MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE THURMASTON PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON TUESDAY 12th JUNE at 7.45PM IN THE MEMORIAL HALL
PRESENT:
Councillors: M D Lowe (Chairman)
D Atterbury D Maguire
S R Brown J Brown
S Coombe R Davies
P S Harley B J Seaton
P S Newman L Seaton
R Raven A Patel
D J Hill
ALSO PRESENT: The Clerk, Deputy Clerk, 9 members of the public
APOLOGIES: Councillors: D J Knaggs, K Knaggs, J Knaggs
S O Rose, Police
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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE ON TUESDAY 12th JUNE AT 7.15PM IN THE LIBRARY
PRESENT: Councillors; M D Lowe (Chairman)
S R Brown R Davies
B J Seaton R Raven
D J Hill
ALSO PRESENT: The Clerk, Deputy Clerk
1. To Receive apologies for Absence
None.
2. Disclosures of Interest - To receive disclosures from Members and Officers and the nature of those interests as specified In respect of items on this agenda.
None.
3. Monthly Expenditure Report – Mrs G M Smith
ACCOUNTS: Expenditure: The Clerk presented cheque no’s 109887 - 109989 for invoices and petty cash and direct debits totalling £64,681.19 for June.
Councillor Newman suggested that the council waved the hire fee for the NHS blood service booking.
Resolved: Councillors did not wish to take up this suggestion.
4. Monthly Income Report - Mrs G M Smith
The Clerk presented income report for May.
It was proposed and seconded that the Council accepts the accounts.
Resolved: The motion was carried
5. Standing Orders
Clerk reminded Councillors that the Finance Committee needs to review and upgrade standing orders as agreed and issued copies of the latest model Standing Orders from NALC. The Clerk explained that a thorough review is necessary and is likely to be very time consuming and suggested that the committee allocates a full day for this exercise.
Resolved: Councillors agreed to meet for a full day meeting on 17th July 2012.
6. Premises Officer
The Clerk reported that the Premises Officer has submitted his resignation and will be leaving on 29th June.
The Clerk explained that the duties extend to seven days per week as they involve the key holding for the Memorial Hall and opening and closing all parks and the cemetery every day including bank holidays. The Clerks recommended that the post is split into two or three different positions. This matter will need to be addressed urgently.
Resolved:
· Cemetery Maintenance - The Council’s grounds contractor, Sports Ground Maintenance and Machinery will be invited assist with maintenance of the Cemetery over the Summer as per the requirements of the Councils Groundsman.
· Opening and Locking of Parks and Memorial Hall Key Holder
Vacancy to be advertised as soon as possible
Pay rates to be set in line accordingly.
If any problems arise with recruitment to the above, the Clerk will liaise with the Chairman and Vice Chairman to address issues as necessary.
7. Stock Report:
The Deputy Clerk issued copies of the recent stock report which was satisfactory, copies issued all members of the committee.
8. Training Courses:
The Clerk presented details of two training Courses for Clerks and a Management/Supervisor Course for Robert, Dave and Carl.
Resolved: Request approved.
9. Correspondence
Audit commission:
Consultation on appointment of External Auditor for 2012/2013 and future years.
I am writing to consult you on the appointment of Grant Thornton UK LLP to audit the annual return of Thurmaston Parish Council for five years from 2012/13. The appointment would commence on 1 September 2012.
We announced on 19 March that the Audit Commission (the Commission) had completed the procurement for the provision of limited assurance audits for small bodies and awarded contracts to four audit firms.
We are proposing to appoint Grant Thornton to audit the annual returns of all small bodies in Leicestershire. This approach follows our established practice of grouping auditor appointments for small bodies by county areas.
Grant Thornton has been providing audit services to the Commission since it was created in 1983, and is currently the Commission’s largest audit supplier for principal body audits. The firm has previous experience of auditing parish and town councils and internal drainage boards and will have a dedicated team to support communication with small bodies.
Smaller relevant bodies, as defined by the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2011, whose gross annual income or expenditure is less than £6.5 million, are audited under the Commission’s limited assurance approach. Appendix 1 provides further information on limited assurance audit and the scales of audit fees for 2012/13 to 2016/17.
