Hadleigh Town Council · 2020. 3. 16. · Hadleigh Town Council b)Visit Hadleigh Trust seeking £176.96 towards insurance c)Visit Hadleigh Trust seeking £900 for temporary premises

Hadleigh Town Council

FULL COUNCIL MEETING

Councillors Helen Allan, Steve Allman (Chair), James Bayliss, Rolf Beggerow, Carolyn Cammack, LisaGordon, Angela Gregg, Richard Hinton, Andrew Knock, Gordon McLeod, Frank Minns, Carol Schleip, Gavin

Talbot, Paul Twyman, Emily Wright

Councilors are summoned and members of the public and press are warmly invited to attend a meeting ofHadleigh Town Council on Thursday 19th March 2020 at 7.00pm in The Dining Room at Hadleigh Town Hall,

Market Place, Hadleigh IP7 5DN.

The Council, members of the public and press may record/film/photograph or broadcast this meeting, when the press and public are not lawfully excluded. Any person who intends to record the meeting should identify themselves to the Town Council Manager. Any member of the public who attends this meeting and objects to being filmed should advise the Town Council Manager who will request they are not included within the filming.

AGENDA

1: Opening a) Welcome and opening remarks from the Chairb) Apologies for absencec) Members’ declarations of pecuniary and non-pecuniary interestd) Consideration of requests for dispensations.

2: Minutes To approve minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting held on Thursday 20th February 2020

3: Reports To note reports from Suffolk County Council, Babergh District Council Ward Councilors

4: Public Forum 15 minute session. Maximum 3 minutes per person. Members of the public should not be involved in the decision-making of the Council in subsequent agenda items unless expressly invited to do so by the Chairman.

5: Finance a) To approve the attached schedule of payments over £500, whilst noting that the Town Council Manager will approve any payments under £500, in accordance with Financial Regulations.

b) To consider the Annual Budget Update to reflect the parish precept calculation.

c) To consider amendments to the Financial Regulations to regularise processes around handling of cash money.

d) To consider an internal review into the recent handling of cash in the office.

6: Committee Recommendations

To consider the recommendations of, a) Council Matters Committee, b) Town Matters Committee, c) the Hadleigh Market Feoffment Charity Committee, and d) Planning Advisory Committee.

7: Working Group Recommendations

a) To consider the recommendations of Layham Road Sports Ground Working Group

b) To note further working groups will be scheduled in coming weeks.8: Audit a) To consider the report of the External Auditor.

b) To note that SALC has confirmed it will undertake the annual internal auditon 2 June 2020 (as requested at Full Council 20 February 2020).

c) To consider the Review of Internal Control Procedures, and Financial Risk Review

9: Grant requests To consider grant applications:a) Royal British Legion seeking £777.25 towards VE Day 75th Anniversary event

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b) Visit Hadleigh Trust seeking £176.96 towards insurancec) Visit Hadleigh Trust seeking £900 for temporary premises rental.d) Hadleigh Community First Responders seeking £1,000 for contribution

towards replacement vehicle (£10,000) e) Hadleigh library seeking £1,885 towards replacement shelving.

10: Youth matters To consider a proposal to support young people in Hadleigh, following the meeting organised by Rev Jo Delfgou on 22nd Feb to discuss youth matters.

11: Town Council Manager - Matters

To consider the following items and direct the Town Council Manager to act accordingly.

a) support for the Royal British Legion’s proposed Mural to mark V E Day.b) holding regular HTC public engagement “surgeries”.c) Staff/Member training opportunity in deaf awareness.d) Staff/Member training opportunity in Mental Health training e) Access to workplace support helpline f) The Recording of Council meetings by HTC for openness and

accountability.g) Business Continuity Plan due to Corona virus.

12: Town Council Manager - Information

To note correspondence and other information that does not require a decision. a) Cemetery Lodge Rent Review is due in March and will be actioned.b) BDC is continuing with its Hadleigh Vision programme. Councillors are

invited to recommend local persons for membership of the Board to the Town Council Manager who will pass them to BDC.

c) The stand for the Hadleigh Show has been confirmed. It is a 4x4m plot, and includes a tree at the front which will provide shelter from the hot sun. (The working group will be arranged shortly).

d) “Parking in Suffolk is changing” a reminder to everyone about the forthcoming parking enforcement. SCC has requested that interested persons should nominate specific problem places for enforcement targeting – directly or via Town Council Manager. Some posters will be put non noticeboards to inform the public.

e) The Town Council’s Insurance expires on 31 May and will be reviewed in ameeting with the broker in April.

13: Future Meetings

The next scheduled Full Council meeting will be on the16th of April 2020.

CONFIDENTIAL SESSION EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

14: Exclusion of the press and public

To consider the exclusion of the press and public In pursuance of Section 1)2 ofthe Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 the Press and the Publicshall be excluded for the next items of business on the grounds that it is likely tobe prejudicial to the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of thebusiness to be transacted.

15: To review staffing matters

To consider staffing matters as set out in the confidential report.

Close of meeting

Prepared by

A.McMillanAndrew McMillan –Town Council Manager 13th March 2020

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Information in support of agenda items

Item 3: ReportsREPORT TO HADLEIGH TOWN COUNCIL – 19 th March 2020 by Cllr Mick Fraser – County Councillor for

Hadleigh Division District Councillor for Hadleigh South Ward

COVID-19 – CoronavirusAs Coronavirus continues to dominate the news, Suffolk County Council (SCC) wishes to provide you with reassurance that our Public Health team is continually monitoring the situation and co-ordinating all necessary measures with their Suffolk partners. Mindful that we all have various Council meetings to attend, I attach a briefing note specifically compiled for Councillors. Armed with this briefing note I trust you will be reassured, as I am, that the Public Health team are being alert at this challenging time.

