Policy, Resources & Communications

Agenda

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      All Members of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee: (Kate Bailey,
Paul Shepherd, Lesley Cruickshank-Robb and Ian Weir) with copies to all other Councillors for information.

A meeting of the POLICY RESOURCES & COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE will be held on Tuesday 3 September 2024 at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks.

Parish Clerk 27th August 2024

1. TO ACCEPT APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2. TO ACCEPT DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

3. ELECTION OF CHAIR

4. ELECTION OF VICE CHAIR

5. MINUTES. To accept the Minutes of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee held on 16th July 2024. (Previously Circulated).

6. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

7. REMEMBRANCE DAY/PARADE. (Verbal update) To provide members with an update of ongoing discussions regarding potential future arrangements.

8. COMMUNICATIONS. Periodically Members are required to review the current Communications policy which is set out in Appendix 1 and determine whether any further amendments are required. Members requested that this policy be brought to the September meeting for consideration at its last meeting.

Member’s views are sought.

9. COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP. It is apparent at the current time that a number of Committees are vulnerable to being non-quorate, which could result in a scenario where members would not be able to undertake any business.

This has been impacted by a number of factors including Member availability and the fact that some Committees have relatively small memberships post new municipal year (May) and subsequent resignations from the Council:

Planning Committee                                       – 5 Members   (meets approx. every 3 weeks)

Neighbourhood Plan Committee                    – 4 Members   (meets infrequently)

Policy Resources & Communications            – 4 Members   (plus 1 ex-officio member) (every 6 weeks)

Grounds & Environment                                 – 12 Members (meets every 6 weeks)

The table set out in Appendix 2 sets out an analysis of % attendance rates at the respective Committees. Although Standing Orders do permit the use of substitutes in the event a member is unable to attend a meeting this option has rarely been used.

Standing Order 48 Any Member can substitute for any other Member of the Council, with their consent, on the committee or sub-committee in question without notice and shall have the same voting rights as the member being substituted for.

Members are requested to consider whether there are any viable options to improve the resilience of the respective Committees.

The Chair of the Council has raised the option of co-opting additional non-members of the Council onto specific Committees and in particular Planning Committee, however they would not have voting rights, therefore this would not provide additional resilience from an attendees number perspective, but may provide additional skillsets that might benefit a particular Committee. (Appendix 3).

Standing Order 38: The Council may at its Annual Meeting appoint standing committees and may at any other time appoint such other committees as are necessary, but subject to any statutory provision in that behalf:-

(a) Shall not appoint any member of a committee so as to hold office later than the next Annual Meeting.

(b) May appoint persons other than members of the Council to assist in any working party or any committee; and

(c) May, subject to the provisions of Standing Order 35 above, at any time dissolve or alter the membership of committee.

The meeting would still be required to be quorate made up of Council members to enable business to be transacted.

Members’ views are sought.

10. BUSINESS PLAN. Verbal Update.

11. URGENT MATTERS at the discretion of the Chairman for noting and/or inclusion on a future agenda.

12. DATE OF NEXT MEETING. 15 October 2024.

Exclusion of Public and Press In view of the confidential nature of the business about to be transacted Councillors will be referred to the Confidential agenda. If any members of the public or press are present they will be requested to withdraw from the meeting.

CONFIDENTIAL

13. MINUTES. To accept the confidential minutes of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee held on the 16 July 2024 (previously circulated).

14. STAFFING MATTERS. (Appendix 4).

Please Note

All members of the public are welcome to attend meetings of the Parish Council and its Committees.

Item 6 – a period of 15 minutes will be set aside for the public statements and questions relating to the published non-confidential business of the Meeting.  It may be necessary to consider particular items in confidential session and where this arises, these items will be considered at the end of the agenda.

FILMING, RECORDING OF COUNCIL MEETINGS AND USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
During this meeting members of the public may film or record the Committee and officers from the public area only providing it does not disrupt the meeting. The Confidential section of the meeting may not be filmed or recorded. If a member of the public objects to being recorded, the person(s) filming must stop doing so until that member of the public has finished speaking. The use of social media is permitted but members of the public are requested to switch their mobile devices to silent for the duration of the meeting.

