Shalfleet Parish Council Meeting Wednesday 14th Jan 2015 at the Shalfleet School at 1000

Hello fellow residents, and a very happy new year. 

Our Parish Council has a nice long agenda for us this Wednesday 14th Jan 2015 at the school.  I'll be making an audio recording but not a video this time as there doesn't seem to be anything unduly contentious on the agenda.   Please let me know if you would particularly like a video and I will reconsider.  If so please note that there will be children present during part of it and the video will be stopped; no child will be filmed.

Agenda 14.1.15. Public and website copy-1.pdf by david5174

Points I would raise with the Parish Council:

a)  Buckingham Palace Garden Party:  Would the Parish pay any expenses for this trip and if so, how much?

b)  Charitable donations:  Agenda item 135/14-15 above is yet another request for a charitable donation.  My personal view is that the Parish precept (paid for by parishioners as an addition to their local council tax, collected by the IWC on the Parish Council's behalf) is for parish expenses not for charitable donations of any kind, however worthy.  The Parish Council is not a charitable foundation it is a council.  Residents are free to make any charitable payments themselves to their chosen charities with the huge added benefit that if they fill in the tax form the charity gets an almost equal amount from the Government (you and me) so giving personally is also much better for the charities.

c)  Last month we heard that two councillors, Helena Hewston and Pamela Myles, had gone on First Aid courses at around £45 each(?) and that this was being paid for by the Parish Council.  One resident said they'd asked in the office and were told that these first aiders were needed for safety in Parish Council meetings and that they needed two in case one was away.  The resident was astonished at this sudden concern for our well-being for an hour-and-a-half a month and wrote to me.  I have had two other emails about this asking what I am doing about it.  The answer is I am writing about it here.  If you wish to know more or to comment please ask them yourself.  They have a legal duty to explain what they are doing with your money and why.

Please don't forget that if you wish to speak on an agenda item at the PC meeting you are obliged to give 24 hours written notice.  Easiest way is to email Sally Woods at shalfleetpc@btconnect.com You are allowed to speak on non-agenda items without giving notice.