Dawn Lacey — Parish Clerk & RFO
claygate PARISH COUNCIL
caring for Claygate Village
Claygate Parish Council
Claygate Village Hall
Church Road
Claygate
Surrey KT10 0JP
☎ 07741 848 719
email: clerk@claygateparishcouncil.gov.uk
website: www.claygateparishcouncil.gov.uk
24th July 2024
MINUTES OF THE CLAYGATE PARISH COUNCIL Meeting held on Thursday 24th July 2024 at 8.30pm at Claygate Village Hall, Main Hall, Church Road, Claygate
| Present:
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Chair of the Council: Cllr Holt
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| Council Members:
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Cllr Moon, Cllr Bray, Cllr Collon, Cllr Coffey, Cllr Freeborn, Cllr French, Cllr Herbert, Cllr Sheppard
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| In attendance:
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Cllr Mark Sugden and Cllr Mike Rollings and nine members of the public
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| 1.
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To accept apologies for absence.
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Apologies were received from Cllr Bingham.
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| 2.
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To receive Declarations of Interest in items on the agenda.
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Cllr Moon and Clerk Dawn Lacey to leave the meeting after Item 29 as they have an interest in Item 30.
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| 3.
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To resolve on whether the Council will move into closed session to consider confidential staffing and other matters in accordance with the Public Bodies (admission to Meetings) Act 1950. Should this resolution be passed the public and press will be required to leave the meeting at this later stage. To move into closed session at Item 30. To review the probation period for the new Clerk and RFO and make a decision as to whether probation is passed. To move out of closed session.
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It was agreed that the Council would move into closed session for Item 30.
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| 4.
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To answer any submitted questions from the public.
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It was requested to have quarterly updates on the CPC website re the progress of Claygate The Way Forward and whether the CPC should take on this project.
ACTION - Cllr Holt
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| 5.
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To confirm the minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Thursday 20th June 2024.
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An adjustment was made under Item 13 – this was altered to the following heading:
- ‘……by any known person or organization in Meadow Road’
| The amended minutes were then agreed and proposed by Cllr Holt, seconded by Cllr Moon and carried unanimously.
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| 6.
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Review actioning of items from previous minutes and agree any further action required (Actions List).
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Item 4:1 Completed
Item 7:3 Completed
Items 8 & 10 Completed
Item 12 Cllr Bray confirmed that we are covered under EBC’s Resilience Planning and therefore don’t require our own. EBC would welcome a list of contacts for Claygate and any specific areas should it be needed. A list to be produced and sent to EBC.
ACTION: Cllr Bray
Item 13 To discuss the tree felling and ask Mr O’Brien to obtain quotes for Meadow Road: Cllr Bray has met with Mr O’Brien and Mr O’Brien is currently acquiring quotes for this work. This is to be discussed at the next meeting. The Clerk is in touch with SALC to enquire about possible grants and how CPC can help with this.
Item 16 Completed
Item 17:1 To speak to CGRT regarding the gates – Cllr Moon has been in touch with Chris Stedman at Surrey and confirmed that one of the gates has now been adjusted to make it lighter. Cllr Moon to continue with this to request the other gates to be updated in the same way.
ACTION: Cllr Moon
Item 17:2 Completed
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| 7.
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To consider the standing agenda item of Torrington Lodge Car Park.
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This item was postponed at Cllr Holt’s discretion due to it being covered under item 9.
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| 8.
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To agree the new signage for the Claygate Village Sign.
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A copy of the proposed signage was handed round for approval including a change to the surround of the signage to green signifying that Claygate is surrounded by Green Belt.
| The new signage was proposed by Cllr Holt and seconded by Cllr Sheppard and carried unanimously.
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ACTION - Cllr Bray to order the Vinyls and contact Clive Thompson re the erection and also the use of the Cherry Picker.
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| 9.
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To agree the involvement of the Parish Council in taking forward the recommendations of Claygate The Way Forward.
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After a discussion with all Councillors, the following was proposed:
To act in a co-ordination role under the Governance Structure – Item 12 on the Agenda.
