The Parish Clerk
CLERK’S REPORT 2008 This page updated 02.02.09
This is the 1st Annual Report to include financial information as required for Quality Parish Status, to which your Parish Council aspires. A mandatory qualification is that 80%+ Councillors are elected. Only 7 of 9 were nominated in 2004 (not 80% - though 2 were quickly found & co-opted) so KSPC did not qualify.
The situation is worse this time as only 4 persons stood & are declared elected so there was no Parish Poll on May 1st. However, KSPC will still work to the principles of a Quality Parish even though it does not qualify. The Parish Council has luckily been able to co-opt 5 persons to make the team backup to 9. What is pleasing is that there are some new faces. See who they are by looking at the Cllrs' page - or rather you could see who they are if they would only send me their photographs! Before 2000 there was generally a contest but it seems that people do not wish to put themselves forward to look after local interests, but it would be wrong to infer a lack of committed local people as there are those who do tackle issues and help the Council with projects but are too busy with other commitments to become a Councillor too.
A Parish Council’s financial year is from 1st April to 31st March. Regardless of their size, they are continuing statutory bodies that work alongside other Authorities in their area, in the interests of their particular Parish. Our partners are Stroud District Council & Gloucestershire County Council. KSPC has signed up to the County Council’s Charter, now in its 3rd year. It provides handy extra opportunities to put local issues of concern direct to GCC. Stroud District Council has not established a Charter with Parish Councils but in my experience this has not been a barrier to useful dialogue as staff are willing to help solve as many local problems as they can.
King's Stanley Parish Council makes no VAT supplies but can recover VAT paid out on purchases it makes.
The Councils’ Banks with Lloyds TSB.
Latest audited Accounts available are for the year 2008/9 and can be viewed on the website.
Latest audited Annual Return available for the year 2008/9 can be viewed on request.
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The Parish Council precepts around £22,000.00 a year to meet its budgeted expenses and a modest reserve is kept to cover certain specific expected spending and for the unexpected/emergency spending.
Times are changing for Parish Councils and the pressure is on to do more locally and there are demands from the other authorities. These changes are already reflected in an increasing work-load for the Clerk as more. The advancing technologies are also bring pressures on Parish Councils, some of which are very small, to acquire and provide equipment to help the Council in its work - having a website for instance is increasingly being seen as the expected norm. Parish Councils have often depended on using the Clerk's own computer and other associated equipment. This works rather well if most small Parish Council's Clerks work from home - as I do. In future though it may be that Clerks will need to have at least a lap-top provided which can be brought to meetings and used to look at planning applications and refer to other documents.
EXTERNAL AUDITORS: KSPC is subject to audit by Moore Stephens, Bath, appointed by Government. KSPC must also have its annual accounts to be inspected by an Internal Auditor whom it may appoint: At present this is Iain Selkirk, FCA of Malvern, a former District Auditor with experience of auditing local councils.
KSPC must also ensure that its finances are audited during the year; this is done by a monthly rotation of Cllrs who check that the books agree with bank statements & is up to date. Cllrs are also regularly updated, on paper, on the finances. All expenditure is, of course, authorised by the Members and minuted.
An Annual Return, with sections for all concerned to fill in & sign is completed & sent to Moore Stephens by the due date along with other information they may require.
SPENDING POLICIES The Council has sought to formalize its annual grant expenditure & now requires that applicants apply before 31st July if they want to be considered for a grant later in the year – usually September & the Council tends to restrict itself to very local grant giving.
Although reminders are given to recipients it does not rule out surprise requests that the Council might feel able to consider on their merits. However the pot of money is not large and must be decided at budget making time so there is little room for manoeuvre. Most grant-giving funds go towards maintenance of 3 churchyards which are greatly valued by many parishioners as places of quiet reflection - and I was recently reminded that KS churchyard is a Public Burial Ground. Although they are not this Parish Council’s responsibility, KSPC tends to agree that they are worth supporting as they are considered to be local assets that anyone can visit regardless of faith as a small number of local people have to contribute towards or raise funds for their maintenance as local churches have to be self supporting.
Assets:
KSPC owns an allotments site between St George’s Ave and St George’s Close where there are about 8 tenancies. In 2007/8 tenants were mostly unable to use their plots because Severn Trent needed to sink a deep pipe underneath. KSPC sought a modest sum of compensation on tenants’ behalf for the loss of their crops & Severn Trent helped return plots to their former condition or better.
KSPC owns 5 Bus Shelters, 1 on The Green KS, 2 in Middleyard, 2 in Selsley (The Green & near the Bell Inn).
KSPC owns a piece of amenity land on the corner of Elmlea Road King’s Stanley.
