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Minutes of a meeting of the Finance and General Purposes Committee (Presented to Hawkinge Parish Council at its meeting on 9 April to be received)

Held at: The Hawkinge Partnership Office

Date: 19 March 2008

Present: Councillor C D Tearle (in the Chair), Councillors T Hutt and P Smith
Also in attendance: Councillor G Hodgson

Officer Present: Mrs Tina Wiles (Clerk)

Apology for absence: Councillor D Callahan

44. APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN

Proposed by Councillor T Hutt

Seconded by Councillor P Smith and

RESOLVED: To appoint Councillor Colin Tearle as Chairman for the meeting.

(voting: for; 3, Against; 0, Abstentions; 0)

45. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

There were no declarations of interest.

46. MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 February 2008 were submitted, approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

47. REVIEW OF THE FOOTBALL PROJECT

1) LEASE OF THE SPORTS GROUND:

Following the resolution of the Parish Council to lease the Sports Ground to Hawkinge Youth Football Club, Finance and General Purposes Committee have been delegated authority to draw up the lease for submission to a solicitor before it is put in place. The commencement of the Lease will be 1 August 2008 and the Parish Council will pay its own legal costs with the Football Club being responsible for its own legal costs.

The Chairman of the Review Group said that he had negotiated with the Chairman and Treasurer of Hawkinge Youth Football Club about the heads of terms of the Lease and had kept the Chairman of the Council appraised. The Lease was presented at the meeting and a copy is attached to these minutes.

2) TEMPORARY CHANGING ROOMS – APPLICATION FOR GRANT ASSISTANCE

An application for financial assistance of £750, has been received from Hawkinge Youth Football Club for the moving of new temporary changing facilities to the Sports Ground. The current portacabins being used as changing rooms are no longer suitable for use and the Football Club wish to purchase a portable class room, no longer in use, from Christchurch School Folkestone.

The Chairman of the Review Group said that since publication of the agenda, he had received an email from Hawkinge Youth Football Club saying that the changing rooms from Christchurch School were no longer available. Enquiries made to the school revealed that the Development Officer of Hawkinge Youth Football Club had cancelled the arrangement and suggested that they be offered to an alternative interested party. The Chairman of the Review Group said that another portable classroom would become available in the Autumn and suggested that grant funding be put in place to allow for future opportunities to be progressed without delay.

Proposed by Councillor T Hutt

Seconded by Councillor P Smith and

RESOLVED:

1. To receive and note the report.

2. To adopt the Heads of Terms of the Lease and engage a solicitor to progress the Lease Agreement.

3. To make available £750 to Hawkinge Youth Football Club to enable the Club to move the temporary changing rooms to the Sports Ground.

(voting: for; 3, Against; 0, Abstentions; 0)

48. ST LUKE’S CHURCH – APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

St Luke’s Church has asked the Parish Council to consider allocating Section 106 monies towards the cost of improvements to St Luke’s Church Hall. The Parish Council is not able to use Section 106 monies for this purpose and has already made provisional allocations for the use of these monies.

Proposed by Councillor P Smith

Seconded by Councillor T Hutt and

RESOLVED:

1. To receive and note the request.

2. To respond asking St Luke’s Church to note that the Section 106 monies cannot be used for this purpose.

3. To suggest that St Luke’s Church contact the Hawkinge Neighbourhood Partnership and ask if a grant would be available.

(voting: for; 3, Against; 0, Abstentions; 0)

49. AUDIT AND BUDGET UPDATE

The Clerk said that the accounts were currently being prepared for the Audit Commission and would be presented to the Committee with the report of the internal auditor, prior to submission to the Audit Commission.

Proposed by Councillor P Smith

Seconded by Councillor T Hutt and

RESOLVED:

1. To receive and note the report.

(voting: for; 3, Against; 0, Abstentions; 0)

50. ASSET REGISTER

The Clerk circulated a draft Asset Register which when completed would form part of the Annual Return to the Audit Commission.

Proposed by Councillor P Smith

Seconded by Councillor T Hutt and

RESOLVED:

1. To receive and note the report.

2. To ask the Clerk to complete the Register and present it to the Committee with the Annual Return.

(voting: for; 3, Against; 0, Abstentions; 0)

51. RISK ASSEMENT PLAN

The Clerk circulated a draft Risk Assessment Plan which was to form part of the Annual Return to the Audit Commission.

Proposed by Councillor C D Tearle

Seconded by Councillor P Smith and

RESOLVED:

1. To adopted the Risk Assessment Plan for submission to the Audit Commission.

(voting: for; 3, Against; 0, Abstentions; 0)

52. SECTION 106 MONIES UPDATE

The Clerk gave an update which focused on the progress being made in respect of the transportation monies in particular, those the Parish Council had requested be released to enhance the Canterbury Road improvement scheme currently underway.

The Committee agreed that Councillor Tony Hutt accompany the Clerk to a meeting with Shepway District Council to discuss why the £65k had not yet been released to Kent Highway Services. The Committee asked that other issues including the yellow lining outside Churchill School be raised at the meeting.

Other funds allocated had been released and these included £14,000 for the improvement of the footpath at the side of the Hawkinge Community Office.

Proposed by Councillor P Smith

Seconded by Councillor C D Tearle and

RESOLVED:

1. To receive and note the report.

(voting: for; 3, Against; 0, Abstentions; 0)


53. EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC

Proposed by Councillor C D Tearle

Seconded by Councillor T Hutt and

RESOLVED: To exclude the public from the meeting for the following item of business on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure on exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 & 3 of schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

(voting: for; 3, Against; 0, Abstentions; 0)

54. INSURANCE POLICY

The Committee had received a copy of the Parish Council’s Insurance Policy which is due for renewal on 1 April 2008. The Committee examined the policy and made alterations.

Proposed by Councillor T Hutt

Seconded by Councillor P Smith and

RESOLVED:

1. To receive and note the report.

2. To ask the Clerk to arrange the agreed alterations to the policy and to renew the policy for 2008/09.

(voting: for; 3, Against; 0, Abstentions; 0)

55. PARISH COUNCIL RESOURCES

The Committee considered a confidential briefing note and addendum concerning the use of Parish Council resources and information requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, including Terms of Reference for future applications.

Proposed by Councillor T Hutt

Seconded by Councillor C D Tearle and

RESOLVED:

1. To receive and note the briefing note.

2. To endorse the reply from the Committee to Councillor Punnett.

3. To write to the Information Commissioner and appraise him of the situation.

4. To ask the Monitoring Officer at Shepway District Council to arrange for Councillor Punnett to receive advice from the Chairman of the Standards Board.

5. To instruct the Clerk not to enter into any further correspondence with Councillor Punnett on the subjects raised which were considered under the Freedom of Information Act.

6 To endorse the arrangements and Terms of Reference used for future applications under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

7. To make a charge for future requests under the Freedom of Information Act in accordance with the guidelines.

8. To charge any future applicant for time spent processing the application where in the judgement of the Finance and General Purposes Committee, the application is considered malicious.

(voting: for; 3, Against; 0, Abstentions; 0)