MOSSLEY TOWN COUNCIL 19th June 2007. Commenced: 7.30pm Terminated 8.30pm Present: Councillors Anderson, Aylett, Brooks, Carter, Cauldwell, Dossett, Jones, Leeson and Milne [in the Chair]. 601. Minutes RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Annual meeting of the Council held on 16th May 2007, copies of which had been circulated to all members of the Council, be approved as a correct record. 602. Presentation by Resident The Council considered some information provided by a resident Mr M Green in relation to the availability of grants which might be used to transfer the George Lawton Hall into community ownership. The Council thanked Mr Green for his presentation and undertook to investigate this matter further. 603. Invoices for Payment The Clerk circulated a list of the invoices that had fallen due for payment since 18th April 2007, a copy of which is appended to these minutes. RESOLVED: That these payments be approved. 604. Planning Applications The Council considered seven applications for planning permission which had been received from Tameside MBC for consultation and which had been circulated to all members of the Council. RESOLVED: That the applications be noted. 605. Accounts 2006/2007 The Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer submitted for approval of the Council prior to the annual audit, an income and expenditure account, a balance sheet, the annual return and a supporting statement in respect of the Councils accounts for the period 1st April 2006 to 31st March 2007.He also submitted an annual governance statement to be agreed by the Council as required by the auditors. Copies of these documents were circulated to every member of the Council. The Clerk reported that the Councils internal auditor Mr D Holland had carried out an internal audit of the accounts for 2006/2007 over the course of the year and had confirmed that the financial records and supporting information was being maintained to a high standard and conformed to all the requirements of the annual return. RESOLVED: [1] That the accounts submitted be approved and submitted to the external auditors. [2] That the Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer and Chair of the meeting be authorised to sign the governance statement in accordance with the accounts now submitted and approved and to forward this to the external auditors, as part of the audit for 2006/2007. [3] That Mr D Holland be paid the fee of £175 for his work as internal auditor of the Council for 2006/2007. 606. Code of Conduct The Council considered the new Code of Conduct which had been drawn up by the Standards Board for England for parish and town councils. This replaces the Code agreed by the Council in 2002. RESOLVED: That the revised Code of Conduct for parish and town councils now submitted, be approved and adopted by Mossley Town Council and the Clerk be requested to publicise this decision using the usual notice sites approved by the Council. 607. Parish Plan The first draft of the parish plan was now available for members to consider and the Council discussed how the exercise of approving a final version of the plan should be handled. RESOLVED: That a special meeting of the Council be held in private on 2nd July 2007 at 7.00pm to finalise the plan with a view to the final version being approved by the Council at the next ordinary meeting on 18th July 2007. 608. NALC New Councillor Training RESOLVED: That no action be taken with regard to these training courses but the Clerk be requested to arrange a training session for new members in the near future to cover the issues set out in the NALC course. 609 Parish Meeting The Clerk reported that no parishioners attended the parish meeting on 23rd May 2007 and therefore there were no items to be considered at this meeting. 610. Mossley Festival Association The Clerk reported upon a letter he had received from the secretary of the Mossley Festival Association asking if the Council would be prepared to offer financial support to the Association as it as it had in the past. He explained that the Association was to cooperate with the Greater Manchester High Sheriffs Police Trust to produce a proposal to address the incidence of anti social behaviour by a small proportion of young people in Mossley using the Festival as a spring board and by doing so gain financial support from the Trust towards the cost of the proposal. This grant application would be strengthened if the Council was to send to the Trust any financial contribution it was prepared to make, specifically earmarked for use by the Mossley Festival Association as it would unlock further funding opportunities for the Festival Association via the Trust. In addition the Council would become a member of the Trust and enjoy al the benefits in terms of publicity and other information on activities organised via the Trust. RESOLVED: That the Clerk inform the Greater Manchester High Sheriffs Police Trust that the Council is prepared to give a contribution of £500 specifically earmarked for use by the Mossley Festival Association in connection with the project outlined above and would be prepared to become a member of the Trust: and that this expenditure be incurred under the provisions of Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972. Chair.