Godalming Town Council

I hereby summons you to attend the Policy & Management Meeting to be held in The Council Chamber, Bridge Street, Godalming on 26th of June, 2008 at 7 15 PM.
Louise Goodfellow, Town Clerk.

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Agenda

1 MINUTES

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on the 5 June 2008, a copy of which has been circulated previously.

2 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE


3 PETITIONS/STATEMENTS/QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

The Chairman to respond to any petitions/statements/questions received from members of the public of which notice has been given in accordance with Standing Order 87.

4 DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS

To receive from Members, in relation to any items included on the agenda for this meeting, disclosure of any interests which are required to be disclosed by the Local Authorities (Model Code of Conduct) Order 2007 No.1159.
Members are requested to disclose, in accordance with the Code of Conduct, both the existence and nature of any 'Personal' or 'Prejudicial' interests that they may have in relation to matters for consideration on this agenda.
Personal Interests
(1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) to (5) below, where a Member has a personal interest in any business of the Town Council and attends a meeting of the Council at which the business is considered, the Member must disclose to that meeting the existence and nature of that interest at the commencement of that consideration, or when the interest becomes apparent.
(2) Where the Member has a personal interest in any business of the Town Council which relates to or is likely to affect a person described in paragraph 8(1)(a)(i) or 8(1)(a)(ii)(aa) of the Code of Conduct, the Member needs only disclose to the meeting the existence and nature of that interest when s/he addresses the meeting on that business.
(3) Where the Member has a personal interest in any business of the Town Council of the type mentioned in paragraph 8(1)(a)(viii) of the Code of Conduct, the Member need not disclose the nature or existence of that interest to the meeting if the interest was registered more than three years before the date of the meeting.
(4) Sub-paragraph (1) only applies where the Member is aware or ought reasonably to be aware of the existence of the personal interest.
(5) Where a Member has a personal interest but, by virtue of paragraph 14 of the Code of Conduct, sensitive information relating to it is not registered in the Town Council's register of members' interests, the Member must indicate to the meeting that s/he has a personal interest, but need not disclose the sensitive information to the meeting
Prejudicial Interests
Where a Member has a personal interest in any business of the Town Council that Member also has a prejudicial interest in that business where the interest is one which a member of the public with knowledge of the relevant facts would reasonably regard as so significant that it is likely to prejudice that Member's judgement of the public interest. Where a Member has a prejudicial interest that Member must withdraw from the room or chamber where a meeting considering the business is being held.

5 ACCOUNTS PAID SINCE LAST MEETING

The Finance Office to report on accounts paid between 15 May and 5 June 2008 (deferred from the last meeting of this Committee) and accounts paid since 5 June 2008.

6 FINAL ACCOUNTS FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDING 31 MARCH 2008

To receive and adopt the Annual Accounts for Godalming Town Council (incorporating Broadwater Centre and Wilfrid Noyce Community Centre) for the year ended 31 March 2008. (For audit purposes the Accounts are still in the format produced for the revised estimates, although the committee names have been changed to reflect the new committees.  For the future the budget will be combined into one expenditure heading.)

The Annual Accounts are attached for the information of members. Members to note that the overall income exceeded expenditure by £25949, which exceeds the anticipated outcome at revised estimates. The impact of this can be seen on the summary of details of movement and balances for 2007-08 and 08-09 respectively.

The attached income and expenditure account shows the detailed variances to budget, however significant variances to note are as follows:

Interest received increased by £5413 based on the high balances held through the year and the continued high investment rates offered during that period.

Various transfers from Earmarked reserves have been agreed and minuted throughout the year to support projects and expenditure and are shown in the other income of the income and expenditure account.
 
The salaries budget overspent due to the cost of a temporary member of staff being employed during the eight week period in February and March to provide support within the office. Unfortunately employers are no longer able to reclaim the full SSP to defray these additional costs as previously.

The Christmas lights budget managed a saving in the region of £1500 despite having to change the contractor to take down the lights. A further £2175 saving has been achieved by utilising Eashing Chapel for storage.

Staff training budget was not fully utilised and therefore produced an underspend of £961.

The entire planning budget remained unspent and produced a further saving of £1600.

Both Community centres had redecorations and repairs undertaken within the year, in both cases it was agreed that the costs would come from their reserves. In addition to this both have succeeded in making savings amounting to £1543 in respect of Wilfrid Noyce and £3259 in respect of Broadwater Park.

The provision of £8921 for the VAT liability has not been required as Customs and Excise have agreed that no liability is due.

The Healthcheck has overspent by £4867 this includes additional costs not anticipated but is mainly due to the fact that sponsorship funding was anticipated but not forthcoming.

Members to note that the internal audit was conducted on 24 June 2008. Members to note that the outcome from the Internal audit will be reported in due course, prior to the external audit in August 2008.

