27 February 2024 – Agenda
SUMMONS TO ATTEND A MEETING
TO: All Members of the Policy & Resources Committee
Cllrs D Bretherton, N Champken-Woods, P Cowell, D Dawson, D Dodds (Deputy Chairman), H Dollman, M Dyer (Chairman), H Fickling, H Richards, P Swan
Ex Officio (Voting) Members – A Dite (Town Mayor) and A Gilbert (Deputy Mayor)
To all other Members for information
You are hereby summoned to attend a meeting of the Policy & Resources Committee on Tuesday 27 February 2024 at 6:30pm (maximum two hours) in the Upper Chamber (Thame Town Hall) for the transaction of business as set out on the attached agenda.
Mandy Sturdy
Clerk of the Council
Date: Wednesday 21 February 2024
AGENDA
1) Apologies for Absence
2) Declarations of Interest and Dispensations
To notify of any items that appear in the agenda in which there may be an interest that has not been recorded in the Member’s Register of Interest; and confirmation of any relevant dispensations.
3) Public Participation and Public Questions
To consider applications from members of the public to address the Committee (5 minutes maximum), in respect of any item of business included on the agenda. Applications to speak must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 5pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.
To consider questions from members of the public (who live, work or run a business in the Parish). Written questions must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 4pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.
4) Minutes
To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Committee Meeting held on 7 November 2023.
5) Citizens Advice
To receive a presentation from Citizens Advice Oxfordshire South & Vale on their work in Thame.
5. Citizens Advice Presentation for TTC Feb 2024 [PDF]
6) Financial Update
- Budget Summary: To monitor actual income and expenditure against estimates.
- Balance Sheet: To note balance sheet as at 31 December 2023.
6a. P&R Budgetary schedule to Dec 2023 [PDF]
6b. Detailed Balance Sheet as at 31.12.23 [PDF]
7) Financial Overspends
To note the following financial overspends against budget line items (greater than the agreed de minimis of £100 / 5%) to be recorded as year to date:
- Staff training £5700 (2 Navigator courses & 1 Community Governance)
- Telephone £400 (BT increase & replacement staff mobile)
- Rates £520 (frozen for 2 years and now increased across Town Hall, Depot & Market)
- Fair £230 – additional line marking.
8) Investment Update
To note the summary of the investment performance.
8. Portfolio Performance Summary [PDF]
9) Utilities Update
To receive a quarterly data analysis report.
9. Utility Analysis – Graphs – February 2024 [PDF]
10) Health & Safety
To receive and note the Health & Safety visit reports for the Town Hall and Depot.
To receive an update on Radon management in the Town Hall.
10. Report – Health and Safety Visit [PDF]
10a. Thame Town Council H&S Audit – Town Hall [PDF]
10b. Thame Town Council H&S Audit – Depot [PDF]
11) Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy
To approve the updated / reviewed Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy.
11. Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy [PDF]
12) Grants
To agree wording to inform that there will be no community grants scheme in 2024/25 as agreed within the budget.
To note the accounts for Thame Senior Friendship Centre as required by their annual grant award.
To note the Grants Policy is due for review however the review will be postponed until later in 2024 as there is no grants scheme in 2024/25.
12b. Final Accounts TSFC March 2023 [PDF]
13) Town Guide 2024
To receive a report on the production the 2024 Thame Town Guide.
13. Report – Thame Town Guide Update [PDF]
14) Market Working Group
To receive a verbal update from the latest meeting of the Market Working Group.
15) Thame Museum
To receive the Building Condition report.
15. Report – Thame Museum Building Condition Survey [PDF]
15a. Museum Building Condition Summary Report [PDF]
15b. Museum Report Survey Criteria [PDF]
15c. Museum -5yr Property Management Plan [PDF]
16) Reports from Representatives on External Organisations
To receive reports from the nominated representatives on:
- Barns Centre (Cllrs Baines and Dodds)
- Citizens Advice (vacancy)
- Thame Business Forum (Cllr Dyer)
- 21st Century Thame (Cllr Fickling)
- Welfare Trust (Cllr Champken-Woods)
- Red Kite Family Centre (Cllr Emery)
- Thame Senior Friendship Centre (Cllr Champken-Woods)
- Thame Youth Memorial Trust (Cllr Dyer)
- Thame Youth Projects Group (Cllr Bretherton)
16. Reports – External Organisations (February 2024 – P&R) [PDF]
17) Thame Youth Memorial
To note that refurbishment work will commence on Saturday 13 April 2024.
18) Land Acquisition
To note that Officers, in conjunction with Planning Enforcement, have investigated a potential unlawful land acquisition on Montrose Way and action has been taken.
19) Staffing Update
To note the following staff changes, due in the coming months:
- The Administration Officer & PA to the Mayor will be retiring in April after almost 20 years of service to Thame.
- The current Information Centre Officer will be moving across to take up a new challenge after 17 years in the role, to become the Administration Officer & PA to the Mayor.
- A new Customer Service Officer has been appointed and will take up the role in the information centre from April covering 4 days per week – with the 5th day being covered as part of the apprentice role.
- An advertisement for a Level 3 Business Administration Apprentice will shortly be released aiming for a start in April / May.
- An advertisement for 1-years Maternity Cover for the Community and Events Officer is shortly to be released aiming for a start in May/June.
- Work is also underway for the recruitment of a Horticultural Apprentice and a Funding Officer.
All of these positions with financial implications have Full Council approval and have been included in the 2024/25 Budget.
To note that Thame Town Council will be taking part in Lord Williams’s School future fest on Wednesday, 21 February 2024, to advertise the upcoming Apprenticeship role.
20) CCTV
To note the CCTV report for April 2023 – September 2023.
To note that Cllrs Dawson, Dollman and Emery recently visited the CCTV Control Room to understand how the service operates and the benefits of the service.
20. South-Oxfordshire-CCTV-report-Q1-2-23-24_finalised [PDF]
21) Free Use / De Minimis Delegated Authority
To note the report of the Free Use 2023-24 (and equivalent cost) granted by the Town Clerk through Free Use / De Minimis delegated authority.