Notice is hereby given that the monthly meeting of Ickleford Parish Council will take place on Wednesday 9th April 2025 at 7pm to be held at Ickleford Village Hall for the purpose of transacting the business set out in the agenda below and members of the Council are hereby summoned to attend this meeting. Members of the press and public are invited to attend. A Councillor will be available between 6.45pm and 7pm to discuss any matter relating to the parish.
Judith Crosier
Clerk to Ickleford Parish Council
AGENDA
1 Apologies for Absence
1.1 To receive and approve apologies for absence
2 Chairman’s Notice
2.1 To announce notice on openness and transparency at this meeting
3 Declaration of Interests
3.1 To receive declarations of interest from councillors relating to items on the agenda
3.2 To receive written requests for dispensation for declarable interests
3.3 To grant any requests for dispensation as appropriate
4 Minutes of the Last Meeting
4.1 To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 12th March
5 Public Participation Session
5.1 Members of the press and public have the opportunity to have an open discussion with the Parish Council
6 Police Report
6.1 To receive the Hitchin Rural Police report.
7 Reports from County and District Councillors
7.1 To receive the report from the County Councillor
7.2 To receive the report from the District Councillor
8 On-going Projects
8.1 To approve the refund of the cost of £51.59 for renewal of the NPSG website domain name.
8.2 To provide feedback on Ickleford Sports and Recreation Club and approve any actions.
8.3 To approve the invoice for £3,120.00 issued by Richard James Electrical and to approve any further actions regarding the electricity supply to Upper Green.
8.4 Play area: To approve the invoice from CPM Playgrounds Ltd; to approve the engagement of CPM Playgrounds for three interim playground inspections per year including written reports for £130 + VAT each inspection; to approve the cost of the removal of branches of a tree overhanging swings at the play area.
8.5 To discuss the plans for the VE Day commemoration event and approve any actions.
9 New Matters
9.1 To review and approve the Handover Policy.
9.2 To approve the Financial Regulations update from NALC.
9.3 To approve the Parish Council’s Internal Controls prior to the audits.
9.4 To consider a grant request from the Village Hall Committee and approve any actions.
9.5 To provide an update on the replacement fencing at Ickleford Common.
9.6 To approve the date of the Annual Village Meeting.
10 Staffing Matters
10.1 To resolve that under Section 1 of the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960 the public and press should be excluded from items 10.2 to 10.8 inclusive in view of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted.
10.2 To approve the engagement of CP Associates for HR consultancy at a maximum cost of £500 in respect of the settlement agreement.
10.3 To approve the recruitment process for a new clerk.
10.4 To appoint a member of the Staffing Committee.
10.5 To approve the cost of £350 to cover expenses incurred by the Clerk’s union representative.
10.6 To approve the engagement of a locum clerk if required during the recruitment process.
10.7 To approve the settlement figure if available.
10.8 To approve the cost of van hire to transport heavy and bulky items from the Clerk’s home and to approve the temporary address for storage of items during the recruitment process.
11 Finance
11.1 To note receipts between meetings.
11.2 To note the Q4 summary with bank reconciliations to March 31st 2025.
11.3 To approve the invoice for £420.00 to All Undercover Marquees Ltd for the marquee cleaning.
11.4 To approve an invoice for the annual subscription to HAPTC and NALC for £896.95.
11.5 To approve payments made between meetings as per Appendix A.
11.6 To approve the virement of funds to bring obsolete budget categories to a zero balance.
11.7 To approve the removal of obsolete budget categories.
12 Planning applications
12.1 Applications received since the last meeting
12.1.1 None
12.2 Planning applications received between 2nd and 9th April
13 Planning Decisions
13.1 Decisions received since the last meeting
13.1.1 24/02580/FP at Ickleford Primary School, Arlesey Road, Ickleford SG5 3TG
Installation of bike shelter with hard standing and pillar lights to the side of entrance footpath: Permission refused
13.2 Planning decisions received between 2nd and 9th April
14 Reports – for information only – no decisions or actions can be agreed at this time:
14.1 Rand’s Educational Foundation Trustees
14.2 Ickleford Sports and Recreation Club Committee
14.3 Ickleford Village Hall Committee
15 Chairman’s Report
15.1 To receive urgent matters from the Chairman – for information only
16 Next Meeting
16.1 To suggest agenda items for the next Parish Council meeting
16.2 To confirm the meeting date for the annual meeting of the Parish Council of Wednesday 14th May