KSPC does not own any office or other premises from which it could work but, like many smaller local councils, operates from the home of the Clerk who provides facilities necessary to carry out the statutory functions & other work that the council wishes to undertake or becomes involved in.
KSPC is responsible for maintaining various pieces of registered Village Green, namely The Green at KS, grass around KS War Memorial, Crown Court, Mini Roundabout & Gladstone Green & also cares for grass on Elmlea corner & entrance to Borough Close. It also cuts grass opposite KS Church & at entrance to Selwyn Close on an Agency basis for GCC to ensure more frequent cuttings & a neater appearance at the village entry.
KSPC assumes responsibility for the two War Memorials in the Parish (KS & Selsley West) & arranges for maintenance & repair from time to time.
KSPC owns the play area equipment but the land is leased from Marling's Close Trust.
KSPC owns the MUGA but the land belongs to Marling's Close Trust.
Principal Activities:
Allotments, Bus Shelters, Greens Maintenance, Play facilities, seeking to influence actions of other authorities & organizations of concern/use to the Parish & Parishioners – ie those that provide services KSPC does not (eg litter, highway maintenance, lighting etc), working with emerging initiatives of other councils, eg Emergency Plans/Watercourse Wardens.
KSPC leases Play Area land at peppercorn rent from Marling's Close Close Trust at one end of Marling Close and looks after the play equipment. It is inspected annually by RoSPA, alternate months by a specialist company & more often by an individual contracted to keep the area as safe as possible.
KSPC is also leasing the land on the same terms on which the MUGA sits as it is assuming responsibility for it and it too will be subject to a regular inspection and maintenance regieme. The MUGA was developed in partnership with Marling's Close Trust and SDC which applied for lottery funding for a number of leisure/sports projects in other parishes in our district. Our Project Leader is John Kendall, not himself a Parish Cllr but someone without whose sustained attention & activity the project would probably not have been realized. He has coped with delays & dealt with many minor & larger issues & maintained contact with other funders who are needed to complete the funding requirement. He has reported back regularly to KSPC throughout with the twists & turns & has been a much valued addition to the local team.
John Kendall has also worked with parishioner John Meadley to make sure that young people have been involved in the MUGA project and John himself has been the catalyst behind the safer route to school which, though not yet complete, will soon be finished. He also hopes to help create a Trim Trail of exercise equipment alongside the path for anyone of any age to use which Cllrs hope John will pursue when he has taken a breather after the MUGA experience.
A Newsletter is produced approximately monthly by the Clerk as a digest of hopefully useful information rather than merely reporting meetings. It is circulated via the church produced Stanleys Magazine (covers KS, part of Middleyard & LS) & Cainscross & Selsley Magazine & Selsley’s own newsletter & on the website. Whenever possible copies are also produced & put on notice boards: KSVG, Middleyard B Shelter, King’s Door, 2 shelters & NB on Bell wall as well as putting a pile into the Post Office & sometimes a copy in the Kings Head or St Georges’ Church.
A Parish Plan has been produced by a group of committed parishioners who consulted the community by various means. This is now in KSPCs hands & the Council will work with it as well as humanly possible to achieve the best for the Parish. The main original document has been on KSPCs website for some months and a pared-down version was recently produced by David Hauser for armchair readers which should by now have been delivered to you. If you do not have a copy please ask the Clerk.
Parish Councils comment on Planning Applications made within (and concerning) the parish. They are mostly for extensions, sometimes listed building consent is required where the property has been given special status, occasionally someone may wish to demolish a building or build another on adjacent land & this tends to attract more interest/concern locally, as does an occasional application for a change of use of the land – usually from agricultural to garden land. The Parish is largely prevented from accepting the more widespread development seen in neighbouring parishes as it is protected by the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This could be viewed as good or not so good depending on whether you are looking to live here as it is difficult to find anywhere with developmental potential. It is also difficult to identify land where it would be possible to build some suitable affordable housing but KSPC will keep trying.
KSPC is pleased that its Councillors initiated the creation of the Stanleys Youth Group, although its meetings have to be held in Leonard Stanley Scout HQ & there are now more helpers from LS, so it really is a KS/LS partnership as it serves young people from both Stanleys, 30 and rising. The problems of success are that more help is required, both voluntary & paid.
Whilst both Councils are prepared to help pay for another qualified paid helper if one can be found, a bank of volunteer helpers is also urgently needed to maintain the correct helper/user ratio & give the regulars time off!The SYG also needs help to run itself. This is hopefully where people in the community, such as yourselves, might feel able to help as it would not necessarily involve attending weekly sessions. They need help finding funding on the net, or meeting occasionally with reps from KSPC & LSPC to sort out some of the other issues eg doing a risk assessment, health & safety issues, some administration, buying tuck etc & managing the premises. Those few who help out every operating week just do not have time to do everything now as their time is taken up making sure your young people are looked after properly.
