MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
Thursday 19 May 2011 at 7.30 p.m. Community Rooms, Holmes Chapel Library
Part I – Public and Press present
1. Attendance / Mr A Pierce – Retiring Chairman for item 2 onlyMr WA Ashworth
Mr JA Clowes
Mrs PA Cotton / Mr WN Guthrie
Mr J Latham
Mrs IM Mackenzie
Mr RC Parry
Mr DE Savage
Mr MJ Street
2. Election of Chairman / Mr Pierce took the chair and thanked members, the Clerk and Assistant for support during his year of office.
RESOLVED (c11/12/01) to elect Cllr Guthrie as Chairman for the year 2011/12.
Cllr Guthrie took the Chair, received the badge of office, signed the declaration of acceptance of office and thanked Cllr Pierce for his work as Chairman and pledged to work for the good of Holmes Chapel. He also welcomed Cllr Latham, the new member present
3. Election of Vice Chairman / RESOLVED (c11/12/02) to elect Cllr Savage as Vice Chairman for the year 2011/12.
4. Apologies / RESOLVED (c11/12/03) to approve apologies from Mr L Gilbert, Mrs M Ranger and Mr S Ranger.
5. Minutes / RESOLVED (c11/12/04) to approve the minutes of the Council meetings held on 24 March and 14 April 2011 as a true and correct record to be signed by the Chairman.
6. Declarations of Interest / None
7. Chairman’s Allowance / RESOLVED (c11/12/05) to approve an allocation of £750.00 for the Chairman’s Allowance for the year.
8. Civic Service / RESOLVED (c11/12/06) to arrange a Civic Service at St Luke’s Church; date and time to be arranged by the Chairman and Clerk, but likely to be Sunday 3 July 2011 at 10.00 a.m.
9. Code of Conduct and Member’s Interests / The Clerk reminded members of the provisions of the 2007 Code of Conduct and reported that the Monitoring Officer required the completion of new Members’ Interests forms. All members had completed these and they would be forwarded to the Monitoring Officer. Also members had completed declarations of acceptance of office.
10. Election of Committees / RESOLVED (c11/12/07)
1. to appoint the following Councillors to the following Committees
2. each Committee to appoint a Chairman at its first meeting:
Strategy / Amenities
Gilbert
Guthrie
Mackenzie
Parry
Savage
S Ranger / Ashworth
Clowes
Cotton
Guthrie
Latham
M Ranger
Savage
Street
Technical Services / Finance
Clowes
Cotton
Gilbert
Guthrie
Latham
Parry
M Ranger
Street / To be completed following the election of Committee Chairmen
11. Internal Appointments and Representatives of External Bodies / RESOLVED (c11/12/08) to make the following appointments or to delegate the appointment to the Committee indicated
Finance Member / Cllr Parry
Internal Auditor / JDH Business Services Ltd
Newsletter Editor / Cllr Guthrie
Web Site Officers / Clerk and Assistant
Press and Publicity / Clerk and Assistant
Webmaster / Strategy
Local Service Delivery / Clowes, Gilbert, Parry and Savage
Leisure Centre / Savage and Street
ChALC Area Meetings / Cotton and Street
Highway Spokesman / Technical Services
Public Transport Spokesman / Amenities
Community Rail Partnership / Amenities
Public Service Liaison / Amenities
Police Forum & Meetings / Amenities
Almshouses Charity / Mackenzie (until 2014)
Village Volunteers / Technical Services
Best Kept Garden Judges / Guthrie (as Chairman), Street and Cotton
Local Area Partnership / Strategy
Dane Valley Improvements / Amenities
Play Area Improvements / Amenities
HC Partnership / Strategy
Sustainable Towns / Strategy
12. Committee Actions and Recommendations / RESOLVED (c11/12/09)
1. To approve the actions and recommendations of the Strategy Committee held on 31 March 2011.
2. To approve the actions and recommendations of the Amenities Committee held on 7 April 2011.
3. To approve the actions and recommendations of the Finance Committee held on 14 April 2011.
4. To approve the actions and recommendations of the Technical Services Committee held on 21 April 2011.
13. Annual Parish Meeting / The Council reviewed the draft minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 28 April 2011 and agreed that they should be approved subject to approval at the 2012 meeting.
