Agenda: Parish Council Meeting on 7 October 2020
Full agenda for the meeting of the Parish Council being held remotely on 7 October 2020
Download a copy of the meeting agenda by clicking here.
Meeting Details
Day/Date: Wednesday 7 October 2020
Time: 7.30 pm
Meeting to be held remotely, via video-link
Platform: Zoom
Access: Please click on the link below to join
Notes for Members of the Public
- This meeting is being held remotely in accordance with regulations made under S.78 of the Coronavirus Act 2020. There are, therefore, no paper copies of the agenda or the accompanying documents.
- All documents (other than those which are restricted) can be accessed from the Parish Council’s website — www.shavingtononline.co.uk.
- If you wish to make a statement, or ask a question under the Public Question Time slot, please ensure that you submit this in writing, by email to clerk@shavingtononline.co.uk by no later than Tuesday, 6 October 2020.
- Please join the meeting 10 minutes before its commencement to enable the Clerk to make a note of the full complement of speakers.
1 APOLOGIES
2 DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
Members to declare any (a) disclosable pecuniary interest; (b) personal interest; or © prejudicial interest which they have in any item of business on the agenda, the nature of that interest, and in respect of disclosable interests and prejudicial interests, to withdraw from the meeting prior to the discussion of that item.
In these circumstances, the Chairman will control the ‘presence’ of the appropriate Member and give him/her a time slot at which he/she can re-join the meeting.
Members are referred to the Code of Conduct for guidance (issued with the agenda papers for Annual Council on 8 May 2019 and adopted at that meeting).
Whilst the Clerk can advise on the Code of Conduct and its interpretation, the decision to declare, or not, is the responsibility of the Parish Councillor, based on the circumstances.
3 MINUTES (PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS)
To approve as correct records, the following minutes:
- 15 July 2020
- 23 July 2020
- 2 September 2020 [to follow]
- 17 September 2020 (Extra-ordinary meeting) [to follow]
4 PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
Members of the public are able to ask questions under the Parish Council’s Standing Orders and have been asked to submit their questions in writing by no later than Tuesday, 6 October 2020.
5 POLICE MATTERS — BEAT MANAGER’S REPORT
To receive a copy of the Beat Manager’s Report. These are forwarded to Members as and when they arrive. At the date of publication of the agenda, there have been no recent reports.
6 BOROUGH COUNCILLOR DAVID MARREN
GUIDE TIME (10 MINUTES)
6.1 Report
Councillor David Marren to report on Cheshire East Council matters of interest and provide an update in respect of outstanding parish matters. Councillor Marren’s report will be e-mailed to Members under separate cover.
6.2 Questions
Members are able to ask questions of Councillor Marren in respect of his report presented under item 6.1 above. This is limited to Councillors and is not an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions.
7 NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
To report that the Independent Examiner has confirmed a number of procedural matters and issued the enclosed letter which requires uploading onto the Parish Council’s website.
In addition, the Examiner has posed a number of questions for clarification by the Parish Council. These were issued to Members on 25 September 2020. As these are points of clarification only, this is a task which the Steering Group can carry out without reference back to the Parish Council, but its responses should be submitted to the Council for information, preferably prior to reporting to the Independent Examiner.
8 PLANNING
Members are asked to provide in writing to the Clerk, at least 24 hours before the meeting, any observations they wish to make on the proposed Traffic Regulation Order (8.1), the White Paper (8.2), or the planning applications (8.3). This will not only enable the Clerk to ensure that an accurate record is made, but will also reduce the time taken in hand-writing what can sometimes be a lengthy list of observations and inevitably can lead to errors in recording.
In the interests of transparency, it will still be necessary for Members to summarise any objections/observations they have. This is to ensure that members of the public attending the meeting are aware of the proposed comments.
8.1 Proposed Order- One-Way Operation — Part of Main Road
The Parish Council is invited to comment on the proposal to introduce a one-way operation on part of Main Road. The following documents are enclosed.
- Notice of Proposal
- Plan
- Draft Order
- Statement of Reasons (amended)
The deadline date for comments is 14 October 2020.
8.2 White Paper: Planning for the Future
The Parish Council is invited to comment on the enclosed White Paper by the deadline date of 15 October 2020.
8.3 Planning Applications
20/4113N
Land at Gresty Road, Shavington Full planning permission for development of a new care-home facility including access, associated landscaping and infrastructure.
Deadline date for observations: 28 October 2020
20/4251N
12 Burlea Drive, Shavington, CW2 5BZ
Proposed kitchen extension and internal works
Deadline date for observations: 28 October 2020
8.4 Southern Planning Committee — 30 September 2020
Planning Application №20/0604N (The Elephant and Castle Inn)
Councillor McIntyre attended the Southern Planning Committee on 30 September 2020 to speak on behalf of the Parish Council in respect of planning application №20/0604N which was considered by the Parish Council at its extra-ordinary meeting on 17 September 2020.
Councillor McIntyre will report the outcome.
9 FINANCIAL MATTERS
9.1 Receipts & Payments Statement — 1 April — 11 September 2020
To receive a Receipts and Payments Statement for both the main Parish Council account and the Village Hall account for the period 1 April — 11 September 2020.
9.2 Budget Monitoring Report — 1 April — 11 September 2020
To receive a budget monitoring statement for the period to 11 September 2020; there are no bank statements available beyond this date.
9.3 Software Accounting Package
As requested at the last meeting, the Clerk sought a quotation from Scribe for an accounting package which would be appropriate for the Parish Council. This is now enclosed.
The accounting package has been designed specifically for local councils and is able to produce the reports which are required by the Internal and External Auditors at the end of each financial year.
The Clerk has been able to take part in a demonstration and is confident that this would be appropriate and recommends that the quotation be accepted.
The subscription fee is £54 per month net (£648.00 pa). The price structure is tiered-based on the size of a Parish Council.
As this is part-way through a financial year, if the Parish Council wishes to commence immediately, Scribe has provided an additional quote for a total set-up and data entry service for the current financial year (£399 net). The Clerk would provide all the financial data from 1 April 2020–30 September 2020 and Scribe would then set-up all cost centres, codes with budget assignment and addition of bank accounts/balances. If this is accepted by the Parish Council, full training will be given to the Clerk and she will then continue the process to the end of the financial year.
Another option, but not yet quoted for, is to ask Scribe to set up the system, but not provide the data entry service for the current financial year.
The Parish Council is invited to consider the quotations.
9.4 Internal Audit — Engagement Letter
To receive an engagement letter from JDH Business Services Ltd. setting out its own responsibilities and those of the Parish Council, during the internal audit process.
9.5 Laptop and associated equipment for Community Manager
To report that a Microsoft Surface Laptop 3, and headphones, has been ordered for the Community Manager.
The cost is £1,570.98 plus £314.20 VAT (Total £1,885.17). This is to be funded from the allocation of £2,000 (Line 9 on the Budget Monitoring Statement — item 9.2 above).
9.6 Clerk’s Delegated Actions
At its meeting held on 15 July 2020, the Parish Council agreed to extend the Social Media retainer with Brave Little Tank, to terminate 30 days after a Community Manager had been appointed.
Subsequent to that, the Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman, authorised the extension of the Social Media retainer to the end of December 2020. This was to allow the first three months of the Community Manager’s role to be treated as an introductory period until he had been able to familiarise himself with the job requirements.
9.7 Update on Audit Issues
The following are the specific audit issues raised by the Internal Auditor. These were addressed at the meeting held on 2 September 2020 and the majority require no further action at this stage.
(a) The budgeting process which underpins the setting of the precept must be improved to take account of all known expenditure.
The Council does not accept that the process is flawed but does acknowledge that an error was made during the process for 2019–2020.
No further action required.
(b) The Council must ensure that it makes proper provision for the exercise of public rights for each financial year.
The notice for the exercise of public rights for 2020–21 has been published correctly.
No further action required.
c) Recurring recommendation: The Council to ensure that Members are not given authority to take action on behalf of the Council. This is contrary to S.101 of the Local Government Act 1972.
The Clerk is reviewing the Minutes to try to establish if individual Councillors have taken action on behalf of the Parish Council.
(d) Income systems for the Village Hall could not be tested. The Council needs to urgently re-establish effective internal controls over hall hire to ensure all hall hire documentation is retained and made available for internal audit.
This was considered by the Village Hall Committee at its meeting on 6 August 2020 and agreement reached on the process.
No further action required.
(e) The fixed asset register should equate to last year’s figure from the AGAR, plus the one addition in the year. The register therefore needs to be amended.
The Practitioners’ Guide requires that assets should be valued at purchase cost or an insurance proxy if the purchase cost is not known (that doesn’t change over time;) therefore, the only movement in fixed assets each year should be for additions and disposals and all additions should be at purchase price. The Council needs to review the asset register and disclose the correct value in the AGAR which should equate to the value for fixed assets disclosed in the 2018/19 AGAR.
At the Parish Council meeting held on 23 July 2020, the Parish Council did not accept the fixed assets register as accurate but agreed to leave the value on the AGAR as it was pending a further investigation. The list had not varied, other than to include additions, since the Clerk was appointed in September 2015; however, Members were now of the view that not only was the provenance of all the assets required, but they were also minded to employ a professional valuer to value all, or some, of the assets.
The Parish Council is now invited to set up a Task Group (to be supported by the Clerk) to review the list of fixed assets with a view to adding assets not currently listed, and to consider seeking a professional valuation on all or some of the assets.
(f) VAT Issue — Raised in 2018–2019
The VAT incurred during 2018/2019 has not been reclaimed and is a recurring issue. This is a material issue and relates to the extensive VAT (in excess of the threshold of £7,500) on the Village Hall refurbishment work.
At the meeting held on 2 September 2020, the Parish Council approved a quotation from Afford Bond to enable it to explore the possibility of re-claiming VAT incurred under the ‘occasional breach’ rule.
A formal letter has now been sent to Afford Bond. The work involved will require the Clerk to provide various documents over the last four years.
No further action required at this stage.
(g) VAT not reclaimed on payments made via direct debit had not been claimed.
The Clerk had already indicated to the Internal Auditor that this would be the subject of a separate claim to be made after the financial year end. The Clerk has now submitted this claim to HMRC.
No further action required.
(h) Issues raised in 2018/2019 which need resolution:
Budgetary control. The Council should review its budget analysis and ensure that it can balance the budget for 2019/2020. The Internal Auditor commented that the sum of £10,000 unallocated reserves and the £20,000 for the purchase of a parcel of land may be needed to ensure general cash reserves are in place at the end of the year.
The Council addressed this in 2019–20 by increasing reserves to £25,000 which is 14% of its budget, an increase of 9% over the previous year. This will need to be increased to 25% for 2021–2022.
As this will be dealt with as part of the budget process for 2021–2022, no further action required under audit issues.
The Internal Auditor has stated that delegation to a Councillor under Minute №289 (March 2019) is still outstanding.
This was addressed and the delegation was rescinded on 10 July 2019 with authority being returned to the Clerk; however, the Auditor has also commented (as noted above) that the minutes indicate that councillors continue to commit the Council to expenditure in respect of the Village Hall.
No further action required.
Village Hall Income: There is still a shortfall of £315.00 in Village Hall receipts.
This is to be dealt with by the Finance Committee on 28 October 2020.
Re-valuation of the Village Hall.
To be dealt with as part of the review of Fixed Assets.
S.137 Payments. Omitted from the ledger as a separate identification in 2018–2019; there were no S.137 payments in 2019–2020.
There has been one S.137 payment in 2020–2021 and that has been recorded separately.
No further action required.
9.8 External Audit — 2019–2020
The report of the external auditors, PKF Littlejohn, was expected at the end of September 2020. No response has yet been received. During the external audit of the accounts for 2018–2019, the report was not received until the Clerk followed up later in the year. The report sent was dated September 2019, but the Clerk did not receive it until December 2019.
The Clerk has sent a follow-up email to PKF Littlejohn.
10 PUMPKIN TRAIL (HALLOWEEN EVENT)
The Parish Council is asked to consider joining with St Mark’s Church in running a pumpkin trail event to be run as a joint ‘Shavington Online/Community’ activity.
This has arisen following an approach from a church-worker who is involved with children and families. The event is taking place, but she has asked for the Parish Council’s support to give it a higher profile.
It is proposed that the event be supported under the banner of ‘Shavington Online/Community’ with St Mark’s Church organising and delivering the event itself, and the Parish Council supporting it by producing the maps and advertising the event.
The Chairman of the Community Engagement Committee (Councillor Kevin Gibbs) will speak to this item.
11 WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY
Members are reminded that 23 September 2020 was the deadline date by which Parish Councils were required to comply with the Public Sector Bodies (Website and Mobile Applications) (№2) Accessibility Regulations 2018, or have a plan of action in place to ensure compliance.
Brave Little Tank is currently creating a new website which has yet to be populated, but as this is a new website, it is expected that it will be fully compliant. There have been some scheduling delays and Brave Little Tank has recently met with Tim Dobson to discuss arrangements for preparing content for the website.
A further report will be presented to the November meeting.
12 PARISH COUNCIL VACANCIES
There are two vacancies for parish councillors. These are a consequence of insufficient candidates putting themselves forward at the local elections in May 2019.
The process of co-option was suspended during the pandemic, but it is permitted for candidates to be co-opted by attending a virtual meeting of the Parish Council.
To ensure the widest pool of candidates the Parish Council is asked to agree that these be readvertised in the December newsletter. It is suggested that candidates be encouraged to observe the meeting to be held on 6 January 2021, so that they will be aware of how the Council operates. The co-option could then be held on 3 February 2021.
13 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE
13.1 Membership
The Parish Council is asked to appoint a Member to the Community Engagement Committee.
The current Council membership comprises Councillors Kevin Gibbs, Gordon McIntyre and Ryan Moore with Judith McIntyre as a non-Parish Council Member. The quorum for a meeting is three but this excludes the non-Parish Council Member.
Meetings are arranged ad hoc to suit the availability of all the Members, but if at short notice, one of the Councillors is unable to attend a scheduled meeting, this means that the meeting cannot not take place.
13.2 Remembrance Sunday and ‘Carols at Christmas’
To report that the Community Engagement Committee is meeting on 22 October 2020 to finalise arrangements for Remembrance Sunday (8 November 2020) and ‘Carols at Christmas’.
14 GROUNDS MAINTENANCE — REVIEW OF CONTRACT
At its meeting held on 30 September 2020, the Environment and Recreation Committee reviewed the grounds maintenance contract with Northwich Town Council.
Members of the Committee will report to the meeting.
15 VILLAGE HALL RE-OPENING UP-DATE
Councillors who have been involved in the detailed arrangements for the re-opening of the Village Hall are asked to report.
The hire agreement was updated to reflect Covid-19 arrangements, and the Clerk has asked Lynne Thornton, Solicitor, to confirm that it is acceptable (copy enclosed). Ms Thornton’s response will be reported to the meeting.
16 STREET NAMING
The Parish Council is asked to consider if a letter should be sent to Cheshire East Council about the mis-naming of a road on the Taylor Wimpey development.
A resident has complained to CEC about this and has written to the Chairman; a copy of his email is enclosed.
17 INFORMATION ITEM — NEWSLETTER
The Community Manager is in the process of drafting the December newsletter. In addition to the regular items, the following are to be included: a) Remembrance Sunday.
b) VE Day 2020 — report on activities held.
c) Youth Club closure.
d) 140 Main Road — potential transfer from CEC to the Parish Council.
e) Village Hall — this is a regular item but will include an update on the re-opening.
f) Grounds Maintenance — Parish Council’s six-month review of the contract.
g) Shavington Village Festival Committee — new storage facility following closure of Youth Club.
h) Police item — PCSO Corbett has been asked to provide an article.
i) Update on new website and its accessibility.
j) Parish Council vacancies.
k) Budget 2021–2022 — possible key headlines.
l) Vine Tree Play Area — this is a regular item, but as new equipment has been installed, this can be referenced.
m) Appointment of Community Manager
n) Meetings of the Parish Council — explanation of the regulations.
18 FUTURE MEETINGS
22 October 2020 Community Engagement Committee
28 October 2020 Finance Committee
4 November 2020 Parish Council
19 EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC
The Council is invited to RESOLVE that in accordance with Paragraph 1 (2) of The Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items owing to the confidential nature of the business to transacted and the public interest would not be served in disclosing that information.
Note: Other than a synopsis, the details on the following item have been omitted from the public agenda.
20 POSSIBLE ACQUISITION OF 140 MAIN ROAD
(Reason for exclusion: Relates to potential contract matters between the Parish Council and the Borough Council)
The Parish Council is asked to give consideration to the intended use of the building at 140 Main Road, Shavington in the event of Cheshire East Council (CEC) agreeing to transfer it.
CEC has asked for details of the proposed use of the asset as this is key to its own decision about whether it would be appropriate to transfer it to the Parish Council. It is suggested that a small group of Members be appointed as a Task Group (supported by the Clerk) to consider this outside a formal meeting and submit their suggestions to the full Council meeting on 4 November 2020, or arrange an extra-ordinary meeting of the full Council.
