Chairmans Annual Report 2023
Halton Holegate Parish Council
Chairman’s Report to the Annual Parish Meeting to be held on 9th March 2023.
1 Introduction
The following report covers the period of 10 months since the last Chairman’s report presented in May 2022.
Normally the Annual Report would be presented at our May meeting, but this year is Parish and Town Council Elections at which all your current councillors will be required to seek re-election to continue serving you and the community. We have therefore bought forward the report to March in order that the report can be delivered whilst the councillors are still in office.
The past 10 months have also seen highs and lows in our nation none less significant than the celebration of our dearly beloved late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022 and then her subsequent death later in the year. Two events of contrasting joys or sadness but ones which saw a coming together in our community with a superb village celebration event followed later by the act of condolence as recorded in our own village Book of Condolences. My thanks on your behalf go to all those who contributed to these events.
I will now go on to describe how the Councillors have conducted the business of the Parish admirably over the last year. They, the Councillors have my utmost respect and gratitude for their exemplary voluntary service to the (your) community and the way in which they have supported me personally as Chairman.
2 Councillor’s and Clerk & Responsible Finance Officer (RFO)
The past year started very optimistically with a new Clerk in post following the tragic loss of our former Clerk in February 2022. However, in June our new Clerk was impelled to hand in his registration for personal reasons and left our employ at the end of June. He left with our best wishes for his future endeavours.
That once again left us without a Permanent Clerk and as previously our excellent Team of Councillor’s stepped in to ensure that Council business was conducted effectively and as appropriate. Testament to this being the successful passing of the 2021/22 External Audit in April/May 2022.
At the beginning of November, we were delighted to welcome Jack Sargent to the Role of Parish Clerk & Responsible Finance Officer. I am happy to report that we as Councillor’s feel fortunate to have secured his services.
Our Clerk can be contacted by email; HHPCClerk@outlok.com or on 07872 753189.
3 Meetings
Meetings have taken place on a bi-monthly basis mostly on the second Thursday of the months of May (AGM), July, September & November (Budget Setting) in 2022 and in January 2023.
I am delighted to report that all Councillor’s attended all meetings throughout the period of this report or when unable to be present had their apologies accepted by the councillor’s present on each occasion.
The next meeting on 18th May will be the Annual Parish Council General Meeting and will also be the first meeting of the new Council where all Councillors will sign their Acceptance of Office Declaration. Their period of Office will last for four years until 2027.
4 Finances
The main source of income for the Council is the Parish Precept which is levied on all properties within the parish and is collected via Council Tax to off-set the costs of delivering council services.
At our November 2022 meeting the council scrutinised the financial position of the Council in the year to date (2022/23) and the volatile financial climate of rising inflation and prices which were at that point running in excess of 10% per annum. After weighing up all the external forces at work and the needs to deliver the activity of the Council within a balanced budget an Annual Precept of £4500 was fixed for Financial Year 2023/24. This represented a below inflation increase of 7.5% when compared to the 2022/23 Pre-cept of £4185.
Our budget forecasts for subsequent years look very favourable and we are optimistic that without further major incidents affecting national and international inflation we will be able to restrict pre-cept rises to around or below the prevailing future inflation rates.
5 Planning Applications and Development Controls
Councillors continue to view, discuss, and comment on planning applications referred to them by ELDC and LCC Planning Departments.
A total of 6 Applications have been scrutinised in the last year.
All applications have been supported but were appropriate with requests to the Planning Authorities that specific conditions be attached to Planning Permissions that preserve the amenity of adjacent properties (neighbours) and of the wider community.
The Council has also been consulted on a number of enforcement actions initiated by ELDC on Planning or Environmental Grounds. Comments where appropriate have been submitted.
6 Highways, Footpaths and Waste Disposal.
Supported by our County Councillor the Council has been successful in achieving resolution of several matters affecting the safety of road users and pedestrians. Potholes.
The Council is currently seeking to find solutions to safety matters in Station Road and especially the dangers posed by inappropriate or unnecessary vehicle parking.
7 Policies
The council has a number of Polices in place and continues a process of review, updating as necessary and periodic re-adoption.
The full list of current Policies can be found on our website.
8 Other Matters
The Council is pleased to be supporting the planned celebration event being held in the grounds of the old Hall Rest Home on Monday 8th May 2023 (2pm until 6pm) to celebrate the Coronation of his Majesty King Charles III and congratulates and wishes the organising committee well for the staging of the event.
9 Access / Communications with Council and Elections May 2023
All meetings of the Council are open to the public. Notices of meetings including venue, dates and times are published on the three council’s notice boards and website. A public participation item is included on all agendas which is available for members of the community to bring any matters of concern to the attention of councillors.
As previously stated, elections to fill the roles of Parish Councillor’s will be held on 4th May 2023. Nomination papers will be available shortly and I would encourage anyone wishing to contribute to the community on a voluntary basis to consider putting themselves up for consideration by the electorate. Posters will be put up on Council notice boards soon detailing how you may become involved.
I also give notice that elections in May 2023 will see the introduction of Photographic Identity Cards or Documents being required for confirming an elector’s eligibility to vote.
This could be a Passport, Driving Licence showing a photograph of the voter. For those without either of these documents arrangements to obtain a Photo ID have been instigated – See the village notice boards for more details.
A full list with dates and times of Parish Council meetings in 2023/24 will be published immediately after the Councils AGM in May.
In closing I wish to acknowledge the support of all our Parish Councillors and our Clerk.
And I also wish to give a special mention and thanks to our District and County Ward Councillor’s Cllrs Terry Taylor and Cllr Wendy Bowkett respectively. They have both been ever present at our meetings offering their support and advice, giving freely of their time in support of your Parish Council in seeking resolution of matters affecting our community.
Finally, I can advise that a copy of this report is available on request from the clerk or it can be read on the Council’s website.
David Sisson
Chairman
Halton Holegate Parish Council.
2nd March 2023.