Agenda for Town Council meeting to be held on Monday, 2nd March 2026

Mere Town Council

Town Clerk – Mrs. L. C. Wood

25^th February 2026

Dear Councillor,

You are summoned to a meeting of Mere Town Council to be held on Monday, 2^nd March 2026 at 7.00 pm in The Andy Young Pavilion, 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. Apologies – To receive apologies for absence.

2. 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 Monday, 2^nd February 2026 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) The Old Nursery site of A303 at Burton (Minute Ref: 120) – current issues relating to flytipping & dogs not kept under proper control
7. b) Town of Culture Programme (Minute Ref: 100b) – report on meeting held to explore interest in making an application.

6. Reports & Consultations
7. a) Wiltshire Councillors Report
8. b) Project Co-Ordinator’s Report – Report attached
9. c) Proposed fire station closures – Report on Working Group meeting attached and DRAFT Strategy Document attached.

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

10. b) National Planning Policy Framework – Government Consultation closes 10.3.26 – Further information in Clerks Report
11. Highways, Rivers, Footpaths, Traffic & Transport
12. a) To identify jobs for the Parish Steward and MyWiltshire reports-
13. b) Invitation to join Wiltshire’s Bus Enhanced Partnership – Further information in Clerks Report
14. c) Questions from Senior Traffic Engineer regarding LHFIG requests submitted – Further information in Clerks Report

9. Buildings, Open Spaces, Play Areas, Sports Grounds, Car Parks, Allotments & Cemeteries
10. a) Utilities at Duchy Manor Admin Suite – update following report with Headteacher of Mere School
11. b) CCTV for Duchy Manor Admin Suite – quotation received
12. c) Thoughts on uses for old Croquet Club in Steep Street

10. Finance, Policy & Resources

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

*b) To note the reconciliations for January 2026; the Chairman to sign and verify against the bank statements seen

1. c) Interim Internal Audit Report (attached)
2. d) IT provision and website updates – The Clerk to provide and update on progress

11. General Items
12. a) Report on South West Wiltshire Area Board Meeting held on Wednesday, 4^th February

12. Future meetings and events
13. a) Great British Spring Clean – Litter Pick 29^th March
14. b) LHFIG meeting, 11^th March 2026 14:00-15.50 at Nadder Centre, Weaveland Road, Tisbury SP3 6HJ
15. d) Annual Town Council meeting – 2^nd April 2026 – Agenda items (last year’s agenda attached)

13. Future agenda items

14. Confidential Business [This process is governed by specific legislation (Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960) to protect employee privacy]

Staff Matters – to consider recommendations made by Staffing Panel Committee at meeting held on 17^TH February 2026 – PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL Minutes attached

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.