on the Government s response to proposals for unitary councils. The Association takes the view that the parish and town councils must be consulted on any future changes and respected as the most local tier of local government in Dorset. I am promoting this message to all tiers of local government in any meetings that I attend. All individual parish and town councils have their own views on local government reorganisation and the Association is constantly striving to make sure that they can be part of plans for any changes to services. As well as liaising with district and county councils, the DAPTC Chairman and I met Dorset MPs at the end of March as part of a NALC Lobby Day at the House of Commons. All Dorset MPs were invited and we were very fortunate that three were available on that day: Simon Hoare (North Dorset), Oliver Letwin (West Dorset) and Michael Tomlinson (Mid Dorset and North Poole). We took the opportunity to stress the value of our members knowledge of their communities as well as raising issues such as business rates. I also had the opportunity to visit the Smaller Councils Team at the Department for Communities and Local Government to talk about barriers to improvements in local service delivery and practical ways to overcome them. Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils 5 Annual Report 2016/2017

6 Chief Executive s Report The work of the Association DAPTC 2016 Annual General Meeting Above: The 2016 DAPTC AGM held in the DCC Council Chamber As well as welcoming 59 representatives from member Parish and Town Councils across Dorset, DAPTC also welcomed Cllr Robert Gould, Leader of Dorset County Council, Simon Hoare, MP for North Dorset and Jonathan Owen, Chief Executive of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) to our 2016 Annual General Meeting. The meeting as usual was held in the Council Chamber and because of the large number of representatives it was almost full. The very busy business meeting, which saw David Jenkins re-elected to the post of President, the adoption of the Annual Report and the Accounts for the past financial year, also included discussion on seven motions put forward by DAPTC Member Councils. After coffee and an opportunity to visit exhibitors there were presentations from Dr Karen Kirkham, Assistant Clinical Chair of NHS Dorset CCG who gave an update of the NHS Dorset CCG Clinical Services Review Public Consultation. NALC Chief Executive Jonathan Owen then spoke on devolution and the future roles for parish and town councils. Above: A very busy AGM lunch time visit to exhibitors and an opportunity for networking with other parish and town councillors. Annual Report 2016/ Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils

7 Chief Executive s Report The work of the Association Working Together Dorset Highways - Non-essential highway maintenance works This project aims to encourage closer and improved working between principal authorities, such as county and district, and the parish and town council tier. The county council has put considerable officer time into the project together with town and parish clerks and my input. Improvements in co-ordination on highway matters has always been something our members are interested in. As a result, Dorset Highways set out options for parish and town councils to consider implementing to enable non-essential and minor maintenance items to be carried out in their areas. The list of work was presented by Dorset County Council s Head of Highways at the DAPTC area meetings in July and at the DAPTC Clerks Seminar in September. I liaised with NALC advisors and Dorset County Council to set out a legal framework for town and parish councils that wanted to get involved in the highway maintenance options. DAPTC Conference Getting ready for change Whatever the outcome with proposals for unitary councils, there will be inevitable changes to the delivery of services which will impact on parish and town councils. In response to the considerable discussion at our events in the last few months, a range of speakers were invited to the annual conference to talk about different ways of working and options available when planning for the future. National, regional and local examples were given to illustrate a wide range of ideas. Baroness Scott of Byfleet OBE, Leader of Wiltshire Council, (shown right) spoke on the relationship between a unitary council and local councils. Total number of delegates at the conference was 68, of which a total of 52 town and parish councils were represented by either their clerk or a councillor(s). The bookings were initially limited to one delegate per council to ensure as many councils as possible were represented. After a stated date, all councils were offered the opportunity to send additional delegates. Right : 2016 DAPTC Conference Speaker Baroness Scott of Byfleet OBE, Leader of Wiltshire Council. Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils 7 Annual Report 2016/2017