APPENDIX 1

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

Policy & Resources Communications

Public Relations Policy and Procedure Policy

The aims of the Communications policy are to engage with the community, through publicising information about the work of the Parish Council, by consulting with the community on appropriate issues, to encourage the public to be involved in supporting the greater good of the community and to raise the profile of the role of the Parish Council. This policy will be implemented in consultation and collaboration with the Clerk.

ALL COMMUNICATIONS, WRITTEN OR OTHERWISE, WILL HAVE A DIRECT LINK TO THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEES, WORKING GROUPS OR EVENTS AT WHICH THE PARISH COUNCIL HAS A REPRESENTATIVE. THERE MAY ALSO BE LINKS TO INFORMATION AND ACTIVITIES OF THE DISTRICT AND COUNTY COUNCILS. ALL OF THIS WILL GIVE CLARITY AS TO WHAT SHOULD BE EXCLUDED.

WE NEED TO CLEARLY DEFINE THE PURPOSE OF EACH COMMUNICATION BECAUSE THAT WILL DETERMINE THE MEANS WE USE TO COMMUNICATE IT.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE PURPOSE OF A COMMUNICATION MAY BE TO:
• INFORM EG. HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL ACTIVITIES
• CONSULT FOR EXAMPLE: PARKING STRATEGY
• ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION FOR EXAMPLE: ECONOMIC GROUP, YOUTH GROUP

INCLUSIVITY

Although official minutes of all meetings are in the public domain and will be on the website, content and news items using other media will be in plain language and in accordance with good practice within the Equalities Act 2010.

For example written communication, including posters and flyers must be accessible to all. All presentations and public consultations must be accessible and inclusive.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Clerk or Assistant Clerk will be responsible for Communications and Public Relations in collaboration with various councillors as below. S/he will be the office contact for implementation.

Final editing of the communication will be a collaboration between the Clerk and the relevant Chairperson.

Any requests for a radio, TV interview or press release should be referred immediately to the Chair of the Parish Council and the Clerk. Advice on how to respond should be sought from the Clerk. The Chair and Clerk will decide which councillor should give an interview if it is to be neither of them.

Press releases will be issued in the name of the Clerk ‘Hassocks Parish Council’ in order to maintain a consistent ‘brand’ of the Council.

In recognition of the Councillor involved in the article this can be acknowledged within the article but if so the item should be signed off ‘from the office of the Clerk to Hassocks Parish Council.’

Procedure with various types of communication

A) News and information relating to projects and specific target groups

Lead Councillors for working groups, or projects focused on various sections of the community, will provide copy for the Clerk who will agree appropriate means of communication. Responsibility for editing and oversight will be the Clerk’s. The Chair of the relevant committee should be copied in at the outset.

B) Consultation events

Public consultation with the community will require criteria to be decided by appropriate committee with the advice of the Clerk. These will include presentations, events and exhibitions.

C) Partner Organisations

Links to or information from Mid Sussex District Council or West Sussex County Council that we have been asked to publicise.

How
Information given to the public will be through the following means:

• The Council’s website and Facebook. Facebook will be used as a notice board and link to the website articles and news only and will have no capacity for responses from the Parish Council. Minutes and agendas are all parts of news updates.

• Twitter to be used as a link only to direct users to the Council’s website articles or news. There will be no capacity for responses from the Parish Council and the facility can be disabled and enabled as appropriate. Minutes and agendas are all part of news updates

• Electronic newsletters to Subscribers signed up to receive Information from the Parish Council. For example ‘Mail chimp’

• Hard copy print in local magazines and / or other literature.

Reviewed by Policy Communications & Resources Committee 15th October 2019 (PRC19/43.2) amended.

APPENDIX 2

Committee Attendance 2024

Month Full Council

15

 Planning
 
7		 Policy Resources & Comms.
8		 Grounds & Environment
 
12		 Neighbourhood Plan
 
6
January 12 6/5 5 – 3
Feb 9 4 – 10 –
March 11 3 5 9 –
April 8 4/5 5 – –
May 10 6 7 4 –
Average % attendance 66.66% 67.35% 68.75% 63.88% 50%
Membership post May 15

 

 7 reduced to 5 8 reduced to 7 Remains at 12 Reduced to 5
June 7 3/3 – – –
July 12 3 5 5 –
August – 3 – – –
Average % attendance 63.33% 60% 71.42% 41.66% –
Current membership 13 5 5 12 4

 

Current position summary.

