Open Meeting Minutes 15th July 2005
Open Meeting Minutes 15th July 2005
Littlethorpe Parish CouncilMinutes of the Open Parish Meeting held on Friday 15th July 2005
in the Village Hall at 6.00pm.
Present: Mrs. W. Orme
Brig. J Wardle
Mrs. J. Jowitt
Mr. I. Galloway (District Councillor)
Mr W Lupton (Clerk)
Approx. forty residents of the village
1 Apologies.
None received from Parish Councillors. Apologies from the floor from
D. Walker, J .Beadle, S. Walden, R Tite.
Prior to the Chair s opening statement it was requested by the floor that the Minutes from the previous meeting be read out for approval. The Chair stated that this would be done at the meeting due on Tuesday 26th July as previously stated.
It was also recorded that twenty one Parishioners had requested this Open Meeting.
The Chair formally welcomed District Councillor Galloway to the meeting.
2. The Chair then made a Statement to the meeting.
I would like to make clear to Parishioners a number of points. One of the subjects we are considering today is a very serious matter and involves certain aspects of law that cannot be ignored. A number of you will find this difficult to accept, but I m afraid there are no options here.
The Parish Council is the formal employer of the Parish Clerk not the Open meeting.
Former Chairman Edmonstone s letter and statement against the Clerk is in breach of Employment legislation and cannot be discussed or disclosed in public. It is against the law!
The conduct and performance of the Parish Clerk is the sole responsibility of the Parish Council and the Parish Council alone. The subject is not, and never can be, open to public debate and no answers can be given it is an employment issue and confidential. To do so would be against the law.
The former Chairman was in a position to do something at the time. He did not. He resigned. He no longer has any authority. Retrospective disciplinary proceedings are unlawful.
The members of the Parish in support of ex Councillor Edmonstone have to accept the fact that they simply cannot go on pursuing this matter against the Parish Clerk. It is a closed subject. Employment legislation is a very serious matter and is there for the protection of the individual.
3. Resignation of Councillor Edmonstone.
Cllr. Edmonstone sent a letter of resignation to the Clerk without any explanation as to his reasons for resigning. The Parish Council has formally accepted his resignation and a letter of thanks for his service has been sent
4. Resignation of Councillor Shipley
Councillor Shipley s letter was sent to the Parish Clerk and formally accepted. All the Parish Councillors agreed with the sentiments expressed therein and agreed that the situation at the time was very difficult and greatly regretted his decision to resign.
5. The Parish Clerk
The questions raised about the conduct of the Parish Clerk are, as explained, covered by the Employment Act. However the Parish Council assured the meeting that the matters raised by Cllr. Edmonstone had been fully discussed with the Clerk and suitable action had been taken to ensure that they would not occur in the future.
6. Littlethorpe Parish Precept
The Clerk confirmed that the Precept had risen by 2.5% and not the 7.9% quoted by H.B.C. Mr Laker informed the meeting that he had been in contact with H.B.C. and had received an explanation as to the apparent difference. The rate is calculated by revenue received from each household and is dependant on occupancy, or type of occupancy, at the time of calculation and this can be reflected in a higher rise per household. The Clerk was requested to write to H.B.C. to request further detail.
7. Parish Accounts.
The Clerk confirmed that the Parish had not been reported to the Audit Commission for late submission of the 2003/04 accounts. He did confirm that the accounts had been returned for a missing signature and that there had been a considerable delay in re submitting to the Auditors. He also confirmed that it was not unusual for a Clerk to accrue his honorarium into the following year but it was not good practice. It was agreed that in future the payment should be made quarterly by standing order. Some concern was raised from the floor over the independence of the internal auditor but the Clerk made it clear that he was an acquaintance, not a close friend as suggested, who acted in his capacity as a professional accountant. The Chair agreed to ensure that the Council would verify any appointment in future.
8. Exempt Session January 2005.
Cllr. Wardle confirmed that the details of the Exempt Session were not available to the public. Letters had been sent to the Village Hall Committee and to Cllr. Orme as a result of the meeting and there the matter must rest.
9. Cllr. Wardle Vice Chair
At this stage Cllr. Wardle addressed the meeting by expressing the hope that the Village Hall Committee and the Parish Council would, after this meeting, be able to work together and unite for the good of the entire Village. He confirmed that much work had been undertaken by the Parish Council to ensure that the problems highlighted by various parties had been addressed and that he hoped that we could all move on. The Council looked forward to welcoming two new Councillors at the next meeting and expressed his desire that future meetings of the Parish Council would be more open and that members of the community would be given greater opportunity to air their opinions.
10. Summary Cllr. Orme Chair
Whilst I appreciate that certain aspects of this meeting have not been satisfactory as far as the allegations against the Parish Clerk are concerned I can assure you that we have gone into this situation very carefully and taken advice as to our collective understanding of the laws by which we are bound. The employment and performance matter of the Clerk is a Parish Council matter alone. We are aware of your deep concerns and have spoken to the Clerk in great detail about them. A number of resolutions have been made.
We are now moving on to a new phase with two new Councillors due after the election and hopefully the Parish will welcome this and start working with us for the good of the village ? even the silent ones!
Things will improve. It is important that if we are to succeed in endeavouring to resolve the inherited problems of the Parish Council we have effective support from those who made the request for this meeting. It is clear that our response time and
timescale in dealing with Parish affairs and correspondence had deteriorated and this will be tightened up. An effective response mechanism will be set up whereby confidence in an efficient service from the Council and Clerk can be re established.
Thank you for coming and I hope that you can put the past behind you and join us in the way forward. There are big issues facing this village, which we can constructively deal with if we pull together.
11. Village Hall.
Cllr. Orme was requested by Mr Curtis to apologise for her attitude and use of words in letters sent to the Village Hall Committee during the Village Hall parking debate. Cllr. Orme made it clear that she had no intention of insulting any members of the Village Hall Committee in expressing her opinion and was happy to apologise if offence had been taken. She also made it clear that her personal view had not changed and that she still believed the outcome to be incorrect. She believed that the matter was now closed and that a line must now been drawn under this matter.
The meeting closed at 19.40. Back to top