The consultation process
The Commission has a statutory duty to appoint external auditors to local government bodies under Section 3 of the Audit Commission Act 1998. The Commission has a duty to consult local government bodies on the appointment.
If you aware of any reason why the Commission should not appoint Grant Thornton UK LLP as your auditor please advise us by email to or write to Marcine Waterman, Director of Audit Policy and Regulation by Friday 29 June.
If your reasons are accepted, we will consult you on an alternative appointment. If they are rejected, there will be a further opportunity for you to make representations to the Managing Director, Audit Policy before the appointment is confirmed.
The Commission aims to confirm all proposed appointments by 31 August.
If you have any questions about the proposed auditor appointment please email us at or call on 0844 798 2447.
10. Clerks report
The Clerk reported that she and the Deputy Clerk would be taking holidays in July as follows:
Tracey: 12 days as follows:
Friday 29th June
Wednesday 4th July – Thursday 5th July
Wednesday 18th July – Monday 30th July
Glynis: 9 Days as follows:
Monday 9th July – Tuesday 10th July
Friday 3rd August – Monday 6th August
Monday 3rd September – Friday 7th September
Confirmed and signed this day of 2012
Chairman
Chairman Councillor M D Lowe welcomed all to the June meeting of the Parish Council.
Councillor Harley unveiled a portrait of Her Majesty Queen II in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee.
1. To Receive Apologies for Absence:
Councillors: D J Knaggs, K Knaggs, J Knaggs
S O Rose, Police
Resolved: Reasons given for the apologies were accepted by the Council.
2. Disclosures of Interest (in respect of items on this Agenda):
Councillor Harley declared an interest in any matters concerning Leicestershire County Council and Charnwood Borough Council.
Councillor Davies declared an interest in any business concerning Thurmaston Boxing Club and the Old School.
Councillor Lowe declared an interest in any Business concerning
Charnwood Borough Council and Thurmaston Magpies FC.
Councillor Coombe declared an interest in any business concerning
Jubilee Celebrations 2012
Councillor Seaton declared an interest in any business concerning
Jubilee Celebrations 2012 and any business concerning Charnwood Borough Council.
Councillor D J Hill declared an interest in any business concerning
Jubilee Celebrations 2012
3. To receive Reports from the Police – PC Porter and CPSO Harkerat
Copies of the Police report were issued to Councillors.
4. To confirm and sign the minutes of the Annual Council Meeting – Tuesday 8th June
It was proposed and seconded that the minutes and resolutions therein be adopted as a true and correct record.
Resolved: that the minutes and resolutions therein be adopted.
5. To confirm and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Full Parish
Council Tuesday 8th May pages 4 – 10 (make corrections amendments) to be signed by the Chairman enc).
It was proposed and seconded that the minutes and resolutions therein be adopted as a true and correct record.
Resolved: that the minutes and resolutions therein be adopted.
6. To confirm and sign the minutes of the following Committee Meetings:
Pages 11 – 12 Minutes of Meeting with Mem Hall and Cem Committee 15.05.12
It was proposed and seconded that the minutes and resolutions therein be adopted as a true and correct record.
Resolved: that the minutes and resolutions therein be adopted.
Pages 13 – 14 Minutes of the Meeting of the Env Comm 22.05.12
It was proposed and seconded that the minutes and resolutions therein be adopted as a true and correct record.
Resolved: that the minutes and resolutions therein be adopted.
Pages 17 – 23 Minutes of the Meeting of the Leisure Centre Comm 05.06.12
It was proposed and seconded that the minutes and resolutions therein be adopted as a true and correct record.
Resolved: that the minutes and resolutions therein be adopted.
7. Public Participation - Maximum of 15 Minutes (Meeting adjourned)
Matters raised in Public Participation whilst the meeting is adjourned are not recorded in the minutes. However it was agreed that the Clerk should write to the Borough Council in support of the following concerns raised by residents:
1. In support of letter Re: Planning application ref:
“I object to this planning application because:-
This is an industrial expansion onto a residential site and will if granted contribute to loss of privacy of existing residents in their homes and gardens.
