MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF PICKMERE PARISH COUNCIL
16th May 2023
Present: Councillor S. Read, A. Knight, P. Knight, C. Hart, N. Greenwood, L. Marshall,
J. Henderson
Public: 6 members of the public
Apologies: Councillor E. Campbell
1. Outgoing chairperson’s report for 2022-23
I will keep the review short as we are missing core members of the newly elected Parish Council and need to complete some urgent business before moving on at the next meeting when the new chair will be in place.
I also want to focus on and recognise the outgoing councillors, Andrew Shore, Chris Tarrant, Alison Bold, Sarah Flannery, Sarah Carson and Paul Dobson and Jack Steel (Clerk).
All the outgoing councillors have worked hard to ensure the Council functioned well and they have brought it up to a point of professionalism that it never held prior to their arrival. They have dealt with a great many issues over the years. These include planning issues, challenging road issues, liaising with various professional bodies and CCE. They have overseen a great deal of work on HS2 and successfully challenged much of what was originally proposed. They have seen Pickmere through Covid and held meetings via Zoom to try and maintain business through that difficult period.
Members of the council also initiated the Neighbourhood Plan, the process for upgrading the playground and restarted the Speedwatch group. In addition, maintenance and improvements have taken place in the village assets. The council has also been involved in liaising with the authorities to try and deal with the parking situation and brought forward a suggestion of a fence to try and help.
To conclude I would like to welcome the new councillors and wish them all the best in looking after our village.
2. Elections
2.1 To accept members’ Declarations of Acceptance of Office
All Declarations of Acceptance of Office for the new council were completed and signed in the presence of Cllr Read.
2.2 Election of officers
Chairperson
One nomination was received via letter for Cllr. Ewan Campbell. Proposed by Cllr Greenwood, seconded by Councillor Marshall. Councillor Campbell was ELECTED as the new chair -passed 4 votes for – 2 votes against).
Vice-Chairperson
It was agreed that the decision on a Vice-Chair be postponed until all councillors and the new Chairperson were present. Proposed Cllr Hart, seconded Cllr Greenwood. This was agreed unanimously.
Continued
MINUTES of the MONTHLY PARISH COUNCIL MEETING (689)
16th May 2023
1. To receive apologies for absence
Present Councillors S. Read, A. Knight, P. Knight, C. Hart, N. Greenwood, L. Marshall, J. Henderson
Public 6 members of the public
Apologies Councillor E. Campbell
1a Temporary Chairperson
With the newly elected chairperson being absent it was agreed that Cllr Read would take the role for the one meeting to ensure continuity. Proposed Cllr Hart, seconded Cllr Marshall – AGREED unanimously.
2. Minutes of Council meeting of 16 May 2023
The minutes of the meeting of 25th April 2023 were noted [they could not be approved since only one of the current council was a member of the outgoing council which met at the 25 April meeting.]
3. Declaration of interests
None
4. Public forum
One member of the public spoke to congratulate all the new councillors on their election and to express hope that all can work together going forward. The same resident said that he would continue to cut the grass at the IROS field. He was thanked for his work, and it was confirmed he should continue by all councillors.
5. 5.1 To consider programme of meetings for 2022-24
It was recognised that the Council has a requirement to have dates in place going forward. It was also noted by the Chair that we had to agree a date for the next PC meeting. The Chair proposed that we agree the dates as provisional with the view to them being discussed at the next meeting and confirmed at that point. Cllr P. Knights proposed, Cllr Marshall seconded – AGREED unanimously.
Based on the principle of the meeting on the first Tuesday in the month, is as follows, all meetings to commence at 7.30 p.m.
• 6th June 2023
• 4th July – with Councillors’ Surgery at 7.00 p.m.
• No August meeting
• 5th September – with Councillors’ Surgery at 7.00 p.m.
• 3rd October
• 7th November – with Councillors’ Surgery at 7.00 p.m.
• 5th December
• No January 2024 meeting
• 6th February 2024 – with Councillors’ Surgery at 7.00 p.m.
• 5th March
• 2nd April – with Councillors’ Surgery at 7.00 p.m.
• 7th May
5.2 To review Council’s and employee’s membership of other bodies
The suggestion from the Acting Chairperson is that the council agrees to continue the payments for membership of the professional bodies as we should belong to them and with the changeover of Clerk, Responsible Financial Officer etc we need to allow these to continue. Cllr A Knights pointed out that some of these are also going to prove useful to the village in providing support and information for the activities talking place in the Warm Welcome Coffee Mornings. Cllr Hart agreed that many were useful and necessary but would like to investigate some of them further to find out what they provided and their value for money. It was agreed to continue with the memberships and review them as the subs came due. Proposed Cllr P Knights, seconded Cllr Marshall – passed 5 votes to 1.
5.3 To review arrangements in respect of General Data Protection legislation
The Council noted and continued to adopt the policies and other documents last reviewed in June 2020, together with amendments made in July 2021. That the Clerk (when appointed) continues to act as the Council’s Data Protection Compliance Officer. Proposed Cllr Henderson, seconded Cllr A Knights – this was AGREED unanimously.
6. Finance
6.1 To note, approve or authorise new payments
The documents were noted, and all payments were AGREED. Proposed Cllr Greenwood, seconded Cllr A Knights – agreed unanimously.
Minutes taken by Cllr S Read