KSPC has also been trying to have attention paid to its young people by the County Council Youth Service. Some support has been received but more is always needed so self help is vital. KSPC & LSPC have taken the view that they will try to do something to help young people of the parish because they need support & encouragement if they are to do well in the world.
KSPC is also very pleased to mention that there are a very good number of committed residents who quietly include in their daily round helping to run other local initiatives that keep people of all ages occupied and with somewhere to go to do it. The Council’s thanks go to the likes of those who help run KSVH, the Marling Close Trust, the SYG, Sports Club & its services to young & old, and numerous other groups & individuals. If your names are not mentioned please forgive us.
The Parish Council precepts from Stroud District Council in the region of £22,000 a year to meet its budgeted spending commitments. Budgets are a lot higher than they used to be when I became Clerk in 1988. When the Village Hall was built KSPC took out a 10-year £30,000 loan from the Public Works Loan Board to make a grant to the King's Stanley Village Hall Management Committee (a completely separate and independent body). KSPC had to raise its precept to make the principal and interest repayments. Having a little more in the bank between the twice yearly payments was useful as interest was earned. Some modest reserves were built up from that period and now it is just possible to find something towards the unexpected. The Council has always believed that it must precept realistically for its anticipated expenditure, but could never be accused of being extravagant, so having some allocated reserves means that something can be found locally if/when a need arises. KSPC contributed £4,000 towards the MUGA Project, but the majority of the funds came from Marling’s Close Trust and the Big Lottery Fund.
As the Council’s only employee my salary and the council’s responsibilities to pay NICs & in latter years something towards my Stakeholder pension accounts for a fairly large proportion. I am paid for 17 hours work a week and work from home. Some thought has been given to opening a Parish Office but that would immediately mean substantially higher costs for parishioners who bear the full cost of their Parish Councils. However, wherever possible KSPC makes the effort to obtain grants for projects such as the metal play area fencing & the walks booklet that is coming out soon.
Central Government and other pressures (eg email) tend to conspire to force the Clerk’s actual working hours rather higher and it can sometimes be a struggle meeting some expectations. However, uppermost in the Parish Council’s mind is what is good for the Parish and it aims never to disappoint your expectations. If there is a local problem the Clerk or the Councillors will always try to do something about it.
CLERK TO KINGS STANLEY PARISH COUNCIL updated 02.02.09
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previously...........
KSPC is extremely grateful for the generous help, freely given by parishioners whose contributions are often overlooked. As very many family members now work outside the home, fewer people are able to help their own communities directly, but we are lucky in the Parish that many people do feel they want to put something back. Members are looking for more such people to help drive forward initiatives or projects, especially to benefit young people. If you have an interest please get in touch with David Hauser on 825259.
"I find it difficult to put into words why I am here – but when I look through emails I have sent, received or replied to, I can pick out quite a lot of issues (that I am trying to do something about!) – even when I feel I have not achieved much!"
July 20th 2007: It's wet, very wet, so I consulted the BBC weather website & looked at the Climate Change Section. It does not feel like global warming is happening right now - BUT it almost certainly is, which is why KSPC wishes to encourage you all to do your bit to protect the environment. Check out our "GREEN TIPS" AND green WEB-LINKS on this website.
If you are considering improving or extending your house The Parish Council would urge & encourage the you to take this ideal opportunity to use more energy efficient appliances and energy saving materials in order to reduce water & energy used & heat lost.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/climate/adaptation/life_at_home.shtml
With the approval of elected Members the Clerk makes representations on issues of local concern to various organisations. I also pass on complaints/comments about anything that concerns parishioners to those who we hope can & will do something about them. This could be about litter, dog-mess, overgrown verges, householders’ hedges, dangerous walls, pavements, vandalism, road repairs, traffic calming, police matters, environmental matters.
KSPC also likes to pass on praise if it is due to individuals and organisations who help us & our community.
KSPC also comments on all planning applications in the parish in order to put the local viewpoint across. Members and Clerk share the task of attending other outside meetings wherever possible as knowledge gained from views exchanged amongst other attendees can be a great benefit (eg Cluster Group and Community Safety Panel meetings).
KSPC likes to foster & encourage other local organisations which benefit the community by way of small grants. It also initiated the Parish Plan Steering Committee which is now working to give you a greater voice & input into your most local council.
KSPC has always tried to make sure your views are taken to the District and County Councils and a dialogue is maintained with elected Members and relevant Officers – whoever we think can best help achieve what we want locally. We sometimes also need to contact neighbouring Parish Councils for information or to work on matters of mutual concern.
Members have been working with Leonard Stanley & others to give young people more chances to enjoy themselves constructively.
Mrs E J Roberts (Jane) Parish Clerk