Finance and General Purposes Committee 27th June 2011

Wheatley Parish Council

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 27^th JUNE  2011 IN THE MERRY BELLS HALL AT 7.30PM

PRESENT: Councillors:  M Fyffe (Chairman) , G Birks , E Stacey, R Old, J Reilly, R Bell, J Carr & S Coleridge

OFFICER THE CLERK: Gareth Morris

MEMBERS HAD BEEN REMINDED BY MEANS OF THE AGENDA THAT IF THEY   HAD AN INTEREST TO DECLARE IN ANY AGENDA ITEM, THEY SHOULD DO SO IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING IN THE BOOK PROVIDED FOR THIS PURPOSE

21.  APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE had been received from Cllr Anderson

22 . DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None

23.  MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING – 23^rd MAY 2011 which had been circulated previously

were signed as a correct and accurate record

24. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES 23^rd May 2011

i) Minute 7 – Pedestrian Safety   measures at Park Hill Roundabout –a meeting with Mr Paul Yoward, Area Liaison Officer, OCC Highways had been held. The councillors present at the meeting felt that it had been a positive meeting. Mr Yoward had listened to the points raised and then undertaken a site visit to the Park Hill roundabout and the Round House junction at Church Road/Holloway Road a number of photographs taken.

25. TO RECEIVE THE FINAL ACCOUNTS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2010-2011 prior to their approval at the Extra-Ordinary Council Meeting of the Parish Council to be held at 8.00pm

The Clerk reported that Mr Phillip Hood, the Parish Council’s newly appointed Internal Auditor had visited the Parish Office the previous Tuesday to inspect the council’s accounts and various other documentation. He had found everything was satisfactory and he had returned that day to sign Section 4 of the Annual Return. His written report was expected shortly and would be circulated to all councillors and discussed at the next Finance and General Purposes Committee and full Council

The clerk explained that due to a new instruction from the external auditors Parish Council assets should no longer be valued at their insurance values (as in past years). They should be valued at cost price or if that was not known given a proxy value, which as most of the council’s assets do not have a market value would be just £1. On paper the value of the Parish Council’s assets had been halved despite new assets having been purchased for over £3,000 and no assets having been disposed of.

The Parish Council funds had increased by £21,143 over the year and the total net assets of the Council stood at £119,905.

Cllr Reilly proposed and Cllr Birks seconded that the committee recommend to full council that the Final Accounts for the financial year 2010-2012 and section 1 and 2 of the Annual Return be approved and signed. This was AGREED unanimously

8.00 pm – The Finance and General Purposes Committee meeting was adjourned to enable the Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the Parish Council to approve the 2010 – 2011 Accounts and Annual Return

8.20 pm – The Finance and General Purposes Committee meeting resumed its business

26.  TO REPORT PROGRESS RE REFURBISHMENT OF CULLUM ROAD RECREATION GROUND

The clerk had obtained a crime number for the vandalism to the safety surface. The manufactures had inspected the damage but denied liability.

The clerk had met with the two people who had sprayed graffiti in the area as part of the ‘retotitive justice’ programme. They would be removing the graffiti in the near future.

It was Agreed to see how much it would cost to employ a person to look after the planted areas within the area.

27.  TO CONSIDER THE PROPOSED YOUTH SHELTER IN CHURCH ROAD RECREATION GROUND

Nothing further  to report at the moment. The clerk to check for how long the SODC grant would be available for.

28.  TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING OXFORDSHIRE COUNCIL CONSULTATIONS:

i) Library Service Public Consultation – 27^th May – 30 September  http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wps/portal/publicsite/councilservices/libraryserviceconsultation

The proposal is that Wheatley Library will be a ‘community plus library’ which  two thirds paid staff and one third volunteers. – Agreed to place on next Agenda

ii) Concessionary Travel Scheme (free bus passes) – application and card issuing process – Noted

6^th June – 10^th July. http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/concessionarytravelpassconsultation

29.   TO CONSIDER A BID TO THE OCC BIG SOCIETY FUND FOR YOUTH SERVICES IN THE  VILLAGE

Cllr Stacey spoke to her paper and also reported on a meeting she had just attended along with Cllr Carr at the Youth Centre. The Parish Council would have to put forward a bid in the next couple of weeks. The running cost of providing 2 evening sessions per week for 48 weeks per year would be £14,000 (The County Council would fund start up and refurbishment costs). It was unlikely that the Parish Council could fund this full amount so other contributors would have to be found.

