Agenda
Waltham Parish Council
EST. 1894
Website: https://waltham-pc.gov.uk
TO: ALL MEMBERS OF WALTHAM PARISH COUNCIL.
Councillors are hereby summoned to attend the Annual Meeting of the Council on Tuesday the 7th of May 2024 commencing at 7.30 pm at Waltham Village Hall for the transaction of the business described in the following Agenda. Supporting documents can be found in an Agenda Pack on the Parish Councils website. Members of the public may make representations, answer questions and give evidence in respect of the business on the agenda during the Public Session (Standing Order 3e).
AGENDA
1.
To receive nominations and to elect a chairperson for the forthcoming year: New Chair to complete a declaration of acceptance of Office.
2.
To elect a Vice-Chairman of the Council.
3.
To receive any apologies for absence.
4.
To Declare Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Significant Interests on any agenda items.
5.
To approve the minutes of Motions and Resolutions of the meeting held on the 2nd of April 2023.
6.
Public Session: To receive representations questions and evidence from the public on agenda items.
7.
Finance Report and Payment Schedule.
a)
To note the financial position as of 30th April 2024.
b)
To authorise the April payment schedule.
8.
Councillor Responsibilities: To consider a list of Council activities and councillor participation.
9.
General Power of Competence: To confirm that WPC is no longer eligible to exercise the General Power of Competence.
10.
Reserves Policy: To approve a revised Reserves policy for 2024/25.
11.
Councillor Vacancy: To discuss arrangements for co-option for the vacant post.
12.
Internal Audit:
a) To receive documentation demonstrating compliance with the 2023-24 Annual Return
b) To sign off the year end bank reconciliation.
14. Planning Application CA/24/10007 Dene Meadows, Duckpit Road: To consider a response to
the City Council on the erection of an agricultural building in an AONB.
15.
Affordable Housing Research: To consider draft Terms of Reference for a focus group to advise on the provision of affordable housing in Waltham Parish.
16.
Date of next meeting:
The next Ordinary Meeting will be held on Tuesday the 4th of June.
Clerk to the Council
Minutes
Waltham Parish Council
EST. 1894
Website: https://waltham-pc.gov.uk
Minute of the Annual Parish Council meeting on 7th May 2024 at Waltham Village Hall
In line with the Transparency Code all public documents relating to the meeting are published in an agenda pack on the parish council website. Please note that the minutes remain in Draft form until approved at the next meeting.
Present: Parish Councillors Jane Robinson (Chair) (JR), Yolande Barnes (YB) and John Hockley (JH).
In attendance: Locum Clerk Tracey Block The meeting commenced at 7.50pm
24/25.112 To receive nominations and to elect a chairperson for the forthcoming year: New Chair to complete a declaration of acceptance of Office.
Cllr Barry has agreed to stand as Chair, JR proposed and JH seconded Cllr Barry as Chairman. All were in favour.
As Cllr Barry is absent, he will need to sign his Declaration in the presence of the Proper Officer as the first item on the 4th June agenda.
24/25.113 To elect a Vice-Chairman of the Council.
JH proposed and YB seconded that JR be elected as Vice-Chair. JR agreed to Chair the meeting.
24/25.114 To receive any apologies for absence.
Apologies were received from Cllr Barry, Ward Cllrs Alister Brady and Mike Bland and the Parish Clerk, Tony McCord.
24/25.115 To Declare Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Significant Interests on any agenda items.
There were no Declarations of Interest received.
24/25.116 To approve the minutes of Motions and Resolutions of the meeting held on the 2nd of April 2023.
The minutes were approved and signed as a true record.
24/25.117 Public Session: To receive representations questions and evidence from the public on agenda items.
There were no members of public in attendance.
24/25.117 Finance Report and Payment Schedule.
- a) To note the financial position as of 30th April
There are errors on the Financial Report, please re-examine for next time.
Errors found in the calculations of both Receipts and Payments columns in the Budget for 2024-25 and the Cashbook Balance/Bank Balance in the YTD Actual figures on the new Financial Report.
