Draft Minutes

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Minutes of the Annual Parish Assembly and Sulhamstead Parish Council
Meeting held in Sulhamstead & Ufton Nervet Village Hall on
Thursday 23 July 2026 at 7pm

Present:   Mrs Margaret Baxter (Chair), Mrs Liz Penston, Mr Neil Williams, Mr Ivan Wise, Mrs Diane Woodward 

In attendance: Sally Poole (Clerk)

  1. Apologies for Absence: Mrs Fiona Jones, Mrs Tess Watson-Smith and Mr Mike Woodward.
    Absent with no apologies: Mr Ross Mackinnon (District Councillor) and Ms Sylke Robinson
  2. Declarations of Interest by Councillors
    None declared.
  3. Open Forum
    There were no residents in attendance.
  4. Approval of Minutes from the meeting of 21 May 2026
    The minutes were approved as a true record of the meeting.
  5. Matters arising from the minutes of 21 May 2026
    Item 3 – Reports for the Parish
    Reports had not yet been received from UNFAC or Thames Valley Police.
    Item 10 – SID Machine and Community Speed Watch
    Councillor Baxter requested that the link for the Community Speed Watch training be re-distributed. Action: Councillor Jones

    A third quotation was required for the new SID machine for which funding had been obtained from Thames Valley Police.  The Clerk had contacted Stratfield Mortimer PC and had established that they had two portable ‘smiley face’ SIDs which were rotated around locations and they also participated in the Community Speed Watch programme.

    Councillor M Woodward had researched and submitted a further two locations, following the resident querying the proposed location of the Cricket Club for the Community Speed Watch on Sulhamstead Hill.  These were opposite the Cricket Club and by Sulhamstead Swing Bridge, which was actually the most central and nearest to the houses affected by the speeding vehicles.  However, this last site had been disallowed by the local police on health and safety grounds.  This decision had been appealed by Councillor M Woodward as he considered that it did meet the safety guidelines.

    Councillor Penston also reported that a recent speed watch session on Reading Road (by the junction with Three Firs Way) had recorded seven vehicles travelling over the reporting speed limit of 35mph.

    There was a further discussion on the Sulhamstead Swing Bridge and it was agreed that WBC be contacted to ascertain the possibility of the installation of width restrictors, which should slow down traffic and deter larger vehicles that should not be using the bridge due to the weight restriction. Action: Clerk
    Item 21 – Increase in Precept
    The Clerk had written to WBC to query why Council Tax bills showed a 2.3% increase on the Precept for the Parish Council, whilst no increase had been requested (or granted).  No reply had been received and so would be followed up again. Action: Clerk
    Fly tipping cameras
    The Clerk had contacted Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council and had ascertained that they had secured a grant from TVP for wildlife cameras, which had been successful in catching fly tippers. They had been placed (with the appropriate signage for CCTV) on both ends of a known fly tipping road and they had been able to record a loaded truck passing the second camera with an empty load.  It was agreed that this option should be further investigated.
    Shortheath Lane
    The Chair had contacted WBC again to follow up on the newly installed gate on Shortheath Lane, but no response to date. Action: Councillor Baxter
    Item 10 – Non-attendance of District Councillor Mackinnon
    The Chair reported that she had been in contact with the Chair of Bradfield PC as he had also failed to attend their meetings.  Ufton Nervet PC had also experienced similar problems and the Chair of Englefield PC would be approached about his attendance prior to submitting a communal complaint to WBC.  The Parish Council had not had the support required for approximately two years and so action needed to be taken. Action: Councillor Baxter

