Policy, Resources & Communications Committee

Agenda

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

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

A meeting of the POLICY RESOURCES & COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE on Tuesday 2 June 2026 at 7.30pm in the Council Chamber, Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks

Parish Clerk 27 May 2026

Members of the public are encouraged to come to the meetings and there is an opportunity for them to address the Council relating to the non-confidential items on the published agenda. A period of 15 minutes will be set aside in item 5 Public participation. 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.

1. TO ACCEPT APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2. TO ACCEPT DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

3. ELECTION OF CHAIR & VICE CHAIR

4. MINUTES. To accept the Minutes of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee held on 28 April 2026. (Previously Circulated).

5. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

6. COMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE – The committee is asked to review the Policy, Resources and Communications Terms of Reference. (Appendix 1). A number of suggested changes are highlighted in blue. Please click here to view Appendix 1.

7. COMMUNICATIONS (Verbal update).

8. KEYMER & HASSOCKS CRICKET CLUB NETS LICENSE – the Council has given permission to Keymer & Hassocks Cricket Club to install some new cricket nets in Adastra Park in accordance with Planning application reference DM/26/0696 (currently pending). The Clerk has asked Bennett Oakley Solicitors to prepare a license which allows the club to use an area of the recreation ground for this purpose but does not confer any legal interest in the land. It will provide the club with assurance before they engage a contractor and clarify maintenance responsibilities.

Members are requested to authorise the Chair of the Committee to approve the draft license, to be sent to the cricket club for signature before they start work on site.

9. PROPERTY VALUATIONS – Members are asked to consider a proposal to carry out building valuations for insurance purposes at the premises below:

  • Sports Pavilion – Current declared value £759,456
  • Groundsman’s Storage Garage – Current declared value £68,495
  • Parish Centre – Current declared value £708,985
  • Lych Gate – Current declared value £18,285

The Council’s insurance broker has referred us to a Chartered Building Consultancy who has quoted £632 for the valuations; this cost can be covered through the Professional Fees budget.

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

11. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – 21 July 2026.

CONFIDENTIAL

12. STAFFING MATTERS– interim staffing arrangements (Appendix 2).

13. INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS – progress update (Appendix 3).

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.

 

Minutes

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

Draft Minutes of the meeting of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee held on 2 June 2026 at 7.30pm in Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks.

Attendees: Parish Councillors Frances Gaudencio, Ian Weir, Maria Angelaki-King, David Bunting, Lesley Cruickshank-Robb, Paul Shepherd

In Attendance: Elaine Langridge (Clerk & RFO)

MINUTES

PRC26/1      APOLOGIES – Cllr Don McBeth

PRC26/2      DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS

Disclosure by Councillors of personal interests in matters on the agenda, and whether the Councillor regards their interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct – None.

PRC26/3      ELECTION OF CHAIR & VICE CHAIR

PRC26/3.1   Cllr Ian Weir proposed that Cllr Paul Shepherd be nominated as Chair. This was seconded by Cllr Frances Gaudencio. It was RESOLVED that Cllr Paul Shepherd is elected as Chair of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee for 2026-27.

PRC26/3.2   Cllr Lesley Cruickshank-Robb proposed that Cllr Ian Weir be nominated as Vice-Chair. This was seconded by Cllr Paul Shepherd. It was RESOLVED that Cllr Ian Weir is elected as Vice-Chair of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee for 2026-27

PRC26/4      MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 April 2026 were accepted as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

PRC26/5      PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

No members of the public were present.

PRC26/6      COMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE

The Clerk explained that the amendments reflected the Committees responsibilities as detailed in the Financial Regulations and Standing Orders.  Members questioned whether recruitment should be the responsibility of the Committee but agreed this was an operational matter and as the TOR refers to ‘overseeing all issues relating to Council employees,’ this is covered.  They asked the Clerk to insert an additional responsibility as follows, ‘Oversight of quarterly Chair’s meetings to ensure delivery of an up-to-date Business Plan’ and were content to sign off the document with this amendment.

PRC26/7      COMMUNICATIONS

The deadline for the July edition of Hassocks Life is 16 June.  Members agreed to a two page article with the following features: Annual Parish Meeting, Twinning Association visit, Community Grants reminder, Leslie Campbell memorial bench, Football Foundation grant offer.  An item regarding an TRO application for double yellow lines in Keymer Road will be deferred to a later date, subject to the County Council’s response. A draft will be circulated to Committee members for comment prior to publication.

PRC26/8      KEYMER & HASSOCKS CRICKET CLUB NETS LICENSE

The Clerk explained that a Planning decision is imminent and the cricket club may want to start work on site very soon.  In order to avoid any delays, she asked that the Committee Chair be empowered to deal with the matter promptly. Cllr Bunting stated that the cricket club had nearly reached their fundraising target and were posting daily appeals on Facebook.

Members AUTHORISED the Chair of Policy Resources & Communications to approve the draft license for signing.

PRC26/9      PROPERTY VALUATIONS

The Clerk understands that the last building valuations were carried out by the insurer in 2022 and they need updating to ensure the Council has confidence there is sufficient insurance to cover the cost of rebuilding.  When the valuations are completed there is a possibility the findings could affect the amount of the premium. Members agreed that this would be worthwhile and instructed the Clerk to proceed with the valuations.

PRC26/10    URGENT MATTERS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIRMAN – None

PRC26/11    DATE OF NEXT MEETING Tuesday 21 July 2026

PRC26/12    EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS In view of the confidential nature of the business transacted Councillors were referred to the Confidential Agenda.

Meeting closed at 8.15pm