S Jones - goostrey.info...TUESDAY 23rd JUNE 2020 at 7.30pm by VIDEO CONFERENCE To be conducted in accordance with the Agenda below. S Jones Sharon Jones, Clerk to the Parish Council

Chairman: Cllr Ken Morris Parish Clerk: Sharon Jones E-Mail: [email protected]

Goostrey Parish Council The Village Hall

Goostrey Cheshire CW4 8PE

01477 535825

Wednesday 17th June, 2020

THE NEXT MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL

WILL BE HELD ON

TUESDAY 23rd JUNE 2020 at 7.30pm by VIDEO CONFERENCE

To be conducted in accordance with the Agenda below.

S Jones Sharon Jones, Clerk to the Parish Council. Residents are encouraged to attend & members of the Press are welcomed. The Press and Public may not speak when the Council is in session unless invited to do so by the Chairman. Public Forum 7.30 – 7.45pm. - Public comments will be taken before the Meeting commences but are restricted to 15 minutes unless the Chairman allows otherwise.

AGENDA 06.20.1. Declaration of Interests: To receive and minute any Declarations of Interests.

2. Apologies for absence: To receive Apologies for unavoidable absence.

3. Minutes: To approve and sign the Minutes of the meeting on 26th May 2020. Minutes in Document Pack on page 4

Motion 1: The Parish Council accepts the minutes of the Parish Council Meeting on 26th May 2020 as a true record of the meeting.

4. Cheshire East Council Matters: To receive a report on Cheshire East Council Matters. To deal with any questions by Members relating to the report and any questions by Members notified in advance to the Chairman and the CE Councillor.

5. Committee Matters: To receive reports from the Parish Council Committees:

i. Amenities Committee Report - In Document Pack on page 13. To consider the proposal in the Amenities Report.

6. Planning Matters: To review the outcome of the Planning Meeting on 23rd June 2020.

7. Financial Payments: To approve payments in Schedule 06/20. Includes: Salaries & expenses.

Motion 2: The Parish Council approves the payments listed on Schedule 06/20 (page 14) . 8. Clerk’s Report – including Actions from the Last Meeting and Correspondence received (See

Appendix 06/20 item 06.20.8 Clerk’s Report on page 3) 9. Highways & Speedwatch – To receive reports on any items of interest – TR & CR

10. Police Matters: To inform the PC of any key recent developments and to answer Councillors’ questions. TR

11. Love Goostrey Volunteers: To consider the following motions (see Document Pack page 15)

Motion 3: On behalf of the residents of, the Parish Council resolves to thank the Love Goostrey volunteers for coming forward to help their neighbours and the community during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Motion 4: The Parish Council resolves to send a letter of thank to each of the Love Goostrey volunteers.

12. Annual Plan: To consider the draft Annual Plan- KM on page 16. 13. Letter from Secretary of State Regarding Funding for Lower Tier Councils – To consider

sending a reply to the Secretary of State. See page 19. 14. Local Council Awards Scheme – Quality Award: To consider if the Council is in a position to

submit the application – Clerk see report in Document Pack on page 20 15. Website Accessibility Compliance Status: To consider the updates to the web site to make it

Accessibility Compliant – Clerk see report in Document Pack on page 32 16. Minor Items & Items for the Next Agenda: To take any points from Members and to note

urgent items of interest.

17. Date of Next Meeting: To confirm the date of the next Meeting – 28th July 2020.

18. Closure of Meeting: To formally close the Meeting.

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APPENDIX 06/20 ITEM 06.20.8. - CLERK’S REPORT

Actions from Last Meeting

a. Letter from Secretary of State regarding funding for lower tier councils –AK to continue to press for an answer.

b. Village Gates Project - AK was due to receive a reply from Highways by 8th May but he has still heard nothing. AK to chase Highways again.

c. Clerk to inform the Scouts of the success of their Grant Funding application and to add the payment to the schedule for June 2020 – Completed.

d. “Wild About Goostrey”, PM and the Clerk to design a new poster for the notice boards, website, Love Goostrey and via social media.

e. Clerk to cancel the ID Mobile phone subscription as it is not being used. Clerk also to update any forms and the website with the Parish Office phone number for Village Hall bookings/enquiries – Completed.

f. Annual Plan - Councillors to submit ideas to the Chairman before the June meeting. g. Clerk to post the Annual Report on the report on the website – Completed. h. Clerk to report the status of the application for the LCAS Quality Award and the Website

Accessibility Compliance for the website at the June meeting – Added to agenda. Correspondence

a. Resident request for the bus service from Goostrey to Sandbach to resume.

b. VHPFF – Status of the New Bowling Hut Project.

c. Letter from Resident regarding Waste Site on Bridge Lane

d. Rose Festival Committee – Rose Day @ Home 2020

e. Bennett Brookes – re Internal Audit – request for further information

f. Sibelco – Response to complaint about vehicle movement on New Platt Lane

g. Cllr Stott, CEC – Re: Letter from Secretary of State regarding funding for Lower Tier Councils.

h. CEC Planning – Re: Planning Complaint

i. Cllr Kolker, CEC – Re: Resumption of bus services

j. ChALC weekly Bulletins

k. NALC – New Model Code of Conduct Consultation & weekly bulletins

l. VHPFF – Missuse of Playing Fields

m. Mails (x2) from Residents regarding Waste Skip Letter

n. Planning Enforcement Re: Antenna Enforcement Issue

o. Lobbyist Re; Local Electricity Bill

p. Environment Agency Re: 200522/ER43 Complaint Regarding AM Skips

q. CEC Re: Strategic Planning Update June 2020

r. CEC Higways – Water on Main Road

s. Police and Crime Commissioner Stakeyholder Update June

t. CEC Highways - [OFFICIAL] 486) Goostrey Railway Incursion and Pedestrian Safety

u. Goostrey School – Social Distancing and use of VH Facilities

v. Ansa Re: Emptying of Bins on Boothbed Lane and Use of Childrens Play Area

w. Resident re Use of Childrens Play Area

x. Cllr A Thompson Re- Letter from Secretary of State regarding funding for Lower Tier Councils

y. ChALC RE- Complaint (ref: 8434582) re Highways Issues

z. Cllr A Kolker – Copy of Mail to CEC Trading Standards - RE: [OFFICIAL] RE: 18/00357E - Waste

Site on Bridge, Lane Goostrey

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Goostrey Parish Council The Village Hall

Goostrey Cheshire CW4 8PE

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL HELD

ON TUESDAY 26th MAY 2020 at 7.30pm by VIDEO CONFERENCE

Present: Cllrs Morris (KM)(Chairman), Rathbone (TR)(Vice-Chairman), Beckham (NB), Lord (SL), Morgan (PM), O’Donoghue (IO’D), Roberts (DR), Ross (CR), Sulej (JS) and Williams (EW)

In attendance: Sharon Jones, Clerk to the Council, Cllr A Kolker, CEC and 2 residents

05.20.1. Declaration of Interests: There were no interests declared.

2. Apologies for absence: There were no apologies for unavoidable absence.

3. Minutes: To approve & sign the Minutes of the meeting of 28th April 2020.

Motion1: Resolved: The Parish Council resolves to accept the minutes of the Parish Council Meeting on the 28th April 2020 as a true record of the meeting.

