1

EAST BERGHOLT PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE STRATEGY, POLICY AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING

24 October 2024

Present – Parish Councillors
Councillor R Elmer (Chairman)
Councillor M Hurley
Councillor J Miller
Councillor J Price
Councillor N Roberts
Councillor G Woodcock

In Attendance
G White, Parish Clerk
Five members of the public.

OPEN PUBLIC SESSION

Sara Wilcock representing the Tennis Club referred to the CIL application on the agenda. The Club was
seeking an award of £25,000, which would be match funded by the club, to support the club in the project
to bring facilities to the site including water and toilets. Financial details of the club had been provided. The
current whole project costs were c£125,000 of which an award from Babergh could realise up to £75,000.
The remaining costs could be met by a Parish CIL award and match funding.

Vic Saunders, Treasurer of the Bowls Club referred to the application for grant aid to assist with cladding
for the clubhouse which was in need of replacement. Councillor Miller noted that this project was a Parish
Council project as the club occupied a site owned by the Council. If sports club projects were led by the
Council as the landowner, all VAT payments could be reclaimed, thus minimising the expenditure. Awards
for such projects can be earmarked in the Council’s accounts and expenditure taken from the earmarked
funds up to the amount of the award.

1. EAST BERGHOLT TENNIS CLUB CIL APPLICATION
Councillor Miller noted that the Council had approved the project in principle several months ago and
was aware of the scope of it. The detailed project costs had now reached £125,000 and if Babergh DC
made a CIL award of £75,000 and the Parish Council an award of £25,000 then together with match
funding from the tennis club, the project would be fully funded. This Parish Council project assures the
long-term future of the tennis club,

It was proposed by Councillor Miller, seconded by Councillor Woodcock and RESOLVED
(unanimously) that Parish CIL funds of up to £25,000 be earmarked for expenditure in connection with
the Parish Council Project in support of the East Bergholt Tennis Club.

2. APPLICATIONS FOR GRANT AID

East Bergholt Bowls Club – Councillor Roberts declared a non-pecuniary interest as a member of the
Bowls Club but not an officer of the club, nor a member of the managing committee.

Similar considerations applied to this application as to the previous item insofar as the club premises
were located on land owned by the Council, whereby the subject project was properly a Parish Council
project in support of the Bowls Club.

It was proposed by Councillor Woodcock, seconded by Councillor Miller and RESOLVED
(unanimously) that reserves of up to £6,146 be earmarked for expenditure on cladding materials in
connection with the Parish Council Project in support of East Bergholt Bowls Club.

2

River Stour Trust – Councillor Price reported three breaches of the river bank adjacent to the public
footpath. Babergh DC had provided the Trust with £2,900 towards the costs of repairing the first
breach. This application for a grant of £250 was to buy materials to repair the second breach estimated
at £300-£500. Councillor Price explained that the Environment Agency considered the riparian owner to
be responsible for the repair and that he was contributing some materials whilst the trust was taking on
the work. There would be no footpath unless the works were carried out.

It was proposed by Councillor Price, seconded by Councillor Miller and RESOLVED (unanimously) that
pursuant to Section 1 of the Localism Act 2011 an award of £250 be made to the River Stour Trust.

Christmas Parade and Market – Councillor Miller, the Parish Council representative on the Christmas
Parade and Market Committee, praised the tireless efforts of the committee to ensure a successful
event. It was proposed by Councillor Miller, seconded by Councillor Hurley and RESOLVED
(unanimously) that pursuant to Section 1 of the Localism Act 2011, an award of £750 be made to the
Christmas Parade and Market Committee.

3. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence received from Councillor Davies were NOTED.

4. DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
Councillor Roberts declared a non-pecuniary interest in Item 9, the Bowls Club application for grant
aid, as a member of the Bowls Club, but not an officer of the club, nor a member of the managing
committee.

5. MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting of 18 April 2024 were approved as a correct record.

Regarding the minutes of the Extraordinary meeting of 19 September 2024, Councillor Roberts asked
that it be recorded that he had said at the end of the first paragraph of the public open session that
‘Other grants may be available from the Football Foundation’. Subject to this amendment, the minutes
of the Extraordinary meeting of 19 September 2024 were approved as a correct record.

6. MATTERS ARISING/UPDATES

None

7. CIL POLICY AND PIIP REVIEW

Councillor Miller noted that the Policy and the PIIP were both in need of substantial review, particularly
following the identification of Council priorities subsequent to the approval of the policy and the PIIP,
which needed to be incorporated. Additionally, allocations for different projects needed to earmarked.

The Committee considered that this required a separate meeting of the committee to take place in
January 2025 with a report and recommendations to Council in February.

8. OFFICE LEASE

The Clerk presented his report which detailed that the current lease of the Parish Office expired on 31
December 2024 and that proposals for a new lease had been offered by the manager of The
Gattinetts, which were attached.

The rent proposed was an additional £165.89 per month and did not have the benefit of the 20%
discount which had been offered two years ago. Councillor Roberts noted that the price per square
foot, upon which the rent was based, had increased, but remained lower than comparable premises in
the locality. The proposal was for a three-year lease, but with a rolling three-month break clause which
would enable early termination if the Council wished to relocate before the expiry of the term.

3

It was proposed by Councillor Roberts, seconded by Councillor Hurley and RESOLVED that the
Council accept a new lease for the Parish Office for a three-year term from 1 January 2025 upon the
terms proposed.

9. BUDGET 2025/26 COMMITTEE MEETINGS

The Clerk reported that as a result of mid-year changes to the committee timetable, an extra cycle of
short committee meetings was necessary towards the end of November, to enable each committee to
consider and submit its budget for 2024/25.

The following timetable was agreed:

Burial Grounds Committee Thursday 21 November at 6.30 pm
Neighbourhood Plan Committee Thursday 21 November at 7.00 pm
Playing Fields Committee Thursday 21 November at 7.30 pm
RFF Committee Thursday 21 November at 8.00 pm
Young People Committee Monday 25 November at 7.00 pm
Strategy Policy and Finance Committee Monday 25 November at 7.30 pm

10. URGENT COMMUNICATIONS

None

The meeting closed at 8.31 pm

Chairman…………………………………………………………………………………….Date………………………………………..