The Chairman welcomed all parish representatives to the Parish Council Forum.

Briefing by the Boundary Commission.

40 minutes for presentation and questions.

Rutland now has a need to review its County Council arrangements.  The requirement occurs every 12-16 years, the last one for Rutland was in 2002.  The review must be complete by the next election.  It will take in principle two parts:

a)    To determine whether 26 Councillors is the right number to manage the functions.

b)    To balance the number of voters within wards.

BOUNDARY REVIEW – Briefing by the Boundary Commission

Sir Tony Redmond and Ms Dunkeyson from the Boundary Commission presented an overview of the Boundary Review.

Please find the full presentation attached.

The following points were noted:

                          i.          Rutland and Melton parliamentary boundaries would not be looked at as part of the review.

                         ii.          As a consequence of Rutland’s Boundary Review there could be a change to Wards, the Review had no jurisdiction over Parishes.

                        iii.          There was no ‘Value for Money’ government mandate for the Boundary Review.

                       iv.          The Boundary Review was based on the number of electorate and could not take into account any other factors.

Apologies received as listed above.

To confirm the Notes of the Parish Council Forum held on 12 October 2016.

The Notes of the Parish Council Forum held on 12 October 2016 were confirmed by parish representatives and signed by the Chairman.

To discuss any matters arising from the Parish Council Forum held on 12 October 2016.

                           i.          Mr Bool - Chairman thanked Mr Terry King for his 17 years of dedication to the County of Rutland and wished him well from the Parish Council Forum with his battle with ill health.

                          ii.          Mr Bool - Chairman informed the Forum of the Special Council meeting held at Rutland County Council on 26^th January 2017 and congratulated Mr Mathias on this appointment as Leader of Rutland County Council. The Chairman also announced the appointment of Mr Hemsley as the Deputy Leader of Rutland County Council.

                        iii.          Mr Bool – Chairman presented an overview of Rutland’s 20^th Anniversary of Independence Celebrations planned for April 2017.

Please find the presentation attached.

To receive updates from parish representatives on organisations they represent which might be of interest to other members of the Forum.

                           i.          Mr G Brown – Barrowden Parish Council raised concern that the letter distributed at this meeting regarding Development Control Conservation Officer was different to the one received by the Parish Councils. Clarification was requested on the content of the letter.

The Chairman suggested that the Parish Council Forum dedicate one complete Parish Council Forum meeting to Development Control matters in Parishes.

                          ii.          Mr P Grimley – Preston Parish Council informed the Forum of the British Heart Foundation scheme to provide free defibrillators around the UK. More information regarding this scheme can be found at:

https://www.bhf.org.uk/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2016/november/new-funding-for-defibrillators-to-save-thousands-of-lives

To receive an update from Rutland County Council.

40 minutes for presentation and questions.

Link to Rutland County Council’s budget papers (Cabinet 10 January 2017)

http://rutlandcounty.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=133&MId=1582

FINANCIAL UPDATE – Mr Sav Della Rocca – Assistant Director - Finance

Mr Della Rocca presented an overview of the Rutland County Council Budget and Medium Term Financial Plan.

Please find the full presentation attached.

The following points were noted:

                           i.          Mr Mathias – Leader of Rutland County Council informed the Forum that he was keen for RCC to become more commercially aware so as to generate more income.

                          ii.          The Forum requested that any changes to services that may be passed to Parish and Town Councils be discussed before their transfer from RCC.

                        iii.          Mrs Briggs – Chief Executive of RCC informed the Forum that RCC has, where possible, planned for the impact of changes to hospital models. The following issues were noted:

·       Rutland has aging population with the current number of over 80 year olds (c500) set to increase to 900 over the next 10 years.

·       RCC has had success in keeping people in their own homes and in the past year there had been a reduction in the number of people in Care Homes across the County.

·       RCC had integrated teams, including Reablement and Health teams.

·       The Better Care Fund had given RCC the opportunity to get ahead of the upcoming changes and consider plans for the future of Health and Social Care in Rutland.

