Wheatley Parish Council
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 23rd MARCH 2015 IN THE PARISH OFFICE AT 7.30PM
PRESENT: Councillors P Willmott (Chair), R Bell, J Carr, D Lamont, R J Reilly, R Old and S Coleridge,
OFFICER: THE CLERK: Gareth Morris
- APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE had been received from Cllr Stephens.
- DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – none
- MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING HELD 15th FEBRUARY 2015 (Including Minutes of the confidential session) – which had been circulated previously were signed as a correct and accurate record
- UPDATE ON ITEMS FROM THE MINUTES 15th FEBRUARY 2015
- i) Minute114(i) – New entrance in to Church Road Recreation ground – Halls Construction had been back to re-do the mortar on the top of the wall.
A 2nd resident had complained to the office that the new gate was not ‘child- proof’. The clerk had replied that the complaint would be reported to the council. The committee was not minded to alter the gate at this moment in time.
- ii) Minute 114(ii) – Faculty for new bench in Memorial gardens – a new position, diagonally opposite to the existing bench was chosen. The clerk will check with the Diocese
iii) Minute 114(iii) – Handrails at entrance of Memorial Gardens – the Clerk will contact Taylor Services for ideas
- iv) Minute 114(iv) – Noticeboards for the village – the infrastructure fund will operate in the financial year 2015-16
- v) Minute 114(v) – new bench by Ambrose Rise bus stop – Richard Taylor will install the new bench
- TO FORMULATE A VILLAGE EMERGENCY PLAN
- i) To report on the progress on the plan – The clerk will contact Cllr Davies and ask if she is happy for the plan to go to committee and full council for approval.
- ii) To report on the purchase of two defibrillators for the Holton Pavilions and the centre of the village – The Holton Pavilions one was up and running. The one for the front of the Merry Bells had been ordered.
- CLERK UPDATE
- i) Confirmation from SODC of the precept requested (£107,923) – noted
- ii) Update of Information Booklet – noted
iii) Request from Fusion to use Church Road Recreation Ground St George’s Fun Day- GRANTED
- iv) Land in front of the old toilet block – the clerk had been advised that the land may still belong to Pye’s of Kidlington. The clerk to check.
- v) Changes due to Local Government Transparency Code 2014 – The clerk had been advised by the OALC newsletter that “ there are no confidential minutes for parish councils. All minutes are available for public inspection” – Noted
- vi) BCB will keep charges unchanged for 2015-16 – noted
vii) Payment of 2015-2016 Council Tax.- it would not be possible to pay the council tax bill at the bank.The clerk would pay the bill at the Post Office
viii) Trees in the village
- The cherry tree that the County Council had felled at the top of the Ambrose Rise stream had been diseased. It was AGREED that a replacement cherry tree should be purchased to replace it .
- The clerk would ask Steve Wensley to cut back the trees on the short path from Farm Close Lane to Farm Close Road. The leaseholding company for the properties on Farm Close Road should be asked to cut the trees back.
- Also the trees by the side of the footpath to Station Road should be cut back
- Cllr Carr would ask SODC if it was possible for the Parish Council to have a garden waste brown bin..
- GRANTS, LICENCES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
- i) Fusion – St George’s Fun Day grant towards inflatables/climbing wall – (£250 last 2 years) (Non 137 section 145 LGA 1972) Will come out of 2015-2016 budget – AGREED £275
- TO AGREE THE FINAL TWO MEMBERS OF THE WHEATLEY PLAYING FIELD TRUST
- i) Representative from Wheatley Park School – Mr S Pearson has been put forward – AGREED
- ii) Representative from the Community – Mrs P Willmott has been put forward.
AGREED
- TO CONSIDER VARIOUS TRAFFIC MATTERS IN THE VILLAGE
- i) Bell Lane corner – this was being altered this week.
- ii) Vehicle Activated Devices – given the proposed development on London Road councillors wondered if they signs could be moved to other posts.
- FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
- a) A completed copy of reconciled bank statement was signed by the Chairman & RFO
Budget to the end of February 2015 was presented and discussed
- b) Balances
After the cheques below have been paid the balances on the council’s accounts as at 16th February will be as follows:
Community £2,017.96
Tracker £104,929.56
Treasury £60,680.08
- SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS AUTHORISED
Cheque no. | Payee | Payment details | Amount |
Cheques paid | |||
d/d | Barclays Bank | Bank charges 13/01 to 12/02 | 37.46 |
d/d | Siemens | Photcopier lease | 403.70 |
106109 | Green Scythe Ltd | Strim bank of Am’rse Rise Stream | 321.60 |
106110 | D Lamont | Refreshments for meeting | 9.45 |
106111 | OALC | Training Course | 78.00 |
106112 | The Post Office | 2nd class stamps | 106.00 |
106113 | Sue Ryder Hospice | Grant Aid | 50.00 |
106114 | Thame CAB | Grant Aid – non 137 | 1,000.00 |
106115 | OCC | Bell Lane corner | 6,056.39 |
106117-106122 | GM/SW/JF/OCC/AR/HMR&C | Feb/wages/pen/PAYE/NICs | 3,678.37 |
Total | £11,739.57 | ||
Cheques to Pay | |||
106123 | Sage Ltd | Invoices | 46.80 |
106124 | D Lamont | Travel to Crowmarsh Gifford | 15.26 |
106125 | Berinsfield Community Business | Verges Feb payment | 608.33 |
106126 | Lyreco | stationary | 47.36 |
106127 | The Merry Bells | Hire of hall & coffee room | 91.50 |
106128 | Thames Water | Memorial Gardens – 16/12-05/03 | 16.99 |
106129 | SODC | 2015-2016 council tax | 1,416.00 |
GM/SW/JF/AR/OCC//HMR&C | Feb sal/wages/pen/PAYE/NICs | 4,000.00 | |
Total | £6,242.24 |
INCOME RECEIVED SINCE LAST MEETING
Income details | Amount |
Newsletter Advertising | 4,796.00 |
VAT Refund – Nov/Dec/Jan | 5,676.60 |
WPSFMC – contribution to defibrillator | 577.50 |
Newsletter Subscription | 12.00 |
Total | £10,786.10 |
- PUBLICATIONS & CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED AND NOTED
- i) The Haseleys – March 2015*
- ii) Little Milton Newsletter –February 2015*
- iii) Great Milton Bulletin – February 2015*
- iv) URC Newsletter March 2015*
- v) Holton, Waterperry & Waterstock News –February 2014*
- vi) Tiddington with Albury and Milton Common newsletter – Feb/March 2015
- vii) Oxfordshire Rural Community Council – Policy Bulletin January 2015*
- viii) Thames Valley Police – January Crime report*
- ix) Thames Valley Police – Neighbourhood Policing newsletter Feb 2015*
- x) Thank you for grant aid – Oxfordshire Association for the Blind
- xi) Thank you for grant aid – Thame CAB
- xii) Open Space – Spring 2015*
- xiii) Oxfordshire Playing Fields Association – Newsletter Winter 2015*
- xiv) Letter from resident re 2015-2016 precept.- The clerk read out an e-mail from a resident complaining that the Parish Council had raised the precept
* On display in Parish Office
- DATE OF NEXT MEETING – 20th April 2015 – NOTED
- RESOLUTION TO EXCLUDE THE PUBLIC
Cllr Lamont proposed and Cllr Reilly seconded “that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph X of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act, namely private contractual and employment matters2
AGREED nem con
- UPDATE ON PROGRESS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL’S VILLAGE GREEN APPLICATION
A reply from the Parish Council’s solicitor had been received.
It was agreed that a further meeting with the Diocese would be welcomed
The meeting closed at 9.05pm