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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
  • Cllr Len Pannett
  • Cllr Claire Holford (Deputy Mayor)
  • Cllr Christine Sandall

 

13 March 2024

Dear Councillors

You are hereby summoned to attend the Full Council on Monday, 18 March 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

The stair lift at the Town Hall is currently not working and therefore as an alternative, we will be providing virtual access to the meeting from the Town Information Office on the ground floor of the Town Hall.

Yours sincerely

Michelle Taylor

Town Clerk & Responsible Finance 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 (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     Mayor’s communications

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

5     Minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting of the Full Council held on 19 February 2024 and authorise the Chairman to sign them (SUPPORTING PAPER/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

6     Actions from previous meetings [public] [see also Agenda Item 22]

To review progress on ‘open’ actions on publicly-discussed matters agreed at previous meetings (SUPPORTING PAPER)

The Full Council reviews the Action Log in detail every quarter.  The next time will be in April 2024.   At other times, the review will be by exception.

7     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, Meetings Officer, in advance at meetings@wallingfordtowncouncil.gov.uk

8     County and District Councillors’ Reports

To receive reports from County and District Councillors

EXTERNAL FACING
9     Environment and sustainability

(a)   Adoption of allotments and play areas, Winterbrook Meadows

To consider and determine whether the Town Council adopt the allotments and play areas that are being created as part of the major Winterbrook Meadows housing development (SUPPORTING PAPER/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

10     Getting around

(a)   Speed limits

To receive an update on the extension of 20 mph speed limits within the town, following a public consultation process.  This may also be covered in Agenda Item 8 above.

11     Facilities

(a)   The Regal

To bring this prolonged and complex discussion towards final resolution (SUPPORTING PAPER/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

(b)   Goldsmiths Lane, proposed car parking fees for 2024-25

To consider and respond to the District Council’s proposals for the next financial year (SUPPORTING PAPER/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

(c)    Town Hall, access arrangements and AV equipment

To approve increased funding for audio visual equipment for the Town Hall to comply with requirements to make events (including those run by hirers) fully accessible (SUPPORTING PAPER/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

(d)   Tariffs for 2024-25

To consider and approve proposed tariff charges for next year, following an external benchmarking exercise. The Tourism and Economic Development Committee have recommended approval (SUPPORTING PAPER/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

(e)   Wallingford Municipal Charities

The Town Council have been asked to appoint a nominative trustee to serve for four years (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

(f)    Wallingford School Foundation

The Foundation have asked Councillor Lester to serve on the Foundation.  Cllr Lester has asked for her service to be endorsed by the Town Council (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

12     Arts, culture and heritage

(a)   Town Hall Conservation Project 

To receive an update on this major project (SUPPORTING PAPER)

(b)   Wallingford and Cholsey Railway

To identify a Town Councillor who can act as the liaison person with the Railway (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

13     Community engagement

(a)   Annual Town Meeting 2024

To review the 2024 Annual Town Meeting and identify features that should continue and others that could be built upon or improved further for next year, subject to staff capacity.  Next year’s event has been scheduled for Monday, 24 or Wednesday, 26 March 2025, depending on venue availability (SUPPORTING PAPER/RESOLUTION MAY BE REQUIRED)

INTERNAL-FACING
14     Finance

(a)   Internal audit

(i)               To receive the Internal Auditor’s report (SUPPORTING PAPER/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

(ii)             To review the effectiveness of the Internal Audit (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

(iii)           To discuss and action any recommendations of the Internal Audit

(b)   Finance Risk Assessment

To approve this annual risk assessment (SUPPORTING PAPER/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

(c)   Insurance

To approve the annual insurance policy (SUPPORTING PAPER/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

15     Policies

To consider and determine the Town Council’s position on the use of Council-owned outdoor spaces by political parties in the run-up to scheduled and likely elections during 2024 (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

16     People

(a)   Staff welfare

To approve expenditure for the creation of changing and other facilities for the Parks and Estates Team (SUPPORTING PAPER/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

17     Committee membership

(a)   To appoint newly-elected Town Councillors Pannett and Sandall to committees (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

(b)   Councillor Charter has asked to serve on the Finance and Properties Committee (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

18     Mayor for 2024-25

To have a preliminary discussion on the selection of the Mayor for the 2024-25 Municipal Year (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

19     Future agenda item

To identify agenda items for future meetings

The following items have already been identified or requested:

  • Pedestrianisation of front area of Town Hall (Action Log)
  • Policies (Town Clerk)
  • Governance cycle (Cllr Charter leading)
  • Community emergency plan (Mayor leading)
  • Community safety – potential for broader working group, including community emergency
  • Biodiversity (Cllr Acreman leading)
CLOSED SESSION
20     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)

21     Council-owned property [confidential]

To hear a presentation by the leaseholder and to ask questions of them

22     Actions from previous meetings [confidential]

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

 

The quorum for the Full Council is 8

The next meeting of the Full Council will be held on Monday, 22 April 2024.    The summons and agenda papers will be issued by email on Wednesday, 17 April 2024.  Items and papers for the agenda need to have been received by the Meetings Officer at meetings@wallingfordtowncouncil.gov.uk no later than Friday, 12 April 2024.  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) may be made available upon request.

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