Skip to content Skip to left sidebar Skip to right sidebar Skip to footer

Agenda for Annual Town Council meeting to be held on Monday, 11th May 2026

 Mere Town Council

Town Clerk – Mrs. L. C. Wood

6th May 2026

Dear Councillor,

 

You are summoned to the ANNUAL MEETING OF MERE TOWN COUNCIL to be held on Monday, 11TH May 2026 at 7.00 pm at Duchy Manor, Springfield Road, Mere, Wiltshire.  BA12 6EW.  The meeting will consider the items set out below.

 

Before the meeting there will be a public session to enable the people of Mere to ask questions of, and make comments, regarding the Town Council.  Questions not answered at this meeting will be answered in writing to the person asking the question, or may appear as an agenda item for the next meeting.  Members of the public are asked to restrict their comments, and/or questions to three minutes.

Please Note: By entering the meeting room you are consenting to the use of your name being recorded in the Minutes.  The meeting may also be recorded by the press or members of the public.  Any person or organisation choosing to film, record or broadcast any meeting of the Council or its committees is responsible for any claims or other liability resulting from them so doing and by choosing to film, record or broadcast proceedings they accept that they are required to indemnify the Council, its members and officers in relation to any such claims or liabilities.

Any person who may find difficulty in access to the meeting through disability is asked to advise the Clerk by email (lindseywood@merewilts.org) at least 24 hours before the meeting so that every effort may be made to provide access.

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Lindsey Wood,

Town Clerk & RFO

 

Public Participation Session

Members of the public are invited to address the Council on any issue over which it has a power. This session will be limited to 15 minutes (3 minutes per speaker). The Chairman will convene the Town Council meeting after the public session (please note that once the meeting has been convened members of the public are no longer permitted to speak unless invited to do so by the Chairman).

 

Reports from Local Police Representatives.

 

AGENDA

 

  1. To elect Chair of the Town Council for 2026/27 and to receive the Chair’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

 

  1. To elect Vice-Chair of the Town Council for 2026/27 and to receive the Vice-Chair’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office

 

  1. Apologies for Absence

Schedule 12 of the Local Government Act 1972 requires a record to be kept of the members present and that this record form part of the minutes of the meeting.  Members who cannot attend a meeting should tender apologies to the Town Clerk.

 

  1. Declarations of Interest
  • To receive Declarations of Interest relating to matters contained in this agenda, in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972 in respect of officers and the Localism Act 2011 in respect of members.
  • To receive written requests for new DPI dispensations.

Members are invited to declare disclosable pecuniary interests and other interests in items on the agenda as required by the Mere Town Council Code of Conduct for Members and by the Localism Act 2011.  The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.  If you become aware, during the course of a meeting, of an interest that has not been disclosed under this item, you must immediately disclose it.  Whether you can remain in the meeting and the extent to which you can participate depends on the type of interest you have.

 

  1. Minutes – To approve as a correct record, the minutes of the Town Council meeting held on Monday, 6th April 2026 ( attached)

 

  1. Standing Orders – To approve and adopt the Standing Orders for Mere Town Council (attached)

 

  1. Financial Regulations – To approve and adopt the Financial Regulations for Mere Town Council (attached)

 

  1. Internal Auditor – To appoint an Internal Auditor

 

  1. Committee Structures – To review Committee Structures and appointment of any committees in accordance with standing order 4 and, if appointing committees, to consider Terms of Reference and membership.

 

  1. Working Groups – To appoint members, including Convenors, to serve on Working Groups as required.

 

  1. Staffing Panel – To appoint members, including the Chairman to serve on the Staffing Panel

 

  1. Appeals Committee – To appoint members, including the Chairman, to serve on the Appeals Committee

 

  1. Appointment to outside bodies – To appoint representatives on the under mentioned bodies as required:

 

Review of representation on or work with external bodies and arrangements for reporting back;

