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CSPC 2020 Covid-19 update

Compton and Shawford
Parish Council

CSPC 2020 Covid-19 Update

Dear Parishioner,

Usually at this time year the Parish Council issues its annual parish report and invites you to the Annual Parish Meeting, however this year due to Covid-19 restrictions we have unfortunately had to cancel the meeting, but will still plan to produce a 2020 Annual report (and will distribute when we are able). 

The restrictions also this mean that the May Parish Council meeting (and APM) will also be cancelled. A decision on future meetings, including the possibility of virtual meetings will be made over the next few weeks. 

The Annual Parish Meeting is normally your chance to meet, hear from and ask questions of your parish councillors. If you have any questions then please let us know directly and we will be happy to respond. 

I am delighted that this year our team of Councillors have remained constant. They consist of myself, Tim Hunt, Martin Bell, Richard Webster, Myra Wilkinson, Bob Jordan, Mike Southgate, Jo Lockett and Frances Strange, supported by our clerk David Drake. 

This year the Parish Council elections were due to take place, however due to Covid-19 restrictions these elections have been cancelled and Councillors will remain in office for another year.  I would like to extend my thanks to all the Councillors (who are unpaid volunteers, and many of which have full time jobs/commitments) for their hard work over the last year.

I’d like to especially thank our clerk David Drake, who will leave the Council at the end of May, following twelve years of working for the Council.  During my time on the Council he has been invaluable in providing advice and ensuring the Council meets all its requirements.

It has been a consistent year for the Council, with regular issues of planning, environmental and parking being ongoing concerns for parishioners.  The major projects for the Council have been the distribution of funds provided through the Community Infrastructure Levy to projects throughout the parish and parking at Shawford station.  Details on all these activities will be included within the Annual Report.

Mike Goulding – Chair 2019/20


This CSPC 2020 Covid-19 update also appears in the May 2020 issue of Compton & Shawford Parish Magazine


Coronavirus (COVID-19): letter to councils about local authority meetings and postponement of elections

Extracts from Letter from MHCLG to local authority chief executives on emergency legislation to support local authorities dated 6 April 2020.

There are two relevant sets of regulations under the Coronavirus Act 2020.

The first set enables all local authority meetings before 7 May 2021 to be held remotely and removes the requirement for the annual meeting this year.

The second set postpones until 6 May 2021 local by-elections and other polls, either scheduled or which would otherwise arise before that date.

ANNEX

The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020.

These regulations enable all local authority meetings to be held remotely, including allowing remote access by members of the public, and they remove the requirement for the annual meeting this year.

The regulations are drafted very broadly, applying to different types of local authorities, and to different categories of meetings including annual meetings, cabinet and committee meetings.

Local authorities can decide not to hold the legally prescribed annual meeting. Where meetings are held, local authorities have the flexibility to hold them at any time of day and on any day, to alter how frequently they are held and to move or cancel them without further notice.

Where a local authority does not hold an annual meeting, current appointments will continue until the next annual meeting of the authority or when the local authority determines.

Meetings may be held remotely including via telephone conferencing, video conferencing, live webchat and live streaming. Remote attendance by members counts for other purposes such as the six month rule on attendance, and for allowances.

Members of the public and press may also access meetings remotely rather than in person.

The regulations are not prescriptive about how local authorities may facilitate remote meetings or related matters such as voting and access to documents by members and the public.

Different solutions will be appropriate in different localities and local authorities may make appropriate standing orders.

..

The regulations came into force on 4 April 2020 and apply to meetings taking place before 7 May 2021.

We are able to legislate to bring forward this date if medical and scientific advice leads to the relaxation of social distancing rules.

You can find the regulations and supporting documents here on the legislation.gov website http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/392/contents/made