Cutcombe Parish Council

Further Information

Councillors

There are 7 Councillors who also take on special responsibilities.
Portfolio Holders for 2019/2020 are as follows:

Cllr John Anson:
Grievance & Disciplinary Procedures Committee, Exmoor Consultative Forum, Prescription & Health, Snowdrop Valley Committee

Cllr Vivian White:
Appeals Committee, Exmoor Consultative & Parish Forum, Exmoor Panel, Housing, Parish Representative at the Exmoor National Park

Cllr Roger Webber:
Law & Order/Police, Appeals Committee (Chairman), Finance Working Group, Highways

Cllr Roger Foxwell:
Appeals Committee, Wheddon Cross Toilets Working Group, Highways, Snowdrop Valley Committee, Youth & Leisure

Cllr Eric Clarbull:
Wheddon Cross Toilets Working Group, Phone box & Street lighting, Finance Working Group,
Grievance & Disciplinary Procedures Committee (Chairman), Co-ordinator for work previously carried out by the Parish Lengthsman

Cllr John Davis:
Housing, Youth & Leisure, Exmoor Panel, Appeals Committee, Parish Council representative on the Moorland Hall Committee, Parish Council representative on the Standards Board

Cllr Eric Norman:
Grievance & Disciplinary Committee, Snowdrop Valley Committee (Chairman), Finance Working Group

Grievance & Displinary Procedures Committee
Chairman: Cllr Clarbull Members: Cllrs Anson and Norman

Appeals Committee
Chairman: Cllr Webber Members: Cllrs Davis, White and Foxwell

Finance Working Group
Cllrs Norman, Clarbull, Webber; the Parish Clerk/RFO

Toilet Working Group
Cllrs Clarbull, Foxwell; the Parish Clerk/RFO

Snowdrop Valley Committee
Chairman: Cllr Norman Members: Cllrs Anson and Foxwell, and the Parish Clerk/RFO

Amanda Hamley (Snowdrop Valley Co-ordinator), Jim Winzer (Staff representative), Frank O'Neill, Sue White, Gill Langdon, Angela Edwards and Gemma Jackson are also part of the Snowdrop Valley Committee.

What we spend and how we spend it
Council sets a precept each year (ratified at its December meeting) after consultation with the Parish and the Finance Working Party which consists of three councillors (at present Cllrs Clarbull, Webber and Atkins) and the Responsible Finance Office, who is also the Parish Clerk. Council’s financial year runs from 1st April to 31st March each year.
Auditors: the internal auditor for Cutcombe Parish Council is Mr Dave Williams, the external auditors are PKF Littlejohn.
Council members are not paid any allowances, their work is entirely voluntary. Expenses are paid for essential items such as travelling.
The Clerk is paid for a set number of hours per annum, the contract being reviewed annually in March, together with necessary expenses.
Council awards a maximum of £200 per annum under Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972. Applications for grants are considered at the December and June meetings each year.
Further detailed financial information (including copies of Annual Returns) is available from the Clerk. Council’s Standing Orders and Code of Conduct may be viewed or downloaded by following the links at the bottom of this page. Cutcombe Parish Council is a member of the National Association of Local Councils (Somerset Branch, SALC)and the Community Council for Somerset. The Clerk is a member of the Society of Local Council Clerks.

What our priorities are and how we are doing
Cutcombe does not have Quality Parish Council status.
The Chairman reports to electors at The Annual Parish Meeting of Electors which is usually held in April or May of each year.
From 2008 Cutcombe Parish Council has been running the Snowdrop Valley Park and Ride Scheme, in conjunction with the Exmoor National Park Authority. The scheme operates in February of each year, up to date details are available on this website www.wheddoncross.org.uk

How we make decisions
All decisions are made by full Council in open-session meetings unless sensitive financial information is to be discussed and the Chairman calls for a closed session. Council’s comments on planning applications are minuted and submitted to the Exmoor National Park Authority as part of the consultation process.

Policies and procedures
Council abides by a set of Standing Orders, a copy of which can be downloaded or viewed by clicking on the link below. All Councillors sign up to a Code of Conduct (a new code was adopted in July 2012, as recommended by the National Association of Local Councils). A copy of the Code of Conduct can be downloaded by clicking on the link below. A register of Members’ Interests is kept. In addition Council has a set of Financial Regulations and operates a Disciplinary and Appeals procedure in case of staff disputes. Declarations of interest at Parish Council meetings are minuted.

Lists and registers
A Register of Members’ Interests is held by Somerset West and Taunton Council.
An Asset Register is held by the Clerk and is regularly updated.
Risk Assessments for Council and for the Snowdrop Valley Park and Ride Scheme are in place and regularly updated.

The services we offer
Information can be requested under the Freedom of information Act: such requests should be directed to the Clerk. A fee will be levied, at Council’s discretion, for information supplied under the Act which is not readily available on the website. Charges are:

£5 for each application for information under the Act
50p each for the first 5 photocopies supplied
30p each for subsequent photocopies supplied
These charges apply to A4 copies only

Cutcombe Parish Council Code of Conduct (as adopted July 2012 and amended December 2013)

Cutcombe Parish Council Standing Orders (as amended July 2012)

Cutcombe Parish Council Financial Regulations (as adopted February 2010 and amended September 2019)

Annual Governance and Accountability Return for the year ending 31st March 2018

Complaints Procedure: Code of Conduct for Councillors
A copy of West Somerset Council's Arrangements for Dealing with Complaints about the Code of Conduct for Councillors may be viewed or downloaded here: Complaints Procedure. A copy of West Somerset Council's Code of Conduct for Councillors Complaint Form may be viewed or downloaded here: Complaint Form.

All requests for information should be directed to the Clerk: cutcombeclerk@gmail.com

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