The Chair's report for February is here!
Published: 26 February 2025
Windlesham Parish Council Meeting – Tuesday 25th February 2025
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. I hope you find it informative and would welcome any comments either directly or through local councillors - see the links below for contact details.
The Chair welcomed Cllr Wilson who was recently elected to the Parish Council for Bagshot Ward. It was also noted that, with SHBC deferring a decision on the Community Governance Review (CGR) request, the Council should set the matter aside and focus on effective governance and delivering for residents.
1. 1. Public Comments & Question Time
There were 2 members of the public present who made comments. One addressed the Council regarding the SHBC decision to defer the CGR request, stressing the need for openness and resolution of underlying issues, raising concerns about democratic representation. The resident urged the Council to address these matters transparently and promptly as Unitary Authority changes progress.
The other asked Council
to consider the unintended consequences of limiting public participation to
residents and local stakeholders, which would exclude individuals from outside
the Parish. See item 3 below.
2. Financials:
· Current year to March 2025 - The Parish Council's finances remain healthy and on track for the year ending March 2025. Concerns were raised about reserves, and this has been addressed through a social media post for residents. It was confirmed that Earmarked Reserves (EMRs) are allocated for specific projects, and a significant portion of funds are reserved for Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), projects.
· Council Investment Strategy – A paper outlined options available to the Council regarding how to obtain best returns and minimise risk to the Council. It was agreed that this needed further input and recommendations from the Finance Officer and also consideration on the potential use of ‘money market funds’.
3. Governance:
· Council Risk Assessment – Members reviewed the risk assessment and agreed to update it with additional risk controls, mitigation measures, and new risks. We also discussed seeking advice from the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) on the value of adopting a risk appetite statement.
· Standing Orders – The Council debated several proposed changes to Standing Orders, focusing on improving efficiency and governance whilst keeping the focus on benefit to residents.
o Committee Membership: From May, each village will have two representatives on cross-parish committees (e.g., Planning, Personnel, Communications) to ensure balanced representation from each Village. This addresses concerns from Windlesham Councillors about not have equal representation. The resignation of Cllr Richardson from the Planning Committee was noted, and Members extended their thanks to Cllr Richardson for all her hard work. This leaves a temporary vacancy at a time of high planning activity in Windlesham.
o Public participation will now be limited to residents and business owners within the three villages. Elected representatives from Borough, County, and in the future Unitary whose electoral ward includes any part of the Parish boundaries may still contribute. Written questions submitted ahead of the meeting will be limited to a maximum of 150 words, following SHBC’s approach.
o External Council Updates: A proposal for regular updates from Borough, County, and future Unitary Councils was rejected due to concerns that updates would reflect individual councillors' opinions rather than formal reports from officers. An amendment was proposed to allow officers from Borough, County or in future Unitary Councils to submit a formal written report, with Councillors invited to answer questions. However, this was not accepted by the original proposer, and the motion was not approved.
· Proposed Local Government Reorganisation and the potential to transfer assets and service to the Parish Council – it was agreed to delegate authority to the Clerk, Chair, and Vice Chair to begin exploratory discussions with the SHBC Chief Executive and Council Leader on potential asset and service transfers as SHBC transitions to a Unitary Council. This aligns with national trends to ensure local management and service continuity. No decisions will be made at this stage, and Village Committees will have input on assets in their areas. Findings will be reported to Full Council.
· Parish Council and Quality Council Award Status – The Council agreed to pursue Quality Council status, pending a review by the Clerk on the resource requirements. With a fully qualified Clerk and established processes, some award levels should be easily achievable. However, the Clerk will assess staff capacity to ensure the process enhances rather than disrupts services to residents.
· SHBC Decision regarding the Community Governance Review – The Clerk informed Members that at the SHBC meeting on 17th February 2025, a decision on the Community Governance Review (CGR) request to remove Windlesham Village from the Parish was deferred. The decision will be reconsidered as part of the broader local government reorganisation review expected later this year.
· Correspondence – The Clerk informed Members that a Freedom of Information (FOI) request has been received and is currently being processed. Additionally, correspondence regarding Windlesham Village traffic and infrastructure has been received and will be reviewed by the Village Committee.
4. Projects:
There is little new to report on projects apart from a few items below. A full update will be provided next month.
· Christmas Trees & Festive Lights Tender - The 2025-27 procurement process will proceed, with Village Committees providing input on any changes. The Clerk will finalise the specification based on committee feedback.
· Chairman’s Community Reception –Resident award nominations for the 25th April reception were confirmed. Catering costs will be covered using the Chair’s unspent allowance.
· Allotments Purchase – again this is progressing on plan with the Clerk, chair and Vice Chair to progress final negotiations.
Forthcoming meetings in the next month:
· Windlesham Village Committee – 12th March 2025
· Planning Committee – 12th March and 25th March2025
· Full Council Meeting – 25th March 2025
Full details of Council meetings will be on the Windlesham Parish Council Website before the meeting with a link as follows: https://tinyurl.com/45y8bs5b
Contact details:
Bagshot Councillor contact details: https://tinyurl.com/2bwned5f
Lightwater Councillor contact details: https://tinyurl.com/23xsud9w
Windlesham Councillor contact details: https://tinyurl.com/mtveexwd
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 - https://tinyurl.com/57s7zp3e
Alf Turner
Chair of Windlesham Parish Council
26th February 2025