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Minutes of Annual Town Council Meeting held on Monday, 12th May 2025

Mere Town Council

Town Clerk – Mrs. L. C. Wood

 

Minutes of the ANNUAL MEETING OF MERE TOWN COUNCIL held on Monday, 12TH May 2025 at 7.00 pm at Duchy Manor, Springfield Road, Mere, Wiltshire.  BA12 6EW.  The meeting will consider the items set out below.

 

Present:  Councillors John Jordan (Chair), Glen Ings (Vice-Chair), Debbie Beale, Nick Beale, Sandra Catley, Aubrey Colman, Philip Coward, Rodney Coward, Sam Dean, Rachel Hansford, Clive Hazzard, Raymond Hill, George Jeans, Alan Mead

+ 8 members of public

 

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).

Mr. Hopkins spoke in support of his planning application PL/2025/02086

Mr. Lear spoke in support of his planning application PL/2025/02106

 

REPORTS FROM LOCAL POLICE REPRESENTATIVES

None present

 

 

  1. TO RECEIVE DECLARATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE FORMS FROM ELECTED COUNCILLORS

All Councillors in attendance signed their Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

 

  1. TO ELECT THE CHAIR OF THE TOWN COUNCIL FOR 2025/26 AND TO RECEIVE THE CHAIR’S DECLARATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE

Cllr. Alan Mead nominated and Cllr. Rachael Hansford seconded for Cllr. Sandra Catley to be elected as Chair.  Cllr. Rodney Coward nominated and Cllr. Nick Beale seconded for Cllr. John Jordan to be elected as Chair.  A secret ballot was carried out amongst councillors with Sandra Catley receiving 8 votes and John Jordan receiving 6 votes.  Cllr. Sandra Catley duly elected as Chair and signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

Cllr. Sandra Catley in The Chair

 

  1. VOTE OF THANKS TO OUTGOING CHAIR

The outgoing Chair, Cllr. John Jordan, was given a vote of thanks for his hard work as Chair during the last year.

 

  1. TO ELECT VICE-CHAIR OF THE TOWN COUNCIL FOR 2025/26 AND TO RECEIVE THE VICE-CHAIR’S DECLARATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE

Cllr. Sandra Catley nominated Cllr. Rachael Hansford to be elected as Vice-Chair, seconded by Cllr. Ings,  There being no other nominations, this proposal was put to the vote and carried with a unanimous vote.  Cllr. Rachael Hansford duly elected as Vice-Chair and signed her 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.

Apologies for absence received from Cllr. Steven Pester.  Members gave authority for Cllr. Steven Pester to sign his Declaration of Acceptance of Office in the presence of the Clerk at a later date

 

  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.

  • Jeans declared a personal interest in Minute No. 22a)
  • Jordan declared a pecuniary interest in Minute No. 27a) (recipient)

 

  1. MINUTES – RESOLVED to approve as a correct record, the minutes of the Town Council meeting held on Monday, 7th April 2025.

 

  1. STANDING ORDERS – To approve and adopt the Standing Orders for Mere Town Council (attached) – the Standing Orders (updated 6.5.25) were approved subject to the statutory procurement threshold amendment.

 

  1. FINANCIAL REGULATIONS – To approve and adopt the Financial Regulations for Mere Town Council (attached) – Agreed to defer consideration of the Financial Regulations until after the Internal Audit as the Clerk said that she had some questions for the internal auditor relating to this matter.

 

  1. INTERNAL AUDITOR – To appoint an Internal Auditor – RESOLVED to re-appoint the services of Kate Houlihan via the Local Council Consultancy service if she is happy to continue.

 

  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 – It was agreed that the Town Council would continue with the present arrangements of having an Annual Budget Committee + Staffing Panel & Appeals Committee only and an ad-hoc structure of Working Groups as and when considered necessary and required.

 

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

 

  1. STAFFING PANEL – To appoint members, including the Chairman to serve on the Staffing Panel – It was agreed that the Staffing Panel member make-up should be Chair, Cllr. Colman & Cllr. Philip Coward.

 

  1. APPEALS COMMITTEE – To appoint members, including the Vice- Chairman. It was agreed that the Appeals Committee member make-up should be the Vice-Chair, Cllr. Debbie Beale and Cllr. John Jordan.

