Author: Outwoods Parish Clerk

It is very disappointing to hear that the court has dismissed the case to allow local councils to continue holding remote meetings on media such as Zoom or Teams. The dispensation to hold remote meetings runs out on the 6th May..As Chair of two parishes, I do not wish to risk the health of fellow councillors, councillors that attend from other councils, the Police and the public by expecting them to gather in a room. Neither of my parishes have their own premises, so we would need to rent a venue (at the tax payers expense) big enough to fit everyone in ‘safely’. That would include councillors that are medically vulnerable to COVID-19 and also the clerk for each council who is an employee of the council. The dismissal of the case has caused massive issues for local councils. From Thursday, the choices for our councils are to meet in a room (assuming we can even rent a room) or delegate power to act to the clerk. Councils have budgeted for community projects for the forthcoming year and as things stand will find it difficult to deliver those projects, so as always, the public will suffer.Yours, John Anderson (Chair).

————-

This is a statement from NALC (National Assn of Local Councils) followed by the court conclusion.

NALC Responding to today’s judgement in the High Court on holding remote meetings, Cllr Sue Baxter, chair of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), said:“I am extremely disappointed that the application to the High Court regarding remote meetings has been dismissed.“All councils must now return to holding physical meetings from 7 May. This includes around 2,000 local (parish and town) councils with elections who must hold an annual meeting in May following those elections.“Such physical meetings, to which all members of the public are entitled to attend, will result in both a health risk given the current pandemic and significant additional costs incurred by councils in securing suitable venues which allow social distancing and other safety measures.“Over the last year, the ability to hold remote meetings has delivered extensive benefits including leading to increased participation and engagement by members of the public with their most local council and the decisions they make about their local areas from tackling climate change to improving health and well being and the provision of highly valued local services.“Given the government’s apparent support for allowing remote meetings, including their evidence to the Court Hearing, I am appealing to ministers to pull out all the stops over the coming days and weeks to introduce the necessary primary legislation. The Scottish and Welsh Governments have already passed legislation to allow for remote meetings and I urge the Government to follow their lead.”

————————

The court concluded that:”…. the Secretary of State was correct in November 2016 and July 2019 to say that primary legislation would be required to allow local authority “meetings” under the 1972 Act to take place remotely. In our view, once the Flexibility Regulations cease to apply, such meetings must take place at a single, specified geographical location; attending a meeting at such a location means physically going to it; and being “present” at such a meeting involves physical presence at that location. We recognise that there are powerful arguments in favour of permitting remote meetings. But, as the consultation documents show, there are also arguments against doing so. The decision whether to permit some or all local authority meetings to be conducted remotely, and if so, how, and subject to what safeguards, involves difficult policy choices on which there is likely to be a range of competing views. These choices have been made legislatively for Scotland by the Scottish Parliament and for Wales by the Senedd. In England, they are for Parliament, not the courts”.

Tonight’s Parish Council meeting had to be cancelled at late notice. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

The meeting was cancelled because all meetings are subject to legislation which states there must be ‘three clear days’ between the publication of an agenda and the meeting. Following the death of the Duke of Edinburgh there is a national period of official mourning. Official days of mourning cannot be included in the ‘three clear days’. Any meeting where the agenda was published after 5 April did not therefore comply with the relevant legislation.

Legal advice on this matter from the National Association of Local Councils was only provided this evening.

The meeting will be rescheduled and dates published on the Council website and notice boards across the Parish.

For further information please contact the Clerk on outwoodsparishclerk@gmail.com

Possibly due to the lockdown conditions and changes in exercise regimes, there has been a notable rise in discarded rubbish and uncleared dog faeces across the Parish.

Please do not leave dog waste bags in hedges, fences and gates. This is becoming increasingly common – creating a risk to health and leaves the Parish looking unwelcoming and untidy.  Please take the dog waste bags home or dispose of them in a bin.

Dropping litter is illegal and anti-social. People who drop litter can be fined or face prosecution in court. Authorised officers have the power to issue a fixed penalty charge of up to £80.00 for a litter offence, as an alternative to prosecution. If the offender is prosecuted and convicted in court, the fine could rise to £2,500. This also includes failing to carry means to clean up after your dog, this also generates an £80.00 fine.

There are strategically placed bins for both dog waste and litter around the Outwoods Parish area and there are plans to install several more.

We endeavour to ensure that localised public litter bins are attended to regularly and we are in contact with ESBC who empty these bins if they are full.

If however, a receptacle for the waste is not nearby or if it is full, we respectfully request that you dispose of the waste you have safely in your own grey bin at home.

Please look after the area you live in – do not drop litter or let your dog foul your streets and footpaths.

Clean it up and dispose of it safely and make Outwoods a clean ad pleasant place to live.

Thank you

Outwoods Parish Council

A new fence has been built by the Council to help reduce anti-social behaviour and improve the park.

We normally hold a small Remembrance event at Wilson Way on the Saturday before Remembrance Sunday. We named the road after John and James Wilson, two parishioners that lost their lives in WW1. Both were in their 20’s and lived on Lower Outwoods Rd. I laid the wreath at 10am this morning to keep our tradition going but due to lockdown there was no ceremony. Our councillors and residents can pay respects in their own time as part of their daily exercise during lockdown.John Anderson (Parish Chairman).