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MINUTES OF
CLAVERING PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
HELD IN CLAVERING VILLAGE HALL ON MONDAY 14 MAY 2007
This was an extra meeting to process the formalities of Declarations of
Acceptance of Office and the Code of Conduct.
1 PRESENT: Nigel Cook, Richard Carter, Brian Barrow, Mike Patmore,
Edgar Abrahams, Des Abrahams, Edward Oliver, Rebecca Stanford, Philip Smith,
Jon Cooke and Ron Couchman, together with 5 members of the public.
2 ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN: Nigel Cook (proposed by Brian Barrow,
seconded Richard Carter)
Edward Oliver (proposed Ron Couchman, seconded Edgar Abrahams).
Two councillors requested a secret ballot, and Edward Oliver was elected
chairman with the votes 6:5 in favour.
3 DECLARATIONS OF OFFICE All councillors signed the Declarations of
Acceptance of Office and to abide by the
Code of Conduct currently applicable to Clavering Councillors. As the new
Model Code for Parish Councils had not been received in time to circulate,
this was given to each councillor to read and discuss or adopt at the next
meeting.
4 REGISTERS OF INTERESTS
The forms were given to each councillor to complete and hand to the Clerk
within 28 days of acceptance of office.
5 ELECTION OF VICE CHAIRMAN Richard Carter was proposed by Mike
Patmore and seconded by Nigel
Cook. Edgar Abrahams was proposed by Ron Couchman and Des Abrahams but
withdrew. Richard Carter was elected unanimously.
6 ELECTION OF RFO / TREASURER Jon Cooke volunteered and in the
absence of any other volunteers, was duly
Elected to the role of Responsible Financial Officer and to do the Council’s
accounts. Former RFO David Laing to
Advise and arrange the handover
7 APPOINTMENTS TO OTHER BODIES
Clavering Village Hall Commiittee: Edgar Abrahams and Philip Smith were
appointed as Council representatives.
Jubilee Field Committee: Edgar Abrahams and Des Abrahams were appointed as
Council representatives.
Village Charities: Edgar Abrahams and Richard Carter were appointed as the
Council’s Charity Trustees.
Risk Assessment Committee: Richard Carter and Ron Couchman were appointed to
review and manage this.
8 CODE OF CONDUCT UPDATE
The Clerk summarised the main changes to the Code of Conduct, and read out
the important items from the
advice received from the Monitoring Officer, from the Standards Board, from
DEFRA Communities information and
from the NALC guidance. All were available for councillors to read
individually, and it was stressed that it was each
councillor’s own responsibility to ensure that they were aware of the Code
requirements and to comply with these. It
was stressed that the existing Code governed their conduct until the new
Code was adopted.
The dates of Training Meetings were given; the Monitoring Officer had asked
them to advise which they
would be attending.
9 BRIEFING FOR NEW COUNCILLORS
New councillors were given copies of the Standing Orders (it was noted that
these needed updating on at least
two items), and copies of the Financial Regulations. The Clerk and Nigel
Cook outlined some of the basic policies
which the Council implemented in order to protect both councillors and
members of the public, including having two
councillors present in discussions with parishioners, and not agreeing
actions unilaterally but bringing items back for
Council approval first.
The Chairman said that correspondence should be handed to the clerk to reply
on behalf of the Council, and not answered individually, and that the
Council had a 3-day cutoff date in order to list and circulate letters.
Agenda
Items needed to be with the Clerk at least 6 days before meetings, for the
Agenda to go on the Notice Board.
Planning Applications were often received late and these were included to
meet UDC deadlines.
10 RISK ASSESSMENT This was not circulated as it was due for review
in June.
11 ANY OTHER BUSINESS
a) Edgar Abrahams instigated the discussion to get the Council to pay money
to the Jubilee Sports Field Committee,
and requested the donation before the deadline of 31 May (a £25
subscription). He did not declare a prejudicial
interest as Chairman of that Committee, nor leave the meeting, and was again
reminded by councillors that he was in
breach of the Code. He was also reminded that Finance was not on the Agenda,
and that financial matters could not be decided under AOB. After further
attempts, the matter was closed.
b) The Clerk reported that a Planning Application for an agricultural barn
would be approved by UDC under
Permitted Development rights.
c) Mike Patmore reported a large pothole on Stortford Rd.
d) Jon Cooke asked for the Council’s policy on siting of advertising signs
as he would be supplying these for CVH
and JF; the clerk to let him have this after the meeting.
12 DATE OF NEXT MEETING There being no other business, the meeting closed.
The next meeting is the
normal monthly meeting on 4 June 2007.
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