This was proposed by Cllr Holt and seconded by Cllr Bray. Cllr Freeborn abstained; all other Cllrs were in agreement.
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| 10.
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In respect of the recommendations of Claygate The Way Forward (CtWF), and in particular to consider:
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a. Whether it should encourage the development of 1 and 2 bedroom housing units, including flats close to the village centre.
It was agreed to support these elements by referring to the Local Plan insofaras it asks for smaller dwellings to be considered. We are not able to tell developers what to build.
Proposed by Cllr Sheppard and seconded by Cllr Holt – carried unanimously.
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b. Whether more use should be made of pavement areas by restaurants, cafes and pub to increase their sense of community.
This item to be re-addressed by the local shops group.
ACTION – Cllr Holt
c. Whether a community garden can by funded by CPC.
It was discussed as to whether the Environment Group could apply for a grant for this and also if the Crown Estate would let us have the land? This is to be discussed further at the next EHTC Meeting.
ACTION: Peter Stevenson to contact the Crown Estate.
d. The possibility of setting up a ‘This is Claygate’ website, and its relationship with CPC’s own website.
This point is to be deferred until the next meeting when we will receive an update from Cllr Bingham.
ACTION – Cllr Bingham
e. The possibility of accessing the mailing list of the Claygate Village Association to keep Claygate residents informed of progress in implementation and recommendations.
An action was suggested to ask the CVA to issue an invitation to their mailing list to ask them to accept to join the Parish Council mailing list so that we can manage communication on The Way Forward in the future.
Proposed by Cllr French and Seconded by Cllr Moon. Cllr Herbert abstained, all other Cllrs in agreement.
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ACTION - Cllr French to speak to the CVA to action this.
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| 11.
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To discuss the village market held on Sunday 30th June 2024, and to consider whether and how CPC should be involved in future developments.
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There is no action for the CPC for this but some possible discussions with the Shops and Businesses Group as there are a number of learning points, and the Parish Council in particular wishes to encourage the organisers to have a charity stall and match fund their earnings on the stall to a max of £250.
ACTION - Cllr Holt to approach the organizers with Leo Tye.
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| 12.
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To consider and if thought fit to agree the governance structure set out in Appendix B.
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The structure of this was agreed in principle. The working groups would require regular renewals – six-monthly was proposed. The rest of the details remain to be decided in a motion at our next meeting.
Proposed by Cllr Bray and seconded by Cllr Herbert. Carried unanimously.
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| 13.
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To note that the CPC bus stop will be moved to implement a crossing on Church Road by the Recreation Ground, and to move and properly re-instate the bus stop further north with tarmac and appropriate fixings to the ground.
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Cllr Sugden updated the council to confirm that an upgraded pedestrian crossing will be implemented on Church Road and is due to be completed in this financial year. He also confirmed that there would be no costs incurred for the CPC for the moving of the bus stop. Dates are not yet confirmed for this, but Cllr Sugden will stay in touch with the Clerk to update us as to when this will happen.
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| 14.
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To contact the Claygate Recreation Ground Trust (CRGT) regarding implementation of self-closing gates on the Recreation Ground in the centre as well as at the sides.
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It was proposed that Cllr Moon should continue liaising regarding this.
Seconded by Cllr Bray. Cllr Sheppard abstained, all other Cllrs in agreement.
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ACTION - Cllr Moon
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| 15.
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To review and sign the Reconciliation for April–June 2024 and all other financial reports to June 2024 and receive the finance report including the expenditure for the balance of the year and decide any actions arising. (Appendix C)
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It was commented that it would be good to go through the quarterly accounts at the next meeting. It was agreed to do this at the meeting in August. All three reconciliations were signed and dated by Cllr Holt and the Clerk.
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| 16.
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To consider appointing a Councillor as a trustee to the CRGT, and to defer this consideration of appointing until January 2025.
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Cllr French has agreed to volunteer to the CRGT as an advisor for grant applications but not a trustee and to defer appointing one until January 2025.