4. Cheshire East Council Matters: To receive a report on Cheshire East Council Matters. To deal with any questions by Members relating to the report and any questions by Members notified in advance to the Chairman and the CE Councillor.

Cllr Kolker provided a report on the following topics:

• New Chief Executive of Cheshire East - Cllr Kolker reported that Lorraine O’Donnell, the new CEO of CEC had visited Holmes Chapel(HC). In their discussion AK highlighted the number of amenities available in HC compared with the number of houses. The list included lack of car parking available in Holmes Chapel, the difficulty residents have registering at the Health Centre, the inadequate parking at the surgery, and the four care homes in HC which put a significant additional load onto the Health Centre. As it was not possible to take the CEO around the ward, AK made a video which included items such as planning in Goostrey and Cranage and the importance of maintaining the integrity of Jodrell Bank; the safety of pedestrians on the station bridge in Goostrey and the traffic lights scheme which has been knocked back by Highways. He also mentioned the condition of the roads in ward. Lastly mentioning speeding cars and the lack of a footpath between Goostrey and Twemlow making it very dangerous for children to walk to school.

• CEC using Virtual Meeting Technology - CEC now uses MS teams for Planning Meetings, constitutional and governance meetings.

• Leisure Centres remain closed for the time being due to social distancing restrictions.

• CEC Consultation on the Strategy for Vulnerable and Older People is currently underway. It will be closing on 13th July 2020. This item is listed under in Appendix 05/20 ITEM 05.20.08 CLERKS REPORT – Correspondence, f.

• Follow-Up on items raised at the May meeting: o Skip hire business - AK wrote to Peter Hooley, Head of CEC Planning, the CEO of Ansa and

to the Head of Trading Standards to make the point that if the company doesn’t have a licence, customers are open to being prosecuted for fly tipping if they use their services. He received replies from all recipients except Trading Standards and he will persevere to get a reply as he feels it is a Trading Standards matter. Planning and Ansa were unable to assist further with the issue.

o Business Rates for the Village Hall – The Village Hall is now Business Rates exempt. The Chairman thanked Cllr Kolker and the Clerk for persevering with this issue to a successful conclusion.

o Highways Issues – AK complained that he had not received any response from Highways on any of the issues raise. Cllr Gilbert had also complained of not having any replies to

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queries to Highways. He also raised the appalling response rate from Highways with the new CEO. The Chairman reported that he and Clerk had sent ChALC the detail of the outstanding Highways issues and ChALC had committed to take them up with Highways.

o Letter from Secretary of State regarding funding for lower tier councils – AK had written to Alex Thompson asking how councils apply for this funding and had received no reply, he will raise the question with him again. KM mentioned that the Parish Council had written to Sam Corcoran on the same matter and had not received a reply either. Action: AK to continue to press for an answer.

o Village Gates Project - AK was due to receive a reply from Highways by 8th May but he has still heard nothing. Action: AK to chase Highways again.

Councillors Questions - Cllr Roberts commented that the rumble strips and signage on station bridge are not working as cars still travelling at speed over the bridge.

The Chairman mentioned the Parish Council had received a reply from Highways to suggestions for an alternative solution on station bridge, however, the reply was not positive. Action: KM to forward the information to AK to see if he can obtain a more positive response from Cllr Crane, portfolio holder for Highways.

5. Committee Matters: To receive reports from the Parish Council Committees:

• Finance Committee – To consider an application for grant funding from Goostrey Scouts. Resolved: The Parish Council resolved to approve the request for £200 grant funding for the Goostrey Scouts Wildlife Project for trees on the path towards Blackden Hall. Action: Clerk to inform the Scouts of the success of their application and to add the payment to the schedule for June 2020.

• Amenities Committee – To consider re-promoting “Wild About Goostrey” – Cllr Morgan proposed that it may be a good time to re-promote the “Wild About Goostrey” scheme devised by the Environment Group as an activity which could continue during social distancing. Resolved: The Parish Council resolved to approve the re-promotion of “Wild About Goostrey”. Action: PM and the Clerk to design a new poster for the notice boards, website, Love Goostrey and via social media.

• Village Hall – To consider the following: o Proposal to Purchase New PC for Door Entry System and UPS for Parish

Resolved: The Parish Council resolved to approve the recommended purchases of either a Lenovo or Dell system unit, plus either one or two APC UPS 700A units and the door service and Paxton system transfer by Keytrack with a maximum spend of £1070.60 including VAT, using the approach outlined in the Proposal. (see Appendix 05/20 ITEM 05.20.05 Committee Matters- Village Hall)

o Use of the Main Hall by the School - Motion 2: Resolved: The Parish Council resolves to allow Goostrey Community Primary School unlimited use of the main hall from 15th June 2020 until the end of the Summer Term in July 2020, subject to the following conditions of use: Use of the Lounge/Bar Servery, Committee Room, and toilets is not included. The main entrance to the Village Hall should be restricted to use as an emergency exit

only, as is the fire exit near the disabled toilet.

6. Planning Matters - : To review the following planning matters:

• Planning Applications – To consider application 20/1464C Larkspur, 38A, BROOKLANDS DRIVE - a new garage/outbuilding – Comments due by 27th May 2020. Resolved: The Parish Council resolved to object to the application because the garage is in open countryside (See Appendix 05 ITEM 05.20.06 PLANNING MATTERS, for details).

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• Waste Site on Bridge Lane – To consider actions the Parish Council can take to increase awareness of the consequences to residents of using of unlicensed waste site operators to dispose of rubbish. Motion 3: Resolved: The Parish Council resolved to continue to press the Environment Agency and Cheshire East Council to resolve the illegal Skip Waste operations on Bridge Lane. It also resolves to continue to remind residents generally that prosecution can result from using illegal Waste site operators. The Parish Council may consider reporting individual householders to the authorities on a case by case basis. Action: Cllr Morgan to draft a letter to be sent to residents and to circulate to councillors for approval.

• Foot Path 12 Public Inquiry – Report of the Outcome of the Inquiry – Cllr Morris reported that the footpath diversion had been refused because walkers enjoyment of the view of Swanwick Hall would be reduced, and that the landowners only recourse would be to appeal through the High Court.

• Sand Quarry on New Platt Lane – The Chairman reported that several complaints had been received on Friday 22nd May, regarding the wind blowing a lot of particulate off the quarry. Subsequently, he made a formal complaint to Sibelco regarding the management of particulate from the quarry once it is operational. Sibleco commented that most of the particulate was being blown off the farmer’s fields, not the quarry and that they had used their water bowser to damp quarry area. This was supported by Cllr Rathbone who had commented that it had happened before and was coming off the field. Cllr Roberts was asked to raise the issue at the next liaison meeting which is hoped will go ahead via video conference due to Social Distancing guidelines.

