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To the Members of the Full Council

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

 

15 December 2023

Dear Councillors

You are hereby summoned to attend the Full Council on Wednesday, 20 December 2023 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

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 apologies for the meeting

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 20 November 2023 and authorise the Chairman to sign them (SUPPORTING DOCUMENT/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

For the benefit of new councillors, the point at which minutes are approved as a correct record, they become a legal record.  WTC minutes comply with all best practice guidelines and meet all statutory requirements.  In the context of local councils, minutes are primarily a record of decisions, not a verbatim account of discussions.  Individual votes are only recorded by request.

6     Actions from previous meetings [public] [see also item 16]

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

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)   Revised Neighbourhood Plan

To consider and approve the Revised Neighbourhood Plan (SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

(b)   Allotments policy

To consider and approve a new allotments policy (SUPPORTING DOCUMENT TO FOLLOW/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

10     Arts, culture and heritage

(a)   Jazz event 2024

To give support to the creation and development of a WTC-owned jazz event in 2024 (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

(b)   Murder Mystery Weekend celebrating Agatha Christie

To resolve that a Working Group be formed to review the 2023 event and make recommendations to the Full Council.   A number of documents have already been produced to assist in the review of the 2023 event. (RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

At the last meeting of the Full Council, Members asked that the Tourism and Economic Development Committee carry out this review.  However the Committee were unable to meet on 7 December 2023.  As a more expedient alternative, the Mayor recommends that a Working Group be set up, so that work can begin immediately.  In accordance with Standing Order 7, we have received sufficient notifications for the earlier Council decision to be reversed.

INTERNAL-FACING
11     Finance

(a)   Budget for 2024-25

To consider and approve the budget (SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

At their meeting on 11 December 2023, having reviewed in detail the draft estimates prepared and presented by the Town Clerk and Responsible Officer, the Finance and Properties Committee RECOMMENDED that the Full Council adopt a revised budget showing a 8.56% increase which is equivalent to an additional £10.41 for a Band D household or £1.04 for each of the 10 months

12     Properties

(a)   Curfew Bell

The Finance and Properties Committee has RECOMMENDED that the quotation of 30 November 2023 by Smith of Derby for this work be approved and that the works be undertaken, subject to the correct time being confirmed (assumed to be the historic time of 8.50 pm) (SUPPORTING DOCUMENT/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

The maintenance of the church clock, for the Town Council is responsible, and the recurring timing issues, which were regularly the subject of public complaint, has been scheduled as an agenda item for the next meeting of the Committee on 15 January 2024

13     Organisational effectiveness

(a)   WTC Working Groups

To receive an update on the effectiveness of current Working Groups (SUPPORTING DOCUMENT TO FOLLOW/RESOLUTION MAY BE REQUIRED)

14     Future agenda items

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)
  • Community Emergency Plan (included in the Action Log) (The Mayor leading)
  • Legal matter [confidential] (potentially rolling item)
  • Procurement (Cllr Charter leading)
  • Policies (Cllr Charter leading)
  • Governance cycle (Cllr Charter leading)
  • Alliance for the Reduction of Heritage Crime (Cllr Keats-Rohan leading)
  • Mooring fees – a presentation by an enforcement company (probably January 2024)
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 DOCUMENT)

17     High Sherriff Awards [confidential]

To nominate potential recipients as requested by the High Sherriff’s Office (SUPPORTING DOCUMENT/RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

18     Legal [confidential]

To receive an update from the Chairman on a legal matter

 

The quorum for the Full Council is 8

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

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