Extraordinary Wotton Town Council Meeting

30th March 2025

My informal notes and personal comment from the Planning Meeting followed by the Extraordinary Town Council meeting on Monday that I attended. Cllrs Braun & Cohen had sent apologies.

Planning Meeting

Cllr John Lewis elected Chair of the Planning Committee and Martin Tucker elected as deputy. A few apologies from other Cllrs. No declarations of interest, no questions from the public (just me this week!). Minutes approved, maybe with a small amendment about the deputy chair, which I didn't grasp.

Noted that .gov.uk is streamlining planning appeals from 1 April 2026. The key change: third parties (including local councils) can no longer submit new information at the appeal stage for certain minor applications, they can only choose to forward or withdraw their original comments. Useful info that I had missed. :(

New Planning Applications were debated:-

• S.26/0400/DISCON Land North Of Bradley Street. Discharge of conditions from S.23/1157/VAR (two items about this one).
• Support
• S.26/0249/HHOLD Charlecote Orchard Street. Demolition of existing garage & erection of 2 storey side extension
• Object
• S.26/0241/HHOLD 1 Oatground Synwell. Erection of open fronted single storey sheltered cover
• Support
• S.26/0199/DISCON Land at Berkeley Close. Discharge of condition 15 (materials) from S.25/1181/VAR
• Support

Town Council Meeting

Chaired by Cllr Halpin. Normal formalities as per the previous meeting.

Council asked to approve signing off a certificate of payment from Carter Jonas regarding the Town Hall & Chipping Hall project works. It's for some £65k ex vat with a small percentage retained as part of contract arrangement. Agreed

Next the payments list was considered. The Chair noted that there were some 'chunky' payments within. Komplan at £89k+vat being the chunkiest. Komplan were the contractors who installed the new Symn Lane Play Area which was opened last Saturday. A bill for ongoing legal advice and the work in Knapp Road £7k+vat which has now been completed and others. All agreed

Data Protection Review. A Data Map was noted. The Clerk explained that the Council has commissioned Breakthrough Communications to do this work. The company along with the Clerk have gone through all the processes involving personal data and info, contracts, e-mails, hirers, allotment rent, residents queries etc.... that the council holds. The resulting data map is huge. There are no reds, some ambers, the majority are green (I assume these are the risk indicators). The amber ones are being worked on.

Council was also asked to approve data protection policies; data security, bring your own device, subject access request and erasure. The Clerk assured that the policy templates (I assume the ones on the web site) would be updated as per NALC advice as other Town Councils are doing. They are all 'best practice' and will be tailored to Wotton. Clerk says they are not over the top and are pragmatic. Previously council voted not to have devices now they do they have to be confident about how to deal with things. Clerk has gone through the latest guidelines but will need to keep eye on them as .gov.uk is working on data protection. Audit will check and see how things are managed. The next stage is online training for staff and councillors. SDC are also running Data Protection sessions. Are they? Need to check!

Also council was being asked to approve a new privacy notice. Chair asks if Clerk reviewed and they had. Council shares info with other organisations; like the Police regarding CCTV etc. so has to be right. Chair asks all to agree and everything was carried without the protracted debate I was expecting!

Next up to discuss the dissolution of the Recreational Trust, legal advice and agree actions. Council had correspondence from the Recreational Trust and Cllrs Tucker and Britton-Griffiths are dealing with this. To fulfil their constitution obligation it seems the Rec Trust needs a meeting on 22nd April to progress the dissolution. Cllr Tucker said that the proposal put out by solicitors very good. It closes off the Rec Trust and makes it easier to convert. Cllr Britton-Griffiths points out when she agreed to help move this item forward and will now be liable as a trustee. Cllr Tucker reassures that all the legals will be covered before the change over is signed. Solicitors acting for Council will ensure that it's all right.

The Council then went into EXEMPT session, to discuss and agree recommendations in the Staffing Report so I had to leave at this point as this involves confidential staffing matters.

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My reports sometimes get me into trouble. I probably won't change what I've written unless I've got things hopelessly wrong but I'm always available for a chat. :)

[update 31/3] It's been pointed out to me that "the council voted years ago to not supply laptops or iPads, we all still use our own personal devices and nothing has been purchased for councillors"