7. Financial Payments: To approve payments in Schedule 05/20.

Motion 4: Resolved: The Parish Council resolved to approve the payments on the Payment Schedule for 05/20.

The payment schedule will be signed by Cllrs Morris and Rathbone, at the next meeting permitted to be held in person.

8. Clerk’s Report Actions from Last Meeting a. AK, KM and the Clerk to meet to discuss how CEC Property Services can give the Parish

Council the responsibility for paying the Village Hall Business Rates in order to receive Business Rates Relief.

b. Clerk to log the issue of water flowing down Main Road near Shearbrook Bridge and the blocked the drain on the opposite side of the road again – Resolved.

c. Clerk to arrange a regular monthly meeting of the Parish Council in May. The Agenda would include some essential administrative items from the annual meeting such as subscriptions, direct debits and regular payments – Completed.

d. Waste Site on Bridge Lane:

• Clerk to report the activity at the site and the sightings of lorries going to and from the proposed waste site on Bridge Lane to the PCSO, and the company is under any Government Restrictions due to COVID-19 ie is this essential work? – Completed but no reply.

• Clerk to write to Planning Enforcement to report the latest activity at the site including the use of Blackden Lane for access – Completed

• AK to find out why the Planning Application date at the Planning Committee keeps being delayed. Completed

• Councillors are to log any activity at the site and forward to the Clerk – On going. Correspondence See Appendix 05/20

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9. Highways & SpeedWatch: To consider any Highways & SpeedWatch matters and to take any appropriate action.

• Highways – No issues raised. See items raised in 4. Cheshire East Matters.

• SpeedWatch -Cllr Rathbone reported that Speedwatch was still suspended due to Government Restrictions on Social Distancing.

10. Local Policing – To inform the PC of any key recent developments and to answer Councillors’ questions. Cllr Rathbone reported that the Police and Crime Commissioners report had been circulated to councillors. KM commented that the Goostrey Post Office robber had been convicted.

11. To Consider Payments of Annual Subscriptions for 2020/21

• ChALC – £675 due May 2020

• SLCC - £140 paid due Feb 2021

• Cheshire Community Action - £50 paid - Apr 2020

• Parish Online Mapping – £118 October 2020

• Information Commissioners Office- £50 - Oct 2021

• Cheshire Voluntary Service - £45 - Sept 2021

Resolved: The Parish Council resolved to approve the list of Annual Subscriptions for 2020/21 as listed above.

12. To Consider the List of Regular Payments

Monthly

• Greenfingers (May to October £574.00 Including additional grass cutting, Nov to Apr £340.00)

• Plusnet (phone & BB) - £36.00

• ID Mobile (mobile phone) - £3.99

Annual

• SLCC – Annual Subscription £140 – Feb

• Cheshire Accountants – Kashflow - £269.00 – Feb

• ChALC – Annual Subscription £675 – Apr

• Rose Day Stand - £20 – Apr

• Came & Company PC Insurance - £620 – Apr

• CCA – Annual Subscription £50 – Apr

• St Luke’s Parish Magazine - £250.00 - May

• Performing Rights Licence - £200.00 – Aug

• Ian David Group – Hall Lights PAT - £40.00 – Aug

• HallMaster – VH Booking Licence - £187 – Sept

• CVS – Membership £45 - Sept

• Parish Online Mapping £118 – Oct

• Goostrey Scouts – Lights Switch On £500.00 - Oct

• ICO – Annual Fee £50 – Oct

• St Luke’s Christmas Lights - £50.00 – Nov

Resolved: The Parish Council resolved to approve the list of Regular Monthly and Annual Payment for 2020/21 as listed above, except for ID Mobile.

13. Review Current Direct Debits:

• Plusnet (telephone and broadband = £36.00)

• ID – Mobile Phones (1 x staff phone = £3.99 capped)

Resolved: The Parish Council resolved to approve the direct debit for Plusnet for 2020/21.

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Action: Clerk to cancel the ID Mobile phone subscription as it is not being used. Clerk also to update any forms and the website with the Parish Office phone number for Village Hall bookings/enquiries.

14. Annual Plan - To discuss items for inclusion and appoint a working party to work with the Chairman to prepare a draft plan for approval at the June meeting.

Resolved: The Parish Council resolved to set up a working party to prepare the draft Annual Plan for approval at the June meeting. The working party members will be Cllrs Morris, Roberts, Beckham and Sulej.

Action: KM invited all councillors to submit ideas to him directly before the June meeting.

15. Annual Report 2019/20 - To consider the draft Annual Report

Resolved: The Parish Council resolved to approve the draft Annual Report.

Action: Clerk to post the report on the website.

16. Local Council Award Scheme - To consider the draft documents listed below:

• List of ways the council engages with the Community – The Chairman indicated the document is a record of how the Parish Council engages with the community and will be used as evidence for the LCAS Quality submission.

• Community Engagement Policy.

Resolved: The Parish Council resolved to adopt the draft Community Engagement Policy.

Action: Clerk to report the status of the application for the LCAS Quality Award and the Website Accessibility Compliance for the website at the June meeting.

17. Minor Items & Items for the Next Agenda: To take any points from Members and to note urgent items of interest. There were no items discussed.

18. Date of Next Meeting: To confirm the date of the next Meeting – 23rd June 2020.

19. Closure of the Meeting: The meeting closed at 21:00

Public Forum

Resident commented that he had been travelling down Brick Bank Lane onto New Platt Lane on 22nd May, and he observed the dust was coming off the field not the quarry.

These minutes will be submitted for approval at the next meeting. Until then they are draft minutes.

All minutes and meeting papers which are non-confidential are available at https://goostrey.info under the Parish Council Documents menu item

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https://goostrey.info/

APPENDIX 05/20. ITEM 05.20.05. - COMMITTEE MATTERS – VILLAGE HALL

Proposal to Purchase New PC and UPS for Village Hall Door and CCTV protection from power surges/dips and outages

A power cut of only two seconds recently occurred at a weekend. Unfortunately, the PC which runs the door system was unable to restart due to bad segments on the disk and the CCTV system was inaccessible remotely because the internet router had not reconnected to the internet following the outage and additionally the CCTV controller was unable to complete its rebooting routine.

It took an hour and a half to defragment the pc and fix the other issues.

To make these systems more resilient in future the following upgrades are proposed.

1. Purchase a new pc system unit to run the Paxton Door system as the current pc is at least 9 years old, runs Windows 7 (which is no longer supported), and the specification is too low to run a more up to date version of Windows. It is also very slow.

2. Purchase an uninterruptable power supply for the Door System PC, internet routers and CCTV system, to provide surge protection and to enable the equipment to carry on running during a power outage to be shut down in the correct manner. This would prevent damage to the equipment.