Full Council currently has two vacancies

Planning currently reduced to 5 Members

Policy & Resources reduced to 5 Members

Grounds & Environment – unchanged

 

APPENDIX 3

Non-councillors may be appointed to different types of committee, these being;

  • Committees (and sub-committees) that are appointed to discharge the functions of a council. However, such committees (and sub-committees) must include at least one councillor (section 102(3) of the Local Government Act 1972) (‘the 1972 Act’); and
  • Advisory committees (and sub- committees) that are appointed advise a council in any matter relating to the discharge of their functions (pursuant to s.102(4) of the 1972 Act). Advisory committees (and sub-committees) may be wholly comprised of persons who are not members of the council. In practice and dependent on their terms of reference, advisory committees are usually comprised of both councillors and those who are not members of the council. Councils often refer to advisory committees (and sub-committees) as working parties/groups/panels.

What is the power?

s.102(3) of the 1972 Act provides that a local council can appoint persons who are not its members to committees and sub-committees (including joint committees and sub-committees).

Does the power apply to all committees?

The power is drafted very broadly and applies to a council’s committees and subcommittees (including joint committees and sub-committees) other than:

‘A committee for regulating and controlling the finance of the local authority or of their area.’

Why appoint non-councillors?

Non-councillor members may be appointed to a committee (or sub-committee) because they can offer specialist knowledge, expertise or enthusiasm in the work of the committee (or sub-committee) or because they represent sections of the local community that are relevant to the work of the committee (or sub-committee). For example an open spaces or recreational facilities committee may include non-councillors who represent local sports clubs or schools.

Disqualification

S.102 (3) of the 1972 Act provides that a person can be appointed as a non-councillor member of a committee (or sub-committee) unless they have been disqualified pursuant to s.104 of the 1972 Act. S.104 confirms that a person is disqualified if he would be disqualified from being elected or being a member of a local authority pursuant to Part V of the 1972 Act. S. 80 of the 1972 Act sets out the circumstances in which a person is disqualified from being a member of a council. In summary, a non-councillor cannot sit on a committee if he or she:

  • holds any paid office or employment (other than the office of chair, vice chair or deputy chair) to which he has been appointed by the council or any committee or sub-committee of the council, or by a paid officer of the council, or by any joint committee on which the council is represented; or
  • is the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim bankruptcy order; or
  • has within five years before the day of election, or since his election, been convicted in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man of any offence and has had passed on him a sentence of imprisonment of at least three months (whether suspended or not) without the option of a fine; or
  • has been found guilty of corrupt or illegal practices or was responsible for incurring unlawful expenditure and the court orders his disqualification.

Voting Rights

By virtue of s.13(1) and (7) of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (‘the 1989 Act’), non-councillor members of committees and sub-committees do not have voting rights. There are 5 important exceptions to this rule.

ss.13(3) and (4)(e) of the 1989 Act confirm that non-councillors members of advisory committees and sub-committees have voting rights.

Regulation 3 of The Parish and Community Councils (Committees) Regulations 1990 (SI 1990/2476) confirms that non-councillor members of committees and subcommittees have voting rights in respect of:

  • the management of land owned or occupied by the council;
  • the functions of the council as a harbour authority (as defined in s. 57(1) of the Harbours Act 1964);
  • any function under s. 144 of the 1972 Act relating to the promotion of tourism;
    and
  • any function under s. 145 of the 1972 Act relating to the management of a festival.

The term “management” does not include making decisions about the total amount of money which may be spent by the council in a financial year in respect of land or a festival.

 

Minutes

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the meeting of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee held on 3rd September 2024 at 7.30pm in Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks

Attendees: Parish Councillors, Ian Weir, Paul Shepherd, Lesley Cruikshank-Robb, Frances Gaudencio and Kristian Berggreen.

Parish Clerk: Ian Cumberworth

MINUTES

PRC24/27    APOLOGIES – none

Absent without apologies: Cllr Bailey

PRC24/28    DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS

Disclosure by Councillors of personal interests in matters on the agenda, and whether the Councillor regards their interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct. – None.

PRC24/29    ELECTION OF CHAIR

The Clerk advised in light of the recent resignation of Cllr McBeth it would be necessary for the Committee to consider nominating a new Chair for the year.

Members were invited to nominate a Chair for the forthcoming year. It was proposed that Cllr Weir be nominated for the role of Chair. All Members present were in support of this proposal.

Members therefore RESOLVED to APPROVE the appointment of Cllr Weir as Chair of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee.

PRC24/30    ELECTION OF VICE CHAIR

Members were invited to nominate a representative for the Vice Chair of the Committee. It was proposed that Cllr Shepherd be nominated as Vice Chair of the Committee, all Members present were in support of this proposal.

Members therefore RESOLVED to APPROVE the appointment of Cllr Shepherd as Vice Chair of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee.

PRC24/31    MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on the 16th July 2024 were accepted as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

PRC24/32    PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

No members of the public were present.

PRC24/33    REMEMBERANCE DAY PARADE.

A verbal update was provided to Members by Cllr Gaudencio. Members were advised that the member leading this initiative had recently resigned from the Council therefore further progress had been limited. Although contact had been made previously with external parties who had indicated initially they would be interested in exploring opportunities to promote and support the event at a future point, when subsequently trying to engage in further discussions only a limited response was received.

Since the initial explorative discussions were held with the Church there have been a number of capacity issues which would mean it would be unrealistic to do anything this year, however planning for next year’s event could commence early in the new year with a view to re-instating the parade/road closures etc.

Members acknowledged that it would be unrealistic to achieve anything this year but were keen to take a greater role in the event next year when sufficient time would be available to plan the occasion in consultation with the church.

Members AGREED that the Council did not have capacity to support the event more actively this year due to capacity and timeframe, however they requested the Clerk to liaise with the Church to confirm arrangements were in place for this year (Sunday 10th November).

The Clerk agreed to contact the church to confirm arrangements for the remembrance services at the respective churches together with arrangements to obtain wreaths.

Members remained keen to explore opportunities to support the event in future years

PRC24/34    COMMUNICATIONS

The Councils current communications policy was set out in Appendix 1 which is required to be reviewed periodically therefore members were requested to consider whether any further amendments were required. Members felt that the existing policy needed to be extended to cover the use of social media and images used for the promotion of events etc. Members AGREED that the Clerk be tasked with updating the policy to provide further guidelines on the use of social media and images in relation to Council business to reflect Members views and that a paper be brought back to a future Committee for consideration and approval.

The Clerk further advised Members that the Parish Council had been invited to attend and participate in this year’s ‘Hassocks on Show’ event scheduled for Saturday 26th October 2024 and sought member’s views as to whether they wished to participate this year. All Members AGREED that the Council should participate and requested the Clerk to respond accordingly.

PRC24/35    Committee Membership

The Clerk introduced the paper set out in (Appendix 2) which summarised the attendance levels at the respective committees since the start of the year. The table illustrated that some Committees were more susceptible of not being quorate. Although all Committees have been quorate, on one occasion the planning committee had been at risk of not being held.

Although within Standing Orders there is provision for Members to nominate a substitute Member to attend on their behalf if they are likely to be absent, this option has not been taken up, and consequently some Committees could be vulnerable to not being quorate.

The Chair of the Council had also raised the option of co-opting a non-elected representative onto committees such as planning, however they would not have voting rights therefore the Committee would still require (3 Councillors) to be present to be quorate therefore from a resilience perspective this would not change the current situation, however any co-opted representative may be able to bring additional expertise to any discussion.

The view was expressed that Members should be encouraged to utilise Standing Orders to nominate a substitute member if they are unable to attend a meeting, although it was acknowledged that this would not always be practical. Members felt that further requests be put out to Members to join Planning in particular which at present is the most vulnerable to not being quorate. It was AGREED that this would be raised at Full Council to see if any further Members were prepared to join Planning Committee.

Members considered the option of co-option of non-elected Members onto Committees and in particular for the Planning Committee. Members expressed the view that at this point they would not be supportive of this option as they felt that it would provide limited benefit in that the issue would remain about the Committee being quorate.

PRC24/36    Business Plan

Members were advised that a revised draft plan has recently been produced that will be circulated for Members to consider at its next meeting.

PRC24/37    URGENT MATTERS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIRMAN – Cllr Gaudencio raised a query regarding the intention to bring a report forward on section 106 funding at this meeting. The Clerk advised that he was awaiting a copy of the latest report from Mid Sussex District Council so that this can be considered by this Committee.

PRC24/38    DATE OF NEXT MEETING

To note that the date of the next as Tuesday 15th October 2024 at 7.30pm