Budget 2020Following its approval, SCC will increase its spending powers again this coming financial year, particularly in Children’s and Adults services where demand continues to rise year on year. In 2020/21, the council’s budget will rise to £556million which represents an increase of £37m (7.1%) from 2019/20. Children’s and Adults Services represent around 75% of SCC’s overall spend.This year’s budget is based on a 12-month financial settlement from government, rather than the usual 3- or 4-year agreement offered. Due to this 12-month settlement, we lack the longer-term certainty needed to deal with the large departmental budgets that we manage, including Children’s and Adults Services. SCC has therefore taken the measured decision to raise council tax by 1.98% and implement a 2% rise in the Adult Social Care Precept which is ring-fenced for use within our highest demand service.What does this mean for us in monetary terms? The general Council Tax element covering SCC services for a Band D dwelling, will rise to £1,224.70 with the Social Care precept for the same Band D increasing to £118.91. These figures will be in addition to the District and Town Councils, and Policing precepts.As well as addressing the need to maintain funding for key services, SCC will invest an additional £3.5m into one-year programmes, including the Suffolk 2020 fund (£3m) and a Highways Investment Fund (£500k). The Suffolk 2020 fund will be used for projects that can deliver a real difference for local communities. To qualify for the fund, projects must link to one of the themes which helps the council address the climate emergency it has declared and improves Suffolk for all residents in years to come. Projects must relate to:

- Carbon reduction - Carbon offset- Road safety- Natural environment - Built environment- Innovation- Use of technology

Each project must offer a clear return on investment through positive economic, social or environmental impact. I will be able to put ideas forward on behalf of the town to seek the sponsorship of a cabinet member for consideration. The £500k Highways Investment Fund has been announced to refresh road markings and tackle broken or dirty signs around schools in Suffolk. This extra funding has been ocused on improving the safety of pupils �and parents traveling to and from our schools. It will be used to compliment the road marking renewal programme, which is taking place as part of the move of Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) powers.

Hadleigh QuarryThe planned site meeting by Suffolk County Council’s (SCC) Development and Regulation Committee will nowtake place on the 28th April, before the planning applications go before the committee on 30th April. The delay has occurred due to the delay by the applicant in sending the traffic assessment to the council.

Ipswich Northern Route SCC’s Cabinet has voted to accept a recommendation that the Ipswich Northern Route should not proceed to

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the next stage of development. The project has failed to attract the widespread political support needed to proceed with projects of this size and financial scale. A Cabinet paper made it clear that local planning authorities were unable to agree to any of the additional housing growth, over the level already agreed in their local plans, which would be needed to help fund the local contribution before government funding could be requested.Even with a good Strategic Outline Business Case, SCC is now unable to proceed with this ambitious project for Ipswich. Without widespread political support this project will not attract the funding needed to proceed to the next stage, let alone the £500m necessary to complete it. Without clear support from local planning authorities to meet that additional growth, over and above what they have already agreed to within their local plans, being successful in bidding into central government becomes impossible.

New street lighting proposed to reduce the county’s carbon footprintThe Council is looking to reduce its carbon footprint by investing £9.8m in street lighting, after Cabinet approved an LED street lighting replacement project. The Council owns and maintains over 60,000 streetlights. In 2010, the SCC took numerous steps to help reduce both the energy costs and carbon footprint of its lighting stock. This included the introduction of part-night lighting arrangements and conversion to LED for those lighting units that were consuming the highest level of energy. The proposal to convert the remaining street lighting stock to LED will help to reduce both Suffolk’s energy consumption and carbon footprint, whilst providing crisper illumination of the streets for residents. The project will also ensure that Suffolk remains resilient to any future energy price increases and should be completed in the autumn of 2022. SCC will be replacing almost 43,000 lights with new energy saving LED lanterns, which will save approximately 60% of our current energy bill which can invested elsewhere. This should also help reduce our carbon usage by around 80%, benefitting residents throughout Suffolk.

I have nothing further to report. Yours Sincerely Mick Fraser

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Item 5 a): Schedule of payments

HADLEIGH TOWN COUNCIL Council Meeting -19th March 2020OUTSTANDING SCHEDULE OF ACCOUNTS FOR PAYMENT- OVER £500

Date Payee Description Total Amount

27/03/2020 Salaries Staff Wages £ 3,895.82 27/03/2020 HMRC PAYE/NIC £ 1,212.09 04/03/2020 Babergh District Council Litter and dog bin emptying service 2019 £ 3,060.00 14/12/2019 Hadleigh Market Feoffment

CharityUse of meeting rooms - Sept to Nov 2019 £ 564.00

02/12/2019 DG Heating Cemetery Lodge new boiler £ 3,400.00 02/03/2020 Vertas Quarterly Grounds Charge £ 1,906.16 27/02/2020 Babergh District Council Contribution to the new community sports

facilities (annual payment until 2031) £ 36,984.00

08/03/2020 Total Gas and Power Layham Road sports pavilion - Feb 2020 £ 762.32 11/03/2020 Aaron Clarke Accountants Book keeping and management accounts

assistance on 4th, 11th, 17th and 24th Feb2020, Payroll Manager Software

£ 1,064.22

12/03/2020 Babergh District Council Business rates - Cemetery (Apr - Sept 2020)

£ 2,264.85

13/03/2020 Cheryl Tye Temporary Administrative support £ 1,340.00

£ 56,453.46

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HADLEIGH TOWN COUNCIL Council Meeting - 19th March 2020SCHEDULE OF ACCOUNTS FOR PAYMENT- UNDER £500

