Minutes
Minutes a meeting of the F&GP Committee held on Wednesday 15th May 2024 at 7.30pm in the Mountfitchet Exchange, Crafton Green, 72 Chapel Hill, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex
PRESENT Cllr J O’Brien (Chair), Cllrs M Caton, P Jones, A Khan and G Sell
ATTENDING Mrs Ruth Clifford – Parish Clerk, Cllr Barnes via Zoom, 1 member of the public via Zoom
28 TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Hogg – Holiday
RESOLVED to accept apologies for absence from Cllr Hogg.
No apologies were received from Cllr Ghosh
29 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Cllr Sell declared an interest under agenda item 9 as a Trustee of Let’s Talk, Stansted.
30 TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS HELD ON 27TH MARCH AND 8TH MAY 2024
RESOLVED To approve the minutes of the meetings held on 27th March and 8th May 2024 as true and accurate accounts.
31 TO RECEIVE A REPORT ON ACTION POINTS FROM THE LAST MEETING
497a Office to continue to chase UKPN – Done and light now working
498 Look at the possibility of covering the Windmill on a separate insurance policy
Will be done when insurance next due
501 Clerk to speak to the Auditors – Auditors coming in for internal audit on 3rd June so will speak to them, then and report back at next meeting
502 Further amendments to be incorporated and circulated to members by email for approval. – Done and approved
503 Cllr Sell to chase Cllr Gooding – Unnecessary as Cllr Gooding had contacted the Clerk.
32 TO RECEIVE A REPORT FROM THE CHAIR, CLLR O’BRIEN
Welcome to the first meeting of the new financial year.
Firstly, I should like to thank our Clerk and RFO Ruth for the tight financial control in keeping us within budget over the past year.
We have just received new Financial Regulations from the NALC and we are now in the process of revising our own Financial Policy to put before Full Council for approval.
This past winter’s heavy rainfall which severely tested our flood defences seems intent on continuing a while longer and it has become clear that unforeseen repairs will need to be carried out, including finding ways of helping our volunteer Flood Wardens to work safely clearing the Trash Screen.
As mentioned previously, we are in the process of aligning our energy contracts to offer us a stronger bargaining position and more accurate budget forecasting.
Cyber security is becoming a hot topic as can be seen by the recent hacking into schools and Government departments. We are discussing with our IT consultants means of ensuring we are better able to protect our digital records and systems. A new cyber security policy will be drafted and brought before this committee at a future meeting.
The completion of the refurbishment project in the former Day Centre, and the connection into the ground floor of Crafton Green House has been a revelation. Full credit must go to TouchPoint for obtaining the majority of the funding and also to architects Ampersand, who managed the project. The result is a 21st Century facility. I wish it great success.
A further benefit from this project is that we shall at last have proper scale plans and drawings of the building.
Finally, we are still waiting for Essex County Council to complete the signing of the Library Lease. This delay brings certain financial consequences, but it does now seem that we are nearly there. Report Ends.
33 LIGHTING
- a) TO RECEIVE AN OUTAGE REPORT – None
- b) TO RECEIVE A REPORT ON GENERAL LIGHTING
Cllr O’Brien observed that column RG6 on the Recreation Ground is partially obscured by trees. Cllr Jones asked for an update on the Lower Street light which had been hit by a lorry. The Clerk will discuss with Cllr O’Brien.
34 FINANCE – TO APPROVE THE LIST OF PAYMENTS
The Clerk confirmed that the invoices were checked against the schedule by Cllr Jones before the start of the meeting. In response to a query from Cllr Sell, the Clerk confirmed that the expenditure on the TouchPoint project was covered by the grant received from UDC and the council’s on Earmarked Reserve. The list of payments was approved.
35 TO DECIDE WHETHER TO REMOVE THE LIGHT FROM THE ENCLOSED PLAY AREA ON THE RECREATION GROUND
Cllr O’Brien gave his thoughts as to the purpose of this lighting column. The council would not expect young children to be playing there after dark. Cllr Caton added that the police have previously stated that if individuals are minded to commit offences then they will do it with our without light. After brief discussion and having been proposed by Cllr Jones and seconded by Cllr Caton, it was unanimously
RESOLVED to disable the light for a trial period of 6 months and review later in the year.
