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Minutes of a meeting of Hawkinge Parish Council

Held at: The Village Hall, Hawkinge

Date: 11 June 2008
Present: Councillor D Callahan (Chairman), Councillors Ms J Brisley, J Heasman, G Hodgson, T Hutt, Mrs P Meloy and C D Tearle

Apology for Absence: Councillors J Punnett and P Smith (unwell)

Officer Present: Mrs Tina Wiles (Clerk)


OPEN MEETING
PUBLIC QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION

One question was asked by Mr Brun, a member of the Public. His question and the response given is included on the schedule attached to these minutes.

601. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Councillors D Callahan, T Hutt and C D Tearle declared personal interests in minute 612 (Hawkinge Community Centre). Their interests arose because they are members of the Community Centre. They remained in the meeting and took part in the discussion and voting on this item.

Councillors John Heasman and George Hodgson declared prejudicial interests in minute 612 (Hawkinge Community Centre) and were absent from the meeting during discussion and voting on the item.

602. MINUTES
Minutes of the meeting held on 14 May 2008 were submitted, approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

603. FINANCIAL MATTERS
The Clerk circulated the schedule of payments to be made following the meeting. A copy of the schedule is attached as Appendix 1.

Proposed by Councillor T Heasman
Seconded by Councillor Ms J Brisley and


RESOLVED:
1. To receive and adopt the schedule of payments attached at Appendix 1.

(Voting: For 7; Against 0; Abstentions 0)

604. APPLICATIONS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
REPORT: Two letters had been received from Joanna Stirland, Youth Worker Coordinator, copies attached asking for a financial contribution of £250 to support the Street Athletics 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.

Proposed by Councillor T Hutt
Seconded by Councillor Ms J Brisley and

RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. To receive and note the report.
2. To make a grant of £250 towards the Street Athletics event to be held on 27 July 2008.
3. To make a grant of £150 towards the Hawkinge Youth Summer Programme.
4. To add a condition to the grants that Hawkinge Parish Council should be added to publicity material as a sponsor of the events and that a report giving details of the success of the events be presented to the Parish Council.

(Voting: For 7; Against 0; Abstentions 0)

605. STATEMENT ON INTERNAL CONTROL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2008 – ANNUAL GOVERNANCE STATEMENT
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. A copy of the report was circulated with the agenda to all members of the Council.

Proposed by Councillor T Hutt
Seconded by Councillor Ms J Brisley and

RESOLVED:
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.

(Voting: For 6; Against 0; Abstentions 1)

606. THE NEED FOR THE PARISH COUNCIL TO ANNUALLY REVIEW THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INTERNAL AUDIT
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. A copy of the report was circulated with the agenda to all members of the Council.

Proposed by Councillor T Hutt
Seconded by Councillor Mrs P Meloy and

RESOLVED:
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.

(Voting: For 7; Against 0; Abstentions 0)

607. REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT INTERNAL AUDITOR
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. A copy of the report was circulated with the agenda to all members of the Council.

The Council noted that the Internal Auditor made specific reference too the fact that the Parish Council’s records are kept to a good standard and the Parish Council’s approach to the management of risks is sound.

Proposed by Councillor T Hutt
Seconded by Councillor J Heasman and

RESOLVED:
1. To receive and adopt Report FC/08/03.

(Voting: For 7; Against 0; Abstentions 0)


608. STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2008
On 20 May 2008, the Finance and General Purposes Committee considered REPORT FC/08/04 which attaches the Statement of Accounts for 2007/08. A copy of the report was circulated with the agenda to all members of the Council.

Proposed by Councillor C D Tearle
Seconded by Councillor T Hutt and

RESOLVED:
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.

(Voting: For 7; Against 0; Abstentions 0)

609. MINUTES OF THE FINANCE AND GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE – 20 MAY 2008
To receive the minutes of the Finance and General Purposes Committee of 20 May 2008 which had been circulated with the agenda.

Proposed by Councillor C D Tearle
Seconded by Councillor T Hutt and

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

(Voting: For 7; Against 0; Abstentions 0)

610. COMMUNITY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE – 31 MARCH 2008
To receive and approve the recommendations of the Community Services Advisory Committee of 31 March 2008 which had been circulated with the agenda.

Proposed by Councillor C D Tearle
Seconded by Councillor J Heasman and

RESOLVED:
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.

(Voting: For 7; Against 0; Abstentions 0)


611. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE – 13 MAY 2008
To receive and adopt the minutes of the Planning and Development Committee of 13 May 2008.

Proposed by Councillor J Heasman
Seconded by Councillor Mrs P Meloy and

RESOLVED:
1. To approve and adopt the minutes of the Planning and Development Committee of 13 May 2008.

(Voting: For 6; Against 0; Abstentions 1)

PLANNING MATTERS
The list of planning applications received since the last meeting was reported giving details of the responses sent to the District Council by the Planning and Development Group for endorsement.

Proposed by Councillor D Callahan
Seconded by Councillor J Heasman and

RESOLVED:
2. To receive and endorse the responses of the Planning and Development Group detailed appendix 2.

(Voting: For 6; Against 0; Abstentions 1)

612. 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.

The Chairman reported that the Clerk had written to the Board of Trustees advising it that Councillor Tearle had been nominated as the Parish Council representative on the Board of the Trustees. The Trustees had responded advising that Councillor Tearle could not be accepted as a Trustee on to the Board until the Annual General Meeting scheduled for 28 June 2008. The Parish Council was not prepared to accept this response as it had always exercised its right to have a Parish Council appointed Trustee in the same way that the Baptist Church did.

The Council then noted that on 9 April 2008, minute 87, it had received a request 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.

Proposed by Councillor D Callahan
Seconded by Councillor T Hutt and

RESOLVED:
1. To receive and note the report.
2. To insist that the Board of Trustees of the Community Centre accepts the Parish Council’s right to nominate a Councillor of its choice to serve as a Trustee on the Board of Trustees of the Community Centre.
3. To refuse the application for financial assistance.

(Voting: For 5; Against 0; Abstentions 0)

613. KILLING WOOD - HAWKINGE
Councillor Update 17 issued in May 2008, 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 Forstal Avenue. The Parish Council is working towards this with the White Cliffs Countryside Project.

Proposed by Councillor T Hutt
Seconded by Councillor Ms J Brisley and

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

(Voting: For 7; Against 0; Abstentions 0)

614. CORRESPONDENCE
Three items of correspondence were circulated with the agenda for information.
1) Letter from Michael Howard dated 24 May, about the Football Project and the response of the Parish Council.
2) Letter from Peter Burn, dated 11 May and the response of the Parish Council.
3) Copy of an email to Councillor Hutt dated 2 June regarding the progress of an allotment site.

The Report of the Community Warden for June 2008 was circulated at the meeting.

Other correspondence is in the correspondence folder which is available to all councillors in the Hawkinge Community Office.

Proposed by Councillor T Hutt
Seconded by Councillor Ms J Brisley and

RESOLVED:
1. To receive and note the correspondence.
2. To write to Shepway District Council and the Cabinet Member expressing the disappointment of the Parish Council at the lack of progress being made with the provision of allotment.

(Voting: For 7; Against 0; Abstentions 0)