Date Payee Description Total Amount02/02/2020

East of England Coop Hospitality £ 3.79

04/02/2020

Wildwater Professional Services

Email management assistance £ 78.00

14/02/2020

TMO Highways Road closure for Christmas lighting up ceremony donation

£ 250.00

18/02/2020

Public Works Loan Board Loan repayment (paid by direct debit) £ 8.52

19/02/2020

East of England Coop Refund on overpayment for a cremation headstone £ 64.00

25/02/2020

idverde Open space cleansing and inspection £ 222.00

26/02/2020

Ferguson's Delicatessen Interview day hospitality £ 44.40

27/02/2020

Staff Expenses Staff Phone top up (Service Officer) £ 10.00

28/02/2020

Staff Expenses Staff Mileage (Town Council Manager) £ 57.60

28/02/2020

Staff Expenses Staff Mileage (Service Officer) £ 36.00

29/02/2020

MW Partridge Printing costs £ 13.05

29/02/2020

Sackers General waste removal - Layham Road (Feb 2020) £ 66.32

29/02/2020

Sackers General waste removal - Friars Road (Feb 2020) £ 66.32

02/03/2020

Focus Group Telephone charges to 31/01/2020 £ 91.14

04/03/2020

Herts Cleaning supplies £ 21.17

05/03/2020

Cllr Expenses Admin and Advertising costs £ 7.20

05/03/2020

PNJ Builders Ltd Invoice number 002838 Layham Road Sports Ground repairs to shower

£ 302.40

05/03/2020

ASL Photocopier - quarterly charge £ 301.48

10/03/2020

Parkers Pitches Verti draining Layham Road football pitch £ 420.00

10/03/2020

S Looker Repayment for laptop cable and Office 365 home subscription (Archives)

£ 109.99

11/03/2020

Buildbase Hazard tape and road fencing pins £ 53.50

11/03/2020

Sackers General waste removal - Guild Hall (Nov 2019) £ 67.52

11/03/2020

Sackers General waste removal - Guild Hall (Dec 2019) £ 55.37

11/03/2020

Sackers General Waste Removal - Layham Road (Nov 2019)

£ 66.32

11/03/2020

Kenneth Fisk Hadleigh Town Hall window cleaning £ 150.00

12/03/2020

Babergh District Council Business rates - Layham Road (Apr - Sept 2020) £ 59.84

12/03/2020

The National Allotment Society

Local Authority Membership renewal £ 66.00

13/03/202 Focus Group Telephone Charges to 28/02/2020 £ 87.55

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027/03/2020

Suffolk County Council Pension contributions £ 219.82

£ 2,999.30

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Item 5b): Budget updateThe Council approved a 5% increase in Parish precept at its meeting on 16 January 2020. Using the calculation on Babergh District’s spreadsheet the 5% overall increase in income equated to a real-world increase of 1.9% on a Band D property. Accordingly, the income from the Parish Precept in the coming year will result in a budget change of around £10,000 from that approved. The Budget therefore is revised to note that the General Reserves will be around 2% variance at the end of the year, as shown below. The table also shows how the reserves are designated for specific uses and not held in a general fund.

Hadleigh Town Council Reserves Budget 2020/21 - Updated 10th March 2020

Funds Actual 31/3/2019

Forecast 31/3/2020

Budget 31/3/2021

Commentary

General Reserve 426,873 499,565 471,956 Revised to reflect precept.Capital Funds 143,100 143,100 143,100Swimming Pool Fund

201,037 201,037 0 Paid to Babergh DC when Pool in use

Archives Fund 3,832 3,832 3,832Renewals Fund 7,718 8,718 9,718 Add 1K per annumElection Expenses Fund

10,092 3,703 5,703 Add 2K for next 4 years

Conservation Bureau Fund

1,955 1,955 1,955 HTC holding on behalf of CB re contribution to purchasing untidy land beside St Mary Church ??

Cemetery Fund 499,825 0 5,000 New Fund towards long term future costs Church Clock Fund 7,816 8,816 9,816 Add 1K per annumLayham Road Fund 60,000 75,000 90,000 Add 15K per annum towards New

Pavilion/Sports Facilities. Includes 14K from LRSGMC in 19/20

CIL Fund 13,390 13,390 13,390 5K Used in 20/21 for Skate Park Extension plus 5K in from 20/21 unallocated CIL money

TOTAL 1,375,638

959,116 754,470

Movement in Funds

-416,522 -204,646

Number of Months Precept in General Reserves

16.2 18.6 16.8 Recommended boundaries - Too High > 24 months - Too Low <9 months.

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Item 5c): proposed amendments to Financial Regulations to regularise processes around handling of cash money.At Full Council on 20 February 2020, it was heard that there was cash handled in the office, but that the Financial Regulations are unsatisfactory for dealing with it. It is recommended to amend the Financial regulations as below.

1) Regulation 6.21 be deleted and replaced by the following:“6.21: All cash received and cash payments made must be detailed in a separate cash account within the Councils accounting system. Invoices or Cash Receipts or a signed Authorisation slip from the RFO, must be obtained and records kept for all cash payments and receipts. A proper receipt should be issued to any person from whom cash is received.

6.22 The Council and HMFC may maintain a petty cash float limited to a maximum balance of £50 each. The Petty Cash Account must be reconciled with the actual Cash in Hand at the end of every month and a reconciliation statement prepared showing the details and denominations of the Cash in Hand. The Cash Account Reconciliation Statement should be checked and signed by the member appointed in accordance with Regulation 2.2 “

2) The following sentence be added at the end of Regulation 9.5 that states:“To minimise the quantity of cash on the premises, cash sums over the float value stated in regulation 6.22* should be banked intact as soon as possible, and in any case within one week”. [*this refers to the revised 6.22]

3) The Council should not obtain any general debit or credit cards for use by employees (envisaged in Regulation 6.18), and that Regulation 6.18 should be deleted.

4) The Council should obtain a pre-paid debit card with a maximum transactional value of £2500. Regulation 6.19 should be deleted and replaced with:“A pre-paid debit card for transactions up to £2500 will be issued for use and specifically restricted to use by the Town Council Manager. The use of such a card may only be made either- with the direction of a Full Council decision to use the card payment method, confirmed at the

same time the Council Authorises the schedule of payments to be made, or- in accordance with regulation 4.5 (In cases of risk to the delivery of Council services).”

5) Regulation 6.20 should be amended to a. delete reference to “corporate credit card or”, andb. change “clerk” to “Town Council Manager”, andc. move the last sentence (“Personal credit or debit cards of members or staff shall not be used

under any circumstances.”) into its own numbered Regulation, and amended to insert “cash, or ” immediately after the word “Personal”.

The Regulations should be re-numbered to reflect the proposed changes. Additionally, the Council should seek to limit the amount of cash it handles by offering alternative methods of payment. The Council is recommended to acquire 2 card readers (one for HTC and one for HMFC) in order to take electronic payments as the preferred method of one-off small transactions. Transactions will be recorded in the cash receipt book, and a receipt must be issued.

The Council is recommended to approve a general delegation to the Town Council Manager to make it clearthat he may undertake the ordinary actions of the Town Council’s business, and to remove some sundry matters from agendas. This should be included in a new Standing Order 15c) as follows: “The Town CouncilManager, (and the staff that he, in turn, sub-delegates powers to), be authorised to conduct the business affairs of the Town Council subject to the actions taken being lawful, achieving value for money and complying with the policies, procedures and budget approved by the elected Members of the Town Council.”

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Item 5d) Internal review into the recent handling of cash in the office.The Council has become aware that a significant amount of cash was being kept in the Council offices, contrary to the Council’s financial regulations. The Council may ask the RFO to investigate the circumstances that led to this and to report back to the next meeting of the Council Matters Committee. The RFO’s investigation should be thorough, commensurate with the serious nature of the regulation breach. The RFO’s report should include a full accounting of the cash that was found (including how it was obtained, by whom, for what purpose(s), and how the cash came to light), and make recommendations to the Council.

Item 7: Layham Road Sports Ground Working Group recommendationsThe Council’s decision to dissolve the LRSGMC and have HTC directly manage Layham Road Sports Ground was recorded in the MoM of 28th November Item 10f. The Layham Road Sports Ground Working Groups was formed in July 2019 as recorded in the MoM of Full Council on 18th July 2019. This was to enablemore transparent decision-making as the working group would bring recommendations to Full Council for decisions.

a) It was agreed to recommend to Full Council that a report for trees on all Town Councilland need to be undertaken.

b) The WG recommends to Council that we take up Cllr Knocks offer to empty the Septic Tank free of charge in conjunction with the Services Officer.

c) The group recommend to Hadleigh Town Council that the Rugby Club’s request foradvertising boards around the pitch is supported, subject to the Rugby club lookinginto the legalities, planning permission and taking responsibility for management of theboards.

d) The Group recommends the main Rugby Pitch should be vertidrained as a trial (similarto the football pitch).

e) Town Council Office to Review of Hire Charges at LRSG.

f) Hadleigh Food Bank would like to hold a Music Festival in conjunction with Rugby ClubBeer Festival on 20th June 2020. Permission to be requested from Hadleigh TownCouncil for use of the facility, and appropriate hire charge should be taken to the nextFull Council Meeting with a full proposal and risk assessment from Hadleigh FoodBank.

g) The group unanimously agreed to recommend to Hadleigh Town Council that theCricket wicket is taken up and replaced by grass.

h) The Group unanimously voted to recommend to Full Council that the Artificial GrassPitch Project is launched.

Item 8a) To consider the report of the External Auditor.

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Last year, PKF Littlejohns was appointed by the Government as the External Auditor to review Sections 1 and 2 of our Annual Governance and Accountability Return in accordance with guidance issued by the National Audit Office (NAO) on behalf of the Comptroller and Auditor General. The External Auditor Report and Certificate 2018/19 was received and posted on the Council’s website with a notice of right to inspect accounts. The External Auditor’s Report identified a need for further information, but to date has not clarified what is required. A copy of the Report is below.

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Item 8c): Audit: Review of Internal Control Procedures and Financial Risk ReviewTo inform the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR), the Town Council is required toundertake an internal audit and to certify that it has done a series of reviews. The Annual Review of InternalControl Procedures is a description of measures in place to manage the Town Council’s day to day affairs.Building on the AGAR “checklist”, attached is a commentary about the Town Council’s control procedureswhich forms the review.

Similarly, the Financial Risk Review ensures that the Town Council has considered carefully what risks existand how they should be handled on a day to day basis to mitigate them.

It is not the purpose to identify failings, but to objectively identify where measures are in place andperformance has been satisfactory, and if necessary, identify where improvements in process and procedurecould be made to streamline or clarify procedures. Given the difficult year that the Town Council hasexperienced mainly due to staffing issues, there are some areas known where performance could be improvedand these are highlighted as such. The Review document will be shared with the Internal Auditor who will useit to inform the Council’s Internal Audit and AGAR.

The Review of Internal Control Procedures and Financial Risk Review are overleaf.

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Hadleigh Town CouncilReview of Governance and Internal Control Measures 2019/20

Review Area AGARReferenc

e

Comments

Annual Governance Programme

1 The Annual Governance Programme is fulfilled during the course of the year. It has also ensured that it has adequate and effective systems of audit in place with regard to its accounting records and proper practices in respect of internal control.

Annual Return and Annual Governance Statement

1 Approved by Full Council on 20/06/19 as required by the Accounts & Audit Regulations.(Council Minutes 76b&c/1819 refers). End of year bank reconciliation also submitted for audit.

Annual Town Meeting and Annual Town Council Meeting

Both the Annual Town Meeting and Annual Town Council Meeting have been held in accordance with the law on 28/5/19 and 16/05/19 respectively. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor were appointed at the Annual General Meeting of the Town Council, and Members were appointed to committees.

Appointment of Auditors 6&7 The Town Council has appointed Suffolk Association of Local Councils (SALC) as its internal auditor (Full Council 20/02/20). P K F Littlejohn has been appointed by the Government as the external auditor.

Appointment of Clerk & RFO

1 The Council has appointed a Town Council Manager (Jan 2020) who is the Proper Officer and also a Responsible Financial Officer in accordance with Section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972.

Appropriate Books of Accounts

1 Books of accounts have been maintained by the Council and book keeping by Aaron Clark Accountancy since October 2019.

Asset Register 1 The Asset Register has been maintained.Auditors Reports(Principal System of Internal Control by providing independent inspection of the Council’s systems of internal control).

7 The report of the Internal Auditor was considered by the Full Council on 20 June 2019.

The report of the External Auditor was considered by the Full Council. (19 march 2020).

Banking 1 & 2 The Unity Bank has been appointed as the Town Council’s principal banking partner. An deposit account is also held with the Ipswich Building Society.

Bank Reconciliation(Principal System of Internal Control for ensuring that the Council’s accounts are a true and accurate reflection of monies held at the bank)

1 & 2 For a short period in 2019 due to there being no office staff, bank reconciliations were not undertaken monthly. Bank reconciliations are now undertaken on a monthly basis by the appointed Accountant, and reconciliations are being brought up to date for the complete year.

Book-keeping 1 Proper records of income and expenditure are maintained via anaccounting package and subject to inspection by the internal auditor.For a period in 2019 due to there being no office staff, books arebeing brought up to date for the complete year. Statements of expenditure over £500 are reported to the Council.

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Budget 1 The Budget Book was considered by the Council Matters Committee on 9/1/20, and comprised all relevant information including details of Financial Outlook, Financial Capacity, Revenue, Capital, Reserves and Risk Factors. The Budget has been approved by Full Council for 2020/21 on 16/1/20. A budget update was considered by Full Council on 19 March 2020 to reflect the calculated Precept level change.

Budgetary Control(Principal System of Internal Control enabling income and expenditure to be managed within agreed budgets).

2 Budgetary control reports have been presented to the Council throughout the year. A monthly budget monitoring against cost centres is undertaken.A Mid-Year Financial Review was undertaken by the Council Matters Committee on 9/12/19.

Cemetery Management The Council manages the town cemetery and ensures the correct processing of burial records. The safety of headstones is monitored and action taken when necessary.

Community Infrastructure Levy

The Council submitted its CIL end of year report to Babergh District Council and published details on its website.

Data Protection The Council has an adopted procedure dated August 2018. A review is planned in 2020.

Public Access to Information

Members of the public are welcome to attend public meetings, access its Customer Comments procedure, submit enquiries under the Freedom of Information Act and Subject Access Request processes, and obtain information through the Town Council’s Publication Scheme.

Decision-Making The Council’s Committees make recommendations and decision-making is undertaken by the Full Council, or an officer of the Town Council, as appropriate. A review of delegations is planned for 2020.

Electors Rights 4 The Notice of Electors Rights and a copy of the Annual Return interim report have been published on the Town Council website.

Health and Safety Employee activities are managed under a suite of policies and procedures. A programme of training and development is being prepared in 2020. Suitable employer and public liability insurance is maintained.

Expenses Monies paid by Members or staff for items, including mileage claims are paid monthly alongside salary.

Financial Regulations(Principal System of Control for the Financial Management of the Council)

1&2 Financial Regulations have been reviewed and updated (17 October 2019). Monitoring of the effectiveness of the Financial Regulations is continual and changes are proposed where foundto be necessary. An update was made in March 2020.

Financial Records and files

Financial records are stored in locked cupboards and safes as necessary. Access to office areas is restricted when financial matters are being dealt with.

General Power of Competence

3 The General Power of Competence was adopted by Full Council20/6/19.

Grants The Council has an agreed budget and adopted grants application process that allows for proper scrutinising and awarding of grants to community projects.

Grounds Maintenance A Service Officer is in post with responsibility to undertake

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inspections on grounds and assets in the responsibility of the Council. Additional inspections are undertaken by Babergh District Council and contractors, and an annual inspection is undertaken by a competent body (such as ROSPA).

Suitable maintenance and cleaning contracts are in place and reviewed periodically.

Hadleigh Market Feoffment Charity (HMFC)

The Council is the sole Trustee of the HMFC. The HMFC committee meets monthly and has responsibility for managing the budget and affairs of the HMFC.

Income and Expenditure Controls

2 Invoices received are checked for accuracy and against orders and quotations as necessary.

Precept, grant monies and other sources of income are properly banked.

Expenditure is subject to purchase orders, approved invoices, confirmation of the source of funds (cost centre) and approval of payment of each invoice by the Town Clerk. These controls are subject to review by the Internal Auditor.

All payments are authorised by Full Council (or Town Council Manager if under £500). In a separate process payments are signed by two Councillors before funds are released.

For a period in 2019, staff shortages meant that there were delays in authorising and making some payments and in banking income, but these have been resolved and the monthly reconciliations are being brought up to date.

Insurance 5 The Town Council’s Insurance Policy has been updated as necessary. An insurance agreement has been entered into with Royal & Sun Alliance – via WPS Insurance Brokers from 1 June 2019 to 31 May 2020.Key elements of the policy include (approx. values):

- Public Liability £15m- Employer’s liability £10m- Fidelity Guarantee £1m- Money £2k- Assets £76k- Guildhall contents £49.5m- Cemetery Lodge £0.5m- LR Sports Ground £293k- Allotment buildings £2k- Suffolk Brick Wall £245k- Other sites £276k- Legal Expenses £100k/£1m- Legal defence £250k

Note: The Guildhall building insurance is arranged separately bythe Hadleigh Market Feoffment Charity.

Legal Advice 3 & 8 Advice is obtained by the Town Council on an as-required basis,principally on employment issues, contractual matters and lease

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arrangements.Membership of the Council

All fifteen seats on the Town Council are filled by Elected Members (no co-opted Members). All Councillors have completed declarations of acceptance of office and declarations of interests.

New Legislation The Town Council has sought to keep aware of changes to legislation and regulatory requirements mainly through its membership of the Suffolk Association of Local Councils, with close partnership with Babergh District Council and Suffolk County Council, and through liaison and networking with other Town and Parish Councils.

Payroll Control 2 The Council has a PAYE and NIC system in place. Petty Cash 2 The Financial Regulations do not address the handling of cash

so have been revised to incorporate procedures and ensure theyare up to date. A Petty Cash allowance has been established.

Policies The Council has a suite of adopted policies that set out its approach to handling matters. A review of policies is scheduled for 2020.

Precept 1 The Precept for 2020/21 was submitted to the Billing Authority following approval by the Full Council on 16/1/20. The agreed precept rise of 5% overall rise in income meant that forecast reserves in the agreed budget would be slightly lower than stated. A Budget Update was considered by Full Council (19 March 2020) to note the variance and confirm the General and Designated reserves.

Procurement 2 Estimates, quotations and tenders are sought in accordance with the requirements of the Council’s Financial Regulations.

Public Money 2 Safe and efficient systems to manage public money are implemented and reviewed by the Internal Auditor.

Reserves 1 The Council has reviewed its reserves and managed both general and designated reserves. General reserves are considered robust but not excessive.

Risks 5 The Financial Risk Register has been reviewed and updated by Full Council (19 /03/2020).

Salaries 1 Salary deductions have been made and payments made to HMRC. Pension payments are made to the Suffolk County Council pensions plan.

Due to a period of staff shortages in 2019, some payments weredelayed and had to be transacted in cash rather than by bank transfer in the usual way. HMRC and Pension payments were rectified.

Standing Orders(The main system of control for conduct and transaction of business at Council meetings)

Standing Orders have been reviewed and updated 17 October 2019. An update was made at Full Council on 19/03/20) to grantdelegated powers to the Town Council Manager. A review of Standing orders is planned for 2020.

Training and development

A programme of training is being prepared in 2020 for Members and Staff.

Treasury Management 1 Treasury Management arrangements have been maintained during the course of the year having regard to risk, reward and liquidity.

Trees Trees on Council-managed land are assessed regularly and

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action taken where found to be necessary.Trust Funds 9 Trust funds are not held by the Town Council so no trustee

responsibilities to be monitoredVAT 1 VAT is identified on invoices and recorded properly for the

purposes of the Town Council’s VAT reclaims and HMRC processes.

Review date: March 2020

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Financial Risk Review

Date Written 10th Mar 2020 RFO Andrew McMillan, Town Council Manager

Reviewed Date September 2020 RFO Andrew McMillan, Town Council Manager

Hadleigh Town Council is responsible for ensuring that its financial management is adequate and its risk management process determines what risks exist and how these risks should be handled on a day to day basis.Risk Rating Action BandsLikelihood Severity of Result Rating Band Action

1 = Most Unlikely 1 = Minor 1-2 = Minimal RiskMaintain Control Measures

2 = Unlikely 2 = Slight 3-4 = Low Risk Review Control Measures3 = Likely 3 = Serious 6-8 = Medium Risk Improve Control Measures

4 = Most Likely 4 = Major 9-16 = High RiskImprove Control Measures immediately/Consider stopping work

Area Risk Likelihood x Severity

Risk Level Control Measures / Mitigation Actions

ASSETS Adequate insurance in place

1 x 3 3 Low Risk

Current Insurance policy is with Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance and values insured increase with RPI every year.

Insurance details arerun in conjunction with the Assets Register.

The policy covers all 19


statutory requirements including employers' liability, public liabilityand fidelity cover.

Building is alarmed, and keys are controlled.

Sums insured reviewed regularly

1 x 3 3 Low Risk

The Assets Register is updated on a regular basis and reviewed annually.

Civic Regalia adequately insured

1 x 3 3 Low Risk

Civic Regalia is included in the aboveinsurance policy and the Assets Register

Civic Regalia stored securely

2 x 2 4Low Risk

The Mayor looks after the Regalia andis it stored securely.

Cemetery Lodge 1 x 3 3 Low Risk

Checks undertaken annually on gas and 5 yearly on electricityby authorised contractors to ensuresafety standards are achieved and are in line with current legislation

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Corks Lane Play Area, Timperley Road Play Area and Layham Road Sports Ground

2 x 3 6Medium

H&S Risk Assessments are carried out internally and ROSPA carry out an annual check to ensure safety standards are achieved and are in line with current legislation

FINANCE Banking Bank accounts suitable 1 x 1 1Low Risk

The Town Council has 2 bank accounts with Unity Trust - a current account and a deposit account.

The Town Council also holds an account with the Ipswich Building Society.

Reconciliation and review of accounts

2 x 1 2Low Risk

Bank account reconciliations are carried out on a monthly basis.

Monies are transferred from the deposit to the currentaccount as and whenrequired to ensure maximum interest is received at all times

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Cash in transit 2 x 2 4Low Risk

Fidelity insurance is in place at £1,000,000

Staff only handle small amounts of cash and cheques.

Loans 2 x 3 6Medium Risk

Project plans and business case agreed before taking out loan.

Grants Does the Council fulfil itspowers on the granting of funding to outside bodies

2 x 1 2Low Risk

All grant requests are passed to Town Council and voted onaccordingly by Town Councillors.

The standard application form ensures that the grant is administeredagainst the set criteria

Petty Cash Use of Petty Cash 1 x 1 1Low Risk

The Town Council manages low volumes of Petty Cash.

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Money is banked ona regular basis.

Expenses Expenses claims of staffand Councillors

1 x 1 1Low Risk

Claim forms completed, checked and authorised.

All payments are then passed to TownCouncil Manager / Town Council for ratification

Invoices Acceptability for payment

2 x 2 4Low Risk

All invoices are checked for accuracyand against receivedquotations / orders (as necessary).

All cheques/DD's/BAC's/invoice authorisations are signed by two Councillors

VAT Reclamation of VAT paid

2 x 2 4Low Risk

VAT amounts are calculated, checked and reclaimed from HMRC on a regular basis

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Sealed Tenders Tendering of contracts 2 x 2 4Low Risk

Return envelopes issued stating 'Sealed Tender' with no other identifying marks.

Tenders are opened by the Town Council Manager and at leastone Councillor at the agreed date and time

Staffing Financial matters 2 x 2 4Low Risk

Requirements under Employment Law and HMRC are fulfilled.

Staff salaries and associated administration are reviewed regularly

Budget Sound budgeting procedures

2 x 3 6Medium Risk

Budget timetable commences in October and is dealt with Full Council on recommendation of the Council Matters Committee.

Recommendations ofthe Committee are submitted to Full Council with a recommendation for the required Precept.

Regular monitoring

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takes place and all expenditure is approved by the appropriate Officers and/or Councillors

Finance Controls Control of financial records

2 x 2 4Low Risk

Appointment of a named Responsible Financial Officer

Budgets, Cash Books, Bank reconciliations all take place on a regular basis.

Accounting procedures under continual review

LIABILITY Risk Management for Town Council owned land and assets

2 x 3 6Medium Risk

Risk Assessments and H&S Assessments regularly carried out by the appropriate Officers

Trees etc. on Council owned Land

2 x 2 4Low Risk

Regularly assessed and action taken if required

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Headstones 2 x 2 4Low Risk

Testing commenced in April 2007 with a prescribed Toppletester to ensure all headstones are tested at 35kg.

Appropriate action will be taken to headstones that fail the weight test to ensure H&S standards are achieved

EMPLOYER LIABILITY Direction and activities of all staff employed by the Town Council

2 x 2 4Low Risk

Responsibility of Town Council Manager / RFO

H&S and Risk Assessments

Accident Book First Aid equipment Fire-fighting

equipment / alarms Outside assets and land 2 x 2 4

Low Risk Responsibility of

Services Officer on aday to day basis under the control of the Town Council Manager

Contractors 2 x 1 2Low Risk

Covered by their ownPublic Liability insurance

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LEGAL LIABILITY Asset ownership 2 x 2 4Low Risk

All leases, H&S and Risk Assessments stored securely

Constitution of Town Council

2 x 2 4Low Risk

Standing Orders, Financial Standing Orders reviewed on each change of Council (every 4 years) and as and when necessary

Town Councillors Code of Conduct

2 x 2 4Low Risk

Signed Declaration of Interests.

Register of Prejudicial Interests

Register of Personal Interests.

These are the risks which have been identified but if any other risks occur during the course of day to day business these will be dealt with at the time using the risk rating matrix.

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Item 10): Young people in Hadleigh.Around sixty people attended St Mary’s including the many groups that make up Hadleigh, includingCouncillors Allman, Talbot, Beggerow and Gregg. The priest at St Mary’s Church Jo Delfgou opened themeeting by explaining that having now been in role for fourteen months he was increasingly aware of theproblems surrounding some of the young people in our community and whilst many opportunities were open tothem locally, they did not seem to want to become involved or engage in any of these. The meeting was reallycreative and we would like to build on that spirit. Members of the Town Council spoke about having a‘strategy’ for the future and how we engage with our young people.

Youth ProposalBackgroundSeveral town councillors attended a meeting on 22nd Feb called by Rev Delfgou regarding looking at ways to do more for young people in the town which was driven by issues with young people and anti-social behaviour in the porch of the church. There was a lot of energy and interest from all the organisations and individuals in the room to contribute.Some of the points highlighted included:

Concerns around drug use and drug dealing in the town and a perception that not much is being done to address this

A perceived lack of opportunities for young people (though conversely also that there is a lot happeningin the town and that not everyone knows about it).

Anti-social behaviour

Lack of funding

A need to do more to support Children & Young People’s Mental Health

The negative impact that a few “trouble-makers” can have on the perception of young people more generally (e.g. someone see’s a few young people causing trouble and then social media goes crazy about how all young people are problems)

That most young people in the town are a credit to their families and the community and that not enough is done to highlight the positives that young people bring to the community.

The need for a youth strategy for the town to coordinate efforts

At the meeting, we highlighted a number of things that the town council is looking into, most notably, the potential to support increased staff at the Porch Project, in particular with a view to increased outreach with young people and Councillor Gordon’s initiative around youth engagement. We also know that there are many councillors who have publicly expressed an interest and wish to look at improving opportunities for young people in the town.Rev Delfgou asked if the Town Council could get involved and potentially lead on this initiative, to which Councillor Allman stated that he would bring it to the next Town Council meeting for councillors to consider.Recommendation

a) That the council offers to take on a coordination role to support organisations working with young people in the town and develop a youth strategy for the town.

b) That the council offers to use Councillor Gordon’s youth engagement initiative as the starting point to

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engage with young people to find out what they want to inform this work.

c) That the council signs up to the #iwill challenge and champions youth voice, action and leadership

Reason for proposalUniquely amongst all of the organisations interested in young people’s matters, the Town Council is the only one that does not directly deliver services to young people (outside of maintaining some local amenities such as the skatepark, Corks Lane play area and Layham Road sports ground). It does, however, have a range of powers and duties that enable it to provide or contribute to youth related services (see appendix 1 for a list of these).

