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Finance and General Purposes Committee

Finance and General Purposes Committee

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SHREWSBURY TOWN COUNCIL
Riggs Hall
The Library
Castle Gates
Shrewsbury
SY1 2AS

To Members of the Finance & General Purposes Committee

Councillors: A Mosley (Chair), P Moseley (Vice-Chair), M Davies, R Dartnall, J Dean, N Green, A Phillips & R Wilson

All other members of the Council for information

Dear Councillor

You are hereby summoned to attend the meeting of the Town Council’s Finance & General Purposes Committee scheduled to take place on Monday 11th July 2022 at 6.00 pm at the Council Chamber, Shirehall in order to transact the following business.

Helen Ball
Town Clerk

Meeting Agenda Items

  • 1APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

    To receive and accept apologies for absence

  • 2DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

    To receive Declarations of Pecuniary Interest in accordance with the Code of Conduct

  • 3MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING

    To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 6 June 2022.

    Attachments:

  • 4MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS

    To consider any matters arising from the previous meeting.

  • 5GRANTS

    1. To Update members on the spending of both the Community Grant and the Councillor Grant Fund
    2. To consider any Community Grant Applications Received
    Applicant Purpose of Application Amount requested
    (a) Shrewsbury Men’s Shed Provide composting toilet in a disability facility at Shrewsbury Men’s Shed on West Mids Showground £1700 + VAT
    (b) Shropshire Youth Theatre Provide funds towards the production and rehearsal costs for 2023 production of Animal Farm. £1000
    (c) Shropshire Army Cadet Force Adventure training exercise in Cyprus. £600

    Attachments:

  • 6PAYMENT SCHEDULES

    To approve the payments schedules for the period 23 May 2022 – 1 July 2022

    Attachments:

  • 7QUARTER 1 MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTS

    To update members on the Quarter 1 Management Accounts

    Attachments:

  • 8MOTIONS FROM FULL COUNCIL

    To consider the following Motions deferred from Full Council:

     

    1. Shrewsbury Town Council Residents’ survey and Visioning – Presented by Councillor Rob Wilson

    This Council notes:

      1. The latest set of elections for Shrewsbury Town Council took place on 6th May 2021.
      2. The results of the Local Elections represented a political shift in the makeup of the Council.
      3. At the Full Council meeting held on 13th September 2021, the Town Clerk presented a paper “to seek Council’s approval in undertaking an in-house visioning exercise to develop a Strategic Plan and Medium Term Financial Plan to assist the Town Council in its service delivery over the next 4 financial years ending in the 2025/26 financial year. (https://www.shrewsburytowncouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/36-Agenda18-Visioning-Exercise.pdf).
      4. It was resolved:
          1. That the contents of the report be noted.
          2. That the plan for the Visioning Exercise be agreed.
          3. That members of Full Council commit to active participation in this exercise.
      5. The proposed timetable was:
        1. Initial Session w/c 27th September 2021
        2. Follow-Up Session w/c 18th October 2021
        3. Action Plan Session w/c 15th November 2021
        4. Final Session w/c 29th November 2021
        5. Presented to Finance & General Purpose Committee 6th December 2021
      6. The first Visioning session was planned for 6th October 2021.
      7. On 5th October 2021 it was decided that the proposed Visioning Sessions throughout October and November should be cancelled on risk of COVID outbreak grounds.
      8. The Big Town Plan Masterplan Vision was published in January 2021, and sets out the vision for the development of Shrewsbury over the next 20 years, under the direction of the Big Town Plan Partnership (a joint venture between Shropshire Council, Shrewsbury Town Council and Shrewsbury BID).
      9. Many Town Council’s run annual residents’ surveys to assess satisfaction with council services and seek views on other services that could be run by the council. For example:
        1. Witney Town Council (https://www.witney-tc.gov.uk/news/witney-town-council-annual-residents-satisfaction-survey-2022/),
        2. Frome Town Council (https://www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk/your-chance-to-help-to-shape-our-town/),
        3. Flitwick Town Council (https://www.flitwick.gov.uk/flitwick-residents-annual-survey-2022/),
        4. Woodley Town Council (https://www.woodley.gov.uk/about-the-council/consultations/woodley-residents-survey),
        5. Knaresborough Town Council (http://www.knaresboroughtowncouncil.gov.uk/Resident_Survey_41356.aspx).
      10. The largest 5 civil parishes in England (Northampton, Sutton Coldfield, Weston-Super-Mare, Crewe and Shrewsbury) do not, it appears, currently run an annual residents’ survey.
      11. There is a sum of £8000 in the earmarked reserves for “Community Engagement”.

