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CHEPPING WYCOMBE PARISH COUNCIL
Finance and General Purposes Committee
Members of the council are summoned to attend the meeting to be held on Thursday 23 September 2021 at the Council Office, Cock Lane, Tylers Green, High Wycombe Bucks HP10 8DS
The meeting is open to members of the public and press
Committee Members: Cllr I Forbes – Chairman Cllr J Herschel
Cllr A Barron – 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 Code of Conduct (amended and ratified by Buckinghamshire Council)
4.2 Risk Register
5. Health & Safety
5.1 Report of any incidents
6. Legal
6.1 Flackwell Heath Minors Football Club Lease (draft)
7. Neighbourhood Action Group
8. Community Assets
9. Grants
10. Website
11. Publicity
12. Annual Return and Governance Statement
13. Community Board
14. Budget
14.1 Committee Finances (Period 5) August
14.2 Council Finances (Period 5) August
14.3 Precept timetable
14.4 Community Infrastructure Levy
15. Questions from council members and the public
16. Accounts for Payment
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 April.
AGENDA ITEM 4
Policies and Procedures
4.1 Code of Conduct
Members are asked to CONSIDER and, if so minded, RECOMMEND for adoption to full Council the Code of Conduct at APPENDIX A. This updated Code of Conduct has been ratified by Buckinghamshire Council. BMKALC have advised that we adapt and/or adopt the Code so that if any complaints are passed to the Monitoring Officer, it makes it easier to investigate any breaches of the Code.
Our existing Code of Conduct was adopted from NALC in September 2019 and is a more abridged version https://www.cwpc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Code-of-Conduct-2019.pdf
4.2 Risk Register
Members are asked to revisit the Risk Register with a view to refreshing it at the next committee meeting in November. It may be found at https://www.cwpc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Risk-Register-Nov-2020-v3.pdf. Suggestions for improved practicality would be most welcome.
AGENDA ITEM 5
Health & Safety
5.1 Report of any incidents
Members are asked to NOTE that there has been one incident since the last committee meeting in April. One of our grounds team cut his finger on a jagged piece of metal when lifting a mower onto the transit. Gloves were worn at the time and the cut was sustained through the glove.
AGENDA ITEM 6
Legal
6.1 Flackwell Heath Minors Football Club Lease (draft)
Members are asked to CONSIDER the attached draft lease APPENDIX B and APPROVE the general terms. The lease will be taken to the Open Spaces committee for them to agree the play equipment requirements for the site.
AGENDA ITEM 7
Neighbourhood Action Group
Members are asked to RECEIVE a short update from Cllr D Johncock and NOTE the report at APPENDIX C from the last NAG meeting held on 8 September.
AGENDA ITEM 8
Community Assets
Members are asked to CONSIDER the list APPENDIX D of the previously registered properties of community value; all listings have now expired. Members are now asked to NOMINATE properties for resubmission to the register.
AGENDA ITEM 9
Grants
Members are asked to CONSIDER and, if so minded, APPROVE the attached application from Flackwell Heath Age Concern for £3,000 towards a new minibus. APPENDIX E.
Members are reminded that in June 2018 a request for £2,000 was brought to the committee and a grant of £1,000 was awarded as a contribution to the new minibus. This grant was not paid at the time as it is customary for the council to ask for proof of purchase/order for the item.
Members are reminded that £5,000 is available from this year’s budget.
AGENDA ITEM 10
Website
Members are asked to NOTE that the website is still in the hands of the web designer, however a training session for the Clerk and Deputy Clerk is being arranged.
AGENDA ITEM 11
Publicity
Members are asked to NOTE that the publicity team met on Tuesday 31 August to discuss the forthcoming newsletter – notes from the meeting are attached at APPENDIX F. It is anticipated that the newsletter should be ready for delivery by the middle of October.
AGENDA ITEM 12
Annual Return and Governance Statement
Members are asked to NOTE that the external audit has been returned from PKF Littlejohn with a clean bill of health.
AGENDA ITEM 13
Community Board
Members are asked to NOTE the attached report from Cllr Barron. APPENDIX G
Members are asked to APPROVE the use of the earmarked £5k towards the current Highways projects and mentioned in the above report.
AGENDA ITEM 14
Budget
14.1 Committee Finances (Period 5) August
Members are asked to NOTE the current position of the committee’s finances. APPENDIX H
14.2 Council Finances (Period 5) August
Members are asked to NOTE the summary of the Council’s financial position. APPENDIX I
14.3 Precept timetable
Members are asked to NOTE that the next cycle of committee meetings will be the start of the new financial year budget setting process. The committee budgets will be taken to the next Finance & General Purposes committee meeting in November before final approval by full Council on 16 December. Proposals for this committee need to be with the Clerk by 5 November. This allows time for any minor changes prior to the end of January when the precept request needs to be with Buckinghamshire Council.
14.4 Community Infrastructure Levy
Members are asked to NOTE that the CIL balance currently stands at £33,575.00. The funds need to be spent as follows;
£14,158.92 by 2022/23
£19,416.08 by 2023/24
Due to the healthy balance members are asked to CONSIDER and, if so minded, APPROVE the use of £12,880.00 for the purchase of the play area fencing for Straight Bit. The monies held in the Earmarked Reserve for play equipment for this purpose will be vired with the approval of members to the following two areas: Salaries £10k and the balance to dog bins.
AGENDA ITEM 15
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 16
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 17
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 J
Date and time of next meeting: Thursday 25 November 2021 @ 7.30pm