Minutes of the Finance and General Purposes Committee meeting 19th July 2010

Wheatley Parish Council

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE FINANCE & GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY 19^th JULY 2010 IN THE PARISH OFFICE AT 7.30PM

PRESENT: Councillors:  G Birks (Chairman), R Bell, J Carr (from 8.20pm), S Coleridge, P Devlin, R Old,

J Reilly & M Fyffe (from 8.00pm).

OFFICER THE CLERK: Gareth Morris

ALSO PRESENT: 1 member of the public

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. There were no such declarations

The Chairman welcomed Cllr Old to her first Finance and General Purposes Committee meeting

30. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE had been received from Cllr Stacey. Cllrs Carr and Fyffe would be late.

31. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING – 21^st June 2010, which had been circulated previously, were signed as a correct and accurate record.

32. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES  21^st June 2010

i)          Minute 19(i) – Ex toilet block land – Nothing heard from SODC – (subsequently District Cllr  Carr has reported that the matter is still with the legal department at SODC)

ii) Minute 19(ii) – Kelly’s Road Allotments – Vacancy announced in August Newsletter – Noted

iii)          Minute 20 – Final Accounts 2009-2010 and Auditor’s report

a.    Rate of return – the Clerk reported that Barclays could not, at the moment, offer a better rate of return than the Council was obtaining. A bond giving 1.25% was likely to be issued soon. However this would be for a fixed term of 3, 6 or 9 months.

b.    Bank reconciliation – the clerk would produce a bank reconciliation report from the sage system to be compared against current account bank statement of the same date.

c.    A letter had been received from Mr Brian Rollerson saying that he would no longer undertake the role of the Council’s Internal Auditor in the coming years. He did give the name and address of a person who might be engaged by the Parish Council in that role. It was Agreed that a letter of thanks be sent to Mr Rollerson and that investigations begun to seek a new internal auditor.

iv) Minute 23 – The cliff in Church Road Recreation Ground – The Oxfordshire Geology Trust had completed their clearance work on the cliff face in Church Road Recreation Ground.

33. TO CONSIDER MATTERS RELATING TO TREES WITHIN THE VILLAGE

Horse Chestnut in St Mary’s Close. It had been agreed at the Full Council meeting that maintenance be carried out in line with permission granted by SODC and advice from our tree professional. Two estimates had been obtained and it was Agreed to award the contract to Mr Kavan Ring. Work was to begin as soon as possible and residents to be informed of the date.

It was noted that the limes on the southern boundary of Church Road Recreation Ground were in need of maintenance

34. TO CONSIDER THE PROVISION OF PARISH COUNCIL NOTICEBOARDS WITHIN THE VILLAGE – Agreed no action at the moment. The Clerk reported that he had placed a warning in the August issue of the newsletter that those people/organisations who/which put up signs at junctions ran the risk of them being removed either by the Parish Council or the County Council.

8.00pm Cllr Fyffe joined the meeting

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

i)        the plants then the Parish Council would purchase a suitable hosepipe. The Clerk to check with Berinsfield Community Business to see if they would undertake the maintenance of the beds etc.

ii)         Report of meeting with residents. Cllr Birks circulated her report of the meeting with the residents. With Request from resident to buy land in one of the blocked off alleyways plus other points plus other complaints. Agreed, as previously, that the Parish Council did not wish to sell of any of its land. That particular entrance was the widest of the four and would be needed should heavy machinery be used in the recreation ground. In relation to the other complaints (that the gate was too high etc) the design and materials used had been at the recommendation of Thames Valley Police’s crime prevention professionals.

iii)         Maintenance of flower beds and grass edges – at the moment Active Installations were attending to look after the plants/shrubs etc. If a resident was willing to undertake the watering of minor amendments the committee was happy that this note be sent to the residents attending the meeting.

8.20pm Cllr Carr joined the meeting

iv)        To consider the erection of fencing in front of the garden fence of 6 Cullum Road. It was Agreed to purchase and erect quiet, robust, unobtrusive wire fencing, minimum of 4 feet high and a minimum of 25metres long, parallel to the houses on Cullum Road.

v)        Sandpit – it was reported that a quantity of cat faeces had been seen in the sand pit. Considerable concern was expressed. Children needed to be protected and, if it should become necessary the sandpit removed. Cllr Carr proposed and Cllr Devlin seconded that a number of measures be taken; anti-cat plants be used eg curry plants; ‘Silent Roar’ lion dung pellets; citrus sticks, oil fruit peelings.  This was Agreed.