14. Matters Arising
from all minutes / The Clerk reported on the following:
1. Leisure Centre – A joint meeting is to be held on Monday 23 May 2011
2. Lighting scheme – Work on the playing field footpath has commenced
3. Partnership – There is a need to organise a meeting as soon as possible
4. Audit – The internal audit has been completed without any qualification; the papers have been sent to the external auditor who has not yet reported back
15. Accounts for payment / RESOLVED (c11/12/10) to approve the payments set out in the Schedule below:
Already Paid
So / DR Cowgill / Salary – April 2011 / 533.69
so / NL Clarke / Salary – April 2011 / 324.37
680 / HC Scouts / Delivery of spring newsletter / 90.00
801 / Scottish Power / Electricity – Church floodlights / 98.15
802 / Impressions Print & Design / Printing of spring newsletter / 154.00
803 / JDH Business Services Ltd / Internal audit 2010-11 / 234.00
To be Paid
804 / Bomfords / Stationery / 165.59
805 / Weaver Business Machines / Service charge (printer) April – June / 36.00
806 / DR Cowgill / Annual Parish Meeting costs -
Chairman’s Allowance / 50.05
807 / Victoria Club / Hire of hall / 30.00
808 / Cheshire Playing Fields Assoc. / Annual subscription 2011-12 / 20.00
809
** / EQH Ltd / Project co-ordinator HC Partnership April 2011 / 600.00
810 / Cheshire Community Action / Annual Subscription 2011-12 / 50.00
811 / BT / Telephone clerk / 110.76
812 / Broker Network / Insurance 2011 - 12 / 1492.96
813 / J Latham / Notice board repairs / 5.00
** This item to be paid notwithstanding the grant money had not been received from CEC but because of other Partnership funds held by the Council; the Clerk to chase payment
16. Holmes Chapel Today / 1. The event on 14 May 2011 was opened by the Chairman at 9.30 a.m.
2. Cllr. Street reported on the event and the following points were noted to refer back to the organisers:
· Is it necessary to hold the event annually?
· More space was required for some groups
17. Borough Council reports / 1. The result of the election on 5 May 2011 was noted. HC is now part of the new Dane Valley Ward and Cllrs Gilbert and Kolker had been elected, having been 2 of the 3 members for the former ward. Also Cllr Gilbert has been re - elected as a Parish Cllr. In the circumstances it is assumed that liaison will continue as before
2. In the absence of Cllr Gilbert there was no report
18. Training / The Clerk reminded members of training dates and asked that members contact the office to book any courses.
19. Reports from Outside Bodies / The following reports were made:
Sandbach Almshouses Charity – Cllr Mackenzie reported on a forthcoming sub-committee meeting and a tea; she was asked if it would be possible for members to visit the property
Community Rail Partnership – None
Village Volunteers – Cllr Clowes reported on the action of the Home Grown Group who are hoping to produce some fruit and vegetables on the land adjoin the old wine bar
Local Area Partnership – None
Partnership – Cllr Clowes reported that there was a meeting next week; the cycling project was now underway and receiving publicity in the local press
ChALC – None
Police – The Clerk had circulated the last duty report for the PCSO
20. Local Service Delivery / The Clerk reported on the present position:
· Information promised at the last meeting had not been received
· Meeting were being organised by the larger Councils but these may be more in connection with civic buildings
· A further report would be made to Strategy if information was available; further meetings of the Task Group would be organised
· A decision was required by 21 June 2011 so it may be necessary to organise an additional Council meeting
21. Agendas and future action / Members and the Clerk referred to items for future meeting and the following particular points were noted:
· Electronic communication
· Press publicity
· Meetings on traffic issues
· Policy on use of the Council’s web site
22. Planning applications / The Council considered the following applications and
RESOLVED (c11/12/11) to make no objection:
11/1015C - New flue – 35 London Road
11/1117C - New main entrance, shop front and roof plant – 28 London Road
11/1228C - Extension – Saltersford Meadows, Macclesfield Road
11/1342C – Garage and office to rear – 7 Bromley Drive
23. Reports from Chairman and Clerk / The Clerk reported on the following items:
1. Election expenses returns - These needed to be made to CEC; the Clerk would return the forms delivered to the office
2. Road accident – There had been a tragic accident on the M5 Motorway on 13 May 2011 when two HC ladies had been killed – Audrey Buddle and Maureen Jones. Both had taken an active part in village life and tributes were made to them. The Clerk was asked to send letters of condolence to both families
24. News items / 1. Items were agreed for inclusion in a press report
2. Members were asked to review the Council’s web site and provide information requested by the Assistant
3. The Chairman requested items for the newsletter
Part II
Private and Confidential Business / None.
The meeting closed at 9. p.m.
These minutes will be submitted for approval at the next meeting scheduled for 23 June 2010. Until then they are draft minutes.
Signed as Chairman of the Council as a true and accurate record:
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Date…………………………………………………………………………………………….
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