 

  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 2024/25 Representative 2025/26 Representative
Youth Club, Seeds4Success, CAYPIG (Community Area Young People) Cllrs. S. Catley, A Colman & G. Ings. Cllrs. S. Catley, A Colman & G. Ings.
Cricket Club Cllr. G. Ings Cllr. G. Ings
Health & Community Care Cllr. R. Hill Cllr. R. Hill
Tennis Club Cllr. G. Jeans Cllr. G. Jeans
Football Club Cllr. S. Catley Cllr. S. Catley & Cllr. S. Pester
Public Transport Cllr. John Jordan Cllr. John Jordan
Mere & District Linkscheme Mrs. Adrienne Howell Cllr. A. Colman & Cllr. Sam Dean + Adrienne Howell
Museum Committee Cllrs. G. Jeans & Mrs. K. Symonds Cllrs. G. Jeans and C. Hazzard
Footpaths & Rights of Way Cllr. Jordan & Cllr. Stone Cllr. Alan Mead
Chamber of Trade Chairman & Cllr. Hazzard Chair & Cllr. Hazzard
Friends of Mere Museum Cllr. J. Jordan Cllr. J. Jordan
School Governor Cllr. Ings & Cllr. S. Catley Cllr. Ings
St. Michaels PCC Cllr. A. Colman Cllr. P. Coward
Mere Croquet Club   Cllr. A. Colman
Mere Bowling Club Cllr. G. Ings Cllr. Ings
Carnival Committee Cllr. J. Jordan Cllr. J. Jordan
Area Board & LHFIG Chairman & Vice-Chairman Chair & Vice-Chair
Mere Film Shows Mrs. Rosie Jordan-Barr Mrs. Rosie Jordan-Barr
Rivers Group Cllrs. R.  Coward & Cllr. Debbie Beale Cllrs. R.  Coward & Cllr. Debbie Beale
Trustees of Mere Forest Charity Cllr. Rodney Coward, Clive Hazzard, George Jeans, Ann Rich & Andrew Rees. Cllr. Rodney Coward, Clive Hazzard, George Jeans, Ann Rich & Andrew Rees.

The Clerk pointed out that councillors listed above should contact the groups and organisations to inform them that they were the Town Council’s representative for the ensuing year.

 

  1. ASSET REGISTER – To review the Town Council asset register for 2025/26 (attached) & Asset Management Policy (attached) – approved without amendment.

 

*17. INSURANCE POLICY – To review the Council’s Insurance Policy and discuss/decide on alterations. (see Clerks Report) – Members noted the building reinstatement valuations.  The Clerk pointed out that she was hoping for two insurance quotations to compare today but only one had been received in time.  It was therefore agreed to delegate the decision on the insurance policy to the Chair and Vice-Chair.

 

  1. BANKING AND FINANCIAL POLICIES – the following (a-c) below were considered and approved en bloc.
  2. To review the Council’s banking and signatory arrangements including Draft Business Debit Card Policy (attached) – the Clerk confirmed that the Council’s banking was currently paced with Lloyds Bank and that there were two councillors that verified the payments by physically signing each invoice.
  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) – RESOLVED to adopt the Scheme of Delegation without amendment.
  2. Draft Safeguarding Policy (attached) – RESOLVED to adopt the Safeguarding Policy without amendment. Jordan said that the policy should be made available in all of our facilities.
  3. Investment Policy (pending review) – deferred.
  4. Reserves Policy (pending review) – deferred.
  5. Governance & Management Risk Register – RESOLVED to adopt both documents without amendment.

 

  1. MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL – RESOLVED to continue with current arrangement of holding meetings

on the first Monday of every month unless it is a bank holiday, in which case the Town Council will meet on the following Monday. The Town Council does not have a scheduled monthly meeting in August.  It was agreed that meetings would continue to start at 7.00 pm.

 

  1. Matters Arising from Public Session
  • None

 

  1. Matters Arising from previous Meetings (not covered by other agenda items)

*a) Request for the use of a part of Salisbury Street Car Park for Charles Coles Family Funfairs to have a small funfair for the Mere Carnival event on 13.9.25 – Mr. Tim Thorn representing Charles Coles Family Funfairs will be attending the meeting to answer questions and provide more details to clarify points raised at the last meeting.

Mr. Thorn confirmed that Coles Family Funfairs would arrive on the Friday night after business hours (6pm – 7pm), set things up (it would be a couple of rides, a couple of children’s rides and some games), open for Carnival Day and pack up on Saturday night and take it all away.  No-one will be staying on site and all the equipment will be confined within the area shown on the plan with rights of access maintained.  There was a discussion about where residents would be able to park if they found themselves displaced by the Funfair but Cllr. Hazzard said that this wasn’t really the responsibility of the Town Council.  Mr. Thorn confirmed that signage would go into the car park beforehand to warn people and that they would deploy someone into the car park during the day to advise people that they would need to move their cars by a certain time.  Members felt that the Carnival needed the funfair in order to survive and it was RESOLVED that the Funfair could use the car park on Carnival Day as indicated.  Having declared a personal interest in the above matter, Cllr. Jeans abstained from voting.

 

  1. Reports & Consultations
  2. a) Wiltshire Councillors Report – Cllr. Jeans reported on the lack of progress being made on fibre broadband to premises for Mere. It was agreed to raise this as a future agenda item.