36 TO CONSIDER GRANT APPLICATIONS RECEIVED
Two grant applications had been received and these were circulated to members with the agenda. The Clerk reminded members that the budget for the current year is £7,500.
Application 1 – Let’s Talk, Stansted
Cllr Khan noted that the Safeguarding Policy document required under the terms of our application process, did not appear to be up to date and there was no Health & Safety Policy attached. He also advised that their Equal Opportunities Policy could be developed in line with best practice to include Diversity, Equity and Inclusion but that was a matter for their Trustees to decide. After discussion it was agreed that any grant should only be payable once the updated/missing documents are received and approved by the Committee. Having been proposed by Cllr Jones and seconded by Cllr Khan and with 3 votes in favour and 2 abstentions, it was
RESOLVED to allocate £2,000 to Let’s Talk, Stansted subject to the condition outlined above.
Application 2 – Stansted Millers
Cllr O’Brien gave further background to the application and from the documents submitted it was clear that the fabric of the Mill is suffering and will continue to deteriorate if the repointing work is not completed. Cllr Sell reminded members that as Co-Trustee, the council has a duty to preserve the Windmill. Cllr Jones said that there is a healthy reserve in the Windmill account and perhaps it was time to use this fund to pay for essential works. The Clerk stated that the Millers had flagged up that the sails/stocks would need to be replaced within the next few years and discussion had taken place previously as to whether the Windmill fund should be used for that purpose. That said, the Windmill will continue to stand without stocks/sails but will not do so if the brick work is not repaired. Cllr Jones proposed that our Co-Trustee and the Millers Treasurer be invited to discuss the situation with Cllr O’Brien and himself. This was agreed. Discussion turned to the role of the Trustees as opposed to the Millers and the necessity to have various policy documents in place as this may assist with grant applications going forward. It was agreed that this matter should also be addressed at the meeting being called.
37 WINDMILL – TO RECEIVE ANY UPDATES
Nothing to report.
38 STAFF MATTERS – TO RECEIVE ANY UPDATES
Nothing to report.
39 YOUTH MATTERS – TO RECEIVE ANY UPDATES
Cllr Caton reported that the Youth Club is going from strength to strength with over 60 young people on the register and an average of 25 attending each session. Fairycroft House have been proactive in obtaining resources and funding from other sources to support their work and they will be taking a small group of young people for a weekend in Norfolk in the summer. Their publicity and reporting has so far been very satisfactory.
Turning to the Youth Council, attendance at the last couple of meetings has been low due to some members revising for and sitting their GCSE exams. Following discussion earlier today, it was agreed that youth councillors will attend a session at the Youth Club in the hopes of recruiting some new members. They will also be making presentations to Year 6 pupils in each of our primary schools before the end of the summer term. Cllr Caton stated that she is in touch with a representative of Southend Youth Council and a visit to them has been arranged for August. Cllr Jones commented that without the actions of this Parish Council, there would be no youth support in Stansted.
Meeting closed at 8.13pm
ACTION POINTS
31 Clerk to speak to auditors on 3rd June and report back at the next meeting
33b Clerk and Cllr O’Brien to discuss the light in Lower Street
35 Ask the contractor to disable the light for 6 months and discuss at meeting on 4th December 2024
36 Contact Let’s Talk Stansted and request updated documents. Email to Committee for approval.
36 Arrange meeting re application from Stansted Millers
Agenda
Members of the Committee you are hereby summoned, and members of the public and press are hereby invited, to attend a meeting of the FINANCE AND GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE which will be held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 15th May 2024 in The Mountfitchet Exchange, Crafton Green, 72 Chapel Hill, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex where the following business will be transacted:
AGENDA
1 To receive apologies for absence
2 To receive declarations of interest
3 To approve the minutes of the meetings held on 27th March and 8 May 2024
4 To receive an update on action points from the last meeting
5 To receive a report from the Chair, Cllr O’Brien
6 Lighting:
- a) To receive an outage report
- b) To receive a general report on lighting
7 Finance: To approve the list of payments for authorisation – to be tabled
8 To decide whether to remove the light from the enclosed play area on The Recreation Ground
9 To consider grant applications received – see attached
10 Windmill – to receive any available updates
11 Staff Matters – to receive any available updates
12 Youth Matters – to receive any available updates
Parish Clerk – 9th May 2024
Any intention to record, film or take photographs during a meeting must be notified to the Clerk prior to the start of the meeting.