  6. Update from District Councillor Mackinnon
    District Councillor Mackinnon had not sent apologies or a report.
  7. Local Matters
    Public Open Spaces
    Councillor Wise reported that a tree had fallen, but had now been cleared.
    He also reported that there was an elevated police presence in Burghfield, due to an increase in anti-social behaviour.
    Shortheath Lane Equestrian Centre
    Councillor Baxter reported that the estate agent acting on behalf of Mr and Mrs Cottingham had requested a meeting.  She would advise Councillors of a date, once arranged, as it would be beneficial for others to also attend.
    Litter picking
    Councillor Wise reported that James Bryan was planning to retire in September.  He would approach the other two litter pickers to ascertain if they wished to take on some extra work. Action: Councillor Wise
  8. Community Engagement
    Councillor D Woodward stated that no progress had been made on another podcast, but that she intended to base it on the Speed Watch scheme.  She also questioned whether there were any more effective ways to engage with the community.
    It was agreed to set up a PC Facebook page, with a link to the website, as this could reach more residents, but it was accepted that this would not be seen by everyone. Action: Councillor D Woodward
  9. SID Machine and Community Speed Watch
    This had been covered under Item 5.
  10. Donations
    A donation of £250 had been given to No.5 Youth Counselling Service.
  11. Planning Applications
    • Planning Decisions
      26/00610/HOUSE, 15 Reading Road
      Single storey front porch and rear extension – Granted
      26/02915/FUL, Amegreen Children’s Home, Brocas Road
      Rear extension – granted
    • Planning Applications
      26/00587/FUL, Mile House School, Bath Road
      Installation of a modular building
  12. Finance
    • Receipts and Payments Report
      This had been circulated prior to the meeting and was reviewed and approved by Councillors.
      The transaction reports for expenditure and invoices had been prepared for signature by the Vice Chair.  Expenditure had been £1,631.84 for May and £6,931.68 for June.
    • Account balances and bank reconciliations to 20 July 2026
      General Purpose Account £16,680.06
      CIL Account £13,333.71
      POS Account £42,777.30
      The bank reconciliations had been circulated prior to the meeting and were reviewed, approved by Councillors and signed by the Vice Chair.
    • Hargreaves Lansdown Investment
      This was currently £14,491.81
    • Budget Update
      A budget update had been circulated prior to the meeting and there were no issues to report.
    • Review of Financial Regulations
      These had been circulated prior to the meeting and were approved without change.
  13. Review of Post/Any Other Business
    The Clerk reported that the replacement pads and battery for the defibrillator were now obsolete and so it was proposed that a new one be purchased.  This was agreed.
    It was also suggested that some of the CIL funding could be used to purchase a second defibrillator, to be sited on the Parish Rooms or Spire.  This would be investigated. Action: Clerk

Councillor Wise explained that he was tendering his resignation after 18 years of service.  All Councillors expressed their sadness at this decision and gratitude for all his hard work.  His resignation would take effect from September 2026. Action: Clerk

The Chair also informed Councillors that she would be retiring at the Annual Meeting in May 2027.

Next Parish Council Meeting

The next meeting would take place on Thursday 24 September 2026 at 7pm, at Sulhamstead and Ufton Nervet Village Hall. 

Meetings for 2026: 19 November

Meetings for 2027: 21 January, 25 March, 20 May, 22 July, 23 September and 25 November

Mrs Sally Poole (Clerk)

Distribution

All Councillors District Councillor Mackinnon
Website Notice Boards

 

UFTON NERVET PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING HELD
IN THE SULHAMSTEAD & UFTON NERVET VILLAGE HALL
TUESDAY 26th MAY, 2026

Present:

  • Mr D Hannington (Chairman)
  • Mr A Hyde
  • Mr N Bagshaw
  • Mr G Jones
  • Ms K McDonald

Apologies:

  • Mr D Brown
  • District Councillor McKinnon

In Attendance: Mrs F Jones  Clerk

Mr D Hannington opened the meeting.

 

  1. Apologies for absence
    Councillor Brown and District Councillor McKinnon had sent their apologies.
  2. Election of the Chairman
    Councillor Jones proposed and Councillor Bagshaw seconded a motion that Mr D Hannington be elected to the post of Chairman for the coming year.
    The proposal was agreed unanimously.
  3. Election of the Vice-Chairman
    The Chairman proposed and Councillor McDonald seconded a motion that Mr D Brown was elected as Vice-Chairman for the coming year. The proposal was agreed unanimously. Councillor Brown was absent, so the Clerk agreed to check that he would accept the position for another term. Action: Clerk
  4. Appointments of Representatives to Outside Bodies
    The following appointments were made:

