Parish Council Annual Report 2007 / 2008
LITTLE
ANNUAL
REPORT 2007-08
Chairman’s
Overview
The
Council met thirteen times between May 2007 and April 2008. There are six
Council members who were elected in May 2007. On average there was an 88%
attendance of members at the Council meetings. All meetings are open to the
public and press and details of the meetings are published in the Newsletter and
on the Parish Council notice-board. The Council has diligently discharged its
duties and constantly tried to ensure that the interests of the community are
fully represented. The needs of the young people are a concern to the Council
and it has attempted to address the issue during the past year. Planning and
Highway matters dominate the Council agenda and this past year the transfer of
the existing shop and Post Office to an extended Village Hall has taken up a
considerable amount of Council time. In an effort to reduce crime the Council
worked with Thames Valley Police to introduce Cold Calling and hopefully this
has provided some re-assurance to the more vulnerable parts of the village. The
Council has also made representations to other Agencies on behalf of the
Village. The Council has worked hard to improve its competence and I am
delighted to report that our Clerk has achieved a Certificate in Local
Government Administration and this has allowed the Council to seek Quality
Parish Council Status. This will be applied for later in 2008 and would be a
significant achievement for your Council. Finally the Council has maintained a
tight control over its finances and its reserves are at a satisfactory level.
The report that follows details certain aspects on the Council’s work during
the past year.
Planning
Matters
The
Council has had to deal with over twenty planning applications. Most of the
applications deal with extensions to dwellings but the plans to extend the Lamb
by Punch Taverns caused considerable concern to the Council. It supported the
extension to the pub although it initially expressed some concerns about the
materials that had been proposed. The Council made representations to the SODC
Planning Committee in support of the application but were very disappointed when
the application was refused. The Council will continue to support local
amenities.
Highway
Matters
The
Council has established a meaningful dialogue with
Village
Green
The
Council finally achieved the registration of the green adjacent to the Post
Office after about three years of correspondence with Oxfordshire County
Council. Although it has taken some time it should be of benefit to future
villagers.
Youth
activities
The
Council conducted a survey into the suitability of a Youth Shelter and the
results did not give the Council the re-assurance that a youth shelter addressed
the needs of the young people. The Council took advice from OCC youth Services
and as a result used the services of ActiveTEN20 who have brought their bus to
the recreation ground car park in November 2007. A further visit is planned in
May 2008. The Council will continue to explore other avenues to address the
needs of the young people of the village.
Crime
The
Council worked closely with Lesley Nesbitt, the Crime Prevention of Officer and
Judith Johnson, of Trading Standards, to designate the whole village as a “No
Cold Caller Zone”. The Village does not have a high incidence of crime and
anti-social behaviour but the Council would encourage all villagers to be
vigilant and report anything suspicious. The recent theft of lead from the
Church makes you realise that our village is not immune from crime.
Village
Shop/Post Office
A
significant amount of time has been taken up with the extension of the Village
Hall to incorporate a Shop and Post Office as the Council has worked closely
with the interested parties to try and maintain an important community facility.
The Council is constrained by law as to what financial support it can give to a
shop/Post Office but it is working very closely to respond positively to the
proposals from the Village Hall Committee or Shop Committee. The Council wish to
see a thriving Community Shop and Post Office.
Related
Agency Matters
The
Council has been consulted on many issues including the Review of External
Transport Costs, Oxford Green Belt Network, Review of Polling Districts and
Polling Stations, Expansion of Park & Ride, National Air Traffic Services
Revised Housing Allocations Policy, Locality Primary School Review. The matters
that the Council are consulted are quite varied and where the Council determines
a strong local interest it will represent and try to protect the interests of
the Village.
Council
Code of Conduct
The
Council member’s conduct is governed by the Standards Board of England and
FINANCIAL
REPORT
What
is the framework of the Parish Council finances?
The
Parish Council is required to set a budget for its income and expenditure and
that is part of the process when it sets its precept and is included within the
Council Tax charged by South Oxfordshire District Council each year. It tries to
anticipate all the sources of income and expenditure so that it sets the correct
level of precept and like any family or business it has to decide what it can
afford. Your Parish Council is no different. We then monitor the income and
expenditure during the year and where necessary take any corrective action to
ensure that we live within our overall financial targets.
The
Council’s sources of income and its major areas of expenditure are as follows
Sources
of Income
£
Precept
10,000
Newsletter
Advertising
5,084
MUGA
Income
3,040
Other
receipts
1,300
Bank Interest 802
20,226
The
Council’s precept accounts for only about 50% of its total revenue and it
means that this has allowed the precept to have been maintained at £10,000 for
the last three years and it has been held for the current year 2008-09. This
allows increases in expenditure to have been funded through other sources of
income.
The
major areas of expenditure incurred by your Council are:-
Expenditure
£
%
Newsletter
3,818
26
Repayment
of Loan
3,663
25
Recreation
Ground/Play area 2,943
21
Council
Administration
1,679
11
Sundry
Expenditure
1,210
8
MUGA
815
5
Section
137
512
4
Total
14,640
It
is worth emphasising that the Council’s largest expenditure is on the Village
Newsletter and that is covered by an income from advertising of £5,084., a net
contributor to the village of £1,266.
The Council borrowed £35,000 in 2005 over 15 years as a contribution to the
building of the village hall and the current repayment level is £3,663
The
Council continues to invest in the maintenance of the Recreation ground and has
spent £1,758 on grass cutting and mole control. Again the MUGA income and
contribution from OCC of £782 covers the cost. The Council Administration
includes the Clerk’s salary, Councillor training and postage/stationery.
Included within the Sundry Expenditure of £1,210 is £334 for the election; £281
for Council Insurance; Audit Fee of £135; Clock maintenance £112 and OALC
subscription of £112.
Reserves
The
closing reserves of £23,077 will be needed in the coming year to pay for the
re-instatement of the current Post Office when the Post Office moves to its new
home in an extended Village Hall. There will also be expenditure in respect of
the car park to meet the planning conditions imposed when the extension to the
hall was approved as well as expenditure on the car park to meet the
requirements of shop. There will legal costs incurred by the Council in respect
of variations to the existing lease with the village hall or a possible new
lease with the IPS.
The
Council will continue to be prudent with the finances of the Parish.
Council Members
Cllr.
Cllr.
Cllr Mabel Wood
01844 279670
Cllr Alison Shelton
01844 278144
Cllr David Wakeling
01844 278014
Cllr Tim Robinson
01844 278343
Parish Clerk
Mr Raymond Fergusson 01844
279150