3. Ask Keytrack to install Paxton Net 2 onto the new pc and transfer the database and to perform an annual service on the doo system.

Door System PC Specification

This pc needs to run Paxton Net 2 software. The pc specifications are as listed below with Windows 10 professional

Intel® Core™ i3 (or equivalent)

4GB RAM or greater

Minimum 20GB free disk space

Minimum Resolution of 1024 x 768

Maximum Resolution of 1920 x 1080

USB2 and Ethernet

For optimal performance Paxton recommend the following PC specification:

Intel® Core™ i5 (or equivalent)

8GB RAM or greater

Minimum 40GB free disk space

Minimum Resolution of 1024 x 768

Maximum Resolution of 1920 x 1080

USB2 and Ethernet

Quotes

Items quotes are Intel Core i5 with 8GB Ram and 1 TB hard drive and Windows 10 Pro 64 are listed below (system unit keyboard and mouse only as we have a compatible monitor):

Dell Inspiron £503.00 including VAT & Delivery, 1-year warranty

Lenovo V530z £474.99 (including £85 online discount) including VAT & Delivery, 1-year warranty

HP Pro Deck 400 - £670.80 including VAT & Deliver, 1-year warranty

Installation of Net 2 Software onto new Computer and Annual Maintenance of Net 2 Door system

Quote from Keytrack

Annual Service visit @ £ 98.00 ex VAT

Net2 Database Migration @ £ 195.00 ex VAT

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Total £293.00 plus VAT (£351.60 including VAT)

Power Outages/ spikes and dips in current

The recommendation is to purchase an uninterruptable power supply with anti-surge protection to operate the computer equipment if there is no power, this will also protect against damage to the attached equipment due to spikes and dips in the current.

Specification for UPS

The device needs to provide 700 VA power supply, for a minimum of 5 minutes, with 4 plug inputs, and must include surge protection. It must also include software to enable the safe power down of any equipment

Quotes

Amazon - 2 x APC UPS 700VA UPS @ £108.00 plus P&P each = £216.00 including VAT

The idea would be that you to small UPS systems which means there is additional resilience built in and has standard plugs. This system does have the software to power down the PC. Recommended by Ian Davis Group

Kholer - PowerWave 3kVA UPS @ £1,038.00 + VAT (£1245.60 including VAT & Delivery)

The cost for the 3kVA PowerWave 1000 Floor standing Tower UPS with 35mins battery at 600VA Load, price including SNMP Card (CS141 professional). After taking advice elsewhere this system seems to much more advanced that we require.

Critical Power – Riello iPlug 800VA Offline 230V (UPS) - IPG 800 UK = £87.30 plus P&P

Very similar to the APC UPS 700VA, could be purchased as a single unit or buy two for extra resilience. Advantage is that this unit has 5 power sockets for standard plugs and power down software.

Recommendation

The recommended purchases would be, either the Lenovo or Dell system unit, plus either one or two APC UPS 700A units and the door service and Paxton system transfer by Keytrack

Maximum spend of £1070.60 including VAT

Approach

However, the approach would be initially to buy one UPS to see if that resolves the issue. The other unit could be purchased at a later stage if required.

We should install the Paxton Net 2 software onto the new computer and transfer the database ourselves, and only ask Paxton to carry out the installation if there are issues.

Once the new pc is installed and working with the Paxton Net 2 system, we should schedule an annual service for the door system.

ITEM 05.20.06. - PLANNING MATTERS

Planning Application: 20/1464C Larkspur, 38A, BROOKLANDS DRIVE, GOOSTREY, CW4 8JB

Goostrey Parish Council objects to this application because the proposed new garage/outbuilding lies outside the existing Goostrey village boundary (as shown by the red line on the plan below). This boundary is also proposed to be retained in the CEC draft SADPD PUB30 document. It would therefore be in ‘Open Countryside’ and in conflict with CEC Local Plan Policy PG6. Although the Goostrey Neighbourhood Plan (NP) Policy HOU1 does allow new ‘dwellings’ immediately adjacent to the existing settlement zone lines’, it does not extend this to outbuildings. In particular this case would constitute a creeping of the built-up area towards ‘The Bongs’ which is a NP Designated Local Green Space.

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ITEM 05.20.08. - CLERK’S REPORT

Correspondence

a. Chalc Membership invoice b. KDE Ltd | Helpdesk Re: FAO Sophie - QUO/1518409 – Order Confirmation Installation 27th May

2020 c. Resident Email acknowledgement RE: CEC Highways Enquiry Resolved - Enquiry 3376777 d. Resident Unapproved Skip Firm e. Bennett Brookes RE: Internal Audit wc 1st June 2020 f. CEC [OFFICIAL] Vulnerable and Older Persons' Housing Strategy – Consultation – Resolved: The

Parish Council will not respond to this consultation g. Chalc RE: Cheshire East Highways Matters h. CEC Planning - RE: 20/1464C - 38A, BROOKLANDS DRIVE – Extension date for comments 27th May 2020 i. Goosfest Re: Goosfest 2021 – Dates Cancelled j. Civic Voice civic update - 15th May 2020 k. Police Crime Commissioner Police & Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable Stakeholder

Bulletin - 15 May 2020 l. National Association of Local Councils CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S BULLETINS m. Chalc ChALC Weekly Bulletin 15.05.20 n. Community & Voluntary Services Cheshire East CVS Spotlight eBulletin - Updated Survey Results and

#CheerForTheVolunteers o. NALC – CORONAVIRUS — INFORMATION FOR PARISH AND TOWN COUNCILS (weekly bulletins) p. Resident - Re: New Item(s) Published on Goostrey.info - YOUR RUBBISH YOUR RESPONSIBILITY - You

Could Be Fined If You Use an Unlicensed Waste Skip Carrier or Operator! q. Goostrey Parish Archive re Access r. Chalc Re: CEC Single Point of Contact s. Footpaths CEC [OFFICIAL] FW: Footpath Queries GOOSTREY FP12 t. Chalc RE: Cheshire East Highways Matters u. Footpaths CEC [OFFICIAL] RE: Footpath Queries v. Cheshire East Council Your application for Business Rates relief – Rates Relieve request Granted w. Rural Services Network The Rural Bulletin - 12 May 2020 x. Cheshire East Highways Updated Road Closure: Booth Bed Lane, Goostrey y. Knutsford Town Council RE: Bankline z. Resident Footpath Queries aa. CE Borough Council [OFFICIAL] RE: Goostery Village Hall - 2019-20 Recharge Mon 11/05

45 KB bb. KOLKER, Andrew (Councillor) FW: RE: 18/00357E - Waste Site on Bridge, Lane Goostrey cc. National Association of Local Councils CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S BULLETIN 07/05/2020 dd. Information Commissioner's Office Latest news from the ICO 07/05/2020 ee. National Association of Local Councils NALC PUBLISHES THE FIRST-EVER REPORT ON LOCAL

