MINUTES of the Meeting of the Finance + General Purposes Committee held at 8.00pm on Thursday 11  

October 2018 in the Village Centre, Trinity Road, Hurstpierpoint.  

Committee Members Present 

Rodney Jackson (Chairman)  Tony Lank  

Stephen Hand Malcolm Llewellyn  

Also Present:   

Stephen Hoyles CLERK TO THE COUNCIL 

Paul Mayne – Assistant Clerk 

F18/036. Apologies for Absence and Declarations of Interest:  The following apologies were received prior to the meeting and accepted:  John Lowman, Julia Shorrocks, Martin Machin, Amanda Geel. There were no declarations of interest.   

F18/037.  Minutes of the meetings of Finance + General Purposes Committee of 6 September 2018:  The Minutes were received and accepted and signed by the Chairman. 

F18/038.  Matters arising from Minutes of the Finance + General Purposes Committee of 9 August 2018:  

(1)  Minute  F18/032.1 Grant:  The Committee was advised that the grant of £2500 for Hurst Festival was for the 2018 

event and that only one grant a year was made.  (REF:  Hurst Festival grant application 23 August 2018) There were no other matters not otherwise covered on this agenda.   

F18/039.  Adjournment for questions from the public:  There being no members of the public present the  Committee was not required to adjourn the Meeting in accordance with Clause 19d) of Standing Orders.   

F18/040.  FINANCIAL MATTERS:  

F18/040.1 Payments and receipts:  The Committee RESOLVED to approve payment of accounts totalling £38,464.89 for month 7 (October 2018) and the total receipts of £104,063.00  for Month 6 (September 2018) (Ref: 

Schedule 1 ) 

RESOLVED:  The Committee RESOLVES to approve the schedule of payments of   £38,464.89 for October 2018.   

F18/040.2  Financial monitoring:  The Committee noted the Accounts Records  for Month 6 (September 2018), in accordance with the Financial Regulations of the Council, as follows:  

1. (1) Bank reconciliation and Trial Balance  
2. (2) Income/Expenditure (Qtr 2 2018):  a question was raised about  the expenditure on Code 2808 and it was agreed that an answer would be forwarded to the Committee.  

F18/040.3  Deposits and Investment:  The Committee noted that the Council was holding the following funds on the dates shown:   

F18/040.4  Budget 2019/20 – Parish Action Plan 2016-21:  The Committee was asked to  review the Working 

Draft Budget  (showing the Budget for 2018/19 and the initial proposals for 2019/20)  and the Parish Action Plan 2016-21.  Each Committee would be asked to set or confirm their expected spend and also consider which items might be deleted or added.  Consideration would be given to those plans which could be started in 2019/20 and the spending required.  Committees would not normally be expected to introduce significant new items that have not already been identified in the Plan.  In discussion the Committee agreed that a sum of £8,000 should be included for professional advice on the expansion  of the Parish Office and meeting rooms, as for 2018/19 but not expected to be spent in the current year.   (Ref:  

Parish Action Plan 2016-21   Rev 5  Feb.18;  BRIEFING NOTE  Budget 2019/20  3 October 2018;  BUDGET 2019/20  DRAFT v1  2 October 2018)   

RECOMMENDATION:  The Committee confirms the arrangements for setting the 2019/20 Budget.   

F18/041.  CONTRACTS:  The Committee noted the following contracts with a cost over £500 + VAT: 

F18/041.1 Street lighting Replacement Scheme:  Work had recommenced on site, with the remaining lampposts in St Georges Lane and Manor Rd being installed.  The matter of the Council’s claim had been negotiated at a meeting on 11 October 2018 and a rebate of £4,500 was settled.  It was noted that the outstanding works were the painting of about 15  columns, the installation of two lamps  on poles in Brighton Road, and the labelling of all columns.  It was noted that two lamps were currently not working at St Georges Lane.   (Budget code  6009) 

F18/041.2  Village Gateways:  As previously agreed (Committee meeting 9 August 2018  Minute F18/026.2) the contract had been placed for the supply of the gateways.  A separate contract would be awarded for the installation and quotations were being sought from at least two contractors.  A request had been received from a Sayers Common resident that the twinning signs should also be applied to Sayers Common.  It was noted that this had not been requested by the Twinning Association, and that it was understood that the twinning did not apply to Sayers Common, so the request would not be accepted.  (Budget code  6015) 

F18/041.3  Trinity Road steps and footpath:   The path and brickwork repairs were now complete.  WSCC had paid their portion of the cost.  (Budget code  6014) 

F18/041.4  Chantry Stables:  The refurbishment works were now complete.  (Budget code  2401) 

F18/041.5  Annual Return 2018: The Committee noted that the External Audit is complete and the Annual Return for the year to 31 March 2018 had been signed off without qualification.  The Return  had been posted on the website and noticeboards and the Notice of Conclusion had been published.  (REF:  Moore Stephens ltr 20 September 2018;  Annual Return 3018.) 

F18/041.6  Insurance claim:  The Committee was asked to note that a theft took place from the Parish Office about 

9.00pm  27 September 2018, while the Council meeting was taking place.  A briefcase and the dog-bag dispenser were stolen, but later recovered having been dumped along Trinity Road.  The loss was a small amount of cash (likely to be less than £10) from the dispenser cashbox and the keys to the office and the front door of the Village Centre.  An emergency key-change was arranged that night to secure the building but, the main door key is a special security version which also serves some internal doors, so this had been replaced again.  The overall cost was estimated to be about £600 and an insurance claim was being made.  The Police were informed and an incident number issued.   

F18/041.7  War Memorial clean:  The Committee was asked to approve expenditure for a clean of the War Memorial  in time for the Armistice Day commemorations in November.  Three quotes had been obtained and it was proposed that the work was awarded to Downsview Monumental Co at a cost of £850 +VAT.  (Budget code:  2207) 

RESOLVED:  That Downsview Monumental Co is awarded the work of cleaning the War Memorial at a cost of £850 +VAT. 

F18/042.  PROJECTS:  

F18/042.1 Action List 2017/18:  The Committee noted the Action List for the Council Year 2018/19.  (Ref:  ACTION LIST 2018/19 rev29  30 August 2018) 

F18/042.2  War Memorial:  Council had been approached by the wardens of Holy Trinity Church Hurstpierpoint.  They were asking whether permission would be granted for occasional parking of cars, for events such as funerals and weddings, on  the Council’s land at the Memorial.  The access drive is owned by a third party, and the wardens were in communication with them on this matter.  A lay-by hardstanding would be constructed on the Council land, and a new pedestrian entrance through the wall to the Church grounds.  The Committee considered the matter but agreed that such a proposal would unreasonably interfere with the layout and use of the War Memorial, and therefore with regret would refuse the request.  (REF: Martin Lacey Buckley email 25 September 2018;  HP&SCPC Layout plan War Memorial  –  3 Oct 2018) 

RESOLVED:  The request to permit a new hardstanding lay-by on land adjacent to the War Memorial, Hurstpierpoint, is regretfully refused, as it would interfere with the use of the War Memorial.   

F18/043.  OPERATIONS:  The Committee was asked to note (exception reports only): 

F18/043.1  Street lighting:   (No report) 

F18/043.2  Toilets:  (No report) F18/043.3  Trees:  (No report) F18/043.4  Cemetery:   

(1)  Cemetery wall:  A quote was awaited for the construction of buttresses along the wall.   

F18/043.5  Recreation Grounds:  

F18/043.6  Waste bins:    

F18/043.7  Buildings: (No report) 

F18/043.8  Allotments:  (No report) 

F18/043.9  Village Centre:   (No report) 

F18/043.10  Village Garden:  (No report) 

F18/043.11  Highways:  (No report)  

F18/043.12  Public enquiries: The Committee was advised that the Parish Office maintains a  Customer log of all public enquiries and which was available for inspection by Members.  

There being no other business the Chairman closed the meeting at  9.03pm 

Chairman