    1. The Ufton Nervet Fuel Allotment Charity – Councillor Hannington and Councillor Bagshaw
    2. Burghfield N.A.G. –  Councillor Hannington
    3. AWE – Councillor Hyde
  5. Confirmation of Standing Orders and Financial Regulation
    The Auditor had informed the Clerk that there was an inconsistency in the value required for tenders and had suggested it be set at £15,000. The Clerk had amended the Standing Orders and Financial Regulations accordingly. Councillor Jones proposed that both updated documents be adopted and this was seconded by Councillor Bagshaw. The motion was agreed unanimously.
  6. Member’s Declarations of  Interest
    Councillors signed Declarations of Interest.
  7. Signing of Minutes
    The minutes from the meeting of 10th March 2026  were approved and signed by the Chairman as a true record.
  8. Matters Arising from the Minutes
    All matters were covered further in the agenda.
  9. Public Forum
    No members of the public were present.
  10. Report by the West Berkshire District Councillor
    Councillor McKinnon had sent a report.
  11. Resignation of the Clerk
    The Clerk had tendered her resignation. The Chairman thanked her for her hard work over the last 11 years. She agreed to stay on until a replacement had been appointed. Two candidates were interested in the post and the Clerk agreed to set up interviews for the Chairman and another Councillor who was available at the time. Action Clerk and Chairman
  12. Planning Matters
    26/00027/OUT 5 Bedroom Bungalow at Ufton Equestrian
    West Berkshire Council had refused planning permission.
  13. Highway Matters
    Speed Indicator Device (SID) and Community Speedwatch
    The action to do a SID application for Camp Road had not been actioned and would be completed before the next meeting. Two Community Speedwatch session were planned for Camp Road and Three Firs Way. Action: Councillor Jones
  14. Playpark
    The Clerk had not yet posted on Facebook about the proposed new tower for the playground. This would be completed before the end of June. Action: Clerk
    Councillor Bagshaw suggested that an additional bench be purchased for the playpark and a tree be planted for shade. He agreed to look into costs for these items. Action: Councillor Bagshaw
  15. Local Matters
    1. War Memorial
      Councillor Hyde had received one quotation from Cliveden Conservation. Another quote was required. It was agreed that Councillor McDonald would assist with this matter. Action: Councillor Hyde and Councillor McDonald
    2. Litter
      The Community Litter Pick in April had been a great success and it was agreed to continue annually. Councillor Bagshaw suggested the Council purchased some long handled litter pickers. The Clerk agreed to look into costs. The Clerk had obtained a quotation for litter picking within the village boundary. It was agreed to do this at 4 monthly intervals, starting in August. Action: Clerk
    3. Deer
      The local population of deer had grown a great deal and there was a risk to traffic in Island Farm Road and Camp Road. It was agreed to contact West Berkshire Council to see if suitable signage could be erected. Action: Clerk
  16. Finance
      • Payments
        The following payments were approved:
        Bibby Commercial Bin Emptying Apr ’26 £17.42
        Bibby Commercial Grass Cutting Apr ‘26 £115.14
        Lloyds Bank Apr‘26 £4.25
        Bibby Commercial Bin Emptying Apr ‘26 £17.42
        Bibby Commercial Grass Cutting Apr‘26 £115.14
        Mrs F K Jones May ‘26 £46.57
        Hampshire Association of Councils May ‘26 £82.11
        Auditing Solutions May ‘26 £210.00
        Lloyds Bank May ‘26 £4.25
      • Review of Budget and Spending
        Spending to the year end was reviewed. It was agreed to use the remaining donations budget (£25) for Bucket List Wishes. Action: Clerk
  17. Approval of the IT and Data Protection Policies
    The Chairman proposed that the circulated policies be adopted and this was seconded by Councillor Bagshaw.The motion was unanimously approved.
  18. Approval of the Internal Auditor’s Report
    The Clerk had circulated the report. It raised the following points:

    • There was an inconsistency in the value required for tenders and had suggested it be set at £15,000. Both the Standing Orders and the Financial Regulations had been updated.
    • The fidelity guarantee was low (£5000) compared with the current bank balances. It was agreed to increase the fidelity guarantee with the insurance company to £25,000. Action: Clerk
    • There were inconsistencies in the value of the Asset Register from different sources. This was because there were some out of date sheets in the cashbook, which have subsequently been deleted.
  19. Annual Governance and Accountability Review
    • Consider the effectiveness of the system of internal review
      The Councillors considered the effectiveness of the system of internal review and concluded that it was adequate.
    • Approval of the Annual Governance Statement
      The Council reviewed the Annual Governance Statement. Councillor McDonald proposed and Councillor Jones seconded that the Statement was approved by the Council, which was unanimously agreed. The Chairman and the Clerk signed the Statement.
    • Approval of the Accounting Statements
      The Council reviewed the Accounting Statements and Councillor Bagshaw proposed and the Chairman seconded that the Statements were approved by the Council, which was unanimously agreed. The Clerk and the Chairman signed the Statements.

Date of next meeting Tuesday 22nd September, 2025 at 7.45pm, in the Sulhamstead and Ufton Nervet Village Hall.

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Chairman and Date

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