This meeting will be held using Zoom as a virtual hosting platform.
Members of the public may still “attend” the meeting either online or by telephone – please contact the Clerk for the meeting link and passcode
A G E N D A
1. TO ELECT a new Chairman / or a Chairman for the meeting
2. Vacancy on the council – TO CONSIDER any candidate for co-option to the final vacancy
3. TO NOTE removal of Zoom link and meeting details on future Agendas due to neighbouring parish’s incident
4. The Chairman’s opening remarks and apologies for absence
5. Declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Other Significant Interests and Voluntary Announcements of Other Interests, and a reminder to think of any changes to the DPI register held at CCC, such as change of job or home.
6. To agree as a correct record the Minutes of the last meeting held 20 October 2020 (and TO NOTE that these will be signed by the Chairman of that meeting by post after the meeting.)
7. Chairman’s Report and Councillors’ Reports
8. Reports from County and City Councillors
9. TO NOTE confirmation from the new CCC Leader, Cllr Ben Fitter-Harding that he would like to attend the 20 April 2021 Westbere Parish Council meeting
10. TO NOTE a writeup of the key points from a Zoom meeting with Cllr Fitter-Harding and the Clerk held on 16 November 2020 (more detail on the Clerk report)
11. The meeting will be adjourned for parishioners’ questions and comments. This is the only opportunity during the meeting for residents to speak. The period for public participation will last no longer than 10 minutes and a single member of the public is afforded no more than 3 minutes to make their representation, with the discretion of the Chairman.
12. TO DISCUSS new Newsletter
13. Planning
o Any new applications and planning decisions
o TO NOTE that the CCC Planning Committee heard the Sturry and Broad Oak developments & the Sturry Relief Road application (KCC/CA/0091/2019) at their meeting on 17 November 2020 and TO NOTE the Sturry application was refused and the Broad Oak application therefore withdrawn. TO RECEIVE the Clerk notes of the meeting. TO CONSIDER running the details in the next newsletter to inform residents of the updates so far.
o TO NOTE the CCC Committee of Council on 22 October 2020 voted to abolish the Forums throughout the district. (More information on the planning appendix)
o TO NOTE the CCC Committee of Council on 22 October 2020 voted to withdraw parish councils’ right to call-in an application to the planning committee and withdraw the trigger of 4 or more objections for an application to go to planning committee (more information on the planning appendix).
o TO RECEIVE the Clerk writeup from the CCC “Our future district to 2040: Local Plan Transport virtual Conference” held on 21 October 2020.
o The Two Fields site at Staines Hill owned by Bellway Homes – Any update on (i) new PROWS application made to KCC by the parish council and Update for (ii) The Sturry and Westbere Two Fields Action Group application to try and get Village Green status on the Two Fields site.
14. TO DISCUSS Christmas tree lights on the village green this year
15. TO NOTE any use of S101 since the last meeting: None
16. Financial matters, including bank statements and authorisation of accounts (Appendix 3)
o Appendix 3 Finance Schedule to be initialled by the Chairman of the meeting and returned to the Clerk by post.
o TO NOTE that the Clerk has commissioned the climbing inspection for the feature tree in the churchyard to inform of its condition and TO NOTE that the Clerk has placed an order for a new Cherry tree to be planted on the village green (as per the CCC capital grant given)
o Member grant from KCC Cllr Alan Marsh of £1,250 given to the parish council to administer to mitigate the effects of coronavirus on residents of Westbere – TO RESOLVE to use most of the balance remaining to pay for the BT Community Fibre Partnership survey fee of £250.
o Update on the future of Concurrent Function Funding – TO RECEIVE an update from the CCC Community Committee on 251 November 2020.
o TO RECEIVE details of The Redmond Review – The Independent Review of Local Authority Financial Reporting and External Audit has now been published. This review relates to the auditing practices of all authorities, including parish councils.
o TO CONSIDER a quotation for repairs to the brick wall at Shrubbery Corner damaged by a vehicle
17. Precept/budget for 2021-2022
Further to an informal virtual meeting held on 17 November 2020, TO DISCUSS and RESOLVE to set the precept requirement for 2021-2022 as £14,855.70 and TO RESOLVE to adopt a budget as set out in a supporting document, as a forecast of where the parish council plan to spend the money.
18. Website – TO NOTE the new website is now live at https://westbereparishcouncil.gov.uk/
19. TO NOTE the Clerk completed further Risk Assessments around Coronavirus risks for November 2020.
TO NOTE that since the last meeting KCC Cllr Alan Marsh kindly supplied more sanitisers and face masks to The Yew Tree for residents and customers use.
20. Clerk Report (Appendix 4) – for any items not already covered elsewhere
TO RECEIVE the Clerk writeup of the KALC free of charge Net Zero/Environment event on climate change and what we can all do to encourage increased participation and action to deliver Net Zero for Kent, held on 3 November in partnership with Kent County Council and the Kent & Medway Environment Board.
TO RECEIVE the Clerk writeup of the virtual annual Kent Highways Seminar held on 19 November 2020.
TO NOTE the “Country Eye” App is being worked on and improved, but delayed by coronavirus, and could be promoted when it’s released in the Westbere newsletter. TO NOTE Pothole Blitz 7 is planned for February 2021 and TO RESOLVE to promote the usual KCC ‘report a problem’ Portal to residents in the next edition of the newsletter. TO NOTE also a Parish Councils’ Portal tool and resource, tbc.
TO NOTE that the Clerk attended the Canterbury Area meeting of the Kent Association of Local Councils on 23 November 2020.
TO NOTE the virtual CCC Parish Council Engagement Forum for 14 December 2020. The Clerk will attend.
TO NOTE that the next 10-year Census by the ONS is due to take place on 21 March 2021.
21. Resident-led project re BT Community Fibre Partnerships to get high speed broadband to more households in Westbere. TO RECEIVE UPDATE on expressions of interest from residents.
22. Possible lengthening of the Sturry train station platforms:
TO NOTE contents of a letter sent to Sir Roger Gale MP on 27 October 2020 from Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Minister of State Department for Transport (detail on the Clerk report)
23. Date and time for the next meeting/virtual meeting
Proposed meeting dates for 2021: Third Tuesday of each month: 19 January, 16 February, 16 March, 20 April, 18 May, 15 June, 20 July, No meeting in August, 21 September, 19 October, 16 November, No meeting in December.