News

TO: MEMBERS OF HAWKINGE PARISH COUNCIL

You are requested to attend a meeting of the PARISH COUNCIL to be held on WEDNESDAY 11 June 2008 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall, Canterbury Road, Hawkinge.

Tina Wiles
Clerk to the Parish Council

OPEN MEETING

The Chairman will take questions from parishioners. The number of speakers will be limited to five (time limit 3 minutes).

A G E N D A

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members of the Council should disclose personal or prejudicial interest/s in any item/s on this agenda. You have a personal interest if the issue being discussed in the meeting affects the well-being or finances of you, your family or your close associates more than most other people who live in the area affected by the issue. Personal interests are also matters that relate to an interest you must register.

Prejudicial interests are personal interests that affect you, your family, or your close associates in the following ways: their finances, or regulatory functions such as licensing or planning which affect them and which a reasonable member of the public with knowledge of the facts would believe likely to harm or impair your ability to judge the public interest.

If you have a personal interest you must normally declare it at the meeting. If the personal interest arises because of your membership of another public body, you only need to declare it if you intend to speak. If you have both a personal and prejudicial interest you must declare it and leave the room although you do have the same right as a member of the public to make representations, give evidence and answer questions about the matter.

Whenever possible, and if in doubt, advice should be sought from the Clerk prior to the meeting.

3. MINUTES

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 14 May 2008.

4. FINANCIAL MATTERS

The Clerk will report on the schedule of payments to be made following the meeting. A copy of the schedule is attached.

Please contact the Clerk before the meeting if you have any queries on the items listed.

RECOMMENDATION: To approve the schedule of payments attached at Appendix A.

5. APPLICATIONS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

REPORT: Two letters have been received from Joanna Stirland, Youth Worker Coordinator, copies attached asking for a financial contribution of £250 to support the Street Athletic Event to be held on 27 July 2008, and a further contribution of £500 towards the Summer Programme to be held from 28 July to 29 August 2008 in Hawkinge.

The Parish Council contributed £200 towards the Summer Programme last year. The Parish Council has a sum in its budget for donations, however these requests exceed the allocation. If the Parish Council is minded to make a financial contribution it should request that reference be made to its sponsorship in all publicity documentation and that it receives a feedback report on the success of the events.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. To receive and note the report.
2. To determine the application for financial assistance of £250 towards the Street Athletics event to be held on 27 July 2008.
3. To determine the application for financial assistance of £500 towards the Summer Programme.

6. STATEMENT ON INTERNAL CONTROL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH

2008 – ANNUAL GOVERNANCE STATEMENT
REPORT: On 20 May 2008, the Finance and General Purposes Committee considered REPORT FC/08/01 which report details the Statement on Internal Control to support the Annual Governance Statement required as part of the Annual Return for the year ended 31 March 2008, copy attached. The Committee;

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO THE PARISH COUNCIL:
1. To approve and endorse the Statement on Internal Control for the year ended 31 March 2008.
2. To authorise the Chairman of the Parish Council to sign the Statement of Internal Control for the Year Ended 31 March 2008.
3. To respond Yes in boxes 1 to 8 of the Annual Governance Statement at Section 2 of the Annual Return subject to the adoption of Report FC/08/02 which relates specifically to Box 6.
4. To authorise the Chairman of the Parish Council to sign the Annual Governance Statement.

7. THE NEED FOR THE PARISH COUNCIL TO ANNUALLY REVIEW THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INTERNAL AUDIT
REPORT:

 On 20 May the Finance and General Purposes Committee considered REPORT FC/08/02 which gives details about the purpose of the internal audit and the areas that the internal audit work covers. The report supports the requirement in the Annual Governance Statement for the Council to have in place an effective system of internal audit of the Council’s accounting records and control systems and to have carried out a review of its effectiveness, copy attached. The Committee;

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO THE PARISH COUNCIL:
1. To approve and endorse the report of the internal auditor detailing the need for the Parish Council to annually review the effectiveness of the Internal Audit.

8. REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT INTERNAL AUDITOR
REPORT:

On 20 May 2008 the Finance and General Purposes Committee considered REPORT FC/08/03 which encloses the report of the Independent Internal Auditor who has been asked to complete Section 4 of the Annual Return to the Audit Commission, copy attached. The Committee;

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO THE PARISH COUNCIL:
1. To receive and endorse the report.

9. STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2008

REPORT: On 20 May 2008, the Finance and General Purposes Committee considered REPORT FC/08/04 which attaches the Statement of Accounts for 2007/08, copy attached. The Committee;

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO THE PARISH COUNCIL:
1. To approve and endorse the Statement of Accounts at Section 1 of the Annual Return for the year ended 31 March 2008.
2. To authorise the Chairman of the Parish Council to sign the Accounts contained within the Annual Return for 2007/08.

10. FINANCE AND GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE – 20 May 2008

To receive the minutes of the Finance and General Purposes Committee of 20 May 2008.


11. COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE – 31 MARCH 2008

RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. To approve and adopt the minutes of the Community Services Advisory Committee of 31 March 2008.
2. To proceed the with the improvements to the noticeboard outside the village hall and to vire £200 from the reserves to fund this project.
3. To ask the Clerk to proceed with the provision of two additional outside lights on the village hall before the autumn.

12. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE – 13 MAY 2008

To receive and adopt the minutes of the Planning and Development Committee of 13 May 2008.

13. COMMUNITY CENTRE – PROGRESS REPORT AND REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

On 14 May 2008, the Parish Council nominated Councillor Tearle as its representative on the Board of Trustees of Hawkinge Community Centre. Councillor Tearle replaced Councillor Hodgson. An update will be given at the meeting.

On 9 April 2008, minute 87, the Parish Council noted that a request had been received from the Trustees of the Community Centre asking for it to provide certain financial advice and assistance, and noted that the Parish Council had responded saying that it was unable to offer this advice.

The Trustees have now obtained this advice from another source and have requested the Parish Council to pay the final bill including legal costs of £411.25.

The Parish Council did not make provision in the budget for any financial assistance to the Community Centre and the funds would have to be taken from the reserves.

RECOMMENDATION:
1. To receive and note the report.
2. To determine whether the Parish Council wishes to give financial assistance to the Trustees of the Community Centre.

14. KILLING WOOD - HAWKINGE

Councillor Update 17 issues in May, advised that the Parish Council had been asked by the White Cliffs Countryside Project if it would be interest in acquiring part or all of Killing Wood. The Parish Council has now been advised that the owner has accepted an offer. The owner may be interested in selling a strip of land at Killing Wood to enable access to be created between Spitfire Way with Steppe Close and Heron Forestall Avenue. The Parish Council is working towards this with the White Cliffs Countryside Project.


RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. To receive and note the report.
2. To pursue further negotiations in connection with Killing Wood.

15. PLANNING MATTERS

1. The list of planning applications received since the last meeting is attached, giving details of the responses sent to the District Council by the Planning and Development Group for endorsement.

RECOMMENDATION: To receive and note the responses of the Planning and Development Group detailed in the report.

Please contact the Clerk if you would like to view the plans before the meeting.

16. CORRESPONDENCE

There are three items of correspondence attached to this agenda for information.
• Letter from Michael Howard dated 24 May, about the Football Project and the response of the Parish Council.
• Letter from Peter Burn, dated 11 May and the response of the Parish Council.
• Copy of an email to Councillor Hutt dated 2 June regarding the progress of an allotment site.

The general correspondence folder will available at the meeting from the Clerk or can been viewed in the Hawkinge Partnership Office.