Present: Councillor K Muller (Chairman) Mr J Ansell Mr N Dunn Mr G Fletcher Mrs J France Mr M Pack Mrs L Parkins Minutes of the Meeting of Great Marlow Parish Council held at Bovingdon Green Village Hall on Thursday 25 February 2016 at 7 p.m. Clerk Mr P Druce C. 92/15 CHAIRMAN S WELCOME The Chairman welcomed on board new Councillor Mrs J France, co-opted to the Council, returning to the Council having served a number of years ago. Councillor Mrs France having completed the acceptance of office; register of interest and council tax setting precept dispensation forms immediately prior to this meeting. C. 93/15 APOLOGIES There were no apologies for absence from Parish Councillors, However District Councillors for the Greater Marlow Ward: Councillors D Barnes and M Harris sent their apologies along with County Councillor Mrs J Teesdale. C. 94/15 MINUTES The Minutes of the Parish Council meeting of 28 January 2016 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chairman, with the following amendments noted: The expenditure to date featured 85/15 should have read 10 months to January, not 9 months; and Page 4, 87/15 (d) the shop in Clay Lane for the proposed notice board siting was Westside Fruiterers C. 95/15 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST There were no declarations of interest. C. 96/15 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION QUESTIONS AND INFORMATION There was no public participation or questions, no members of the public being present. C. 97/15 MATTERS ARISING FROM MINUTES There were no matters arising from the Minutes. 1
C. 98/15 ACCOUNTS AND EXPENDITURE The following accounts were presented for payment: Peter Druce (wages February 2016) 2082 158.40 Peter Druce (mileage) 2083 6.30 SSE (Supply January 2016) 2085 154.42 SSE Contracting (Maintenance January 2016) 2086 124.19 TOTAL 443.31 The Meeting also noted the following spend to date figures: GREAT MARLOW PARISH COUNCIL 2015/16 EXPENDITURE ELEVEN MONTHS TO FEBRUARY 2016 Budget Budget Spend varianc e final to date to date Clerk salary 1,950 1,788 1,803-15 office allowance 500 458 500-42 mileage/expenses 500 458 81 377 2,950 2,704 2,384 320 Councillor allowances Chairman 100 100 100 0 Councillors 350 350 229 121 450 450 329 121 Non-discretionary spend Street lighting 4,000 3,667 4,876-1,209 Insurance 400 400 430-30 Audit 200 0 250-250 Hire of halls 200 183 180 3 4,800 4,250 5,736-1,486 Discretionary spend Advertising, stationery, postage and telephone 400 367 42 325 Subscriptions 300 275 304-29 Sundry 350 321 84 237 Election expenses 500 500 159 341 Dog bin 150 138 290-152 Website 300 275 24 251 Training 500 458 0 458 2,500 2,333 903 1,431 2
VAT recovered 1,533 1,533 interest 3 3 Support Grant 0 TOTAL 10,700 9,738 7,816 1,922 The Meeting also discussed the mileage, car parking and travel expenses as a whole incurred by Councillors in respect of training events attended. It was decided that these should be claimable; Members should not be out of pocket in this respect. It was agreed that the standard HMRC rate of 45p per mile should be paid for any specific trip over 10miles, similarly train travel costs incurred along with parking costs. RESOLVED; That mileage and travel costs be paid to members attending training events on behalf of the Council as outlined above. C. 99/15 GREAT MARLOW PARISH COUNCIL STAFFING MATTERS The Meeting discussed the need to replace the outgoing Clerk. The Chairman indicating that he was working on a job description and advert currently. The NALC (National Association of Local Council) template contract was also being utilised to this end. The exact number of hours to be advertised was still to be established; at least 8 hours (rather than the current 4) would be needed for the increased work load regarding Tranche 2. Securing an existing clerk from say a neighbouring parish and offering them these additional hours would promote synergies and enable the hours to be curtailed to the said 8. The BALC (Buckinghamshire Association of Local Councils) publication and website would be utilised for any advertisement, this to be duplicated on the WDC intranet and to be circulated amongst local parish clerks when agreed. C. 100/15 NEW ITEMS FOR ACTION OR DECISION a) Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC) Tranche 2 Devolution The Chairman introduced the item, referring to the contract previously circulated. Members referred to their enquiries with various providers which were still ongoing. There were member concerns regards the long list of tasks featured on the schedule to which the Council appeared to be committing itself by signing the contract. The Chairman was tasked with enquiring further of BCC (Buckinghamshire County Council) regards the exact details of the contract, delegated authority being given to the Clerk in consultation with the Chairman to obtain the Chairman s signature on the contract and submit to the Devolution office at BCC. Members were assured of the Public Liability cover afforded by the current insurance in respect of these planned increased responsibilities. b) Joint Consultative Committee (Air Park) 3
Councillor Pack & Dunn were scheduled to attend the next Joint Consultative Committee meeting on Tuesday 8 March 2016. c) GMPC Community Speedwatch. The previous session had been in some ways a great success as no speeding had been recorded during the entire 40 minutes. A next date of Thursday 17 March 2016 was pencilled in members diaries. d) GMPC Website and media Communications Councillor Fletcher reported on the press coverage given by the Maidenhead Advertiser in respect of the Council s decision to take on the Tranche 2 devolution and the precept setting. Site visit figures in respect of the website were circulated. The notices on both the website and boards in respect of the vacancies had been amended to feature the one vacancy only. In respect of the notice board construction quotation it was agreed that a second quote to ensure competitiveness was to be obtained. e) High Heavens Liaison Committee The High Heaven Liaison Committee were due to meet on Tuesday 12 April 2016 Councillors Mrs J France & M Pack were due to attend, when they would endeavour to establish the exact vehicle movements permitted and carried out in respect of the site. C. 101/15 CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTS FOR INFORMATION i) Correspondence received The receipt of an invitation from the Chairman of Wycombe District Council to his annual reception was reported. ii) Reports from Councillors from Outside Bodies Councillor Mrs Parkins reported on the Local Area Forum attended, at which an update from Local Technician Steve Underwood was given in respect of TfB (Transport for Bucks) activities. Pot hole repairs and gully emptying were reported on, whilst attendees were given the opportunity to nominate 2 or 3 roads for prioritisation re repair. The lack of genuine Parish input into the local priorities budget despite trying was reported. The mobile speed sign that the parish would like to acquire seemed to have dropped off of the listings. The democracy of the LAF was open to question Councillor Fletcher updated the meeting on the Marlow Society meeting attended, specifically: the refusal of a solar farm development reported, Marlow Town Council grass cutting plans and a reported 15m budget for road repairs agreed by BCC for the entirety of Buckinghamshire 2016-17. iii) Comments by Councillors It was agreed that if possible Councillors Pack, Mrs France and Muller were to be enrolled on the WDALC internal audit training lined up for Tuesday 15 March 2016, Councillor Fletcher who had previously enrolled being unable to make it. The re-scheduling of the Council s Thursday 23 June 2016 Meeting due to the use of the village hall on that day for the European Referendum was discussed, a first alternative of the preceding day Wednesday 4
22 June 2016 to be explored with the Village Hall representatives, with a second alternative of the following Thursday 30 June 2016. C. 102/15 ANNUAL PARISH MEETING REVIEW This item again to be scheduled on the agenda for discussion at the March Meeting. C. 103/15 QUESTION TIME FOR THE PUBLIC ON MEETING CONTENT There were no members of the public present. C. 104/15 NEXT MEETING The next meeting of the Parish Council was noted as Thursday 24 March 2016. Chairman 5