Organisation 2025/26 Representative 2026/27 Representative
Youth Club, Seeds4Success, CAYPIG (Community Area Young People) Cllrs. S. Catley, A Colman & G. Ings.  
Cricket Club Cllr. G. Ings  
Health & Community Care Cllr. R. Hill  
Tennis Club Cllr. G. Jeans  
Football Club Cllr. S. Catley & Cllr. S. Pester  
Public Transport Cllr. John Jordan  
Mere & District Linkscheme Cllr. Colman & Cllr. Sam Dean + Adrienne Howell  
Museum Committee Cllrs. G. Jeans & C. Hazzard  
Footpaths & Rights of Way Cllr. Alan Mead  
Chamber of Trade Chair & Cllr. Hazzard  
Friends of Mere Museum Cllr. J. Jordan  
School Governor Cllr. Ings  
St. Michaels PCC Cllr. P. Coward  
Mere Bowling Club Cllr. G. Ings  
Carnival Committee Cllr. J. Jordan  
Area Board & LHFIG Chair & Vice-Chairman  
Mere Film Shows Mrs. Rosie Jordan-Barr  
Rivers Group Cllrs. R, Cowand & Cllr. Debbie Beale  
Trustees of Mere Forest Charity Cllr. Rodney Coward, Clive Hazzard, George Jeans, Ann Rich & Andrew Rees.  

 

  1. Asset Register – To review the Town Council asset register at 31.3.26 (attached) & Asset Management Policy (attached)

 

*17. Insurance Policy – To review the Council’s Insurance Policy and discuss/decide on alterations. (see Clerks Report)

 

  1. Banking and Financial Policies
  2. To review the Council’s banking and signatory arrangements including Draft Business Debit Card Policy (attached)
  3. *To approve the schedule for Standing Orders and Direct Debits (in Clerks Report)
  4. *To approve membership and subscriptions for the council year (in Clerks Report)

 

  1. Policies

To review and decide on amendments to Council policies:

  1. Scheme of Delegation (attached)
  2. Annual Reserves Policy (attached)
  3. Governance & Management Risk Register (pending review)

 

  1. Meetings of the Council

To fix the dates and times of ordinary meetings of the Council and Committees (if any) for the ensuing year.

 

  1. 21. Matters Arising from Public Session

 

  1. Matters Arising from previous Meetings (not covered by other agenda items)
  2. a) The Old Nursery Site at Burton:
  • Does the Town Council want to lodge an official complaint to Wiltshire Council for not following their planning process?
  • In view of representations made at the Annual Town Meeting – does the Town Council want to call a public meeting, inviting representatives of various organisations (Wiltshire Council Planning, Enforcement, Strategic Planning, Police, National Highways, Wessex Water, Environment Agency, Southern Electric) in order to address issues raised by members of public?

 

  1. Reports & Consultations
  2. a) Proposed Fire Station Closures: Feedback on online meetings and final consultation response campaign.
  3. b) Wiltshire Councillor’s Report
  4. c) Project Co-Ordinator’s report (attached)

 

  1. Planning
  2. a) Applications for consultation response:

 

Application No: PL/2026/01882
Application Type: Householder planning permission
Proposal: Rear and side extensions to house, with internal alterations
Site Address: Wheelwrights Cottage, Burton, Mere, Warminster, BA12 6BR
Planning Register Link: https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0iQ300000KNj7N

 

 

Application No: PL/2026/02465
Application Type: Full planning permission
Proposal: Construction of steel frame storage barn
Site Address: Longmead, Barrow Street, Mere, Warminster, BA12 6AB
Planning Register Link: https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0iQ300000KwS6r

 
  1. b) Report on southern area planning committee meeting held on Thursday, 23rd April where the outline planning application PL/20255/07327 for up to  28 dwellings at Woodlands Road was considered
  2. Highways, Rivers, Footpaths, Traffic & Transport
  3. a) To identify jobs for the Parish Steward, Sparkle Team and MyWiltshire reports.
  4. b) Report on LHFIG meeting held on 11th March 2026 and also to consider revised plan for waiting restrictions in Salisbury Street & Hazzards Hill. (plan attached)

 

  1. Buildings, Open Spaces, Play Areas, Sports Grounds, Car Parks, Allotments & Cemeteries
  2. a) Update on allotment rent audit.
  3. b) Issue with movement of North Chapel and possible grant funding options (potential grant information attached)

 

  1. Finance, Policy & Resources

*a)  Payments – To review and authorise schedule of payments (attached)

  1. b) To note the bank reconciliations for March 2026; the Chairman to sign and verify against the bank statements seen

 

  1. General Items

Briefing Notes:

  • Briefing Note No. 26-04 – Crisis & Resilience Fund (attached)

 

  1. Future meetings and events
  2. Future agenda items

 

Note:  Members are reminded that the Town Council has a general duty to consider the following matters in the exercise of any of its functions: Equal Opportunities (race, gender, sexual orientation, marital status and any disability), Crime and Disorder, Health and Safety and Human Rights.

*Further information on these items enclosed/attached

Attachments