Dear Councillor,
Members are summoned to attend the Meeting of the Council to be held on Thursday 27 February 2025 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 21 February 2025
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AGENDA
1. Apologies for absence: To receive and accept apologies for absence.
2. Declarations of interest: To receive and record declarations of interest.
3. Minutes of the Previous Meeting of the Council: To receive and adopt the minutes of the 3 February 2025 Council Meeting.
4. 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. Councillor Co-option: To consider applications to co-opt councillors to fill the ordinary vacancy. The deadline for applications was 12 noon on Wednesday 19 February 2025. Two applications have been received and have been circulated confidentially to members of the Parish Council prior to the meeting. Please note, the Parish Council is not obliged to select any candidate. The following procedure should be followed:
- Candidates will be sent a full agenda for the meeting at which they are to be considered for appointment. They may speak for up to three minutes about their application during the co-option item on the agenda.
- Voting takes place in public by a written ballot. After the voting has concluded the Chairman will declare the successful candidates duly elected.
- The successful candidates will sign their Declaration of Acceptance of Office form before they can act as a councillor. The Register of Interests form must be completed within 28 days.
RECOMMENDATION: That the Council ELECTS one Councillor to serve on the Hurstpierpoint ward and to agree their Committee membership.
7. Committee Minutes: To receive and where appropriate, consider the recommendations of the:
7.1 Planning Committee (3 February 2025): There were no recommendations for Council.
7.2 Community Engagement Committee (13 February 2025): There was one recommendation for Council:
CE24/25.034. Budget Monitoring: Members reviewed the budget monitoring report for the Committee, and it was: RESOLVED that the committee NOTED the budget monitoring report including: a) the Nominal Ledger and b) the Detailed Income & Expenditure as of 31st January 2025 with: RECOMMENDATION to Council at year end that unspent funds from the festive lights budget be allocated to replenish the festive lights EMR in anticipation of the structural tests required in 2026.
7.3 Finance, Governance & Estates Committee (20 February 2025) There was one recommendation for Council:
F24/25.101: Reserves Policy: The Committee reviewed the Reserves Policy and agreed to recommend its re-adoption to Council, and it was: RESOLVED: That the Committee AGREED the Reserves Policy and to recommend it to Council for re-adoption.
RECOMMENDATION: That Council AGREES AND ADOPTS the Reserves Policy.
8. Mid Sussex District Council Parking Charges: To consider a response to the letter from MSDC of 24 January 2025 regarding the introduction of parking charges in the Hurstpierpoint Trinity Road and Brown Twins Road car parks.
9. South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA): To consider responding to the public consultation on the draft SDNPA District Plan consultation by 17 March 2025.
10. Training and Development Plan: To consider and agree a councillor and employee training and development policy for adoption by Council.
11. South Lane UKPN Wayleave Agreement: To consider signing a wayleave agreement with UK Power Networks for installing new underground high voltage cables along South Lane to rectify the high number of electrical faults experienced in previous years.
12. Reports from Representatives on Outside Bodies: To receive reports from representative on outside bodies.
13. To note any information items, correspondence received or requests.
13.1 To note the current plans for a Mayoral Combined Authority for Sussex and Brighton including the consultation that the government is running, which is specific to the Sussex and Brighton region
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:
14. Kiddie Capers: To consider a request from Kiddie Capers to extend their exclusive use of the Club Lounge at Court Bushes Community Hub from 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2029.
15. Methodist Church Update: To receive a verbal update regarding the sale of the Methodist Church at 42 Cuckfield Road, Hurstpierpoint.
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.