Permission has been granted for residential housing on a site backing onto the proposed application. This will mean that Neal’s property will have residential properties on all four sides of the existing site. The noise levels from Neal Brother’s site are not acceptable in a residential area and C.B.C. Environmental Team have visited Neal Brothers at the request of the residents on many occasions only for the noise levels to return. To have further expansion at this time will only exacerbate this situation.
Humberstone Lane is now a ‘Rat Run’ for many vehicles and very busy with the new housing estate on the old bakery site. Another 200 houses next to Neal Brothers in Silverdale Drive will greatly increase traffic numbers.
I respectfully ask you to refuse this application on the ground of, Loss of privacy, increased traffic numbers, noise and disturbance.
2. In support of letter Re: Charnwood Borough Council’s latest consultation on the Local Plan
On Monday a press release was received to say that Charnwood Borough Council were holding a three week consultation on the Local Plan to build over 17,000 new homes in Charnwood before 2028.The three week consultation was starting that very day, the reason for me speaking tonight is to ask who the Borough Council expect to comment on this consultation?
With a subject as important as this surely a reasonable amount of notice before the event should have been given to allow people to partake in the consultation. With no notice it is unlikely that many of the local community newspapers throughout Charnwood will be in a position to publicise this consultation to local residents, leaving only the Leicester Mercury or Loughborough Echo to publicise this, and there will be many people who do not take these newspapers.
There are two documents associated with this consultation, one is 171 pages and the other 39 pages, surely to read, digest and respond adequately the average man in the street would need longer than three weeks?
In conclusion
How are residents supposed to know about this consultation?
Three weeks is not enough time to comment(especially with no notice of the consultation)
You need to register to complete the online questionnaire, and your name is required to appear online with your comments (I believe this will discourage many people from partaking)
There will be a ‘South Charnwood Community Workshop’ for community groups and Parish Councils on Tuesday 19th June at 10.00am. This time of day will preclude working representatives from attending.
I believe that Charnwood Borough Council are making it very difficult for the public to partake fully in this consultation and as this subject will effect many residents throughout the borough, it should be held in a manner to allow as many residents to partake as possible.
8. Questions from Councillors (Submitted in accordance with Standing Order number24), a member may ask the Chairman of the Council or the Clerk any question concerning the business of the Council, provided 7 clear day’s notice of the question has been given to the person to whom it is addressed. None.
9. Approval of Accounts year end 31st March 2012 (copies enclosed)
The external auditors, Clement Keys, have in the past year issued reminders to some parish councils regarding the revised Accounts and Audit Regulations 2011 (Regulation 4). This particular regulation states that parish councils must conduct a review at least once a year of the effectiveness of its system of internal control. What this means is that the Council (i.e. members of the Council) undertakes a review to ensure that the internal controls that are said to be operative (e.g. according to the internal audit report) are in fact in place and working satisfactorily. In practice this could mean, for example, ensuring that bank reconciliations are carried out regularly, the cash book is kept up to date etc. Clement Keys also advise that this review is best undertaken in conjunction with the signing off of section 2 (Governance) of the Annual Return. Having undertaken the review the outcome should be minuted.
Recommendation: that the Council considers undertaking this review along the lines suggested above and continues to undertake it on an annual basis.
Year end comments
Councillors were issued with the following documents as follows:
· Annual Return for year ending 31st March 2012
· Income & Expenditure Account
· Financial Summary
· Consolidated Balance sheet
· Section 137 transactions
· Opening/Closing Debtors/Creditors
· Fixed assets list
· Public Work Loan Board – Balance as at 31/03012
· Internal Audit Report
· Bank Account Reconciliation Statements as at 31/03/12
It was proposed and seconded that the Council approves the Accounts including the above Accounting Statements, Internal Auditors Report and Annual Governance Statement for Year End March 2012.
Resolved: The motion was carried
10. Grant Application
· Thurmaston Marching Band
The Clerk gave a brief overview of the purpose for which the grant is required: