Minutes of Choppington Parish Council 22 January 2025

Choppington Parish Council Meeting

Wednesday 22^nd January 2025 at 6pm

Stakeford and Bomarsund Welfare Centre NE62 5UD

 Agenda – Part 1

1. To accept apologies for absence and to remind members that any Member not attending a meeting of the Council for six consecutive months will be deemed to be no longer a member of the Parish Council.
2. Members will identify any declarations of disclosable pecuniary and other registerable personal interest(s).  Members are asked to read the note at the foot of this agenda on declarations of interest.

3. Public Questions (Please read the note overleaf)
4. To consider and set the Parish Council budget for 2025/26.

.           Members are requested to:

1          Approve the budget

2          Direct the Parish Clerk to:

1. To finalise all contracts and service level agreements as directed by the adopted budget.
2. Develop required business planning for delivery of services for 2025/6
3. To approve and set the Parish Council Precept for 2025/26.

1          Members are requested to approve the precept for 2025/26.

2          Authorise the Parish Clerk to advise Northumberland County Council of the precept

Agenda, Part 2

Members will be asked to consider under Standing Order 3, that in view of the special and confidential nature of the business to be transacted, it is advisable in the public interest that the press and public be excluded and asked to withdraw.

 Angela Brindley

Parish Clerk

15 January 2025

MINUTES OF THE CHOPPINGTON PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY 22 JANUARY 2025 AT STAKEFORD AND BOMARSUND WELFARE

THOSE ATTENDING:

Cllr H Allsopp

Cllr K Burns

Cllr J Foster

Cllr A Hart

Cllr G Huntley

Cllr A Iley

Cllr P S Vaughan, Chairman

Cllr J Rowell

Cllr L Watson

IN ATTENDANCE:

Ms A Brindley, Parish Clerk/Responsible Finance Officer, Mr D L Nicholson and Mr D Iley Finance Officer

AGENDA PART 1

C070/24         1.         APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

All members present

C071/24         2.         DECLARATIONS OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY AND OTHER REGISTERABLE PERSONAL INTEREST(S)

 No declarations

C072/24         3.         PUBLIC QUESTIONS.

None received.

C073/24         4.         TO CONSIDER AND SET THE PARISH COUNCIL BUDGET FOR 2025/26

 4.1 Choppington Parish Council is a local community council and prepares its budget and sets its precept following community engagement including scrutiny by our Residents Forum. In this context our wider community have established the area’s strategic priorities and all the Parish Council’s expenditure contributes to the achievement of those objectives:

The protection and enhancement of our local environment.

The development of opportunities and services for the young and old.

To support the development of community facilities throughout the Parish.

4.2 The meeting considered the recommendation from the budget working group held on 14 January 2025.

Noting the following:

Requirement for a balanced budget and a precept increase in line with recommendation from Residents Forum of no more than increase of 3%

Core services to be protected

New services budgets for Cleaswell Park, including insurances for park equipment, paths and skate park.

Staff restructure

Reserves

4.3 Earmarked balances and the contribution to the demands of 2025-26

Verge hardening

Woodland Improvements

Phase 2 Cleaswell Park

Public seating improvements

Election and related new members expenses including approval for advance purchase of laptops for new members

 4.4 Members also took into consideration the following factors:

Earmarked balances and contribution to financial strategy

Financial precept cap set by residents.

Increase in tax base of 19%

 RESOLVED: 

1. Members agreed to support the direction given by the budget working group in relation to the management of resources and for the delivery of services for the period 2025/26
2. Members agreed the budget for 2025/26 of £650,693
3. Approved the advance purchase of laptops at a sale price for the incoming council of 2025.

 C074/24         5.         TO SET THE PARISH COUNCIL PRECEPT FOR 2025/26

The Parish Clerk/ Responsible Finance Officer advised that following adoption of the budget for 2024/25 that a precept for the year of £462,435 is required to support that expenditure.

RESOLVED: 

1. Members agreed to set the precept for 2025/26 at £462,435
2. The Parish Clerk/Responsible Finance Officer was directed to advise Northumberland County Council of this requirement.
3. The Parish Clerk was given delegated powers to finalise all contracts and service level agreements as directed by the adopted budget and to develop business plans for the delivery of services for 2024/25.

Agenda – Part 2.  Members can resolve that in consideration of Standing Order 3 and  because of their special and confidential nature, items may require

 consideration after the exclusion of press and public.

None

There being no further business the meeting closed at 18.20

Chairman……………………………………………..                    Date………………………

Report of the Residents Forum

Budget setting meeting

15 January 2025

Background

On establishment Choppington Parish Council embraced the principles of community governance, resolving to engage with its various communities and to deliver only those services and standards as directed by the community.  The Parish Council receives guidance on service standards and the level of precept from the Residents Panel.  Choppington Parish Council has been recognised as an exemplar for the development of local services through community partnership and supports other authorities who want to develop community participation in budgeting.

Meeting

Currently there are 77 members of the Residents Forum but the Parish Council had received a number of apologies and therefore only 9 residents had been able to make the meeting. It was proposed that the budget could be discussed but due to the limited representation the final approval would not be taken to a vote.

The Parish Clerk presented the budget proposal of £503,591 with the proposed precept of £462,435 an increase of 3%.  The precept is within the limit agreed by the 2022/23 Residents Forum previously approved capping any increase in precept to 3% per year until 2025/6.

The Residents Panel reviewed the proposed budget noting the expenditure was being directed towards the achievement of the community’s agreed priorities.

During the presentation members of the Forum were invited to offer opinions on the services provided by the Parish Council, discussion was free ranging and Forum members raised the following points:

Car park at Cleaswell Park – Forum members agreed that the new facilities at Cleaswell Park would be an asset but would be enhanced with a car park.

Flooding – at Sheepwash, where the Parish Council had been working with NCC Highways to prevent water travelling over Sheepwash bridge into Cleaswell Park, the Parish Council would bring to the attention to NCC Highways

• at the Guide Post roundabout which had flooded over the winter.
• Run off across paths at Butlers Wood, which Parish Council is also addressing

Community Facilities – at West Sleekburn and Stakeford and Bomarsund Welfare and   how to attract people to them.

After the meeting members took the opportunity to meet and converse with Parish Councillors informally over refreshments

The next meeting will be the Annual Parish Assembly in May 2025

The meeting closed at 7.45pm