Proposed by Cllr Herbert and seconded by Cllr Collon – carried unanimously.
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| 17.
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To agree to extend the remit of the Communications Committee to include the Courier, the progress of implementation of CtWF recommendations and website.
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This was discussed and agreed to include Cllrs Herbert and Coffey on the Communications Committee which also has Cllrs Holt, Moon and Collon.
Proposed by Cllr Moon and seconded by Cllr Holt – carried unanimously.
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| 18.
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To appoint additional Councillors to the Communications Committee.
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As above.
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| 19.
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To agree the timetable of publication of the Courier and arrangements for managing distribution.
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It was agreed to go with the later date of end the October / beginning of November. Cllr Bray to organize a list for distribution and to contact the CVA for volunteers.
ACTION - Cllr Bray
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| 20.
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To consider arrangements of Remembrance Sunday on November 10th and agree any action.
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Cllr Bray has taken the lead on this and is also copying the Clerk into all correspondence. Any updates will be discussed, if required, at our next meeting.
ACTION - Cllr Bray
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| 21.
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To agree who will put up the poppies, Remembrance Day soldiers and soldier biographies.
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Cllr Moon and Cllr Coffey will be organizing the above.
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| 22.
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To receive an update from the Planning Committee and agree any action arising.
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The question of why the CPC have no say regarding Household Applications was raised. This is being discussed and dealt with in the Planning meetings and any actions will be reported as necessary.
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| 23.
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To receive an update from the Environment, Highways and Transport Committee and agree any action arising.
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Cllr Bray informed the Councillors that EBC has no responsibility for the weeds on the kerbs and roads in Claygate. This was discussed further in item 24.
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| 24.
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To send a letter from Cllr Bray to Mark Furniss at EBC regarding the overgrowth of weeds on the kerbs and roads in Claygate.
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| This was proposed by Cllr Bray and seconded by Cllr Moon – carried unanimously.
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| 25.
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To discuss postponing the meeting to be held on Thursday 1st August to 8th August.
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| This was proposed by Cllr Bray and Seconded by Cllr Moon. Cllrs Collon and Herbert abstained. Cllr Coffey, Cllr Sheppard, Cllr Freeborn, Cllr Holt, Cllr French agreed.
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| 26.
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To receive nominations from Councillors for volunteers for the Claygate Christmas Lights.
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Cllr Coffey, Cllr Holt, Cllr Bray all volunteered. Cllr Sheppard to confirm nearer the time.
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| 27.
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To consider grant requests for the Claygate Christmas Lights and Christmas Tree on The Green.
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A grant for £500 was requested for the Claygate Christmas Lights.
This was proposed by Cllr Moon and seconded by Cllr Holt. Cllr Herbert abstained. All other Cllrs in agreement.
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A grant application for the Christmas Tree is still to come.
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| 28.
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To hear a report from the EBC’s Overview and Scrutiny meeting held on 11th July.
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Cllr French informed the Committee that there was nothing to report of specific relevance to Claygate. Cllr French informed the Council that reports are picked up and dealt with much quicker by the Police if they are reported online. It was also noted that all crime should be reported even if residents believe the Police is unlikely to act on the report.
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| 29.
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Matters for information purposes only.
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The Equality Policy had been re-circulated to the Committee for approval from the Clerk.
| This was proposed by Cllr Moon and seconded by Cllr Holt. Cllr Sheppard abstained. All other Cllrs were in agreement.
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ACTION - Clerk to get this added to the website on the Policies page.
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| 30.
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In accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, to move into closed session.
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Cllr Moon and the Clerk left the meeting at 9.50pm.
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| 31.
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To review the probation period for the Clerk and RFO and make a decision as to whether she has passed her probation.
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It was agreed with full agreement from all councillors that the Clerk and RFO had passed her probation.
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| 32.
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To move out of closed session.
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Moved out of closed session at 10.10pm.
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| 33.
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To confirm that the next meeting of the Claygate Parish Council is to be held on Thursday 15th August at 8.30pm.
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The meeting closed at 10.10pm.
