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To the Members of the Full Council

  • Cllr Mike Acreman
  • Cllr Jacki Hoskins
  • Cllr Daniel Beauchamp (Mayor/Chairman)
  • Cllr Mark Hoskins
  • Cllr Ailsa Charter
  • Cllr Nigel Hughes
  • Cllr Mahmood Ebrahimjee
  • Cllr Katharine Keats-Rohan
  • Cllr Marcus Harris
  • Cllr Ros Lester
  • Cllr Susan Hendrie
  • Cllr Diana Margarido
  • Cllr Stephen Holder (Deputy Mayor)
  • Cllr Len Pannett
  • Cllr Claire Holford
  • Cllr Christine Sandall

10 December 2024

Dear Councillors

You are hereby summoned to attend the meeting of the Full Council on Monday, 16 December 2024 at 7.00 pm in the Town Hall for the transaction of business as set out on the attached agenda.

Apologies for the meeting should be sent to the Meetings Officer at meetings@wallingfordtowncouncil.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

Karen Crowhurst

Locum Town Clerk & Interim Responsible Financial Officer

 

AGENDA

1     Meeting protocol

The Mayor to explain the protocols to be followed for the meeting

2     Apologies

To receive and accept apologies for the meeting and the reasons for absence (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

3     Declarations of interest

To receive and record declarations of interest

A councillor with voting rights who has a disclosable pecuniary interest or another interest as set out in our Council’s Standing Orders Code of Conduct (Item 13) in a matter being considered at a meeting is subject to statutory limitations or restrictions under code of conduct and their right to participate and vote on the matter.  Guidelines are available at the meeting and all councillors have received a copy prior to the meeting.

4     Minutes

To approve the minutes of the ordinary meeting of the Full Council held on 25 November 2024, and authorise the Chairman to sign them as a correct record (SUPPORTING PAPER) (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

5     Actions from previous meetings [public] [see also Agenda Item 16]

To review progress on ‘open’ actions on publicly-discussed matters agreed at previous meetings.  The Action Log is reviewed in detail every quarter (January, April, July, and October).  The Log will be reviewed by exception at this meeting.  Actions assigned to County and District Councillors also appear on the Action Log. (SUPPORTING PAPER)

6     Mayor’s communications

The Mayor to update the Council on recent mayoral activity and any other news

7     Town Clerk’s Report

To receive the Town Clerk’s Report covering information-only items (SUPPORTING PAPER)

This report will be taken as read and will not be discussed in detail.  Questions arising from the report need to be raised with the Town Clerk before the meeting or in-between meetings.

8     County and District Councillors’ Reports

To receive reports from County and District Councillors

9     Public participation

To hear from members of the public on any matter on the agenda

We welcome members of the public at our meetings.  A total of 15 minutes has been set aside for this.  The maximum length for an individual contribution is at the discretion of the Chairman and may depend on the number of people who wish to speak.

Members of the public who wish to speak at this meeting should email Luke Whitcomb, our Meetings Officer, in advance at meetings@wallingfordtowncouncil.gov.uk 

DECISION-MAKING
External-facing
10     Arts, culture and heritage

(a)   Commemorative art installation

To ratify the appointment of a local artist to design an art installation to commemorate the accession of King Charles III (SUPPORTING PAPERS) (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

To note and reinforce the parameters of working group activities, as confirmed by the Full Council earlier this year (22 July 2024, Minute 182/24) that working groups do not have the power to make decisions. Their role is to examine an issue in detail and make recommendations, and the role of the parent body (Council or committee) is to question and challenge to ensure full transparency in the eyes of the electorate

(b)   End of Second World War commemorative event

To (i) agree the date of the End of Second World War commemorative event and discuss/provide a steer on what form that may take, and (ii) depending on that decision, sign up to take part in the national commemoration of VE (Victory in Europe) Day (SUPPORTING PAPER) (RESOLUTIONS REQUIRED)