COUNCIL ELECTIONS 07/05/2020 ff. KOLKER, Andrew (Councillor) FW: Letter from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities

and Local Government regarding Funding 07/05/2020 gg. Rural Services Network RSN Rural Funding Digest - May 2020 Edition hh. KOLKER, Andrew (Councillor) RE: [OFFICIAL] RE: Goostery Village Hall ii. Paul Garratt Business continuity and support for parish councils during COVID-19 jj. Business Rates CEC [OFFICIAL] RE: Business Rates for Goostrey Village Hall kk. CEC Property Services [OFFICIAL] RE: Goostery Village Hall Business Rates ll. Sibelco RE: Fwd: COMPLAINT NEW PLATT LANE GOOSETRY CHESHIRE mm. Resident Re: New Platt Lane Complaint nn. Resident Re Footpath 12 oo. Planning Enforcement - RE: 18/00357E - Waste Site on Bridge, Lane Goostrey pp. Cheshire East Highways Road Closure: Station Road, Goostrey

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qq. Sibelco RE: Fwd: COMPLAINT NEW PLATT LANE GOOSETRY CHESHIRE rr. Resident Fwd: COMPLAINT NEW PLATT LANE GOOSETRY CHESHIRE ss. Goostrey Scouts Young people’s wildlife project tt. National Association of Local Councils CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S BULLETIN uu. Parfum - Re: Purchase order for Hand Sanitizers - Goostrey Parish Council vv. Public Sector Executive Transparency for lockdown exit plan ww. Highways Correspondence [OFFICIAL] 471) Goostrey Railway Incursion and Pedestrian Safety

response to our letter in February 2020. xx. Resident - Re: Road closure New Platt lane yy. Sibelco New Platt Lane Closure zz. Connected Communities [OFFICIAL] SCAMS INFORMATION AND SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS aaa. CEC Highways CEC Highways Enquiry Update - Enquiry 3395939 bbb. Resident: A few issues ccc. CEC Highways CEC Highways Enquiry Received - Enquiry 3395939 ddd. CEC Highways CEC Highways Enquiry Received - Enquiry 3395938 eee. Planning Enforcement - Report a suspected breach of Planning Regulations Confirmation

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ITEM 06.20.05 – COMMITTEE MATTERS – AMENITIES COMMITTEE REPORT

Village Maintenance – Grass Cutting

Verge at the Junction of Church Bank and Main Road – This verge has been adopted by the Environmental

Group, as a member of this group Cllr Emma Williams has volunteered her time, free of charge, to keep this

verge tidy and free of noxious weeds.

The Amenities Committee has asked CEC Highways for approval for the Environmental Group, supported by

the PC, to maintain this verge from 1st July 2020 and has also asked CEC highways not to cut the grass nor to

undertake chemical weed control from this date in order to allow any approved planting to flourish.

Verge opposite the Crown from the Village Notice Board to the Scout Hut and Youth Facility gates –

Members of the Amenities Committee had requested that this verge be left to grow as it was comprised in

the main of cow parsley, and would provide a good habitat for insects. Now that the cow parsley has died

back it is proposed that the maintenance of this verge is taken on by Greenfingers (our preferred supplier) at

an initial cost of £100.00 for the first cut and thereafter it will be cut twice a month with the additional areas

of grass cutting. The cost of future regular cutting will be absorbed within the currently agreed total figure

for the other areas of additional grass cutting.

Motion: The Amenities Committee proposes that the Parish Council accepts the quote for the initial cut of

the verge opposite the Crown and that it is then cut twice a month with the additional areas of grass cutting

at no additional charge to the Council.

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Payment Schedule 05/20 - June 2020Payment DateDate Payee Money Out Description

05/06/2020 1 Staff Salaries £1,112.01 Staff salaries for May 2020 Paid05/06/2020 2 HMRC £120.21 Tax & NI for May 2020 Paid01/06/2020 3 GreenFingers June 2020 £574.00 Graveyard & Village Maintenance Invoice due30/04/2020 4 Chalc £675.00 Annual Subscription09/06/2020 5 ID phone charges - May 2020 £3.99 For staff mobile phone (capped at £3.99 now) Paid DD last payment19/06/2020 6 Plusnet £36.39 Telephone & BB May2020 Paid DD

7 Clerks Expenses £600.87 see Caxton Card Report Below Paid30/06/2020 8 CTS Services Ltd £120.00 VH Cleaning June - incdeep clean of L & Bar Serv30/06/2020 9 Natwest £20.45 Bankline Monthly Fee Paid30/06/2020 10 Cheshire Community Action £45.00 Annual Subscription Jul 20- June 21 Invoice due30/06/2020 11 David Crawford £80.00 Letter delivery30/06/2020 12 1st Goostrey Scouts £200.00 Wildlife Project Grant Funding30/06/2020 13 SLCC £144.00 Web Accessability Compliance Course

£3,707.92 inc VAT

Receipts Village Hall Lettings £706.00

Total Receipts £706.00

Account Balances at 19th June 2020Current Account £7,446.60Santander Capital Account £76,882.46Skipton Capital & General £40,751.11Nat Savings General £30,373.42TOTAL £155,453.59

Caxton Card Report June 2020

Transaction Date Description Amount DescriptionBalance brought forward £268.35Card load £600.00New Lenovo PC for Door System £474.00Point of sale transaction - domestic £1.50 FeeAPC UPS and surge protector £107.98Point of sale transaction - domestic £1.50 FeeZoom Conferencing £14.39Point of sale transaction - domestic £1.50 FeeSpend £596.37Total Fees £4.50Total Spend inc Fees £600.87Card Balance at 22nd June 2020 £267.48

ITEM 06.20.07 - FINANCIAL PAYMENTS

14

ITEM 06.20.11 – LOVE GOOSTREY VOLUNTEERS

Love Goostrey volunteers was set up at the beginning of the pandemic to support those members of our community who might be isolated and require support. The idea was to get a volunteer from each are of the village so that people might feel more comfortable asking them for their support. When we appealed for volunteers the response was such that we ended up with one volunteer per road, in many cases there were three or four volunteers for every road in the village with over 100 people offering their support for free. A letter was written to each member of the village which the volunteers delivered. This contained the contacts villagers could use in case they were quarantined or shielding, so that they could at least get someone to fetch prescriptions or shopping. It was also made it clear that they could also contact volunteers to just have a chat, as loneliness and good mental health has been a key concern since lockdown. Since the middle of March nearly 300 calls and call-outs have been documented on the list. These range from picking up pet food to fetching medicines or speaking to someone when they felt alone. In many cases this has led to on-going support relationships being established and following a survey of the Love Goostrey volunteers it seems that 90% plus are keen to continue their support of the village indefinitely. Proposal from Resident - Andrew Shanahan “I am suggesting that this record be added to the Parish record in a manner that the Parish Council sees fit. No personal information regarding the volunteer or the people they have assisted will be shown. I feel it is important to acknowledge and record that when a once-in-a-lifetime problem occurred, the people of Goostrey came forward with real bravery, to help their neighbours and the community. It is important to record this because it speaks directly to the character of our village, and it should give all of us an idea of the standards and qualities of the people of Goostrey. I am proud to be among their number.”

