`Essex Association of Local Councils

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE LARGER

LOCAL COUNCIL FORUM

Wednesday 11th June 2014

10.00 am – 12.30 noon

hosted by

Leigh-on-Sea Town Council

Present:

Cllr Keith Miles / S.W.Ferrers / Angie Balcombe / ECC
Cllr John Buchanan / Billericay TC / Cllr Alan Acott / Canvey Island TC
Margaret Saunders / Danbury PC / Cllr Stuart Berlyn / Danbury PC/
EALC Exec
Cllr David Wixley / Loughton TC / Cllr Patrick Horner / Witham TC
JannettaSosin / GtBaddow PC / Cllr P Milne / GtDunmow TC
Paul Beckerson / Leigh-on-Sea TC / Cllr D Stevenson / Galleywood PC
Cllr Donald Fraser / Leigh-on-Sea TC / Cllr Carole Mulroney / Leigh-on-Sea TC
Mike Murkin / Halstead TC / Kerry Cumberland / Rayleigh TC
Cllr Sheila Jackman / Ongar TC/EALC Exec / Cllr Larry Sampson / Hawkwell PC
Cllr Roy Martin / Hockley PC / Cllr Sue Martin / Hockley PC
Janice Rigby / Rochford PC / Cllr Don Avery / Rochford PC
Cllr T Gleadall / Hockley PC / Cllr ST Byrne-Lagrue / Springfield PC

In the Chair:ChairmanCllr Keith Miles

Also Present:

Staff Kerry RolfTraining Administrator

SpeakersBrian FarringtonMaldon Mud Race

Julie StowersApprenticeships

Helen MassieApprenticeships

Gerry RichardsonEmergency Planning

Opening Introductions by the Chairman Cllr Keith Miles

The Chairman welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending. Although a little bit smaller then recent meetings he told delegates we still have 16 Parish and Town Councils here this morning.

He hoped everyone had found the pack of information on their seats which Linda had sent down for you. She sends her apologies for not being with us this morning and Kerry is here in her place.

The Chairman offered the meetings congratulations to Cllr Vivien Chapman (who had sent her apologies this morning but is usually with us) on becoming Mayor of Brightlingsea and to Cllr David Stevenson from Galleywood on becoming Chairman.

He offered thanks to Leigh on Sea for hosting the meeting

Apologies for absence:

Cllr Tony Shrimpton / Maldon TC
Vice-Chair LLCF / Linda Golding / EALC
Joy Darby / EALC / Laurie Wiebe / Heybridge PC
Enid Walsh / Loughton TC / Aimi Middlehurst / Ongar TC
Cllr Sue Sullivan / Springfield PC / Kathryn Richmond / Waltham Abbey TC
Cllr Vivien Chapman / Brightlingsea TC / Myrna Liles Clerk / Frinton & Walton TC
Derek Farr / SthWoodhamFerrers TC / Deborah Tonkiss / Billericay TC
Cllr Marion Wilson / Billericay T.C / Cllr Jim Devlin / Billericay TC

Minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on the 13th February 2014were agreed and signed by the Chairman

Welcome from Leigh on Sea TownCouncil

Cllr Donald Fraser welcomed everyone toLeigh-on-Sea Town Council for the meeting.

The Chairman welcomed Brian Farrington to the meeting and thanked him for being present and particularly for giving up an important family arrangement to keep his appointment with us.

Presentation by Brian Farrington on the Maldon Mud Race

  • Brian gave a very interesting talk and the meeting had the first showing of the short film from the Maldon Mud Race which had just taken place on the River Crouch.
  • 25 thousand people attendedthis very popular annual event.
  • The race is 440 metres long and it has become a worldwide event
  • J’s Hospice is one of the main beneficiaries of this race this year
  • Air Ambulance was main beneficiary last year
  • Cost £20k – massive media coverage, world wide, made all national press
  • Explained who the Mud Race grew and became a registered charity, limited company, non profit.
  • Thanks to ECC for supporting the Mud Race for the past 4 years
  • 9 Volunteers do all the work
  • 10% over subscribed
  • £50 entrance fee
  • Admin run electronically via website
  • Considering using events management company
  • 2 chartered accountants deal with the money

Brian took questions from the floor:

How does the Town cope with parking

Charities to support?

Have presentation evening in September

The Chairman thanked Brian for his presentation.

Brian had kindly brought along some T shirts, badges, caps and bags for delegates.

EALC Update by the Chairman of the EALC Cllr Sheila Jackman

Cllr Jackman gave details of the EALC 2014 AGM competitions. This year there will be one main competition named the Vaughtons Council of the Year Competition.

Buckingham Palace Garden Party nominations for Chairman and past Chairman.

She urged all Councils to participate in these and to send their entries in to the EALC Offices.

Making the Links Update by Angie Balcombe from ECC

Angie reminded delegates of the CiLCA training Bursary which was available from EALC on application

Essex Equals 22 to start in September

Intensive Summer CiLCA in August

CIF funding available

Emergency Planning Presentation by Gerry Richardson from Chelmsford City Council

The Chairman welcomedGerry Richardson to the meeting who gave an interesting presentation on a subject he is passionate about!

Powerpoint Slides:

• Roles ofresponding agencies in anemergency

• How we plan for andrespond to Incidents

• Provide an overview of ourwork in partnership

  • Emergency Response Who does what … when
  • Risk register and Planning
  • Contingency Plans – they include

Major incident

River and Coastal Flooding

Fuel Restrictions

Assistance Centres

Recent Incidents:

Most cases have resulted in evacuations and the provision of temporary shelter

Resilience Awareness – we provide:

  • Training

• Parish/CommunityEmergency team

• Assistance centremanagement

• Staff volunteer training

• Community resilienceworkshops

Presentations:

• Community groups

• Residential/Care homes

• Parish and TownCouncils

• School programmes

• Public facing events

The presentation is available in full from EALC

He told the meeting South WoodhamFerrers Town Council had a brilliant team/plan.

Gerry told the meeting there was to be a Community Resillience Workshop Pilot to be held at Hullbridge on the 22nd July from 9.30 – 1. Any Council would be welcome to attend. Contact EALC to add for details.

Question: Who has the authority to call military – NO one has

Sandbags do not work

Apprenticeships – Presentation by Julie Stowers with Helen Massie also in attendance from Adult Community Learning VTC Apprenticeships and Training

Julie gave her presentation with supporting Power point slides. Main features

as follows (this full presentation is available from EALC on request)

  • Provider delivering in workplaces and local ACL centres in Essex
  • Young people and adults (post 16 provision)
  • Vocational qualifications, apprenticeships, traineeships, Maths and English
  • Continually developing provision in constantly changing landscape
  • Apprentice Offer:- To work with public and private sector employers
  • Intermediate, advanced and high level apprenticeships
  • Offer includes, Business and Admin, Custom Service and Management
  • Other frameworks available
  • All apprentices recruited under ECC
  • Apprentices must have A contract of employment, work minimum of 30 hours per week, be paid minimum apprenticeship wage for 1st year
  • Information available on ECC website, Facebook and Twitter
  • Traineeships
  • For young people not work read
  • Can last up to 6 months
  • A work placement for 6 weeks to 5 months with an employer

Contact: 01376 534775 email:

Julie took questions from the floor covering:-

* Is there a queue of people wanting to train in local government

* Quantity of hours to put in training of an apprentice

* Town and Parish Councils much wider role than just admin, i.e. groundsman

how would they go through process - could use Writtle college. Funding could be either age grant of ECC grant

*Is the employer obliged to offer full time position – no, Traintree Provider will look at the next step

NALC Update by Cllr John Buchanan

John gave the following information to the delegates

The new Chief Executive, Dr Jonathan Owen took up his post on 1st April, which was also the date of the most recent NALC Council meeting.

The Chief Executive also attended the NALC Policy Committee on 13th May at which he confirmed that his main focus will be to deliver on the almost agreed NALC Strategy with its 3 key objectives:

  • Delivering quality services to County Associations and member councils
  • Creating new local councils and aiding membership growth
  • Promotion and representation

Top issues discussed at NALC Council or Policy Committee recently:

  • Council Tax Support Grant. About 37 principal authorities are not passing any of this grant on to Local Councils in their areas. NALC is submitting details of these authorities to the appropriate government Minister for further action. Large numbers of principal authorities, including several in Essex, applied a percentage reduction to the grant in line with the reduction in block grant received from central government, even though the CTSG component was supposedly not reduced.
  • Legislative Reform Order on electronic payments. This has now been completed through all bureaucratic stages and is available for use. Note that the use of electronic means of payment does not remove the need for proper internal controls on authorisation of payments. A two signature authority still applies in accordance with financial regulations, but it means that based on those signatories a Parish Clerk may make a payment electronically on his/her own single authority. Each Local Council should consider whether to adopt electronic payments, and if so, how to implement them while keeping proper controls.
  • Sustainable Communities Act. NALC is still desperate for Local Councils to submit their “barrier-busting” proposals to the DCLG so that unnecessary red tape can be cut and services be delivered more efficiently. The nearest thing heard of in Essex was the requirement for Parish Councils to obtain Environment Agency Licenses for the transportation of dog waste.
  • Creation of new Local Councils, in particular in urban areas. NALC is very proud that the first ever Local Council has been formed in Greater London, in Queen’s Park. Others are in the pipeline. There is central government grant available for any groups campaigning to create new Local Councils. We have two entirely unparished principal authority areas in the County, Harlow and Thurrock, and two authorities with only one Parish Council, respectively Castle Point and Southend-On-Sea. Thanks to Leigh-on-Sea Town Council for flying the flag, and hosting us here today.

Delegates put questions to John on:-

Quality Status

Cheque Signatories

Open Forum Time – Topics discussed

  • Paul Beckerson – Clerk to Leigh-on-Sea Town Council raised a question aboutNALC
  • Cllr Carole Mulroney raised a question about Standing Orders and access to personnel files
  • Vine HR
  • Janice Rigby – Clerk to Rochford Parish Council raised a question about the contributions to mending potholes.

Next Meetingdate

14th October 2014 hosted by Halstead Town Council when the Tour de France will be the main presentation.

The Chairman closedthe meetingat 12.30

Signed……………………………………………. Date …………………………….

1