Post-Meeting Clarification: The Responsible Finance Officer has re-examined the report and calculations contain no errors.
b. To approve a Payment Schedule for the period 1st to 30th April 2024
| TransactionNumber | InvoiceDate | InvoiceNumber | Payee | Summary | Amount £ | ||
| Net | VAT | Total | |||||
| 24/25.004 | 01:04:2024 | 9019 | KALC | AnnualSubscription | 225.32 | 45.06 | 270.38 |
| 24/25.05 | 30:04:2024 | 02 | A.S.McCord | Salary & Expenses | 287.10 | 0 | 287.10 |
| 24/25.06 | 30:04:2024 | – | Tracey Block | Locum service 07:05:24 | 53.96 | 0 | 53.96 |
| Total | 566.38 | 45.06 | 611.44 | ||||
The Payment Schedule date was amended and then the schedule was approved and signed by the JR and JH. Action: Clerk
24/25.118 Councillor Responsibilities: To consider a list of Council activities and councillor participation.
| Representative on: | Councillor to berepresentative: |
| WSRA | JR |
| Village Hall | JH |
| Parish Plan | YB |
| Website | JH |
| Internal Communications | JB |
| Finance | JH |
| Grant Funding | JB |
| Highways Improvement Plan | YB |
| Defibrillator check | JB |
| Fire hydrant inspections | Vacancy |
| Monitoring of public footpaths | JB |
| Parish Charter engagement with CCC | Vacancy |
| KALC Canterbury Area Committee | Vacancy |
To be reviewed following Councillor Co-option.
24/25.119 General Power of Competence: To confirm that WPC is no longer eligible to exercise the General Power of Competence.
Eligibility requires a minimum of three elected councillors. Loss of eligibility means that WPC will have to adhere to stricter s.137 grant funding arrangements if that option is used. The three main grant recipients are covered by other legislation.
24/25.120 Reserves Policy: To approve a revised Reserves policy for 2024/25.
A revised version is being drafted but complications have arisen by KCC not installing the gate signs in 2023/24 and have not responded to requests for a completion date. This could result in CCC reclaiming their grant element of £762.70, so it is not possible to set a figure for 2024/25 Capital Grants. Resolved: that this item is deferred to the 4th of June meeting while the clerk continues to seek clarification. Action: Clerk
24/25.121 Councillor Vacancy: To discuss arrangements for co-option for the vacant post.
There have been no enquiries, as yet, to the formal notification of vacancy. Resolved: to raise the profile further via Facebook, PAWNews and the website. JR and Clerk to approach a couple of residents directly.
24/25.122 Internal Audit:
- To receive documentation demonstrating compliance with the 2023-24 Annual Return A summary of required documents was provided in the agenda pack. Collation is almost complete, and once the bank reconciliation has been signed off all 15 documents will be forwarded to the Internal Auditor in preparation for IA/RFO discussion on the 28th of May. Results will be reported to the June meeting together with AGAR section 2 for completion.
b) To sign off the year end bank reconciliation.
Bank statements have been checked and verified.
The Chair added their full signature at the foot of the bank reconciliation.
24/25.123 Planning Application: CA/24/10007 Dene Meadows, Duckpit Road:
To consider a response to the City Council on the erection of an agricultural building in a National Landscape.
WPC is inclined to register an objection on the designated status of the site and the planning history. WPC believe the site is being over developed and will be visually intrusive in an Area of National Landscape. Concerns are raised about nutrient run off. Resolved: WPC wishes to register an objection and to request that it is called in if CCC Officers are minded to approve this application. JR happy to represent WPC. Action: Clerk
24/25.124 Affordable Housing Research: To consider draft Terms of Reference for a focus group to advise on the provision of affordable housing in Waltham Parish.
These Terms of Reference start the project but this will need further work. YB happy to represent the PC and also parishioner engagement in this very touchy area. Peter Coombes, who played an active role last year’s Parish Plan initiative, has expressed an interest in participating.
Waltham was much more demographically lively previously and is now far from that. YB felt that this should be taken forward with the Parish as a whole.
The Parish Plan questionnaire from last year needs to be reviewed.
This is more about looking at the desire for Waltham to have any development. A public forum is difficult and a delivered questionnaire is not sufficient. It was considered that a door-knocking event would be better and this would then allow for a structured interview process for those with issues they wish to raise.
YB discussed a bigger vision regarding rewilding and common orchards etc. It is about a very broad set of questions.
YB to put together a questionnaire, contact the History Group via JB and local people. YB will draw up a plan of action but needs administration support.
Remove “Affordable” from the brief and just state housing. Resolved: To take this forward by YB representing the Parish Council and bringing something forward by 3rd June looking at Rural Housing in the Waltham Parish as a whole. Action: YB
24/25.124 Date of next meeting:
The next Ordinary Meeting will be held on Tuesday the 4th of June commencing at 7.30 pm
The meeting Closed at 9.20 pm
