PRESHUTE PARISH COUNCIL 1 - 2022/23  

Minutes of the ANNUAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING held on the 23rd May 2022 at 7.45pm at the Kennet Valley Hall, Lockeridge.

Present:  Cllr P Morgan (Chair), Cllr S Mills, Cllr I Wroth, Cllr H Wroth, Cllr J Penn & Cllr J Clark.
 
In attendance:  Miss S Roberts (Clerk).

Cllr Peter Morgan opened the meeting.

1.    Election of Chair
•    Cllr Peter Morgan was elected as Chair. Cllr S Mills proposed, Cllr J Penn seconded.
2.    To receive apologies for absence
•    Unitary Cllr Jane Davies sent apologies.
3.    Declarations of Acceptance of Office
•    All councillors were reminded of the requirement to register their disclosable pecuniary interests and (if applicable) those of their spouse/civil partner/person with whom they are co-habiting as if they were their spouse or civil partner.  This must take place within 28 days of the member’s appointment.
•    Cllr Peter Morgan signed a Declaration of Acceptance of Office in the presence of the Proper Officer.
4.    To receive declarations of interests
•    None
5.    Election of Vice Chair
•    Cllr S Mills was elected as Vice Chair.  Cllr I Wroth proposed, Cllr J Penn seconded.
6.    Appointments to other positions:
•    Planning Committee:             All Councillors
•    Rights of Way:                Cllr S Mills
•    Traffic/Police:                Cllr I Wroth
•    Community Emergency:            Cllr H Wroth
•    Communications/Press:            Cllr P Morgan
•    Neighbourhood Plan Working Group:    Cllr P Morgan (Chair), Cllr S Mills, Cllr J Clark & I Mellor.
•    Marlborough Area Board:            Cllrs agreed to rotate.
7.    Clerk’s Report
•    Website
The website is almost ready to go live, and councillors were requested to review the website and provide feedback to the Clerk along with a short introductory piece about themselves to go in the councillor section.
•    CATG
This now has a larger budget and incorporates Rights of Way.
8.    Minutes of the previous meetings
•    The minutes of the meetings held on 21st March 2022 and the Extraordinary Parish Council meeting held on 11th May 2022 were approved unanimously and signed as a true record. 
9.    Traffic
•    Flooding at Clatford – a site meeting needs to be arranged between Martin Cook from Wiltshire Council Highways, one Councillor and the owner of the property in Clatford on whose land a ditch needs may be required.  Action Cllr I Wroth
•    Cllr Peter Morgan kindly submitted a response to the Forestry Commission consultation on the introduction of parking charges at Savernake Forest.
10.    Rights of Way
•    The electronic mapping of the Parish footpaths is going well and an update will be provided at the next meeting.  Action Cllr S Mills
•    Preshute 32- following a complaint about overhanging branches the Council agreed as it is currently nesting season and it is possible to walk round the branches no action could be taken, but the situation would be reviewed again in September.

11.    Website
•    The website is due to go live by the end of June.  Action Clerk
12.    Neighbourhood Plan (NPWG) & Covid Copse
•    Cllr P Morgan gave a brief update on the Neighbourhood Plan.  The Regulation 15 paperwork has been completed and sent to Wiltshire Council and a meeting arranged with the Link Officer and Michael Kilmister from Wiltshire Council to discuss the Regulation 15 submission.  The Plan is currently ahead of schedule.
•    Covid Copse – the group need to meet to discuss locations with landowners.
13.    Finance
•    The accounts for the year to March 2022:
Balance carried forward from last year:                £12393.50
Total receipts for the year to March 2022:                £5003.04
Total payments for the year to March 2022:                £6994.67

The available (cash book) balance at YE March 2022:        £10401.87

•    The Clerk circulated a copy of the accounts ahead of the meeting for review by the council members.
•    All councillors were reminded of their need to inform the Monitoring Office of any gifts over £25.
•    The Clerk confirmed she did not expect her annual income to be above the current tax threshold for PAYE.
•    The Clerk will shortly be submitting the accounts to the internal auditor, Graham Kitchen.  The Council will need to hold an EGM at the end of June to approve the AGAR.

•    The following retrospective cheque was approved:

200048    Kennet Valley Hall – room hire            £60.00
200049    CATG – contribution to signage            £38.00
200051    S Roberts – Salary April 2022            
200051    S Roberts – NP Back pay 2021/22     
200052    Preshute Primary – School Bell donation         £200.00

•    The following cheques were approved and signed:
200053    S Roberts – salary May 2022
200053    S Roberts – NP admin March/April 2022
200054    S Roberts – expenses Apr/May 2022
200055    WALC – Membership 2022/23            £63.12
200056    ARK – subscription 2022 – reissue            £20.00
    
    

14.    Agenda items for the next meeting
•    Year End Accounts & AGAR
•    Risk Assesment & Asset Register
•    Donation requests
•    Jubilee Tree
•    Website

The meeting closed at 8.45pm.                    This is the last page of the minutes.
PLEASE NOTE
The date of the next full council meeting is to be confirmed.