13 November 2022
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There were two important matters on the agenda for Hughenden Parish Council on 8 November – co-options and 2 motions on streetlights in Widmer End.
I’m going to draw a veil over the co-options. It was just embarrassing for all concerned and there are things to sort out. I’ll come back to this.
The items on streetlights went well.
The resolution agreed by Council in July to decommission all the streetlights in Widmer End was rescinded. I am told rescinding resolutions is a rare thing for a parish council to do (although U-turns are not so rare at national level).
The Council also agreed to re-establish its Streetlights Working Group and appointed Cllrs Cadwallader, Jones, Main and myself to the Group. It also agreed that representatives from the Windmill Estate Maintenance Company and Widmer End Residents’ Association should be on the Working Group.
Council now requires the Working Group to make recommendations to Council's December meeting on the ownership of the streetlights and on a programme of streetlight repairs.
The Working Group meets at the end of November.
I can only apologise to residents in Widmer End for the anxiety and anger the July resolution caused and hope the Council is now on the way to resolve the issue.
There wasn’t much else.
None of the Council’s Committees have met since the last Council meeting and there weren’t any recommendations from the Road Safety and Procurement Working Groups.
Council learnt that the external auditor had finally signed off HPC’s statutory Annual Governance Statement and Accounts, although HPC had put the ticks in the wrong boxes on the first and was over £100k astray on the second. However, all HPC has to do is correct these errors at the end of the financial year.
I sometimes wonder what is the point of the external auditor – and what they do for the money they get from the taxpayer.
Council deferred approving a revision of HPC’s Financial Regulations because it was not clear where and why the revision was different from the model Regulations produced nationally.
Council approved grants for Widmer End and Great Kingshill Residents’ Associations towards the cost of their newsletters. They both got the maximum under the grants policy i.e., 20% of the total costs.
Council also approved the list of payments to creditors. The process is now running smoothly to everyone’s relief.
Oh, and Council (except me) agreed to instruct the Clerk to do the necessary work to allow the Council to sign a Civility and Respect Pledge early next year.
I didn’t agree because I think councillors have enough on their plates already to comply with the Seven Principles of Public Life - selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. Signing up to things is the easy part; complying is what matters.