    This Council resolves:

      1. To launch an annual Shrewsbury Residents’ Survey, including, but not limited to:
        1. assessing satisfaction with the services currently run by the Town Council,
        2. seeking views on other services that could be provided by the Town Council.
      2. To recommence the “Visioning Exercise” at the earliest possible opportunity to provide direction for Shrewsbury Town Council’s decision making through to the end of the 2025/26 financial year.

     

    1. Flag Flying – Presented by Councillor Alex Wagner

    This council notes:

      1. The Union Flag is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Crown Dependencies and the Overseas Territories. It is a symbol of national unity and pride. The first Union Flag was created in 1606 and combined the flags of England and Scotland; the present Union Flag dates from 1801.
      2. There are designated days when the Union Flag must be flown on UK government buildings by command of Her Majesty the Queen. However, UK government buildings are encouraged to fly the Union Flag all year around.
      3. Local authorities and other local organisations are encouraged to follow suit where they wish to fly flags.
      4. The Union Flag currently flies daily from the flagpole in the Quarry Park.
      5. The flag in use by Shrewsbury Town Council is a banner-of-arms from the town coat of arms. It can be described in heraldic terms as “Azure, 3 leopard faces Or.”
      6. The three leopard loggerhead pattern, referred to as “loggerheads” locally, was used by local lords of the area on their shields. The use of Loggerheads on the Shrewsbury town arms, first recorded in 1623, is an example and the symbol has become part of the local identity over the years.
      7. With the upcoming move of the Town Council from Rigg’s Hall to a more prominent town centre location, there is an opportunity for the Town Council to proudly fly its own flag daily.
      8. The Government defines specific days that the Union Flag should be flown in precedence (Union Flag flying guidance for UK government buildings – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).
      9. There are other specific days that the Town Council may decide to fly an alternative flag, for example Shropshire Day (23rd February), St George’s Day (23rd April).
      10. There are other specific occasions that the Town Council may decide to fly an alternative flag, for example the White Ensign when HMS Talent are on an official visit, or the Rainbow Flag during Pride Month.

    This council resolves:

      1. To ensure that the new Shrewsbury Town Council HQ can fly at least one flag from either the front elevation or roof of the building.
      2. That the Civics Committee should develop a flag flying schedule for the Shrewsbury Town Council HQ and the Quarry Park taking account of UK Government advice.
      3. To fly the Shrewsbury Town Flag daily on the HQ, except on other designated days.
      4. To continue to fly the Union Flag daily in the Quarry Park, except on other designated days.
      5. To publish the flag flying schedule on the Shrewsbury Town Council.
      6. To purchase new flags of standard size as required to fulfil the schedule.
      7. To implement the flag flying schedule on the new Shrewsbury Town Council HQ and the flagpole in the Quarry Park as soon as possible.
      8. That the Mayor may, with the agreement of the Leader of the Town Council and Town Clerk, request for other flags to flown.

  • 9CAPITAL PROGRAMME

    To update in the 2022/23 Programme

    Attachments:

  • 10TENDER WORK

    To receive a report on recent tendering activity

    Attachments:

  • 11MARKETS

    To receive an update on the work of the general market

    Attachments:

  • 12BIG TOWN PLAN

    To receive an update on the Big Town Plan Partnership from Councillor Mosley, the Town Council’s Representative on the Partnership

  • 13POLLING STATION REVIEWS

    To consider any comments the Town Council wishes to make in relation to proposed changes to Polling Stations

    Attachments:

  • 14VISIONING EXERCISE

    To agree the process for a Visioning Exercise

    Attachments: