Agenda and draft minutes

To consider apologies and reasons for absence.

Committee members who are unable to attend the meeting should notify the Committee Clerk derek.mackenzie@witney-tc.gov.uk prior to the meeting, stating the reason for absence.

Standing Order 30(d)(v) permits the appointment of substitute Councillors to a Committee whose role is to replace ordinary  ...  view the full agenda text for item F647

An apology for absence was received from Cllr A Bailey.

Members are reminded to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests in any of the items under consideration at this meeting in accordance with the Town Council’s code of conduct.

Councillor O Collins declared a registrable non-pecuniary interest in respect of Agenda Item 10 as he was a non-paid Director and Interim Chair of West Oxfordshire Community Transport.

Cllr R Smith declared a personal, non-pecuniary interest in respect of Agenda Items 12 and 16 as she was a member of  ...  view the full minutes text for item F648

a)   To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Policy, Governance and Finance Committee meeting held on 30 September 2024.

b) Matters arising from the minutes not covered elsewhere on the agenda (Questions on the progress of any item).

The minutes of the Policy, Governance & Finance Committee meeting held on 30 September 2024 were received.

Resolved:

That, the minutes of the Policy, Governance & Finance Committee meeting held on 30 September 2024 be approved as a correct record of the meetings and be signed by the Chair.

The meeting will adjourn for this item.

Members of the public may speak for a maximum of five minutes each during the period of public participation, in line with Standing Order 42.  Matters raised shall relate to the following items on the agenda.

There was no public participation.

To receive and approve the Witney Town Council Co-option Policy

The Committee received and considered a draft policy on co-option to the Council.

Officers advised it was best practice to adopt such a policy for the future should it be required. A Member noted a small minor administrative amendment was required but the Committee supported adopting the policy.

Resolved:

That,  ...  view the full minutes text for item F651

To receive and approve the Witney Town Council Bio-Diversity Policy subject to any changes deemed necessary by the Climate, Biodiversity & Planning Committee at their meeting 26 November 2024.

The Committee received and considered a draft Biodiversity Policy.

Members were pleased to see most of the suggestions in the policy were already being undertaken by the Council and asked that the employment of a Biodiversity & Green Spaces Officer be included as a further way it demonstrated its biodiversity obligations.  ...  view the full minutes text for item F652

To receive and approve the updated Witney Town Third Party Events Policy.

The Committee received and considered the report of the Venue & Events Officer concerning disabled parking provision at third-party events held at The Leys, the item being referred via Full Council on 29 July 2024.

Members were pleased this item was being considered and recalled issues arising from the Witney Carnival.  ...  view the full minutes text for item F653

Cllr R Crouch left the meeting briefly at 6.19pm, returning at 6.21pm

To receive and consider the schedule of accounts paid and bank reconciliations from the Responsible Financial Officer (RFO).

The Committee received the report of the Responsible Financial Officer with the accompanying payment schedules, bank statements and reconciliations.

There were no questions from Members but officers advised there were several direct debits taken without authorisation totalling £374.89 to 5 November 2024.  As of that date, £190.45 had been claimed  ...  view the full minutes text for item F654

To receive and consider the interim report of the Internal Auditor, Auditing Solutions for 2024/25.

The Committee received the interim 2024/25 audit report from the Council’s internal auditors, Auditing Solutions.

Officers advised it was a satisfactory report and there were some minor areas where actions could and would be strengthened.

Members thanked officers for their hard work in obtaining the clean report, it was reassuring  ...  view the full minutes text for item F655

To receive and consider the report of the Deputy Town Clerk.

The Committee received and considered the report of the Deputy Town Clerk highlighting how funds awarded under the General Power of Competence by the Council had been expended.

Members were pleased to receive the updates, noting the social value of how awarded grants had benefited Witney and its residents. Providing  ...  view the full minutes text for item F656

To receive and consider the report of the Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) and the Draft Revised Revenue Budget for 2024/25 and Draft Budget for 2025/26.

To Follow

The Committee received and considered the report of the Responsible Financial Officer (R.F.O) which outlined the revised revenue budgets for 2024-25, draft estimates for 2025-26 and the budget parameters being worked to.

Members were advised the revenue budgets were concerned with costing the things the Council was already doing and  ...  view the full minutes text for item F657

Cllr R Crouch left the meeting at 19.25pm during the next item.

Cllr O Collins left the meeting at 19.29pm during the next item.

To receive and consider the report of the Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) with an update on the current year’s work programme relating to Capital and Special Revenue Projects; as well as projects identified during the course of the year for inclusion as Revenue Growth Items or Special Revenue Projects in  ...  view the full agenda text for item F658

The Committee received and considered the report of the Responsible Financial Officer (R.F.O)

Members were advised this part of the budget included all the ideas and recommendations from the Council’s spending Committees and all had different statuses. This was where the real budgetary pressures would arise for 2025-26.

In terms  ...  view the full minutes text for item F658

Resolved:

That, as the meeting was expecting to extend beyond two hours in length, standing order 48(a)  be suspended in order to allow the meeting to continue for a further 30 minutes.

During the Budget Setting Cycle the Council reviews its Fees and Charges for various facilities and services it operates.

Attached are the schedules of fees & charges which have been RECOMMENDED for approval by the respective spending committees:

a.      Burials Fees & Charges

b.      Public Halls Fees & Charges

c.      Recreation Fees & Charges  ...  view the full agenda text for item F660

The Committee received and considered the recommended fees and charges for the Council’s services from 1 April 2025.

The increases were modest at 2% but reflected the increased cost the Council incurred in providing the services.

Work was being undertaken by officers on some burial fees to compare against similar  ...  view the full minutes text for item F660

To receive and consider the report of the Deputy Town Clerk.

The Committee received and considered the report of the Deputy Town Clerk.

Members noted the majority of recommendations throughout the last Committee cycle were for the new financial year but agreed with those for 2024/25.

Resolved:

1.      That, the report and verbal update be noted and,

2.      That, recommendations of  ...  view the full minutes text for item F661

To receive and consider the report of the Responsible Financial Officer (R.F.O)

The Committee received the report of the Deputy Town Clerk/Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) concerning grant activity to local organisations.

Members were updated on the progress of the 50^th Anniversary Grants fund and ratified the recommendations of the Chair of the Committee on the next set of awards. Officers confirmed  ...  view the full minutes text for item F662

To receive and consider the report of the Project Officer.

The Committee received and considered the report of the Project Officer concerning distribution of a £1,000 social value fund donated by the Council’s Christmas Lights Contractor, LITE Ltd.

Members were delighted to be able to provide funds to several groups in Witney which would help make Christmas a more pleasant  ...  view the full minutes text for item F663

To consider and if appropriate, to pass the following resolution:

That in accordance with section 1(2) of the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960, and as extended by Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public, including the press, be excluded from the meeting because of the  ...  view the full agenda text for item F664

Resolved:

That in accordance with section (1(2) of the Public Bodies (admission to Meetings) Act 1960, and as extended by Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public, including the press, be excluded from the meeting because of the confidential nature of the following business to be transacted.  ...  view the full minutes text for item F664

To receive and consider the confidential report of the Town Clerk/C.E.O.

The Committee received and considered the confidential report of the Town Clerk/C.E.O.

Members were updated on the situation with the Witney Allotment Association, previously discussed at the Halls, Cemeteries & Allotments Committee, funding for the St Mary’s Clock and Carillon, maintenance of which fell to the Town Council as it held  ...  view the full minutes text for item F665

To receive and consider the confidential minutes of the Personnel Sub-Committee meeting held on 21 October 2024, and approve the recommendations contained therein. (Sent under separate cover).

The Committee received the minutes of the Personnel Sub Committee meeting held on 21 October 2024.

Resolved:

That, the confidential minutes of the Personnel Sub-Committee meeting held on 21 October 2024, and the recommendations contained therein be approved.