The Chair Report for October 2024 is here!
Published: 06 November 2024
Windlesham Parish Council Meeting – Tuesday 29th October 2024
Update for the residents of Bagshot, Lightwater and Windlesham
from the Chair of Council - Councillor Alf Turner
Please find below my update for residents of Bagshot, Lightwater, and Windlesham from our recent Parish Council meeting. This covers the key subjects and decisions that will be of interest to residents. I hope you find it useful and would welcome any comments either directly or through local councillors - see the links below for contact details.
1. Public Comments & Question Time
There were more members of the public present at the meeting than normal, but no questions from them. However, there was a written representation from a Windlesham resident who had previously submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request which was similar to a request from a Windlesham Village Parish Councillor. The resident said in summary that their FOI request was entirely separate and there was no association with the Parish Councillor's request. This was noted by the meeting although concern was expressed about the recent number of FOI requests, that were hindering the Clerk and Parish Office staff from making progress with normal work and projects.
2. Communications Facebook role and site
During the review and approval of meeting minutes, the Communications Committee raised concerns about the Parish Council's reliance on separate community Facebook pages for Bagshot, Lightwater, and Windlesham to share information with residents. Posts on the Bagshot and Lightwater sites had been rejected, while on the Windlesham site, a post by the Parish Council was reopened by the site administrator for comments after the Council had closed it due to misrepresentation and abusive remarks. In response to public concerns about the cost of creating a dedicated Parish Council Facebook group, it was decided to defer any decision on this and revisit it during the budgeting process. This approach will also allow more time to seek assurances from the three community Facebook sites to ensure they post Council information independently and objectively.
3. Financials and Governance
Parish Council financials remain on track at just over the halfway point of the financial year. We are also pleased to report that an Internal Audit Report gave Parish Council financials, processes and governance good feedback with no major issues identified. Various Parish Council policies have also been reviewed and were approved by the meeting which has to be undertaken on an annual basis. Other matters are as follows:
· Budget and Precept for 2025-26 – This is a work in progress with another meeting required in the coming month to ensure this is agreed before Christmas. Further review and prioritisation should reduce the draft figures presented prior to agreement at Full Council and submission to Surrey Heath Borough Council (SHBC) for inclusion in council tax bills. In this respect, the meeting unanimously rejected a proposal for a handyman to work across all 3 villages.
· Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) – The Council was presented with the latest figures on CIL payments and allocation of CIL income and project expenditure across the 3 villages. Bagshot and Windlesham continue to have healthy levels of CIL arising from building developments in their villages, whereas Lightwater has very little given that there is almost no scope for further new homes. The request from a Windlesham Councillor for information on historic and future CIL was also discussed. The historic position is contained in the papers on our website it was agreed to request a forecast of upcoming CIL from SHBC.
4. Major Projects:
· Greenspace Contract – As the current Parish contract with SHBC expires in just over a year there is an urgency to progress procurement. It was agreed to immediately progress the detailed tender specification for arrangements across all three villages but given that there may be issues with sufficient suppliers coming forward, the Council will also explore a potential extension of the current contract with SHBC.
· Heath Park Community Building – Further to the discussion at the last meeting, it was determined that should the Parish Council not take on the building from the developer, then it may be offered to a commercial provider and if this was unsuccessful a change of use applied for. Since part of our role as a Parish Council is to adopt community-based assets, the Council resolved to lodge an expression of interest with the developer and to engage in further discussion. A final decision on whether the Council will adopt the building will not be made without the council carrying out a public consultation.
· Purchase of Hook Mill Lane Allotments – Following the agreement last month to pursue the purchase of the allotments, the funding mechanism was agreed by all three villages.
· Sale of Hook Mill Lane Depot – It was agreed to contract a planning consultant to explore the future options for the site and so maximise potential value.
· Windmill Lane Playground – The Council has applied for and awaits a response from Surrey County Council on a Your Fund Surrey grant to support this project.
· Community Awards – it was agreed to ask for nominations from residents rather than just councillors for next year’s awards.
5. Other items:
· Community Governance Review (CGR) – There is nothing new to report at this time, and the Council is awaiting the outcome of the recent pre-consultation exercise conducted by SHBC. The meeting also focused on ways to enhance the effectiveness and operations of the Parish Council, regardless of SHBC's decision on whether to conduct a CGR.
· Parish Council Office workload and capacity – A revised and prioritised work plan was agreed by the Council. This is necessary due to the number of large projects and external requests for information such as FOIs. It was agreed that as well as statutory requirements, some of the priorities are the major projects listed above as well as the daily operation of the cemeteries.
· FOI requests – The recent increase in requests has placed additional strain on the office’s workload. Notably, a small number of residents have been submitting frequent and multiple requests, which disrupts day-to-day operations and can delay the Council’s work for the wider community. It was noted at the meeting that much of the requested information is readily available on the Parish website.
· Judicial Review request from Heathpark Wood Group on a planning application for land east of St Margarets Windlesham – The Planning Committee considered this matter in a meeting held before the Council meeting. It was agreed to accept the committee's recommendation not to initiate a judicial review, given the circumstances surrounding the planning application approved by the SHBC Planning Committee on 19 September 2024. Instead, the Parish Council suggested that the Heathpark Wood Group obtain legal advice to evaluate the likelihood of successfully challenging the decision.
· Closure of Swift Lane Recycling depot – Since the last meeting the Parish Council has written to Surrey County Council expressing its opposition to the proposed closure.
Forthcoming meetings in the next month:
· Bagshot Village Committee – 12th November
· Windlesham Village Committee – 4th December
· Planning Committee – 13th and 26th November
· Full Council Meeting – 26th November
Full details of Council meetings will be on the Windlesham Parish Council Website before the meeting with a link as follows: Home - Windlesham Parish Council
Contact details:
Bagshot Councillor contact details
Lightwater Councillor contact details
Windlesham Councillor contact details
If you would like to contact Jo Whitfield, Clerk to the Council or visit the office please use the link below to view the office opening hours and contact details:
Contact Us - Windlesham Parish Council (windleshampc.gov.uk)
Alf Turner
Chair of Windlesham Parish Council
4th November 2024