(c)    Non-civic events 2025

To consider a recommendation from the Tourism and Economic Development Committee on the extent and nature of Council support for non-civic events during 2025 (SUPPORTING PAPER) (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

11     Community engagement

(a)   Town Councillor surgeries

To consider a detailed proposal on how regular Town Councillor surgeries would work (SUPPORTING PAPER) (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

At its last meeting, the Full Council RESOLVED “that the holding of regular Town Council surgeries be approved in principle and that a paper be brought to the next meeting (December 2024) proposing the detail of what form this should take (Full Council, 25 November 2024, Draft Minute 414/24)

Internal-facing
12     Finance

(a) Bill schedules

To approve the bill schedules for October and November 2024 (SUPPORTING PAPERS TO FOLLOW) (RESOLUTIONS REQUIRED)

(b)   Cost centre analysis

To approve the accounts for Quarter 2 of 2024-25 (SUPPORTING PAPER TO FOLLOW) (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

(c) Budget and Precept for 2025-26

To agree the Town Council’s budget and Precept for 2025-26 (SUPPORTING PAPERS TO    FOLLOW)

The draft budget was reviewed in detail by the Finance and Properties Committee at a meeting on 9 December 2024 and they have RECOMMENDED by majority vote that the Full Council approves the budget for 2025-26, totalling £680,885, representing a 10.57% increase (£65,087) equivalent to an additional £15.79 for a Band D household or £1.58 for each of the 10 months; this excluded £38k for the Castle Motte which would be considered for the 2026-27 budget (Draft minute 461/24)

13     Committees and working groups

(a)   Committees

To note the resignation of Councillor Margarido from the Tourism and Economic Development Committee

To increase the membership of the Personnel Committee by 1 to 7 as recommended by the Committee at their meeting on 2 December 2024 (Draft minute 451/24(d)) (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

To note and fill (if possible) vacancies on the following Council committees:

  • Finance and Properties – 7 existing members, 1 vacancy, quorum of 5
  • Parks, Gardens, Allotments and Open Spaces – 6 existing members, 2 vacancies, quorum of 4
  • Planning – 6 existing members, 2 vacancies, quorum of 4
  • Tourism and Economic Development – 5 existing members, 3 vacancies, quorum of 4
  • Personnel – 6 existing members, 1 vacancy (subject to the decision above), quorum of 4
14     Future agenda items

To identify agenda items for future meetings

The following items have already been identified or requested and these will be included in the Town Clerk’s Report unless a decision is required:

  • Pedestrianisation of front area of Town Hall (Town Clerk and staff team leading)
  • Community emergency plan proposal (once formalised by the working group)
  • IT contract, including training and policy regarding document repository (Locum Town Clerk and staff team leading)
CLOSED SESSION
15     Exclusion of press and public

To resolve that the press and public be excluded from the meeting due to the confidential nature of the business to be transacted (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

16     Actions from previous meetings [confidential]

To review progress on ‘open’ actions relating to confidential matters agreed at previous meetings (SUPPORTING PAPER)

17     Properties

(a) Council property

To consider a freehold (SUPPORTING PAPER) (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

18     Staffing

(a)  Cost of living increase

To NOTE the annual cost of living increase approved by the Personnel Committee (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

(b)   Locum support

To consider the extension of Locum Clerk support (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

 

The quorum for the Full Council is 8

The next ordinary meeting of the Full Council will be held on Monday, 27 January 2025. The summons and agenda papers will be issued by email on Tuesday, 21 January 2025.  Items and papers for the agenda need to have been received by the Meetings Officer at meetings@wallingfordtowncouncil.gov.uk no later than Thursday, 16 January 2025.  Items and documents received after this date will not be included or circulated.

Distribution: Town Council website and Town Hall noticeboard

Non-confidential supporting papers (identified above) have been published on the Town Council website and can be downloaded from there.

We welcome members of the public at our meetings.  Any member of the public wishing to speak at the meeting should contact Luke Whitcomb, the Meetings Officer, in advance by emailing meetings@wallingfordtowncouncil.gov.uk