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ITEM 06.20.12 – ANNUAL PLAN

Cllrs Sulej, Roberts, Beckham and Morris have “e-discussed” ideas for the Annual Plan and Cllr Morris has summarised the main ones in the document below for the Parish Council Meeting. There are a few points to make about this:

1. The intention is to focus on ‘do-able’ actions, which have clear outcomes and are owned by Committees or individuals – the attached are ‘ideas’ for expansion and/or confirmation.

2. As the PC agreed to review the way forward with Committee membership in September it is thought that the targets should be set after the new Committees are in place. However existing Committees could move forward with any ‘obvious’ one straight away.

3. There is a new proposal to involve young people which Cllrs Sulej and Roberts are willing to lead (if approved by the Parish Council) but they are also open to volunteers.

4. The future ‘wish’ lists have been removed for now in order to focus on the shorter term.

“Ideas List” for Goostrey Parish Council Plan for 2020-21 Presented by Responsibility

Committee Chairs and individuals need to make objectives more specific in terms of

deliverables and timescales and/or create new targets.

Amenities Committee

• Revise the Resilience Plan to take account of learnings from the Corvid-19 situation Including an emergency network of support for any purpose (e.g. extreme weather event recovery), with appropriate training (eg on PPE, CPR) with a mechanism to keep lists up-to-date.

• Get feedback from villagers on their views on what they want to see in the village for the future. Publish a plan to improve every area of the village. To include: Church Bank/Main Road, Main Road/Booth Bed Lane, Booth Bed Lane Green, Primrose Chase, outside Main Road Newsagent and Station area.

• Create a Plan to implement the Environmental Policy utilising the Environmental

group as well as deciding what a longer-term strategy would look like.

• Implement the plans and make a positive difference to the village in 2020-21, potentially using the village volunteer network and the owners of commercial premises for feedback and implementation.

• Define and implement visual speeding deterrents, including resolution on the

proposal to install village ‘gates’.

• Provide electric car/van charging points (environmental improvement) at the village hall?

16

Village Hall Management Committee

• Create a recovery plan for letting the village hall including managing Corvid-19 situation. Liaise with other village letting facilities to manage over/under capacity across the village.

• Recruit new Village Hall supervisor at the appropriate time.

• Actively promote availability of the village hall to increase revenue and maximise local social benefits.

• Village Hall fully operating with improved methods and processes for maximising use for income and social benefit.

• Roll out the on-line booking system.

• Resolve maintenance charge calculation with CEC.

• Create a longer-term business plan for village hall Finance Committee

• Review the process for obtaining quotes (eg time limit for suppliers on responses?) Planning Committee

• Review updating the Neighbourhood Plan after CEC publish the SADPD (in 2021?)

• Re-Investigate grants/funding for driveways for bungalows on Main Road

Clerk (supported by the PC where required)

• Achieve The ‘Quality Standard’ (Local Council Award Scheme)

• Encourage residents to report potholes/blocked drains/defective street lighting etc

• Encourage residents to trim hedges/report issues

• Ask CEC to maintain signs (cleaning/trimming back) Individual Councillors?

• If approved by PCSO carry out speed watch (post COVID-19) on traffic approaching

the station bridge to see if the rumble strips are working. Terence

17

• Deliver ‘Speedwatch’ enhancements (eg SDU battery change timetable). Terence?

• Finalise with CEC and Network Rail whether traffic lights and a walkway can be

solutioned in addition to signage – Ken/Terence

• Create a strategy/plan to address social isolation in Goostrey - ?

• Assist FOGS with plans to bring the Goostrey Station Building into beneficial use for

the community, including facilities such as WC, cycle shelter. Dave

• Create a strategy and have a working relationship with Sibelco that delivers the best outcomes for Goostrey. Dave

• Involvement of younger residents in Parish Council matters. – Julian/Dave +?

Increasing the involvement of young people in Village life (possible Ideas).

1. Create a weekly podcast that is prepared and delivered by young people, this could

form part of a school’s liaison project. This might mean purchase of a microphone

and editing software (monthly cost around £20.00)

2. Are there any issues environmental/wildlife wise that could require an ecological

survey? These surveys might form school projects for older youngsters.

3. Do we have opportunities for youngsters to shadow local small business founders or

positions within these businesses as part of their career development?

4. Could we have a business plan competition and prize for young people wanting to

start their own business in the local area (small prize fund of up to £500) or maybe

even Bank sponsorship?

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To: All who serve on Parish and Town Councils

You have a proud tradition of supporting your communities and this has been especially evident during this pandemic. Within days of the social distancing guidance starting, many of you had created volunteer registers and were reaching out to those in need through social media, leaflets, posters, and through the work of your town clerk. Many of you are ensuring that residents in need can get support night and day through a dedicated mobile number. You have been supporting those who most need it by delivering medicines, essentials and even walking dogs or buying newspapers. This means that those who most need to be home at the moment don’t feel alone. The fantastic way in which our parish and town councils have responded to the challenge of coronavirus across the country is a testament to the unique and cherished position you occupy within our local government family. You are coming up with creative ways to help your communities; this work is appreciated across the nation, and also inspiring others to get involved and help their own communities. As Local Government Secretary I want you to know that I am behind you and will support the vital work that you are doing in your communities. That is why I have made £3.2 billion of additional funding available to councils, with the latest tranche of £1.6 billion including a larger share for lower tier councils. If you have questions regarding funding I would encourage you to speak with your principal council. It is vital that you are able to continue the incredible work you are doing, and on behalf of the communities across the country I thank you all.

RT HON ROBERT JENRICK MP

TEMPLATE FRAMEWORK – NOT TO BE USED FOR SUBMIS

Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 4th Floor, Fry Building 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF Tel: 0303 444 3450 Email: [email protected] www.gov.uk/mhclg

ITEM 06.20.13 - Letter from Secretary of State Regarding Funding for Lower Tier Councils 19

http://www.gov.uk/mhclg

ITEM 06.20.14. – LOCAL COUNCIL AWARDS SCHEME QUALITY AWARD STATUS

We have applied for the Quality Award and have registered with NALC.

At present the documentation we have in place to contribute to the award is listed in the Application Form.

In this document I have also added the documentation we have in place for the Foundation Award as that

will need to be checked again because it is more than a year since we achieved the award. I have also added

the documentation we have in place which contributes towards the Quality Gold award so we can see how

much more we need to do to apply for that award.

In preparation to submit the application form we need to review all the documents I have indicated need

reviewing on the application form and check that all policies have been reviewed in line with the review

dates on the policies themselves.

Once all the documentation is up to date and the form completed with links to the documentation the Parish

Council must make the resolutions on page 11 of the Guide to LCAS Awards Scheme 2016 (pages 10-13

attached).

