Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on: Thursday, 10th April 2025 at 7pm at Cuxton Library
Present: Cllr Chalker (Chair), Cllr Vye, Cllr Porter, Cllr Wilson, Cllr Burley, Cllr Thorley, Cllr Jensen & Cllr Aucott
In attendance: Mrs N Jackson – Clerk
No members of the public attended
187. (1) Apologies for absence
Cllr Chamberlain – Illness
Cllr Nightingale – Prior commitment (due to change of date)
Cllr White – Prior commitment (due to change of date)
Ward Councillor Filmer – Family commitments
It was resolved to accept these apologies.
188. (2) Declarations of Interest (DPI, conflict of interest and personal interests) and alterations to the Register.
Cllr Vye – Item 6A & B
Cllr Thorley – 13A
189. (3) Minutes of the meeting held on 20th March 2025 – for approval
Cllr Vye asked for an alteration of wording to clarify his non-participation in item 6. Cllr Jensen pointed out two typos and a missing word. Cllr Jensen proposed that the minutes, with these alterations, were accepted as a true record of the meeting. This was seconded by Cllr Vye and agreed by unanimous vote.
It was resolved to accept the minutes, with the minor alterations discussed, as a true record of the meeting on 20th February 2025.
190. (4) Matters Arising
The chairman officially welcomed Cllr Aucott to the council.
Medway Councillor’s Report and Public Session
• No ward councillor report
• No public comments
191. (5) Finance
a) Bank Balances
The clerk provided details of the bank balances. Cllr Burley confirmed the statements and accounting entries for March had been checked and were correct. Cllr Thorley proposed that balances for March were accepted and that the terms of the two Barclays savings accounts are checked, with the least favourable closed down, with any balance transferred to the other. This was seconded by Cllr Burley and agreed by unanimous vote.
It was resolved to accept the balances for March and to close the Barclays savings account with the least favourable terms.
b) Approval of payments made since the last meeting
The clerk provided details of payments made throughout March. Cllr Thorley queried a refund received and was given an explanation for this item. Cllr Burley proposed to accept the payments for March. This was seconded by Cllr Wilson and agreed by unanimous vote.
It was resolved to accept the payments made in March as correct.
c) Approval of accounts for payment
The clerk presented an invoice from Rialtus, the accounting software provider, for the annual licence subscription, for £203+vat.
Cllr Thorley proposed to pay this invoice. This was seconded by Cllr Jensen and agreed by unanimous vote.
It was resolved to pay the Rialtus invoice, for £203+vat.
192. (6) Review of Planning Applications
a) MC/25/0528 | Variation of condition 2 on planning permission MC/21/2339 | Land Adjacent To 9 Rochester Road Cuxton Rochester Medway ME2 1AD
Councillors discussed this application and raised no objections.
b) MC/25/0695 | Garage conversion with increase in height, cladding to front elevation and removal of chimney stack | 13 The Glebe
Councillors discussed this application and raised no objections.
c) MC/24/1055 – ‘Springfield’, Sundridge Hill – Councillors were informed of the ongoing issues with this application, and of additional work being conducted on a nearby plot that had been refused planning permission. Councillors accepted the update.
Cllr Vye did not participate in these discussions as he had declared an interest in this agenda item.
193. (7) To receive an update on, and determine the next steps of, the courts refurbishment project.
a) Progress update – The clerk gave a verbal update on progress and timescales of the repair works.
b) Booking and Access – The clerk provided details of several options for locking, booking and access of the courts, with quotes for equipment. Councillors discussed the practicalities and suitability of these options. Cllr Burley proposed to purchase the premium smart lock / Clubspark solution offered by the Lawn Tennis Association. Cllr Jensen seconded this, and it was agreed by a vote of 7 in favour with one abstention.
It was resolved to purchase the premium smart lock / Clubspark booking system at a capital cost of £5450 + vat and annual cost of £735.
c) Floodlights – Councillors discussed the need to repair the floodlights and the requirement for planning permission for this. Cllr Wilson proposed that the clerk should start the process of obtaining planning permission. Cllr Aucott seconded this, and it was agreed by a vote of 7 in favour with one abstention.
It was resolved to seek planning permission to upgrade the floodlights.
194. (8) To receive an update on/discuss the roundel development project.
a) Progress of feasibility study – the clerk sent draft plans for councillors to review. There was discussion around the proposal given and nature of the toilet provision. Councillors agreed that any toilet provision should not be permanently open, but rather opened and closed set times. The surveyors had suggested their scheme as the most cost effective of options, and gave reasons for this, but had not yet submitted costs, which councillors are keen to see. Further details will come back to council as soon as possible.
b) Electrical Installation update – no update given as no further information available at the time.
195. (9) Consideration of the parish assembly.
a) Annual Report – The clerk confirmed that councillors were happy with the draft produced and informed them that she would be sending this to the printers the following day.
b) Objectives for 2025 – Councillors confirmed that they were happy with these.
c) Speaker – Cllr Porter explained the format proposed, for his session, by Cllr Maplethe clerk confirmed 4th April for report submissions, in order to get the report printed in time.
d) Grant presentation – Cllr Thorley agreed to present these again this year and requested a list of details and the presentation ‘cheques’ to assist on the night.
196. (10) To consider additional information for grant applications relating to the Church and CCG.
Councillors discussed the additional information for the application from St Michaels and All Angels. Cllr Wilson proposed to award the full grant requested. This was seconded by Cllr Thorley and agreed by a vote of six, with one abstention.
Councillors discussed the invoice received for the annual standing grant, paid to the Cuxton Countryside Group to assist with their work in maintaining the paths and woodlands. Cllr Chalker proposed to pay the invoice. This was seconded by Cllr Porter and agreed by unanimous vote.
It was resolved to approve the £700 grant request, from the church, for churchyard maintenance and safety, and pay the grant invoice of £1340.00, to the Cuxton Countryside Group to assist with their work in the woodlands and on the footpaths.
197. (11) Review of Discipline & Grievance policies
Councillors reviewed the new draft policies provided, based on the standard models, and discussed. Cllr Chalker requested that the separate appeal panel arrangement, in Cuxton, should be checked and integrated into the policy. Cllr Wilson proposed to accept the policies, with those checks/ alterations. This was seconded by Cllr Burley and agreed by unanimous vote.
It was resolved to accept the new Discipline and Grievance policies with those amendments.
198. (12) To receive a report of meetings / training attended on behalf of council
a) Police – Cllr Wilson gave an update of her meeting, which included a significant focus on nuisance bikes, with footage and photos shared. Officers promised to add Cuxton to their lists of areas of concern /operations. There was also a discussion around tool marking events. The clerk to request details for a future newsletter.
b) The Academy of Cuxton Schools– The clerk provided an update of her most recent meeting, which focussed primarily on parking, and the associated gate closing measures and proposed signage. Cllrs were asked for permission to allow parking signage to be affixed directly to the metal driveway gates. Cllr Thorley proposed giving permission for this. This was seconded by Cllr Jensen and agreed by unanimous vote.
It was resolved to give permission to the school to mount signage on the driveway gates.
c) The Wheel of Cuxton – Cllrs Thorley and Porter shared a written report of their meeting with representatives of the WoC , which highlighted that due to the continuing issues of practicality and safety, the WoC do not feel able to light the beacon again in its current location. Councillors understood this completely and thanked them for their help with the beacon over the years. The matter of the beacon will be discussed separately in the next Land Management meeting.
199. (13) To receive and respond to correspondence.
a) C91 – C91 have requested a letter of support, for their pitch widening plans at the social club. Cllr Wilson proposed to send this letter. This was seconded by Cllr Porter and agreed by a vote of 6. Cllr Thorley did not vote as she had declared an interest.
It was resolved to write a letter of support for C91’s proposed pitch expansion at the social club.
b) Medway highways technician – The clerk shared an email explaining the reasons for delays on the bench installation in James Road. A trial hole is required to search for utilities cables underneath the site, at an additional cost. Cllr Chalker proposed to make enquiries with the ward councillor to extend ward improvement funding to include the trial hole. This was seconded by Cllr Porter and agreed and by unanimous vote.
It was resolved to seek ward improvement funding clarification on this bench installation project.
200. (14) Closed session: (The Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 exclusion of the press and the public)
Cllr Wilson proposed to exclude all press and public due to the confidential nature of the next item. This was seconded by Cllr Porter and agreed by unanimous vote.
201. (15) To receive recommendations from the staffing committee
Cllrs Wilson gave a verbal report on the recommendations of the staffing committee meeting that had occurred immediately before this full council meeting.
Following a request from one of the streetcleaners to reduce their hours, the committee recommended accepting the request for reduced hours, and advertising locally for another part time street cleaner covering 7 hours per week, on the same terms as the other street cleaners.
Cllr Wilson made this proposal, which was seconded by Cllr Thorley and agreed by unanimous vote.
It was resolved to agree to reduce the member of staff’s hours from 20 to 13.5 and recruit another member of staff for 7 hours .
202. (16) Information Exchange
The clerk reminded councillors of her impending annual leave, notified councillors of graffiti that had appeared throughout the village the previous night and mentioned issues with lost footballs in the tennis courts.
The chairman closed the meeting at 9.16pm
Next meeting: 15th May 2025, 7pm at Cuxton Library
Signed Chairman
On the day of 2025
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