Dear Councillor,

Members are summoned to attend the Meeting of the Council to be held on Thursday 24 October 2024 at 7.30pm in the Hurstpierpoint Village Centre.  Members of the public have a right to and are invited to attend the meeting.

Sarah Groom, Clerk to the Council                                                                                                      Friday 18 October 2024

_______________________________________________________________________

AGENDA

1. Apologies for absence: To receive and accept apologies for absence.

• Declarations of interest: To receive and record declarations of interest.

• Minutes of the Previous Meeting of the Council: To receive and adopt the minutes of the 26 September 2024 Council Meeting.

• Adjournment for Questions from the Public: To consider adjourning the meeting to receive questions from members of the public in accordance with Standing Orders.

5.        Reports from Other Authorities: To receive reports from representatives of other authorities:

5.1      West Sussex County Council

5.2      Mid Sussex District Council

6.        Committee Minutes: To receive and where appropriate, consider the recommendations of the:

• Staff Panel (7 October 2024): Please see confidential section.

• Planning Committee (7 October 2024): There were no recommendations for Council. 

• Sustainability Strategy Working Group (10 October 2024): There were no recommendations for Council. 

• Finance, Governance & Estates Committee (18 October 2024) There were four recommendations for Council:

i)         F24/25.052: Review of 2023/24 External Audit Report: The Committeenoted the External Auditor’s (Moore West Sussex) Certificate for the 31 March 2024 accounts and agreed to recommend it to Council for adoption, and it was: RESOLVED:  That the Committee NOTED the External Auditor’s (Moore West Sussex) Certificate for the 31 March 2024 accounts and AGREED to recommend it to Council for adoption.

ii)        F24/25.053: Internal Controls and Asset Register:  The Committee reviewed the internal controls completed in September 2024 and noted the updated asset register, and that the Asset Register Policy will be reviewed in May 2025, and it was: RESOLVED:  That the Committee AGREED to recommend the September 2024 Internal Controls and updated Asset Register to Council for adoption.

iii)       F24/25.056: Internal Audit:  The Committee considered the report of the first internal audit of 2024/2025, which took place on 7 October 2024 and noted there were no improvements required.  The General Reserves figure of £126,000 on page 7 will be clarified.  The Auditor had called the systems the clerk has put in place “a model of exemplary good practice and it is especially encouraging to see the councillors taking an active role in reviewing internal controls, this is to be applauded”, and it was: RESOLVED:  That the Committee NOTED the first internal audit of 2024/2025 and AGREED to recommend it to Council for adoption.

iv)       F24/25.057: Budget and Precept Setting Timetable: The Committee reviewed the proposed timetable, principles and assumptions to commence the budget setting exercise for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.  The CPI figure will be amended to September 2024’s “excluding owner occupiers’ housing costs”, at a rate of 1.7%.  The detailed definition of the use of Reserves only for one-off expenditure or capital items will be clarified, and it was: RESOLVED:  That the Committee AGREED the Budget and Precept Setting Timetable, as amended, and to recommend it to Council for adoption.

• Casual Vacancy:  To consider a timetable to co-opt a councillor to fill the current vacancy.  To note that an official ‘Notice of Vacancies’ was displayed until 22 July 2024 to permit ten or more electors to call for a by-election. No such call was made, so the co-option advert was displayed from 29 July 2024 to 16 October 2024, to aim to fill the vacancy this Council meeting.  Having received no interest or applications for the vacancy it is proposed that the advert be continued to be displayed until 4 December 2024 to aim to fill the vacancy at the 12 December 2024 Council meeting.

• Winter Plan 2024/25:  To review and adopt the Parish Council’s Winter Pan for 2024/25.

9.        Highway Network Management Plan:  To consider West Sussex County Council’s draft Highway Network Management Plan by the deadline of 30 October 2024.

10.      Reports from Representative on Outside Bodies: To receive reports from representative on outside bodies.

10.1    To note the report from the Sayers Common Village Association.

11.      To note any information items, correspondence received or requests.

11.1    To note the Parish Strategy Working Group Update.

Members are asked to RESOLVE that in view of the confidential nature of the following items, the press and public be excluded under section 1(2) of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960.

Confidential Matters:

1. Methodist Church:  To consider a draft business plan and provisional costings for the potential purchase of the asset of community value. 

1. Mid Sussex District Plan 2021-2039 Examination Update:  To receive a verbal update on theStage 1 Mid Sussex District Plan examination public hearings attended on 23 October 2024.

1. Staff Panel Minutes (7 October 2024): To consider the minutes of the Staff Panel meeting and agree the recommendations as appropriate.

Protocol for filming and recording at public meetings:  The Council has a protocol for public filming, recording and photography at its meetings, which is available on the Council’s website or on request at the Parish Office.