36. TO CONSIDER A REQUEST FROM FUSION TO USE CULLUM RECREATION AREA FOR A MINI FUNDAY ON SATURDAY 9^TH OCTOBER 2010 – AGREED

37. TO CONSIDER TRAFFIC ISSUES ON LADDER HILL

Following incidents of vehicles not recognising the ‘Give Way’ signs at the build outs on Ladder Hill and nearly causing accidents it was Agreed to write to the police and request that the speed limit and the traffic – signs be enforced.

Agreed that the ‘Speed Watch’ signs in the possession of  the Parish Council be deployed on Ladder Hill.

38. TO RECEIVE A DRAFT OF THE NEW EDITION OF THE WHEATLEY INFORMATION BOOKLET

A copy of the draft Wheatley Information Booklet had been circulated with the Agenda. Overall the committee was impressed with the work that had been done in compiling the information. It was Agreed that councillors should look at for any corrections/amendments and send them to the clerk. The booklet to be reviewed  at the September meeting with a view to giving the go-ahead for printing.

Decision remains to be taken on what exceptions, if any, are made for commercial organisations eg health care and https://www.mcmedicalnj.com child care provision.

39. CLERK UPDATE

i)        Hatching on the Littleworth Apron – the clerk had now been advised to contact WS Atkins.

ii)        Dog mess in Farm Close Road Recreation Ground and on Farm Close Road verges. As a result of a complaint from a resident it was Agreed that the clerk write to all households backing on to Farm Close Road Recreation requesting them to stop exercising their dogs in Farm Close Road Recreation Ground.

It was Agreed that the proposed Church Road Recreation Ground Youth Shelter be put on the next F&GP Agenda

40. GRANTS, LICENCES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

i)   Wheatley Boys Football Club – to set up an under 13s team Cllr Bell proposed and Cllr Carr seconded the £140 be granted (under Section 137 Local Government Act 1972) to fund a training course for one of the managers – Agreed nem con

ii)   International Tree Foundation 2010-2011 subscription £25 – Agreed

9.30 pm Cllr Birks proposed and Cllr Reilly seconded that Standing Orders be suspended for 15 minutes to allow the Agenda to be completed. Agreed

41. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

i)   The Chairman & RFO signed a completed copy of reconciled bank statement  to 9^th July 2010.

ii)    Expenditure made by the Parish Council to the end of June (25% of the financial year)  was produced by the clerk who explained the variances against the 2010-2011 budget.

iii)   Balances

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

19^th July 2010 will be as follows:   Community       £9,274.24

Tracker               £30,780.12

Treasury             £59,955.37

SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS TO BE AUTHORISED

Cheque no.	Payee	Payment details	Amount
	Cheques paid
105140 – 45	GM/SW/JF/OCC/HMR&C	June sal/wages/pen/PAYE/NICs	3,439.90
105146	Thame CAB	Grant Aid 2009-2010	1,000.00
105147	Southern Electric	Electricity 01.04 – 06.07	98.64
105152	WPSFMC	Additional payment 2009-2010	1,523.02
d/d	Siemans Financial Services	Photocopier lease	328.07
		Total	£6,389.63
	Cheques to Pay
105148	Lyreco	Misc Stationary	40.35
105149	Berinsfield Business Community	Recs and verges June 2010	804.87
105150	Kavan Ring	Work on Path to Farm Close Rec	175.00
105151	Oxford Laptop Support	Installation of new computer	280.00
105152	Merry Bells Management Cttee	Office lease	949.69
105155	Caroline Dalton	Trowels/forks for Pr Ssc planting	13.88
	GM/SW/JF/OCC/HMR&C	April sal/wages/pen/PAYE/NICs	3,400.00
		Total	£5663.79

INCOME RECEIVED SINCE LAST MEETING

Income details	Amount
Newsletter Advertising	2,392.00
Photocopying	1.40
VAT Refund	12,725.61
Total	£14,871.01

42. PUBLICATIONS & CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED AND NOTED

i)        The Haseleys – Newsletter July 2010*

ii)        Wheatley URC Newsletter July 2010*

iii)        Little Milton Newsletter July 2010*

iv)        Great Milton Bulletin July 2010*

v)        Holton, Waterstock and Waterperry News July 2010*

* On display in Parish Office

43. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – 20th September 2010 – NOTED

The Meeting closed at 9.40 pm