May 2023 - Annual Meeting of the Parish Council - Agenda
To: All Members of Hemswell Parish Council
You are hereby summoned to attend the Annual Meeting of Hemswell Parish Council, to be held on Monday 15th May 2023, commencing at 7.00 pm in the Hemswell and Harpswell Village Hall, Maypole Street, Hemswell. The business to be dealt with at the meeting is listed in the agenda. Please ensure you have reviewed all necessary documents before the meeting.
E Raymond, Clerk. 09.05.2023
The meeting is open to the public, who may submit questions or statements in writing to the Clerk by noon on the day of the meeting. At the meeting, and at the Chairman’s discretion, there will be up to a 20-minute public participation commencing at 7.00 pm when members of the public may ask questions or make short statements to the Council for a maximum of 5 minutes. Please note that issues raised during the public participation session may not be discussed further at this meeting but may be replied to via post or email or added to a future agenda.
AGENDA
ELECTIONS AND DECLARATIONS
1. To elect the Chair of the Parish Council and to receive the Chair’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office
2. To elect the Vice Chair and to receive the Declarations of Acceptance of Office
3. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE – To receive and accept valid reasons for apologies for absence, these having been submitted to the clerk before the meeting.
4. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST AND DISPENSATION REQUESTS – To receive declarations of interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011 concerning matters in this agenda and to consider requests for dispensations.
5. NOTES - To consider and resolve to approve the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held Monday 20 March 2023 and to sign as agreed minutes.
6. REVIEW OF ACTION ITEMS – To review the action list and receive updates from those responsible for the actions.
7. CLERK’S REPORT – To receive the clerk’s report on correspondence/communications and outstanding matters and items dealt with under the Scheme of Delegation.
8. BUSINESS MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION
a. To review and approve the following governance documents:
i. Standing Orders (V2.0 Adopted May 2022)
ii. Financial Regulations (V1.1 Adopted Jan 2023)
iii. Code of Conduct (WLDC V1.0 Adopted March 2022)
b. To review and approve the Parish Council’s Asset List (V3.0 Adopted May 2022)
c. To review and approve the Parish Council Policies listed below:
i. Scheme of Delegation (V1.1 Adopted Nov 2022)
ii. Co-Option Policy & Procedure (V1.1 Adopted Jan 2023)
iii. Health & Safety Policy (V1.0 Adopted March 2022)
iv. Accessibility Statement
v. Privacy Policy (Reviewed Dec 2022)
vi. Risk Management (V1.1 Adopted March 2022)
vii. Equal Opportunities (V1.0 March 2022)
viii. Training and Development (V1.0 Adopted Nov 2022)
ix. Complaints Procedure (V1.0 Adopted March 2022)
x. Grant and Donation Policy V1.0 Adopted Sept 2022)
xi. Document Retention & Disposal (V1.2 Adopted Nov 2022)
xii. Data Protection (V1.1 Adopted March 2022 Reviewed Dec 2022)
xiii. Communications Policy (V1.0 Adopted March 2022)
xiv. Data Breach Policy (V1.1 Adopted March 2022) (Reviewed Dec 2022)
xv. Media Policy (V1.1 Adopted March 2022) (Reviewed Dec 2022)
xvi. Social Media Policy (V1.1 Adopted March 2022) (Reviewed Dec 2022)
xvii. Handling Freedom of Information Requests (V1.0 Adopted March 2022)
xviii. Whistle Blowing Policy (V1.0 Adopted March 2022)
xix. Publication Scheme (V1.1 Adopted March 2022)
xx. Burial Authority Policies and Procedures (Adopted March 2023)
d. To agree to defer the review and approval of Parish Council policies not listed above according to date written/approved or produced under the Scheme of Delegation.
e. To agree to defer the creation of a Personnel Committee and associated Terms of Reference.
f. To review and agree on the date, time and place of forthcoming Parish Council meetings.
g. To review the Parish Council insurance cover and resolve to implement a new policy.
h. To discuss and consider a Grant Application received from the Hemswell & Harpswell Village Hall Trust for contribution toward the cost of grass cutting.
9. FINANCIAL MATTERS
a. To receive the financial report and approve payments.
b. To review and amend the existing banking mandate as per current council members.
c. To receive and agree approval of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2022/23 documents:
i. Annual Internal Audit Report
ii. Annual Governance Statement
iii. Accounting Statements including review of S137 spend
iv. Bank Reconciliation
v. Explanation of Variances
vi. Exercise of Public Rights - proposed Monday 5 June 2023 ending on Friday 14 July 2023
vii. Certificate of Exemption Form 2. Resolution to declare that the authority is exempt from the requirement for a limited assurance review for the purposes of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2022/2023 and to approve the signing of the certificate of Exemption Form 2.
10. PLANNING MATTERS – None received.
11. REPRESENTATIVE REPORTS - Invitations to receive reports extended to County & District Cllrs., PCSO, Village Hall Committee (and external agencies and sub-committees as appropriate). For information only. Verbal reports to be limited to 5 minutes duration each.
12. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – To resolve to note the date and time of the next Parish Council Meeting - Monday 17th July 2023, 7:00 pm.