7 REPORT OF THE STAFFING SUB-COMMITTEE

Members to receive a report from the Chairman of the Staffing Sub-Committee.

8 GODALMING MUSEUM ACQUISITION AND DISPOSAL POLICY

Members will note that Godalming Town Council owns a significant proportion of Godalming Museum's collection. Consequently Members are asked to agree the Musuem's latest Acquisition and Disposal Policy (copy attached for the information of Members).

9 TRINITY TRUST TEAM PROPOSAL TO USE THE WILFRID NOYCE CENTRE

Further to Andy Poulsom's presentation to the Full Council on 6 March 2008 the Trinity Trust Team has now submitted a formal proposal for Members' consideration (proposal attached for the information of Members).

The Trust wishes to use the small hall at the Wilfrid Noyce Centre for 7½ hours a week in term time and 10½ hours a week in school holidays over 50 weeks of the year - i.e. for a total of some 411 hours in a year. Currently there is no other user hiring the small hall at the Wilfrid Noyce Centre at the times required.

The Trust requests free use of the Wilfrid Noyce Centre. If the Town Council were to charge for the requested use the charge would be £2,794.80 a year (that is £5 an hour for the small hall and £3 an hour for use of the kitchen - both being the voluntary organisation rate discounted by a regular user's discount of 15%).

Members are asked to consider the Trinity Trust Team's request.

Note that should Members be minded to grant the Trust's request then the Town Clerk advises that the potential charge of £2,794.80 should be treated in the Town Council's accounts as grant aid in kind (in the same way as the part of DisCASS's rent and Nightingale nursery's rent is shown) so that the Town Council shows expenditure of £2,794.80 and the Wilfrid Noyce Centre shows income of the same amount. The net effect on the Town Council's expenditure is nil because showing notional income for the Wilfrid Noyce Centre reduces the deficit funded by the Town Council.  

10 PREMISES LICENSE FOR THE WILFRID NOYCE CENTRE

Members are asked to note that further to a decision of the Policy & Resources Committee on 6 July 2006 (Minute 87-06 refers - copy attached for the information of Members) an application will very shortly be made for a Premises License for the Wilfrid Noyce Centre. The delay in making the application arises from the time taken to ensure all the necessary premises work was undertaken.

11 REVIEW OF THE USE OF THE UNDERCROFT OF THE PEPPERPOT

On 15 March 2007 the then Council Management & External Relations Committee considered a report (copy attached for the information of Members) about trading from the Undercroft of the Pepperpot. At that meeting the Committee agreed that the matter should be reviewed in a year's time  - that review is now overdue.

The Town Clerk considers that none of the issues has changed - hence the reproduction of the report considered last year. However, the following information is offered by way of update. Town Council staff have enforced the Town Council's terms and conditions for the hire of the undercroft and complaints are few.

All correspondence received and answered since the last review is attached for the information of Members being nine letters from Mrs Noble-Jones (of Ockford Antiques at 72 Ockford Road) and two letters from Mrs Collingridge of 84 Ockford Road. Members will see that this correspondence raises two issues for Members to consider - the first whether trading should be ceased on the grounds that people sitting on the bench in the Pepperpot are unable to see up and down the High Street. The second issue is the suggestion that only charities should be permitted to trade from the Pepperpot.

Members are asked to consider whether trading from the Undercroft should continue.

Should Members be minded to permit continued trading then Members are asked to review the fees payable for hire of the Undercroft. Often two traders share the space and the Town Clerk recommends that the Undercroft should be treated as two "pitches" rather than one. Further that fees should remain as they are but for each "pitch" so that while the current charge is £2.50 per hour (minimum hire four hours) - that charge would be doubled if one trader wished to use the whole Undercroft and that where two traders share the space both are charged.

12 TOWN COUNCIL REPRESENTATION ON EXTERNAL BODIES - REPORT ON DISCASS

Members are asked to note a report from Councillor SP Connolly (copy attached for the information of Members) about DisCASS - an organisation on which Cllr Connolly represents the Town Council.

13 GRANT AID - SECTION 137 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972

Members to note that £67,482 of the New Initiatives Fund is currently unallocated.

Godalming United Church - Vision Project
An unspecified sum is requested as a contribution to the £94,124 costs of incorporating a lift into the church foyer and renewal of the toilets. (Total project costs are £142,969 but the Town Council is only being asked to support the lift/toilets phase.)

As guidance Members should note that in recent years the sums given by the Town Council to other church community facilities include £10,000 to the Octagon at St Peter & St Paul and £6,000 to St Marks Community Centre.

14 DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The next meeting of the Policy & Management Committee is scheduled to be held on Thursday, 17 July 2008 at 7.15 pm in the Council Chamber or at the conclusion of the Planning & Environment Committee, whichever is the later.

15 ANNOUNCEMENTS

Brought forward by permission of the Chairman.  Requests to be submitted prior to commencement of the meeting.