 

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

 

Application No: PL/2025/02086 – Re-consultation with additional information (please see Clerks Report)
Application Type: Full planning permission
Proposal: Self build bungalow
Site Address: The Acorns, Barrow Street, Mere, Warminster, BA12 6AB
Planning Register Link:

 

 

 https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0iQ300000D93Yf

 

Cllr. Jeans explained that this kind of ‘exchange’ has happened in the past whereby a Class Q permission is exchanged for a new build.  Cllr. Debbie Beale said that this planning application has not changed since it was considered last month.  Cllr. Nick Beale said that he thought the application should be refused as it seemed like it was a way round getting a new build on agricultural land.  Mr. Marshall was invited to speak and said that the bungalow would be 25m away from the barn.  Cllr. Ings said that providing the bungalow was tied to the farm he felt that it was preferable considering that the barn was on a flood plain.  Cllr. Nick Beale proposed that, since the application has not been amended, the Town Council should object to the proposal for exactly the same reasons as last month.  Seconded by Debbie Beale.  Vote 3 for and 7 against & 4 abstentions.  Substantive motion was put forward by Cllr. Ings to support the application subject to the bungalow being occupied by a person solely or mainly working or last working at the agricultural enterprise known as The Acorns, Barrow Street, Mere.  Seconded by Cllr. Alan Mead and carried with a vote of 7 for, 3 against and 3 abstentions.  [In order not to compromise his position as Wiltshire Councillor, Cllr. Jeans abstained from voting on this matter.]

Application No: PL/2025/02106
Application Type: Full planning permission
Proposal: Erection of two storey dwelling to replace existing bungalow
Site Address: The Lodge, Gillingham Road, Mere, Warminster, BA12 6LH
Planning Register Link: https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0iQ300000D9jo1

 

Cllr. John Jordan said that this property is not visible from the road and he couldn’t see an issue here.  RESOLVED to recommend that this application is recommended for approval.  [In order not to compromise his position as Wiltshire Councillor, Cllr. Jeans abstained from voting on this matter.]

 

 

Application No: PL/2025/03735
Application Type: Full planning permission
Proposal: Demolition of all existing buildings.
Site Address: Beaumont Business Centre, Woodlands Road, Mere, Warminster, BA12 6BT
Planning Register Link: https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0iQ300000DhJ7x

 

RESOLVED to recommend that this application is recommended for approval.  Following a suggestion from the Clerk, members agreed to invite Redcliffe Homes to a future Town Council meeting for a pre-application discussion prior to them submitting a Reserved Matters application.

 

Application No: PL/2025/03944
Application Type: Full planning permission
Proposal: Single storey cattery enclosure
Site Address: Ashwell Nursery, Burton, Mere, Warminster, BA12 6BR
Planning Register Link: https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0iQ300000DsQkP

 

RESOLVED to recommend approval of the above application.  [In order not to compromise his position as Wiltshire Councillor, Cllr. Jeans abstained from voting on this matter.]

 

  1. 25. Highways, Rivers, Footpaths, Traffic & Transport
  2. To identify jobs for the Parish Steward, Sparkle Team and MyWiltshire reports.
  • Property on North Road with a hedge causing an obstruction to the pavement and visibility obstruction on Denes Avenue/North Road junction.
  1. Wiltshire Council – Highways Capital Programme 2025/26 – the Cabinet Member for Highways, Street Scheme and Flooding has approved the funding allocations and scheme lists for 2025/26. For further information please see page on Wiltshire Council’s website: https://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?id=2135&LLL=0

Cllr. Jordan said that the document was disappointing with the programme included some repairs to Whitehill Lane, Limpers Hill would have some repair work for the little bit by The Pax in 2027/28, Burton Lane has some repair work identified but with no date and then they have said that there are access issues for Manor Road.  After having raised the last issue with our Wiltshire Councillor, their response was that they had to consider the safety of operatives, buildings and members of the public when assessing sites for access.  There was some work identified for Park Corner Farm.

 

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

 

  1. Finance, Policy & Resources

*a)  Payments – Having declared a pecuniary interest in this item, Cllr. Jordan left the meeting room whilst this matter was discussed.  RESOLVED to authorise schedule of payments (attached).

  1. b) Bank Reconciliation – Cllr. Jordan confirmed that he had signed and verified the bank reconciliation for March 2025 against the bank statements whilst he was still Chairman.
  2. c) The Heritage Revival Fund has been created to help communities across England rescue and repurpose neglected historic buildings – Cllr. Jordan said that some time ago the Clerk had shared a document outlining a vision that she had for restoring and using the two chapels and he was keen to see if this fund might be suitable for this funding. It was agreed to raise this as a future agenda item.

 

  1. General Items

 

  1. Future meetings and events

The Clerk reported that there was an Extraordinary SWW Area Board meeting on 20th May at 11 am at County Hall, Trowbridge where they would be electing Chair, Vice-Chair and appointments to the LHFIG.

 

  1. Future agenda items

The Clerk gave a list of some of the agenda items that were pending and would be raised for discussion over the next few months.

 

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

 

Meeting closed at 8.30 pm