THE MINUTES OF RIBBLE BANKS PARISH COUNCIL

 

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2006-2007

 

HELD AT RATHMELL READING ROOMS ON TUESDAY 22nd MAY AT 19.30 HOURS

 

NB: These minutes are in draft form and are subject to confirmation at the July 2007 Parish Council Meeting.

 

AGM-22/5/1 Welcome by the Chair

 

David Clarke, Chairperson, welcomed the following councillors and members of the public.

Councillors: F.D. Higginson, R.A.K. Crabtree, B. Houghton and I. Wright, R.W. Stone (Clerk) (RWS)

 

Mrs. C. Howorth, B. Procter, M. Dean, B. Newhouse, B Scott, S.Syers.

 

AGM-22/5/2 Apologies for absence

 

Councillor David Heather,

Mrs. R. Crabtree

 

AGM-22/5/3 Appointment of Chairperson for 2007/2008

No nominations had been received, nor were offered at the meeting. Council Clarke explained he was prepared to continue as chairperson for a further year.  Council Wright proposed this generous offer be accepted and Councillor Houghton seconded the motion.  The appointment was agreed unanimously by the meeting.

 

AGM-22/5/4 Appointment of Clerk for 2007/2008

No nominations had been received, nor were offered at the meeting. RWS explained he was prepared to continue as clerk until a new one was appointed following advertising and interview. This was provided that it was fully understood that RWS would be unavailable between the 12th of June 2007 and the 24th of July 2007 (on holiday). Councillor Clarke proposed and Councillor Crabtree seconded the motion that RWS continue as clerk until a new appointment could be made. The appointment was agreed unanimously by the meeting.

 

AGM-22/5/5 Chairman's Comments on the Annual General Meeting, 2005/2006

In the absence of complete minutes for the annual general meeting of 2005/2006, Councillor Clarke explained the somewhat unusual nature of the 2005/2006 annual general meeting. On the day of the meeting, the clerk (RWS) was called away due to a death in the family. In normal circumstances, the annual general meeting would have been postponed.  However, given the timescale, the retiring chairperson agreed to chair the meeting. The appointment of a new chairperson and the reappointment of the clerk were confirmed at this meeting by councillors and members of the public.  The clerk's (pre-prepared) financial report was also presented and accepted by the meeting. Unfortunately, formal minutes of the meeting were not recorded. However, the new chairperson convened a special meeting held at Rathmell Reading Rooms on the 8th of June 2006 at which the recollections of the councillors present in respect of the decisions made at the Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council were recorded. This record was presented to the Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council for 2006/2007. It was resolved that future Parish Council meetings would only take place, when both the chairperson and the clerk could be present; if either were to be called away at short notice prior to a meeting then the planned meeting would be cancelled, members of the public notified and other meeting would be called within seven days.

 

22/5/6 Minutes of Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council for 2006/2007.

As these notes were presented, Councillor Clark requested that those present take into account the circumstances described in minute 22/5/5.

 

The notes record that Councillor Clark accepted the nomination for chairperson. The notes also record that RWS agreed to continue as clerk for a further 12 months. Mr M. Dean noted that the notes did not include a list of members of the public who were present at the meeting; with this amendment the notes of the AGM and those recorded at the subsequent meeting on the 8th of June 2006 were accepted as an accurate record of the meeting held on 10th May 2006. Proposed by Councillor Crabtree and seconded by Councillor Higginson, the minutes were signed by the chair and clerk

 

AGM- 22/5/7 Matters arising

 

There were no matters arising.

 

AGM- 22/5/8 Chairman's Report for the year 2006/2007

 

Councillor Clarke outlined a number of important changes that had been made during the year:

1)      It was agreed to hold six Parish Council meetings per year instead of the four held previously.  This was felt necessary due to the increasing amount of consultations and documentation being received from Craven District Council and North Yorkshire County Council and which        were requiring debate by councillors within relatively short timescales. In addition, planning applications were also requiring comment within relatively short timescales, which were sometimes falling between the scheduled meetings.

2)      Insurance cover had been taken out for the Parish Council covering the essentials of public liability, fidelity and employer liability, and some lesser items. Advice from the Yorkshire Local Councils Association had indicated that all Parish Councils were required to ensure adequate insurance cover for these areas of the council’s responsibility.

3)      The Parish Council had joined the Yorkshire Local Councils Association to ensure support and advice from this professional organisation.

4)      In addition to the normal financial contributions made to a range of local groups during the last year the Parish Council made substantial contributions towards the cost of a ventilation project in Tosside Community Hall (£600) and the heating and dehumidification project in Rathmell Reading Rooms (£600).

5)      A safety survey had been carried out by architects on the war memorials at Rathmell in Halton West.  Tenders are currently awaited for some minor repairs required to these monuments.

6)      The focus for the coming year was expected to be upon:

o        improving links and procedures in the relationship with Parish Meetings in Rathmell, Wigglesworth and Holton West

o        appointing a full-time paid clerk to the council

7)      Councillor Clarke thanked all the Parish councillors and the clerk for the work they had undertaken on behalf of the Parish Council and the support and advice they had given to him over the past 12 months.

 

AGM-22/5/9 Clerk’s/ Responsible Financial Officer’s Report

 

RWS tabled the Parish Council’s accounts for the year to 31st of March 2007, which are attached to and form part of these minutes.  He explained these were incomplete since returns were awaited from Rathmell, Wigglesworth and Halton West Parish meetings.  The column relating to the Parish Council accounts was complete but as yet was not audited.  The details show Parish Council holdings and assets in the bank on the 31st of March 2007. The full accounts will be audited and passed to the external auditor (MAZARS) before the cut-off date in August.

 

AGM-22/5/10 Any Other Business

 

No items were raised under this heading.

 

AGM-22/5/11 Date and Time of Next Meeting

 

The annual general meeting for the year 2007/2008 will be held on the 20th of May 2008 at      Rathmell Reading room at 7:30 p.m.

 

 

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 2000 hrs

 

 

 

Chairman………………………………………Date…………………………..

 

 

Clerk………………………………………….. Date…………………………….