After discussion it was AGREED to recommend the following to full council on 4^th July

“IN THE LIGHT OF INFORMATION RECEIVED AND ITS RESERVES, THE PARISH COUNCIL  IS PREPARED TO CONTRIBUTE £5,000 ANNUALLY TO YOUTH SERVICE PROVISION IN WHEATLEY.”

30.  CLERK UPDATE

i) To report that the rent for the container at Wheatley Business Park would be £130 per month

Agreed to rent the container but also look for a cheaper option

ii) To arrange a group photograph of the new council – Cllr Carr to ask Mrs Turner to take one before the next full council meeting on the 4^th July

31.  GRANTS, LICENCES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

i) Oxfordshire Carers’ Forum (£150 – 2008-2009) – AGREED £150 (Under section 137 LGA 1972)

ii) Campaign to Protect Rural England – Subscription 2011 – £29 – AGREED

iii) John Watson School – Request for Grant Aid for School Leavers Ball (£200 last Year) AGREED £200 (Under section 137 LGA 1972)

32.  FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

a) A copy of reconciled bank statement was signed by the Chairman & RFO

b) Balances

After the cheques below have been paid the balances on the council’s accounts as at

27 June 2011 will be as follows:                                Community      £1,897.75

Tracker           £82,426.39

Treasury           £60,110.57

SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS AUTHORISED

Cheque no.	Payee	Payment details	Amount
	Cheques paid
105329-33	GM/SW/JF/OCC/HMR&C	May sal/wages/pen/PAYE/NICs	3,349.45
		Total	£3,349.45
	Cheques to Pay
105334	Parchments of Oxford	June- July 2011 newsletter	1484.90
105335	J Watson	June – July 2011 newsletter	680.00
105336	WPSFMC	2ND Quarter instalment	2,000.00
105337	Berinsfield Business Community	Verges & Recs	842.58
105338	The Helping Hand Co. Ltd.	Litter Pickers	46.75
105339	Thames Water	Memorial gardens Dec 10-Jun 11	13.09
105345	Oxfordshire Carer’s Forum	Grant Aid	150.00
105346	CPRE	2011-2012 subscription	29.00
105347	John Watson School	Grant Aid	200.00
	d/d Barclays Bank	Bank charges Mar-Jun 2011	83.45
	GM/SW/JF/OCC/HMR&C	June sal/wages/pen/PAYE/NICs	3,500.00
		Total	£9,029.77

INCOME RECEIVED SINCE LAST MEETING

Income details	Amount
Newsletter Advertising	109.00
Refund of Insurance Premium	412.85
VAT refund	685.75
OCC Recharge for verge cutting (inc VAT	3,463.44
Total	£4,671.04

33.  PUBLICATIONS & CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED AND NOTED

i)        The Haseleys – Newsletter June 2011*

ii)        Little Milton Newsletter June 2011*

iii)        Great Milton Bulletin June 2101*

iv)        Tiddington with Albury and Milton Common Newsletter June/July 2011*

v)        ORCC Review may 2011*

vi)        TVP – Wheatley Area Neighbourhood Team June 2011 Newsletter*

vii)        Holton, Waterperry & Waterstock News June 2011*

viii)        LCR (Local Council Review) Summer 2011*

ix)        Thank you e-mail from St John Ambulance for £100 grant aid

x)        Thank you e-mail from OCC (Children and Families) for the use of Church Road Recreation

Area ‘the ‘Stay and Play’ event on 1^st June

xi)     Wheatley Village produce Association 2010 – ‘A Year in Pictures’*

xii)     CPRE – Oxfordshire Rural Housing Partnership – Affordable Rural Housing Conference Monday 11^th July 9.30am to 12.30pm – Stanton Harcourt**

xiii)    OCC Local Transport Plan 2011-2030 Adopted April 2011*

xiv)   Shotover Preservation Society – Summer newsletter 2011*

* On display in Parish Office                         ** Action needed

34.  DATE OF NEXT MEETING – 18th July 2010– NOTED

35. RESOLUTION TO EXCLUDE THE PUBLIC

Cllr Reilly proposed and Cllr Carr 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 matters”

Agreed nem con

The meeting closed at 9.45pm at the end of the confidential session