Hassocks Parish Council

Agenda

A meeting of the Parish Council is being held on Tuesday 13 February 2024 at 7.30 pm in the Council Chamber, Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks.

Parish Clerk 7th February 2024

AGENDA

1. APOLOGIES

To accept Apologies for absence

2. DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS

2.1 To deal with any disclosure by Members of any disclosable pecuniary interests and interests other than pecuniary interests, as defined under Hassocks Parish Council’s Code of Conduct and the Localism Act 2011, in relation to matters on the agenda.

3. MINUTES

3.1. To accept the minutes of the Parish Council meeting 9th January 2024

4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Up to fifteen minutes will be available to allow for the public to make representations, answer questions or give evidence in respect of any items of business included in the agenda, in accordance with Standing Orders.

5. TO ACCEPT THE FOLLOWING MINUTES

5.1       Planning Committee – to agree the minutes for the 8th January 2024 and note the minutes for the 29th January 2024.

5.2      Policy Resources & Communications – to note the minutes for 16th January 2024.

6. FINANCE

6.1       To approve the Financial Report and authorise the list of payments in the sum of £19,420.30 issued between 1st December 2023 and 31st December 2023. (Appendix 1). To view Appendix 1 please click here.

7. REPORTS

7.1.      West Sussex County Councillor

7.2.      Mid Sussex District Councillors Report

7.3       Police Report

7.4.      Rail Matters

7.5.      Youth Initiatives

7.6.      Reports from Councillors on meetings outside bodies where the Council

Is represented.

8. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

8.1       Current matters (oral report).

9. CLERK’S REPORT

9.1 Grants 2023/24 (Phase 2)

The purpose of this report is to inform the Council of the Grant applications received as part of the second phase of awards. The Council agreed a total budget of £5,000 for grants and donations to local groups and organisations for 2023/24. The current grant application process is set out in (Appendix 2) the following grants were awarded in September 2023/24 in phase 1 of the allocations process. To view Appendix 2 please click here.

No. Applicant Funding agreed
1 Mid Sussex Radio £500
2 St Johns Ambulance £250
3 St Catherine’s Hospice £300
4 Victim Support £250
5 Air Ambulance £300
6 4 Sight Vision Support £500
7 Oldland Mill Trust £600
8 St Peters & James Hospice £600
Grants Awarded – Phase 1 September 2023 £3,300

 

Based on the above allocations there remains up to £1,700 available within the budget to be potentially allocated as part of the phase 2 of awards.

Phase 2 Grant Applications – February 2024

No. Applicant Purpose Funding sought
1 Cycling without Age (Hurstpierpoint & Hassocks) Towards Insurance/bike Maintenance /Advertising £600
2 Greener Hassocks & Ditchling (formerly HKD) Greener Hassocks & Ditchling Climate Hub Events £800
Grants applied for. £1,400

 

Supporting documents for the current applications are attached as (Appendix 3) setting out the purpose of grant sought which members should consider. To view Appendix 3 please click here.

Based on the current submissions the total value could be met within the remaining grant budget allocation if members were supportive of the submission.

RECOMMENDATION: The Council is invited to consider the above applications, and determine the level of grant awards for 2023/24 phase 2 taking into account the contents of the applications and the available budget.

9.2 Hassocks Community Organisation have approached the Council to request that the Council consider nominating a new parish representative to attend their meetings. The role had previously been fulfilled by Cllr Sewell who stepped down as a Councillor earlier in the year.

The Council would normally nominate parish representatives to attend outside groups at its May meetings. Members are invited to either consider nominating a representative at this point, or alternatively defer any decision until its May meeting.

Members’ views are sought

10. URGENT MATTERS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIRMAN for noting and/or inclusion on a future agenda.

11. DATE OF NEXT MEETING

To note that the date of the next Council meeting is Tuesday 12th March 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 in attendance they will be requested to withdraw from the meeting in the public interest.

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.

Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held on 13th February 2024

at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks

Attendees: Parish Councillors Frances Gaudencio (Vice Chair), David Bunting, Sue Hatton, Bill Hatton,   Don McBeth, Paul Shepherd, Peter Richardson, Kristian Berggreen and Lesley Cruickshank-Robb.

Visiting members: WSCC – Kirsty Lord

Parish Clerk: Ian Cumberworth

MINUTES

PC23/121     APOLOGIES   Cllr Ian Weir, Cllr Barton, Cllr Simmons and Cllr Brewer

Absent without apologies Cllr Neil and Cllr Bailey.

PC23/122     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

PC23/123     MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on the 9th January 2024, were accepted as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

PC23/124     PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

No members of the public were present.

PC23/125     MINUTES

125.1     Members agreed the minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on the
8th January 2024 and noted the minutes for the meeting for 29th January 2024.

125.2    Members noted the minutes of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee for the 16th January 2024.

PC23/126     FINANCE

126.1 Members considered the finance reports and the supporting bank statements and reviewed the following payment list for the period 1st December – 31st December 2023 and APPROVED in the sum of £19,420.30. It was confirmed that all bank reconciliations will be incorporated within the agenda papers even where no movement has occurred between periods.

PC23/127     Reports

127.1     County Councillors reports: – (KL)

Budget:

Cllr Lord informed Members that County were due to hold their final budget meeting this Friday. Due to the current financial pressures it has been extremely challenging for County to close the budget gap but they have managed to do so, however future years will remain challenging. The pressure on the budget has also been impacted by increased demand for services.

KL provided an example of the impact on the budget of the current water neutrality requirements in place for Chichester and Horsham housing developments. As a result of this restriction development in these areas the Council Tax property base across the County has only increased by 0.8% which is significantly below what was budgeted/anticipated. The impact of this will be that expected revenue to be raised from the increased property base will reduce Council Tax by £2.8 M.

The Net Budget will be £761 M split across various service areas and Capital Budget (5 year programme) £695 M.

KL indicated that of the £761 M only £47 M related to Highways one of the highest profile services. Members queried whether this represented an increase on previous years in real terms, KL undertook to provide further information to clarify this query.

Various data had been gathered/analysed by County that would indicate certain demographics, notably a greater proportion of elder people will continue to grow rapidly within the County which will impact on the demands for services provided by County which in turn are likely to pressure budgets further in future years.

County were expecting to deliver a balanced budget in 2023/24 without the need to use reserves although this may not be the case in future years. The current forecast gap for 2024/25 is £58 M.

Recycling Centre – Burgess Hill – with effect from Monday this week (12/2) individuals will now need to book any visits. This arrangement had been trialled successfully at numerous sites across the County prior to being rolled out more widely across the County. From the trial sites it was established that after the initial bedding in period the scheme worked well and it’s anticipated this will also realise efficiency savings.

Woodlands Mead school – no opening date has been confirmed yet.

 

Ockley Lane – (patching/overlay) Cllr Lord confirmed that currently a resurfacing programme is scheduled for the forthcoming financial year 2024/25 in the Annual delivery plan and will cover stretches covering Beacons – Wellhouse Lane – Broadlands.

127.2     District Councillor Report Cllr Sue Hatton advised Members there were no matters to report.

127.3     Police Report – The Clerk informed Members that Police beat surgeries previously held in the Parish office have now been arranged to be held at South Downs Nurseries  to encourage greater engagement with officers and also be more visible to the wider community:

22nd February 11-1pm

21st March     11-1pm

25th April         11-1 pm

127.4     Rail Matters – nothing to report

127.5     Youth Initiatives – nothing to report

127.6     Report from Councillors on meetings of outside bodies where the Council is represented – None.

PC23/128  CHAIRMANS REPORT – Cllr Gaudencio advised Members that the Council are continuing to develop suggestions/format for the Annual Parish meeting and these will be considered shortly by Policy Resources & Communications Committee and will then be brought back to the wider membership.

PC23/129     CLERK’S REPORT

The Clerk introduced the report and informed Members this report represented the second phase of grant applications being considered this financial year.

The overall budget for the year was £5,000 of which £3,300 was allocated at its September meeting, therefore members have potentially £1,700 to allocate at today’s meeting. The Council had received funding bids for up to £1,400 therefore members will be invited to review each grant application in turn and determine the funding allocation if any in each case.

Members were requested to review the table set out on page 2 of the agenda which set out details of the phase 1 grants awarded in September together with a summary of the current funding bids received for phase 2 which were too be considered.

To assist members the grant application process and conditions were set out in Appendix 2 and the two current grant applications and supporting information were set out in Appendix 3.

The Council carefully considered each of the following grant applications taking into account the purpose of the funding request and the level of support being sought, together with the content set out within the respective submissions. Detailed discussions were held on the merits of each submission. After careful consideration members determined the following grant requests.

No Applicant Funding Sought
1 Cycling without Age £600
Members RESOLVED to award the sum of £600
2 Greener Hassocks & Ditchling (Formerly HKD). £800
Members RESOLVED  to award the sum of £800
Total Allocated – Phase 2                                                      £1,400

 

Members RESOLVED to allocate £1,400 from the remaining 2023/24 grants budget in relation to the phase 2 grant applications.

The remaining unallocated funds of £300 will be returned back to General Reserves.

PC23/130    Hassocks Community Organisation (HCO) – Members considered whether to nominate a replacement delegate to represent the Parish Council on HCO at this time or to defer this to the May meeting when appointments to outside bodies are normally considered.

Due to the closeness of the May meeting Members RESOLVED to defer any appointment until the May meeting when the matter will be considered alongside all other appointments to outside bodies.  

PC23/131     URGENT MATTERS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIRMAN – none.

PC23/132     DATE OF NEXT MEETING

To note that the date of the next Parish Council meeting is Tuesday 12th March 2024 at 7.30pm.