                        iv.          Mr Della Rocca informed the Forum that £4 million of revenue from Business Rates was kept by RCC. Any amount above this had to be given to Central Government although RCC can keep an element of growth. It was noted that generating growth was harder in areas like Rutland compared to more urban areas

                         v.          The RCC Special Council Budget Setting Meeting would take place on 20^th February 2017. 

Clifford Bacon, Chairman of the Parish Council Working Group

To advise of vacancies and change to the Terms of Reference

10 minutes for presentation and questions

TERMS OF REFERENCE AND MEMBERSHIP OF THE WORKING GROUP  – Clifford Bacon, Chairman of the Parish Council Working Group (PCWG)

Mr Bacon – Chairman of the PCWG presented an overview of changes to the PCWG Terms of Reference and Membership.

Key areas highlighted included:

                          i.          The PCWG met quarterly to discuss the agenda items and actions arising for the next Parish Council Forum.

                         ii.          The Terms of Reference for the PCWG stated that there should be:

·       Up to 4 Parish Councillors (no more than one from any single Council)

·       Up to 4 Parish Meeting Representatives

Current vacancies for the PCWG were:

·       1 Parish Councillor

·       3 Parish Meeting Representatives

Mr Bacon invited nominations for the above vacancies and informed the Forum that he had received a nomination from Mr D Hodson – Greetham Parish Council prior to the meeting for the Parish Council vacancy. As there were no other nominations for the Parish Council vacancy, Mr Bacon proposed Mr Hodson join the PCWG, this was seconded by Mr Simpson – Uppingham Town Council. The Forum voted unanimously that Mr Hodson join the PCWG.

Mr Bacon asked the Forum to inform himself or Marcelle Gamston – Clerk to the meeting of any nominations to the Parish Meeting vacancies.

                        iii.          The Terms of Reference of the PCWG had been amended to reflect that the PCWG no longer considered items for the RCC Standards Committee.

                       iv.          Mr Bacon read an email from Mr Atkinson – Chief Officer at Leicestershire and Rutland Association of Local Councils (LRALC) giving feedback to the proposed changes to the Terms of Reference to the PCWG.  Mr Simpson – Chair of the Rutland Branch of the LRALC indicated that the Parish Council Working Group and Forum were small enough to be effective and additional meetings with the Rutland Branch of the LRALC were not required.

                        v.          Mr Mathias – Leader of RCC and member of the PCWG encouraged members of the Forum to join the PCWG as it was their opportunity to influence the agenda of future Parish Council Forum meetings.

                       vi.          Mr Brown – Barrowden Parish Council raised concerns regarding the communication between the PCWG and Parishes having input into the potential agenda items.  Mr Bacon advised the Forum that the current process for development of the Parish Council Forum agenda was that members of the PCWG bring possible items to the meeting, these were then discussed and the agenda developed.

A general discussion was held with the following outcomes:

·       Potential agenda items to be sent to either the PCWG Clerk or Chairman to be discussed at the next PCWG meeting.

Clerk to PCWG – M Gamston- mgamston@rutland.gov.uk

Chairman – Mr C Bacon – clifford_j_bacon@yahoo.co.uk

·       The items that were agreed should not be specific to one Parish or Town Council; they should be of interest to the whole county.

·       Consideration to be given by the PCWG into the use of a Forward Plan for planning future Parish Council Forum agendas. This could be circulated to all Parish Clerks and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To receive the Parish Briefing Paper (30 January 2017) on issues currently affecting Rutland (to be circulated at the Forum).

Parish Clerks and Representatives are asked to display the document on parish notice boards.

The Parish Briefing Paper for 30 January 2017 was circulated at the meeting.

To consider any other items of business which parish representatives may wish to raise.

No items were raised.

Monday 24 April 2017 – Change to previously published date.

Potential agenda items for the Parish Council Forum should be sent to Corporate Support, Rutland County Council, Catmose, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6HP, or emailed to corporatesupport@rutland.gov.uk

Monday 24 April 2017 - The Chairman informed the Forum that this was a change to the previously published date.