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Clerk and a small group of councillors review the policies on the website to

ensure that they are all up to date legally and that the next review date is shown on the policy.

The resolutions are made at the first available meeting of the Parish Council once the application form is

completed. It is suggested this could be in July but more likely in September 2020.

20

Council Name: Goostrey Parish Council Date of application: Award level applied for: Quality and Quality Gold

1

Local Council Award Scheme application form

This document is a resource for Local Councils taking part in the Local Council Award Scheme

My council has not registered to take part in the scheme – this document is a useful tool to map

where you do meet the criteria, and to help you see what work would need to take place before you

apply

My council has the relevant criteria in place and has already registered with NALC – you can

complete this document and submit it to your local accreditation panel. This will help them find the

necessary information and make sure they don’t miss any details by mistake.

Tip – proving a web link to the exact page or document needed is important as it will reduce

the risk of the panel missing any necessary information. So instead of

http://www.nalc.gov.uk use http://www.nalc.gov.uk/our-work/improvement-and-

development/local-council-award-scheme

Tip – some information and documents are not required to be published online. To keep

things simple email these to the panel coordinator at the same time as providing this

document. That way they have all the information in one place.

Tip – Don’t forget the read the full criteria in the Local Council Award Scheme guide. This

form just has the summary, but there is further essential information in the guide which can

be downloaded from http://www.nalc.gov.uk/our-work/improvement-and-

development/local-council-award-scheme

What criteria do I need to meet for each award level?

If you are applying for Foundation – just the Foundation criteria

If you are applying for Quality – both Foundation and Quality criteria

If you are applying for Quality Gold – Foundation, Quality and Quality Gold criteria

If you are unsure what criteria you are required to submit please check with your County

Association.

21

http://www.nalc.gov.uk/

http://www.nalc.gov.uk/our-work/improvement-and-development/local-council-award-scheme





2

The council confirms by resolution at a full council meeting that it publishes online:

Criteria Do you meet these criteria?

Where are these published online?

1 Its standing orders and financial regulations

Yes

2 Its Code of Conduct and a link to councillors’ registers of interests

Yes

3 Its publication scheme Yes

4 Its last annual return Yes

5 Transparent information about council payments

Yes

6 A calendar of all meetings including the annual meeting of electors

Yes

7 Minutes for at least one year of full council meetings and (if relevant) all committee and sub-committee meetings

Yes

8 Current agendas Yes

9 The budget and precept information for the current or next financial year

Yes

10 Its complaints procedure Yes

11 Council contact details and councillor information in line with the Transparency Code

Yes

12 Its action plan for the current year

Previous years on web site

13 Evidence of consulting the community

Yes

14 Publicity advertising council activities

Yes

15 Evidence of participating in town and country planning

Yes

22


3

The council also confirms by resolution at a full council meeting that it has:


Where are these published? Can they be provided electronically?

16 A risk management scheme Yes

17 A register of assets Yes

18 Contracts for all members of staff

Yes

19 up-to-date insurance policies that mitigate risks to public money

Yes

20 Disciplinary and grievance procedures

Yes

21 A policy for training new staff and councillors

Yes

22 A record of all training undertaken by staff and councillors in the last year

Needs updating

23 A clerk who has achieved 12 CPD points in the last year

The year starts in February. Feb 19-20 Clerk achieved 28 points. Feb 20-21 2.5 points so far

23


4




1 Draft minutes of all council and committee meetings within four weeks of the last meeting

Yes

2 A Health and Safety policy Yes

3 Its policy on equality Yes

4 Councillor profiles

5 A community engagement policy involving two-way communication between council and community

Yes

6 A grant awarding policy Yes

7 Evidence showing how electors contribute to the Annual Parish or Town Meeting

Yes Minutes of the APM Meetings with number of attendees listed, public forum and actions

8 An action plan and related budget responding to community engagement and setting out a timetable for action and review

9 Evidence of community engagement, council activities and the promotion of democratic processes in an annual report, online material and regular news bulletins

Yes Quarterly Newsletters Monthly Parish Magazine Articles Annual Report Consultation with Residents regarding Proposed Land Purchase New Items on Website Home Page

10 Evidence of helping the community plan for its future

24


5



Where are these published? Can they be provided electronically?

1 a scheme of delegation (where relevant)

Only in Financial Regulations

2 addressed complaints received in the last year

Yes Refer to minutes - correspondence

3 at least two-thirds of its councillors who stood for election

Yes

4 a printed annual report that is distributed at locations across the community

Yes Normally yes but on web site this year because of COVID-19

5 a qualified clerk Yes SLCC and Chalc have records

6 a clerk (and deputy) employed according to nationally or locally agreed terms and conditions

Yes See Clerks Contract of Employment

7 a formal appraisal process for all staff

Yes But needs to be carried out for this year

8 a training policy and record for all staff and councillors

Yes

25


6




1 A business plan covering a financial forecast for at least three years linked to revenue and capital plans for the council and its community

Yes

2 An annual report, online material and at least four news bulletins a year with evidence of

Yes

a engaging with diverse groups in the community using a variety of methods

b community engagement leading to positive outcomes for the community

c At least four positive outcomes achieved for the community in the last six months and a broad range of council activities including innovative projects

d co-operating constructively with other organisations

26


7

The council also confirms by resolution at a full council meeting, that it has prepared statements (of

no more than one page each) to be presented to the accreditation panel showing how it


Have you provided these to the accreditation panel?

1 Ensures that the council delivers value for money

2 Meets its duties in relation to bio-diversity and crime & disorder

3 Provides leadership in planning for the future of the community

Yes Neighbourhood Plan, Rule 6 representation at Appeals

4 Manages the performance of the council as a corporate body

5 Manages the performance of each individual staff member to achieve its business plan

Yes Link to appraisal Policy

27

The council confirms by resolution at a full council meeting that it meets all requirements

for the Foundation Award and that it also publishes on its website:

GOVERNANCE COMMUNIT Y DEVELOPMENT

Criteria demonstrating good

governance in managing the

business and finances of

a council

Criteria representing a council’s

role in the community and how it

engages with the community

Criteria representing council

improvement through the

management and development

of staff and councillors

Draft minutes of all council and

committee meetings within four weeks

of the last meeting

A community engagement policy

involving two-way communication

between council and community

A Health and Safety policy Councillor profiles

Its policy on equality A grant awarding policy

Evidence showing how electors

contribute to the Annual Parish or

Town Meeting

An action plan and related

budget responding to community

engagement and setting out a

timetable for action and review

Evidence of community engagement,

council activities and the promotion

of democratic processes in an annual

report, online material and regular

news bulletins

Evidence of helping the community

plan for its future

TO ACHIEVE THE QUALITY AWARD A COUNCIL DEMONSTRATES

THAT IT MEETS ALL REQUIREMENTS OF THE FOUNDATION

AWARD AND HAS ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION AND

INFORMATION IN PLACE FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE, EFFECTIVE

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND COUNCIL IMPROVEMENT. THE

QUALITY AWARD CRITERIA INCLUDE THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

FOR THE GENERAL POWER OF COMPETENCE.

Local Council Award SchemeThe Quality Award10

28


GOVERNANCE COMMUNIT Y DEVELOPMENT

Criteria demonstrating good

governance in managing the

business and finances of

a council

Criteria representing a council’s

role in the community and how it

engages with the community

Criteria representing council

improvement through the

management and development

of staff and councillors

A scheme of delegation

(where relevant)

At least two-thirds of its councillors

who stood for election

A qualified clerk

Addressed complaints received in

the last year

A printed annual report that is

distributed at locations across the

community

A clerk (and deputy) employed

according to nationally or locally

agreed terms and conditions

A formal appraisal process for all staff

A training policy and record for all staff

and councillors

This evidence is not posted online, the panel may ask to see the evidence if it is considered necessary.

The council notifies the accreditation panel’s co-ordinator when the resolution has been agreed and provides a

completed application form, including webpage addresses to where the information can be found online.

11The Quality AwardLocal Council Award Scheme

29

The accreditation panel first checks that the

criteria for the Foundation Award are in place if

the award was granted more than one year ago.

The exception to this is if the council received

the Foundation award less than a year ago. Then

the panel does not check the Foundation criteria

again, but the council still confirms in a public

meeting that it meets these criteria.

It then considers the additional criteria for

the Quality Award.

The panel assesses the quality of documents

and information with a light touch, seeking

reassurance that the council is acting lawfully and

according to good (rather than best) practice.

The panel confirms that the documentation

and information is in place and up-to-date and

complies with the guidance below. For those

documents that are not posted on the website,

the panel may ask to see the evidence if it is

considered necessary.

■ All council policies should comply with current

legislation and guidance and note the date of the

next review.

■ Draft minutes (marked Draft) of all council

and committee meetings should be posted up as

soon as possible after the meeting and within at

least four weeks. The minutes will show that the

council monitors its actions, internal controls and

performance against the budget at least every

three months.

■ A community engagement policy demonstrates

the council’s commitment to hearing what people

in the community think and communicating its

own actions and decisions. The council also gives

grants to community organisations and publishes

a grant awarding policy.

■ Councillor profiles normally contain a

photo and reference to the ward represented

(if relevant) but personal contact details are

not required.

■ The panel seeks evidence that the council has

in place light touch policies for managing Health

and Safety, including its duty of care to staff and

promoting equality in compliance with legislation.

For example, evidence might include employment

documents or statements on agendas.

■ Evidence that electors can contribute to the

Annual Parish or Town Meeting can come in any

form; for example, it could be an invitation to

attend and participate in discussions or a record of

how community groups spoke about their use of

grant funding over the last year.

■ The action plan (or similar forward plan)

summarises findings from community

engagement and sets out aims and objectives

that respond to community views. The action plan

includes a timetable for actions to be completed

with dates for reviewing the plan.

The council’s budget shows how the action

plan is put into practice and manages risks

to public money.

■ The council is expected to produce an annual

report, online material and regular news bulletins

throughout the year. The annual report and

news bulletins must be online even if they were

also distributed in hard copy such as in printed

newsletters or village magazines. If the council

uses social media such as Facebook or Twitter, this

will be evident from the council’s website. The

accreditation panel will read the materials looking

for evidence of community engagement, council

activities and promoting democratic processes.

The panel expects to see that the council consults

the community in at least three different ways

(such as surveys, focus groups, online or street

polls and community workshops) and engages

with other organisations, including community

groups and the principal authority(ies). It will

look for at least three positive actions for the

community in the last year.

The Quality Award Local Council Award Scheme12

30

■ The annual report should be distributed

widely. It is accepted that it cannot always be

distributed to all households, but copies can be

left at prime locations in a community, including a

library, doctors’ surgeries, schools, pubs, shops or

residential homes.

■ The panel seeks evidence from council

documents and online information that it supports

the community in planning for its future. This

can include at least one contribution to creating,

implementing or reviewing a parish or town plan,

a design statement or a neighbourhood plan,

holding community planning events, facilitating

debate in the community about planning

applications or registering community assets.

■ The panel also seeks evidence of promoting

elections and the value of the democratic process;

this might include explaining how the system

works, advising people of election dates and

promoting the value of being a councillor.

■ At the time of making the resolution, at least

two-thirds of the seats on the council must be

filled by councillors who stood for election at

either the last ordinary elections or a by-election.

This shows that the council represents the

community through democratic processes.

Councillors who stood for election, even if elected

unopposed, do count, while councillors who were

co-opted or appointed cannot count. If two thirds

is not a whole number, then it must be rounded

up to the next whole number using the table

below.

Total council seats

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

4 4 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 1112 12 13 14

Two thirds

■ The panel may wish to check that a council

properly operates the delegation of decision-

making to committees, sub-committees and

officers (where relevant). Arrangements for

delegation may be set out in standing orders or in

a separate scheme of delegation.

■ The panel may also seek evidence that any

formal complaints received by the council during

the last year have been properly addressed.

■ A qualified clerk is defined in Parish Councils

(General Power of Competence) (Prescribed

Conditions) Order 2012. The clerk (and deputy

clerk) should be properly remunerated with a

contract in accordance with terms and conditions

set out in the national agreement or in a local

government scheme.

■ The panel may ask to see the document setting

out the formal appraisal process that must be in

place for all staff. It checks that the council has

a training budget and may ask to see a general

training policy for staff and councillors with a

detailed record of all training undertaken by staff

and councillors in the last year. The panel seeks

assurance that a training culture is embedded in

the council. The clerk is expected to achieve at

least 12 Continuous Professional Development

Points points every year. The CPD guidance on

how points are allocated can be downloaded from

NALC’s or SLCC’s websites.

The Quality AwardLocal Council Award Scheme 13

31

ITEM 06.20.15. –WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY COMPLIANCE STATUS

In September 2020, all Local Government Web sites will need to comply with the Website Accessibility

Guidelines WCAG 2.1 AA.

Netwise, our website provider, has made some changes to our website now shows no Accessibility

Compliance errors using the WAVE tool. However, the Parish Council needs to prepare an accessibility

statement listing any exemptions to the guidelines with reasons for these exemptions.

Furthermore, we need to obtain a greater understanding of the guidelines to decide which format we should

use for documents stored on our website to make them compliant without adding a huge site administration

overhead. To this end the Clerk will attend a two part virtual training course run by the Society of Local

Council Clerks (SLCC) in June/July 2020.

It is hoped that we can continue to use the PDF format in a new variant called PDFA which will enable 3rd

party readers to interpret the documents accurately.

Recommendation

Once the Clerk has attended the training a small group of councillors need to work with the Clerk to put

forward a recommendation to the Council regarding the exemptions to be listed on the accessibility

statement and the format for all new documents added to the site. A view also needs to be taken regarding

the possibility of engaging a 3rd party to check the site for compliance with the regulations.

32