Agenda for Town Council meeting to be held on 2nd October 2023

27^th September 2023

Dear Councillor,

You are summoned to a meeting of Mere Town Council to be held on Monday, 2^nd October 2023 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).

AGENDA

1. Apologies – To receive apologies for absence.

2. Declarations of Interest – To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests and other interests from Councillors on matters to be considered at the meeting.

2.1 To receive declarations of interest from councillors on items on the agenda

2.2 To receive written requests for dispensations for disclosable pecuniary interests (if any)

2.3 To grant any requests for dispensation as appropriate

A request for dispensation must be made on an individual basis

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.

*3. Minutes – To resolve that the minutes of the Town Council meeting held on 4^th September 2023 be approved as a correct record. (attached)

4. Matters Arising from Public Session

5. Matters Arising from previous Meetings (not covered by other agenda items)
6. a) Minute Reference 306 – River Cleaning
7. b) Minute Reference 306 – Suggestions for footpath naming ‘Mitchell Way’ or similar.
8. c) Minute Reference 307a) – Traffic Management in Mere – report on Hazzards Hill residents consultation relating to parking and double-yellow lines.

*d) Minute Reference 307a) – Traffic Management in Mere – Clements Lane/Edgebridge – speed of traffic and pedestrians in roadway. (report attached)

*e) Minute Reference 307d) – Wiltshire Towns Programme 2024-25 (report attached)

*f) Minute Reference307f) & 307g) – To agree terms for lease for Salisbury Street Car Park & Castle Street Car Park (see Clerks Report)

*g) Minute Reference 312e) – LHFIG Funding Model – response from Karen Linaker (see Clerks Report)

6. Reports & Consultations
7. a) Wiltshire Councillors Report

*b) Project Co-ordinator’s report (report, plans and visuals attached [5 attachments])

1. c) Report on South west Wiltshire Area Board meeting held on Wednesday, 20^th September 2023
2. d) Report on LHFIG meeting held on Wednesday, 6^th September 2023
3. e) Lynch Close Sheltered Housing Review – report on meeting held 13.9.23

7. Planning
8. a) Applications for consultation response:

1. b) Reminder of Local Plan Consultation event

8. Highways, Rivers, Footpaths, Traffic & Transport
9. a) To identify jobs for the Parish Steward, Sparkle Team and MyWiltshire reports.

*b) Highway Improvement Request Form – request for barrier, bollards or railing to segregate pedestrians from traffic and speed signs to reduce the speed limit to 15-20 mph and traffic calming along Edgebridge. (form attached)

9. Buildings, Open Spaces, Play Areas, Sports Grounds, Car Parks, Allotments & Cemeteries

10. Finance, Policy & Resources

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

*b) To note the bank reconciliation for August 2023; the Chairman to sign and verify against the bank statements seen

*c) To report on Completion of limited assurance review (external audit) for the year ended 31 March 2023 & Notice  of conclusion of audit. (see attached)

*d) To consider request for grant support from Mere Bowls Club (see attached)

1. e) Review of the policies, procedures and practices – Review of Freedom of Information Menu (see attached)
2. f) To set date, membership and venue for Annual Budget Meeting

11. General Items
12. a) Request to appoint a representative of the Town Council forward as a Trustee to the Mere Lecture Hall Trust.
13. b) The future of Mere Chamber of Trade – Cllr. Clive Hazzard

Briefing Note 23-24: Workplace Health Support in Wiltshire  (attached)

12. Future meetings and events

13. 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