8 Chief Executive s Report The work of the Association DAPTC training and events for councillor development - New Awards Our training for focussed on keeping both new and more experienced councillors and clerks up to date. Parish & town councils actively committed to councillor training received public recognition in a new awards scheme which we started in April The awards were presented to councils at the Annual Conference in March The DAPTC celebrated the number of councillors from each parish or town council that attended its range of seminars, conferences and update events held in 2016/17. Certificates, for public display in each council s meeting place, publicise the council s percentage of councillors participating in events to widen and update their knowledge of the many factors that can help them serve their communities. The certificates show: Single star = 30 per cent Double star = 60 per cent Triple star = Over 90 per cent Simultaneously, DAPTC events have been re-designed to offer: An easier pace of instruction for essential legal and procedural essentials More opportunities for councillors to swap ideas, share experiences and network A range of evening and weekend events Bespoke events available on application At the end of the first year of the scheme, Star Award certificates were awarded to 20 Dorset town and parish councils who had sent at least 30 to 60 per cent of their councillors on training and development in the last 12 months. Four councils achieved over 60 per cent; Beaminster (64), Bourton (89), Marnhull (82) and Studland (67). We hope to give awards for over 90 per cent next year! Local councillors have a wealth of experience and local knowledge which can be shared with other councillors. DAPTC certificates are a tangible sign of each council s commitment to seeking out new opportunities for its community. Annual Report 2016/ Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils

9 Chief Executive s Report The work of the Association THANK YOU! There are so many people who help us on a voluntary basis. A big thank you to Tony Gibb and Janet Page who help us deliver our training and to the clerks who share their knowledge and experience at clerks events. Thank you also to our volunteer area secretaries who support area meetings. The association is very fortunate to have hard working Executive Committee members, Area Chairmen plus representatives that attend NALC meetings. Everyone appreciates how the representatives of our member councils turn out so regularly to events, giving up precious time in busy lives, often travelling in poor weather, to get involved and have their say on behalf of their communities. Thank you so much for your support to the Association. DAPTC elections and appointments President David Jenkins DL was elected as President at the 2016 AGM. Vice Presidents Cllr Alan Thacker, Cllr Janet Page and Tony Gibb were elected as Vice Presidents at the 2016 AGM Executive Committee Cllr Haydn White confirmed that he did not wish to stand for re-election as Chairman. Cllr John Parker was elected as Chairman for a first term with Cllr Haydn White elected as Vice- Chairman. Lindsey Dedden was elected to continue as NALC Representative. Many members of the Executive Committee represented the DAPTC at several Dorset public organisations meetings throughout the year. NALC Smaller Councils Committee Cllr John Parker was elected as a member of this NALC Committee. DAPTC Area Meetings Chairmen for were: Central Cllr Alan Thacker Eastern - Cllr Janet Wallace Northern - Cllr John Parker Purbeck Debbie Weller West Cllr Chris Turner Town & Larger Parishes Committee Cllr Chris Turner Hilary Trevorah Chief Executive Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils 9 Annual Report 2016/2017

10 DAPTC wins national award for health project DAPTC supports the NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group with it s communication network The Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils (DAPTC) has achieved national recognition for an innovative communication project. The Association has gained an award for the way it has worked with the NHS to encourage hard to reach groups to get involved in changes to health services. NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group used DAPTC s communication network with town and parish councils to get information out to communities especially in the more remote areas of the county. Methods of communication ranged from meetings to digital media. The National Association of Local Councils decided it was the top project of the year by a county association. Above: NALC Chief Executive Jonathan Owen (2nd left) presenting the award to DAPTC Chief Executive Hilary Trevorah and then Chairman Cllr Haydn White. A judging panel including representatives from the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Local Government Association and the Society of Local Council Clerks felt that: The Dorset Association stood out as a winner because of their innovative engagement and communications support for the NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for its clinical services review. The Dorset Association acts as a gateway for local councils and local councillors to feed in their views into the CCG to help improve heath and care services in the county, which reflects the changing economy and society. The county association was particularly proactive in helping to obtain feedback from certain hard to reach groups such as councils and communities in more remote areas. Councillor Haydn White commented: Parish and town councillors are very close to their immediate communities. Everyone feels very passionately about their local health services so our Association was very pleased to help get the message across about how people could get involved in plans for future NHS services. Annual Report 2016/ Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils

11 Treasurer s Report The Income and Expenditure final position for 2016/2017 The budget for the year 2016/17 was agreed at the December 2015 Executive Committee. The budget was set at a surplus of 5,422 for the year. The final position was 107,397 expenditure and 124,007 income, resulting in a surplus of 16,610. The Training Partnership holding account The DCTP has been absorbed into the main budget under a training income line, venue hire and training course expenses lines. The Balance Sheet The Current Assets section of the DAPTC Balance Sheet is represented by the cash balances in the three active bank accounts, at 81,929.59, and outstanding debtors of 150, totalling 82, Current Liabilities (amounts earmarked as owed to others) stands at 9,568.44, and a breakdown of these liabilities is shown at the bottom of the Balance Sheet. The liabilities mainly relate to costs owed to Dorset County Council for which the invoices had not been received by year end. The reserves of the DAPTC now stand at 72, The separate Dorset County Training Partnership fund now stands at nil. Auditors Recommendations The DAPTC s auditor, Mr Notley, has now audited the accounts. No adjustments were required. Conclusion Building on the solid performance from the last financial year should be seen in a positive light. The DAPTC have continued to increase returns through their training courses and additional funding through the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group and the hosting workshops as part of the Local Government Reorganisation consultation. However, this also comes with increased expectation, workload and cost. The year-end surplus has bolstered the reserves to over 72K providing great financial stability for the medium to long-term future of DAPTC. Despite a successful year, the financial strategy of DAPTC going forward still needs to ensure that the general reserve is maintained at a reasonable level and not eroded significantly over time. Steven Pink Honorary Treasurer April 2017 Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils 11 Annual Report 2016/2017

12 Balance Sheet as at 31st March 2017 Annual Report 2016/ Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils

13 Income and Expenditure 2016/2017 Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils 13 Annual Report 2016/2017

14 Vision ICT - Sponsors of the DAPTC Annual Report Annual Report 2016/ Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils

15 Vision ICT - Sponsors of the DAPTC Annual Report Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils 15 Annual Report 2016/2017

16 WESTERN PURBECK NORTHERN EASTERN CENTRAL Member Councils and Parish Meetings Bishops Caundle Bradford Abbas Bradford Peverell Broadmayne Buckland Newton Cam Vale Cerne Valley Charminster Cheselbourne Chesil Bank Chetnole and Stockwood Chickerell Town Comptons, Toller and Wynford Crossways Dewlish Dorchester Town Folke Frampton Frome Valley High Stoy Holwell Knightsford Leigh Long Bredy and Kingston Russell Maiden Newton Melcombe Horsey Osmington Owermoigne Piddle Valley Portland Town Puddletown Area Purse Caundle Queen Thorne Sherborne Town Stinsford Stratton Sydling St Nicholas Thornhackett Toller Porcorum Winterborne Farringdon Winterborne St Martin Winterbourne Abbas & Steepleton Yeohead and Castleton Yetminster and Ryme Intriseca Alderholt Burton Colehill Corfe Mullen Cranborne and Edmonsham Ferndown Town Gussage St Michael Holt Hurn Knowlton Pamphill and Shapwick Sixpenny Handley with Pentridge St Leonards and St Ives Sturminster Marshall Vale of Allen Verwood Town West Moors West Parley Wimborne Minster Town Ashmore Blandford Forum Town Blandford St Mary Bourton Bryanston Buckhorn Western and Kington Magna Charlton Marshall Child Okeford Compton Abbas Durweston Farnham Fifehead Magdalen Fontmell Magna Gillingham Town Glansvilles Wootton Hazelbury Bryan Hilton Hinton St Mary Ibberton Iwerne Courtney and Stepleton Iwerne Minster Lower Winterborne Lydlinch Manston and Hammoon Marnhull Melbury Abbas and Cann Milborne St Andrew Milton Abbas Motcombe Okeford Fitzpaine Orchards and Margaret Marsh Pimperne Shaftesbury Town Shillingstone Silton South Tarrant Valley Spetisbury Stalbridge Town Stourpaine Stourton Caundle Sturminster Newton Town Sutton Waldron Tarrant Gunville Tarrant Hinton Tarrant Monkton and Launceston The Stours Winterborne Houghton Winterborne Stickland Winterborne Whitechurch Affpuddle and Turnerspuddle Arne Bere Regis Chaldon Herring Church Knowle Corfe Castle East Lulworth East Stoke Langton Matravers Lytchett Matravers Lytchett Minster and Upton Town Morden Moreton Studland Swanage Town Wareham St Martin Wareham Town West Lulworth Winfrith and East Knighton Wool Worth Matravers Allington Askerswell Beaminster Town Bothenhampton and Walditch Bradpole Bridport Town Broadwindsor Burton Bradstock Char Valley Charmouth Chideock Corscombe, Halstock and District Evershot Litton Cheney Loders Lyme Regis Town Melbury Osmond Mosterton Netherbury Parrett and Axe Powerstock and North Poorton Puncknowle and Swyre Shipton Gorge Symondsbury Thorncombe Upper Marshwood Vale Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils Colliton Annexe, Colliton Park, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1XJ Tel: Website: Annual Report 2016/ Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils