Sandon and Burston Parish Council – Annual Meeting

Minutes of the Annual Parish Council Meeting held on 8^th May 2019

At Sandon Parish Room   Commencing 8.10pm.

Following the Annual Parish Assembly commencing at 7.30pm

and following Public Participation which commenced at 8.00pm

Present

                        Councillor C Capjon

                        Councillor J Charlton

Councillor S Shelley               Chairman

Councillor R Wildblood

District Councillor                  Councillor A Harp

Parishioners :-

Mr H Wildblood, Mr J Charlton, Mrs Selby

Clerk   B A Boughey

19/013             Apologies                                            None

19/014             Declarations of Acceptance of Office following the Uncontested 2^nd May election

19/014.1          Form signed by :-

Councillor Capjon, Councillor Charlton, Councillor Shelley, Councillor Wildblood.

19/015             Election of Chairman

19/015.1          Proposed         Councillor Shelley

Proposer   Wildblood              Seconder  Councillor Capjon

There were no other nominations, Councillor Shelley was duly elected unanimously.

19/015.1.1       RESOLVED to elect Councillor Shelley as Chairman.

19/015.1.2       Councillor Shelley signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office Form.

19/016             Co-option of Three Councillors

19/016.1          RESOLVED that Mr H Wildblood and Mr J Charlton are co-opted as Member Councillors

following their nomination and acceptance.

19/016.1.1       Declarations of Acceptance of Office signed by the two candidates.

19/016.2          The retiring Councillor, Councillor R Harris would continue as a co-opted Member but

was unable to attend the meeting.  This co-option would complete the full compliment

of Member Councillors.  Agenda item for the June meeting.

19/017             Election of Vice Chairman

19/017.1          Proposed         Councillor Wildblood

Proposer   Councillor Capjon              Seconder  Councillor Shelley

There were no other nominations, Councillor Wildblood was duly elected unanimously.

19/017.1.1       RESOLVED to elect Councillor Wildblood as Vice Chairman.

19/018             Appointment of Representative to Sandon Parish Room Trustees

19/018.1          Proposed         Councillor Shelley       (Present representative)

There were no other nominations Councillor Shelley was duly elected unanimously.

19/018.1.1       RESOLVED to re-appoint Councillor Shelley as the Parish Council representative as

a Sandon Parish Room Trustee.

19/018.2          Sandon War Memorial Trustees

The Parish Council Chairman is an Ex-Officio Member.

Other Trustees – Lord Harrowby, Vicar and the Peoples Churchwarden.

08 May 2019 (2)

19/019             Consider the Payment of any Annual Subscriptions

19/019.1          RESOLVED to confirm the payment to CPRE, by Standing Order, the Annual Donation

for organisations of £29.00.

19/020             To Inspect any Deeds

19/020.1          Deeds to Burston Car Park presented for inspection.

19/020             Confirmation of Standing Orders, Code of Conduct,

                        Account & Audit Regulations and Governance & Accountability Guide

19/021.1          Standing Orders.  Confirmation to continue adoption of Model Standing Orders 2018.

19/021.2          Code of Conduct.  Confirmation to continue with the Stafford Borough Council version

as adopted at the Parish Council Meeting of 12 September 2012.

19/021.3          Continued adoption of the Accounting Regulations and Guidelines.

19/021.3.1       Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014

19/021.3.2       Account and Audit Regulations 2015

19/021.3.3       Smaller bodies Transparency Code 2014

19/021.3.4       Local Audit (Smaller Authorities) Regulations 2015

19/021.3.5       Compliance with the Governance and Accountability for Smaller Authorities –

A Practitioners Guide to Proper Practices March 2019.

19/022             Confirmation of Risk Assessment, Audit Calendar / Event Diary &

                        Review Procedures

19/022.1          Risk Assessment –  Issue 6   6^th April 2017 adopted.

19/022.1.1       Safety checks undertaken on the following assets and logged.

The two benches at Burston Pool,  the Hilderstone Road Bench

The two Bus Shelters. The two Notice Boards.          The Flag Pole.

The Stocks in Stocks Lane.     Burston Car Park

19/022.1.1.1    The two benches at Burston Pool are in good order.

The Hilderstone Road bench is in reasonable order but requires maintenance.

The two Bus Shelters were refurbished three years ago and are in good order.

The two Notice Board are in good order except that the Burston Notice Board has

had the toughened glass front removed following being smashed.

The Flag Pole is in good order.

The Stocks in Stocks Lane require repair or removal.

Burston Car Park is in need of surface upgrade but is reasonably adequate.

19/022.2          Audit Calendar / Event Diary – Issue 3  6^th April 2017, continued adoption.

19/022.3          Audit Control Procedures that were in place were considered adequate and

proportionate to address the issues raised by the Risk Assessment.

19/022.3.1       Internal Independent Audit completed on 7^th May by Hands & Co.

Report circulated to Member Councillors.

19/023             Continued Adoption of the General Data Protection Regulations 25^th May 2018

RESOLVED to adopt the regulations and enter in an agreement with Staffordshire

County Council to provide guidance on the regulations and act as Data Protection

Officer.

19/024             Confirmation of Dates and Times of Ordinary Parish Council Meetings 2019/2020

19/024.1          Confirmed that ordinary meetings continue on the second Wednesday of each month.

Sandon Parish Room.  7.30pm.

19/025             Minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Parish Council meeting of 10^th April 2019

be signed by the meeting Chairman.

19/026             Chairman’s Announcements           No announcements

08 May 2019 (3)

19/027             Declarations of Disclosable Personal Interests, Personal Declared Interests and

                        other Personal Interests.       None declared.

19/027.1          Stafford Borough Council   Register of Councillors Interest Forms.

Forms to be completed by elected and co-opted Member Councillors within 28 days.

19/028             Outstanding Matters             Reports and Updates

19/028.1          A51 Traffic Issues through Sandon including the Burston junctions.

19/028.1.1       Pursuing a meeting with County Highways through Councillor Parry, to discuss the

40MPH speed limit extension to include the Burston junctions, the Dog & Doublet

Junction with respect to road marking and the additional issue of problems experienced

with traffic entering the single carriageway section South of Sandon.

19/028.2          Damaged fence at the Railway Bridge on the B5066, Stafford Road, Sandon.

Looking for County Council assistance in pursuing those responsible for its

maintenance – probably Network Rail.

19/028.3          Footpath 36 -Burston Pool to the Canal Bridge.

Gate fastening system still to be completed.

19/028.4          Sandon Gateways.  Waiting for proposals from Sandon Estate.

19/028.5          Burston Car Park resurfacing.

Retiring Member, Councillor Harris to provide alternative options and quotes.

19/029             Planning

19/029.1          Applications returned to Stafford Borough Council –  Reply Awaited         None

19/029.2          Application decisions by Stafford Borough Council.                        None

19/029.3          Applications received by the Parish Council for Consultation.          None

19/029.4          Planning Appeals or Queries.              None

19/030             Finance

19/030.1          Financial Statement presented by the Clerk.  Bank Statement from 5^th May not received.

19/030.2          Internal Audit Report.  Audit completed 7th May. Copy circulated to Member Councillors.

No matters arising that require attention that have not already been addressed or discussed.

19/030.2.1       External Audit Form – Internal Audit Section completed and signed by the Internal Auditor

19/030.3          External Audit Governance Statement, Accounts Statement & Certificate of Exemption.

19/030.3.1       RESOLVED that the Governance Statement be signed by the Chairman following

signature by the Clerk.

19/030.3.2       RESOLVED that the Account Statement be signed by the Chairman following

signature by the Clerk.

19/030.3.3       RESOLVED that the Chairman and Clerk sign the Certificate of Exemption certifying

that the Parish Council finances for the year ending March 2019 did not exceed £25.000

for either Income or Expenditure and that other criteria were met.

The required information to be published on the Website before 1^st July.

19/030.4          Invoice – BHIB Limited.  Insurance.  Premium Renewal.  £496.33 (Budget £520.00)

RESOLVED to renew the Insurance as quoted.  LGA 1972 s111.

19/030.5          Invoice.  Hands & Co.  Internal Audit Fee.  £55.00.  LGA 1972 s111.

RESOLVED to pay the invoice.

08 May 2019 (4)

The meeting was adjourned for the County and District Councillor’s reports and convened thereafter.

19/031             Report from County Councillor.   Not present.

19/031.1          In the process of arranging a meeting with Highway officers regarding A51 issues.

19/031.2          Divisional Highway funds.  Looking into use a Gully Emptying Vehicles in the Division

to clean out drains.

19/031.2.1       Priorities in the Parish would be to focus on the A51 between Hilderstone Road and the

Dog & Doublet, in particular the grids on the Stafford Road by the Dog & Doublet.

19/032             Report from District Councillor.

Nothing specific to report other than comments during the meeting on Borough

related issues except for the request by Councillor Charlton to provide a Dog Bin

on Church Lane which had now been provided by the Borough including emptying.

19/033             Items Raised by Member Councillors / Clerk

19/033.1          Councillor Charlton commented on the Dog Bin now in place in Church Lane.

19/033.2          Councillor Capjon raising questions about Burston Pool and the Fishing Lease.

Councillor Harp responded that it was now in the hands of the Borough Council

officer, Phil Gammon, including the issue of the fishing stages.

19/034             Correspondence

19/034.1          Staffordshire County Council                        None

19/034.2          Stafford Borough Council

19/034.2.1       District Council Elections.

Councillor Beatty and Councillor Harp were re-elected to represent Milwich Ward.

19/034.2.2       Notice of European Elections.

19/034.3          Staffordshire Parish Councils’ Association

19/034.3.1       Weekly email update emails circulated for information.

19/034.5          Stone Liaison Meeting.  19^th June.  Frank Jordan Centre  3.00pm.

18/035             Date of Next Meeting            Wednesday 12^th June 2019.  7.30pm Sandon Parish Room.

18/035.1          Councillor Capjon presented her apologies – Holiday.

The Meeting concluded at  9.40pm.

Signed ________________    Chairman

Date    ________________