Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor B Murphy.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relating to the work of the body in question.  Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.

With reference to minute 18 of the last meeting, Councillor L Brown expressed concern at the amount allocated to grants and for the contingency sum both of which she considered were too high.  The Chairman responded that recommendations of the Sub-Committee had been considered and approved by the Constitution Committee at its meeting on 29 January 2015.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 16 January 2015 as a correct record.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 16 January 2015 be approved as a correct record.

Jackie Weaver, Chief Officer, Cheshire Association of Local Councils has been invited to attend the meeting to participate in discussions on these items:

a)    To agree a process and timescale for the appointment of an Interim Parish Clerk.

b)      To agree a provisional date and draft agenda for Annual Parish Council Meeting and Parish meeting.

The Annual Meeting for the Parish Council must be convened by Cheshire East Council no later than 14 days after the Parish Councillors take office.  A Parish Meeting, which is a meeting of all the electors of the Parish who are entitled to attend and vote, would then take place immediately following.

It is suggested that the meetings be held in the evening with the first commencing at 7.00 pm.  Room availability for the week commencing 18 May 2015 will be reported at the meeting.

It is suggested that Parish Councillors be invited to attend a welcome briefing, at which declarations of acceptance of office can be signed and other procedural matters addressed, prior to the commencement of the meetings, at say 4.30pm.

A suggested draft agenda for both these meetings is attached for consideration.

Consideration was given to the process and timescale for the appointment of an Interim Parish Clerk and to the provisional date and draft agenda for the Annual Parish Council Meeting which had to be convened no later than 14 days after the Parish Councillors took office, and for the Annual Parish Meeting which had to be held before the end of June. 

Jackie Weaver, of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils (ChALC) was welcomed to the meeting to which she had been invited to attend and participate in discussion on these items.

APPOINTMENT OF AN INTERIM PARISH CLERK

The Sub-Committee was advised that a Parish Clerk for the new council could only be appointed by the Sub-Committee on an interim basis, in order to assist the new council in its early days, and that it would be for the Parish Council itself to appoint a clerk of its choice in due course. 

It was noted that in previous such instances help had been provided by ChALC which had contacted the clerks at councils in its membership to seek applications from any who were willing to assist the new council for a limited period of time; ChALC confirmed that it would be willing to assist in this way again.  It was noted that the council to which the clerk was already attached would need to be willing and able to accommodate the commitment required.

Members welcomed the assistance of ChALC and said they would like the advertisement for the interim post to reach as many candidates as possible.   A model person spec for a clerk to the Council, and associated job description, were circulated and this was discussed along with preferred timescales.  It was proposed that the closing date for applications be the first week of March with interviews taking place in the week commencing 16 March 2015. 

The Chairman and the Registration Service and Business Manager agreed that they would assess the applications, and prepare a shortlist of people for interview by the Sub-Committee, but that all the applications would be circulated to the Sub-Committee for information and to enable them to comment if they so wished.

RESOLVED

1.    That the post of interim parish clerk be advertised via ChALC contacting its members to alert them of the vacancy.

2.    That the closing date for applications be the first week of March and that interviews be held in the week commencing 16 March 2015.

3.    That the Chairman and the Registration Service and Business Manager prepare a shortlist for interview but that all applications be circulated to the Sub-Committee for information and comment.

PROVISIONAL DATE AND AGENDA FOR THE INAUGURAL AND ANNUAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

It was reported that the Annual Meeting for the Parish Council had to be convened by Cheshire East Council no later than 14 days after the Parish Councillors took office.  A Parish Meeting, which was a meeting of all the electors of the Parish who were entitled to attend and vote, would then take place  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

The next meeting will be held on 1 April 2015 at 10.30am in the Council Chamber, Macclesfield.

It was noted that the next meeting was due to be held on 1 April 2015 at 10.30am in the Council Chamber, Macclesfield.