Policy, Resources & Communications

Agenda

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      All Members of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee: (Maria Angelaki-King, Lesley Cruikshank-Robb, France Gaudencio, Don McBeth, Paul Shepherd, Ian Weir) with copies to all other Councillors for information.

A meeting of the POLICY RESOURCES & COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE will be held on Tuesday 1 July 2025 at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks.

Parish Clerk 25 June 2025

1. TO ACCEPT APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2. TO ACCEPT DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

3. MINUTES.  To accept the Minutes of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee held on 3 June 2025. (Previously Circulated).

4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

5. POLICIES

Members are required to review the draft policy documents and

i) approve the Retentions Policy

ii) recommend that the Council adopts the Standing Orders and Financial Regulations

The Council is required to review the Standing Orders and Financial Regulations regularly and update them accordance with current guidelines, statutory requirements and best practise. The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) produce Model Standing Orders and Financial Regulations that include mandatory legal requirements (shown in bold) and optional guidelines that parish councils can adopt or modify to suit their needs. For transparency, sections of the model documents that were rejected as part of the review have been struck through and additions are highlighted in red.  The Council’s Standing Orders and Financial Regulations were last updated in March 2023.  The new model Standing Orders and Financial Regulations produced by NALC were last updated in March 2025.

5.1 Draft Standing Orders – the Council’s Standing Orders provide procedural rules for regulating the conduct of council meetings and ensuring orderly and efficient governance. A revised draft is attached for consideration (Appendix 1). To view Appendix 1 please click here.

5.2 Draft Financial Regulations – the Council’s Financial Regulations provide a framework for financial governance to ensure transparency, accountability and efficiency. A revised draft is attached for consideration (Appendix 2). To view Appendix 2 please click here.

5.3 Draft Retentions Policy – the retention policy outlines how long different types of records must be kept to ensure compliance with legislation and regulatory obligations.  A draft policy is attached for consideration (Appendix 3 – to follow). 

5.4 Ongoing Policy Reviews

The following policies will be reviewed and developed and for consideration at future PR&C meetings:

• Developer Protocol (Sept)
• Code of Conduct (Sept)
• Publications Scheme (Sept)
• Data Protection Policy – Cllr Lesley Cruikshank-Robb
• Health and Safety Policy – Cllr Ian Weir with specialist external expertise, if required

6. FINANCE

Members are required to consider the banking proposals and recommend that the Council

i) makes the proposed changes to the bank mandate

ii) applies for a Corporate Multipay Card

Following the adoption of the Financial Regulations it is proposed that the Council will use the Unity Trust Bank account for day-to-day financial transactions, introduce internet banking and make the following changes to the bank mandate to enable implementation of the new regulations.

• change the level of authorisation from triple to double to enable one member of staff to set up payments, for authorisation by the Clerk/RFO
• set up the Clerk/RFO as the Account administrator, able to view, set up and authorise payments (previously Ian Cumberworth)
• enable all Unity Trust Bank signatories to view account details and authorise payments
• Ian Cumberworth to be removed as an authorised signatory on the Unity Trust Bank and Barclays Bank accounts.

It is also recommended that the Council applies via Unity Trust Bank for a Corporate Multipay Card, which is similar to debit card, to enable purchases online (under £500 plus VAT) and make cash withdrawal at the Post Office.

7. DEVELOPER CONTRIBUTIONS (Verbal Update)

8. REMEMBRANCE DAY – a meeting of the working group was held on 17 June 2025 and the notes are attached to provide an update on project progress (Appendix 4).

9. COMMUNICATIONS (Verbal update)

10. URGENT MATTERS at the discretion of the Chairman for noting and/or inclusion on a future agenda.

11. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – 23 September 2025

Please Note
All members of the public are welcome to attend meetings of the Parish Council and its Committees.
Item 4 – a period of 15 minutes will be set aside for the public statements and questions relating to the published non-confidential business of the Meeting.  It may be necessary to consider particular items in confidential session and where this arises, these items will be considered at the end of the agenda.

FILMING, RECORDING OF COUNCIL MEETINGS AND USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
During this meeting members of the public may film or record the Committee and officers from the public area only providing it does not disrupt the meeting. The Confidential section of the meeting may not be filmed or recorded. If a member of the public objects to being recorded, the person(s) filming must stop doing so until that member of the public has finished speaking. The use of social media is permitted but members of the public are requested to switch their mobile devices to silent for the duration of the meeting.

Appendix 4

Remembrance Day Working Group Meeting Notes

Remembrance Day Meeting 17.6.25

Present:

Helen Valler (Deputy Clerk)

Cllr Frances Gaudencio

Cllr Don McBeth

Josie Hodges (Greyhound Pub)

It was agreed that the Traffic Management Plan produced by Wilbar Associates would be implemented for the event. Road to be closed from Grand Avenue through to Beaconhurst from approximately 1pm – 3pm.

• Deputy Clerk will be the one to apply for the road closure using the map produced by Wilbar Associates.
• To inform Ditchling Parish Council and/or ESCC, due to the impact of the closure on Ditchling village.

The band will meet at Adastra Park but would walk down to the junction of Keymer Road/Grand Ave and begin marching/playing from there.

One or two minute stop outside Garden of Remembrance while playing

Loop into Villa Adastra with another two-minute stop while playing

Updated timings

1.30pm – meet Adastra car park – Brownies, guides, cubs, scouts, band, members of the public.

1.40/45pm – start marching from Grand Avenue junction.

Stop at Garden of Remembrance.

Loop into Villa Adastra

2.10pm – Assemble at church for laying of wreaths and crosses. Last post played.

Provisional list of roads to be leafleted

Beaconhurst

Silverdale

The Crescent

Lodge Lane – to junction with Dale Avenue

Stafford Way

The Poplars

The Minnels

Ewart Close

Kymer Gardens

Clerks Acre

Orchard Lane – up to the gate

Wilmington Close

Any Keymer Road/Parade

John Saxby Place.

Dale Terrace

Guide/Brownie Leader has offered to assist with delivery of leaflets to the above addresses and to produce the wooden crosses for guides/scouts to lay at the war memorial.
Any cars parked along Keymer Road in the days leading up to the event to be leafleted.