In the governments, Civil Society Strategy, the role of a local council is seen as that of a facilitator or enablerhttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/732765/Civil_Society_Strategy_-_building_a_future_that_works_for_everyone.pdf

“Local authorities are uniquely placed to bring together all partners, including the voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to take a wider view in addressing some of the key challenges faced by communities and to ensure the most vulnerable people are not left behind.”“In the face of current challenges, local authorities continue to play an active role in communities by helping to establish clear local priorities, including bringing together the voices of the voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to bear in the design and delivery of local services”. P108 Civil Society Strategy

Therefore, the Town Council, which has many councillors who have a keen interest in this subject, is the best placed organisation to lead such an initiative.

With the Town Council leading the initiative, it then also allows the organisations directly working with young people to concentrate on that crucial work.

This work would fit in well with Councillor Gordon’s youth engagement initiative

The Town Council has a Community grants programme (which has been increased in value for 2020/2021 that would potentially be able to consider funding towards any additional activities that mightarise out of this youth initiative.

The type of work we anticipate that this coordination role could involve includes: Organising & facilitating meetings

Leading on engagement with young people to find out their views

Asset Mapping of organisations, services and activities aimed at young people and once mapped a gaps analysis

Supporting organisations working with young people (e.g. through funding, arranging training or organisational development opportunities, facilitating collaborations between organisations)

Funding from the town council’s community grants programme

Promoting what is available

Promoting the positive impact of young people in the town

Completion of a youth strategy.

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https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/732765/Civil_Society_Strategy_-_building_a_future_that_works_for_everyone.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/732765/Civil_Society_Strategy_-_building_a_future_that_works_for_everyone.pdf


#iwill challengeCouncillors might also find the #iwill challenge interesting, which appears to be a good fit for where we are as an organisation. #iwill is a national initiative to get people and organisations supporting youth social action. Youth social action is defined as “activities that young people do to make a positive difference to others, their community or the environment”. This could be things like volunteering, fundraising, campaigning or supporting peers. Research suggests that when young people take part in high quality social action, organisations benefit (from new ideas and different perspectives that shift their way of thinking), communities benefit (e.g. improved social cohesion, a greater sense of community etc.) and young people develop their character and confidence.

The #iwill challenge is a year long national campaign challenging organisations, decision makers and young people to get involved in a year long set of activities that will enable organisations and individuals to champion youth voice, action and leadership in their area. The challenge has the following timeline:

February-April: See It (See first-hand the positive impact young people are having in your community)

June-July: Hear It (Listen to the ideas of young people about how your organisation can work with young people to tackle societal issues)

August-October: Sign It (Make a commitment to the young people you’ve met and work in collaboration with them to co-create a set of commitments about how you will help empower young people)

November-December: Share It (Shout about the incredible things young people are doing)

Appendix 1: Local Council Powers & Duties that could have relevance to some of the activities that might occur as a result of this initiative.

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, s19: Provides powers to provide and equip buildings for use of clubs having athletic, social or educational objectives. Also provides powers to provide and contribute to a wide range of recreational facilities in or outside of the council’s area.

Local Government Act 1972, s.133: Provides the power to acquire, provide and furnish community buildings for public meetings and assemblies. Also provides the power to provide buildings for public meetings and assemblies or contribute towards the expenses of providing such buildings.

Local Government and Rating Act 1997, s.31: Provides the power to spend money on crime detection and prevention measures in the council’s area

Local Government Act 1972, s145: Provides the power to provide or contribute to entertainment, dancing, theatre, concerts, bands, orchestras, arts and crafts etc.

Public Health Act 1875, s.164: Provides power to provide and maintain land for recreation

Local Government Act 1972, s.142: Provides the power for councils to provide information, advice and guidance about the council, it’s services and the services provided in the area by other local authorities, charities or other voluntary organisations.

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https://www.iwill.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Challenge_guide_0602.pdf?utm_source=Power+Of+Youth+Challenge+Sign+Ups&utm_campaign=55307b63a8-AUTOMATION_Welcome_Message_1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_35063f60a8-55307b63a8-70331785


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Item 11: Town Council Manager Mattersa) The Royal British Legion has approached the Ipswich Building Society with a view to painting a VE Day

Mural on its wall in Angel Street. IBS has asked the RBL to obtain consent from the Town Council before it commits to the painting.

b) In order to engage with the community, HTC may consider holding regular public engagement “surgeries” similar to those undertaken by BDC Councilors.

c) A Staff/Member training opportunity in deaf awareness has been suggested by Councillor Gregg.d) A Staff/Member training opportunity in Mental Health training has been suggested by Councillor Talbot,

as mental health awareness is a major Suffolk County Council programme.e) Access to a 3rd-party workplace support helpline has been suggested by Councillor Talbot as an

employee benefit programme similar to those offered by many employers. It is intended to help employees and members deal with personal problems that might adversely impact their work performance, health and well-being, and generally include assessment, short-term counselling and referral services for employees and their immediate family.

f) In the spirit of openness, transparency and accountability the Council may consider formally recording its own meetings including a time stamp. This would increase opportunities for scrutiny of decision making.

g) As the Coronavirus situation develops, Hadleigh Town Council is aware of the rising levels of public concern and is regularly checking Central Government advice to inform its actions. The Government advice currently is “business as usual”, however it is recommended that some emergency delegations could be made to enable the Council’s essential business to continue in the event that meetings are not possible.

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Documents

Hadleigh Town Council · 2020. 3. 16. · Hadleigh Town Council b)Visit Hadleigh Trust seeking £176.96 towards insurance c)Visit Hadleigh Trust seeking £900 for temporary premises