BEPTON PARISH COUNCIL
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Chairman: Mrs Rosalind Hart, Email: beptongate@talktalk.net Tel: 01730 815473
Clerk: Mrs Lorraine Grocott BEM, BA (Hons): Local Policy
23 West Meade, Milland, Liphook, Hants GU30 7NB
Email: postmaster@milland-wsx-gov.co.uk Tel: 01428 741393
Website: http://www.bepton.org

MINUTES of the ANNUAL STATUTORY MEETING of
BEPTON PARISH COUNCIL held on Thursday,
23 May 2019 at The Park House Hotel, Bepton
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PRESENT: Mrs R Hart (Chairman), Dr J Wilkinson (Vice Chairman), Mrs L Sadler,
Mr J Beaumont, Mr J Beckett
Cllr Dr. Kate O’Kelly, Mr H Ewing and two Members of the Public

Newly elected councillors signed the following: –
1) Declaration of Acceptance of Office
2) Consent to receive their Agendas etc. by Email.
3) Completed their Register of Interests.

718. a) Election of Chairman for 2019-20:
Mrs Ros Hart was elected Chairman for 2019-20.
Proposed by Mrs Sadler and seconded by Mr Beckett. Agreed
Chairman’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office: Signed by Mrs Hart.
b) Election of Vice-Chairman: Dr Julia Wilkinson was elected Vice-Chairman.
Proposed by Mrs Hart and seconded by Mr Beckett. Agreed

719. Apologies: Mrs C Bower (Councillor), Cllr J Fowler (District Councillor)

720. The Council will seek to co-opt another councillor before the July meeting.

721. Declaration of Interests on the Agenda items: There were none.

722. Confirmation of dates and times of meeting of the Council for ensuing year: –
2019 – 18th July, 19th September, 28th November and
2020 – 23rd January, 26th March, 14th May (ASM/APA).
Meetings will be held at 7pm in The Park House Hotel, Bepton excluding
the ASM/APA meeting.

723. Minutes of the Meeting – dated 21st March were agreed and signed.

724. Matters arising – There were none.

725. County Councillor – Dr. Kate O’Kelly’s report
• WSCC Budget challenges – £533 million revenue not capital – adult social care – 36%, children and young people 17.4%, highways 5.7% Roads – £6.5M is spent on resurfacing/potholes.
• The latest Ofsted report on Children’s services had been very disappointing. This followed on from a previously poor report. As a result of this the Council had invested £5m. on an improvement plan but the timing of the inspection came too soon for the early improvement work to have a real effect. One of the challenges is the workload, as the number of vulnerable children and families has increased considerably over the last 5 years.

Minutes of the Bepton Parish Council Annual Statutory Meeting, 23 May 2019
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725. continued
• Health update – On 25 April, the West Sussex Health and Wellbeing Board launched the new West Sussex Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2019-2024. CLCs, parish councils are encouraged to consider their priorities set in the Strategy and that impact on health and wellbeing.
• Energy West Sussex is a ‘not for profit’ supplier open to West Sussex and East Sussex and Brighton. Profits go towards a fund to pay for people struggling to pay their bills.

726. REPORTS:
a) Finance: The Clerk reported on the following:

These payments were approved by the Council.

b) 1. Approval of Statement of Assurance for the year ended 31 March 2019: –
The Internal Audit has been carried out in accordance with the Council’s needs and planned coverage and has been examined by Mr. Richard Buckler the internal auditor. He has signed the Internal Audit report. The members acknowledged their responsibility for the accounts and approved the Accounting Statements. The notice of appointment of date for exercise of elector’s rights will be placed on the notice boards. The Right to Inspect will commence on 3 June and end on 12 July 2018.

2. Internal Audit report – Mr Buckler’s Internal Audit Report and the Responsible Financial Officers response is attached to these Minutes. The Internal Audit has been carried out in accordance with the smaller authority’s needs and planned coverage.

3. Summary and Opinion – One of the functions of the Internal Audit is to give assurance to members of the Council that the financial systems are operating correctly and can be relied upon. Regarding the examination, and having regard to the items reported, no matter has come to the Auditor’s attention that gives him reasonable cause to believe in any material respect that the regulatory requirements have not been complied with. The accounting arrangements, procedural control, records and documentary evidence are satisfactory, and accurately record the Council’s financial position.

4. Certificate of Exemption – The Council wishes to certify itself as exempt from submitting an Annual Governance and Accountability Return to the external auditor because during the financial year 2018/19, the higher of the authority’s gross income for the year and gross annual expenditure for the year did not exceed £25,000.
Minutes of Bepton Parish Council Annual Statutory Meeting, 23 May 2019
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5. The Annual Internal Audit Report, Annual Governance Statement, Annual Accounting Statements, an analysis of variances and the bank reconciliation plus the information required by Regulation 15 (2), Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 including the period for the exercise of public rights have been completed and a copy of this certificate, published on the public website http://www.bepton.org before 1 July 2019.

c) NALC New pay scales for 2019-20 – to be implemented from 1 April 2019. 2019-20 Part-time clerk – Hourly Rates April SCP19 = £12.89 per hour / £24,799 per annum.

d) Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payment – The Council has received a CIL payment of £760.50 to be spent on infrastructure improvements in the parish. The payment received in 2018 was used to renovate the WW1 Memorial at Bepton Church as part of the commemorations. Ideas would be discussed at the July meeting. Last year the Council received £760.50 spent £670. Unspent is £90.

727. Chairman’s announcements
a) Gillian Keegan MP has writing a letter of congratulations on being awarded a National Lottery Community Fund grant of £3,165. The defibrillator project provides life-saving equipment to individuals at risk of a cardiac arrest and will transform people’s lives.
b) South Downs National Park – nominations to serve on the Board. As the parish is in the National Park the Council is entitled to nominate a parish councillor to be elected on to the SDNP Board. The Board comprises 27 members, one from each of the County, District and Borough Councils within the Park boundary, two parish representatives from each of Hampshire, East Sussex &West Sussex with the remaining members appointed directly by the Secretary of State. Bepton Council has until 3rd June to return nominations to the SDNP.
c) The Country Inn -It is noted that, by way of affirmative emails from each of the Councillors to the Chairman in April 2019, a resolution was adopted providing that Bepton Parish Council apply for The Country Inn to be placed on Chichester District Council’s Register of Community Assets under the Community Right to Bid.

728. Planning matters: Mrs Hart reported on the following applications –
Mr John Beckett will take over co-ordination of planning responses from Mrs Hart.

SDNP/18/06491/CND
Mr & Mrs Keyes of Hopkiln Cottage, Bugshill Lane request an amendment to planning permission SDNP/14/02424/FUL to change the plans and elevations of the detached garage as a result of a change of access position. Permit

SDNP/19/01182/HOUS
Mr Ray Heagarty of Wickford Point requests to demolish the existing two storey bay window to SE elevation, construct single storey extension to SE elevation with balcony and access from bifold doors in existing first floor opening. Await decision.

SDNP/19/01412/HOUS
Dr & Mrs. Brian Marien of Woolbeding Cottage request to build a single-story extension to the North and West elevations and to alter the West and South elevations of planning permission SDNP/18/03150/HOUS. Await decision.

SDNP/19/01414/CND
Mr. R Bailey of The Paddock, Severals Road requests to vary Condition 2 of planning permission SDNP/18/002288/FUK to install solar panels to the roof slope forming material changes to the approved plans. Await decision.

Minutes of Bepton Parish Council Annual Statutory Meeting, 23 May 2019
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SDNP/19/02131/LDP
The Cowdray Estate requests a Lawful Development Certificate to resurface the existing track at Church Farm with crushed chalk further to SDNP/19/00105/LDE as well as a section 8m north of the existing track not included in this previously permitted LDE. The Council agreed to maintain its objection to this application. Await decision.

729. Highways & Byways –
North Chichester County Local Committee meeting 11th June Compton VH at 7pm
Midhurst Area Cycling meeting – 29th May at The Grange, Midhurst

730. County / District / Local Organisations

731. Date of next meeting: Thursday, 18 July 2019, 7pm at The Park House, Bepton

Chairman: ………………………… Date: …………………….

These Minutes are unconfirmed until signed by the Chairman.