PADDOCK WOOD TOWN COUNCIL
The Podmore Building, St Andrews Field, St Andrews Road
Paddock Wood, Kent, TN12 6HT
Telephone: 01892 837373
www.paddockwood-tc.gov.uk
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE POLICY, PROTOCOL AND PROCEDURES COMMITTEE HELD ON Monday 25th October 2021, in the Day Centre, Commercial Road
PRESENT: Cllr M. Flashman, in the Chair
Cllrs R. Atkins, S. Hamilton, D. Kent, A. Mackie, C. Williams
IN ATTENDANCE Mrs N Reay, Town Clerk
APOLOGY: Cllr T Bisdee
PPP 1 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
There were no declarations of interest.
PPP 2 CHAIRMAN AND VICE-CHAIRMAN
Cllr William proposed, Cllr Mackie seconded:
Cllr Flashman should be elected Chairman for 2021/2022
Cllr Hamilton proposed, Cllr Kent seconded:
That Cllr Atkins should be elected Chairman or 2021/22
Voting: Cllr Flashman – 4
Cllr Atkins – 2
Cllr Flashman was elected Chairman of the Committee
Cllr Flashman proposed that Cllr Atkins should be elected Vice Chairman for 2021/2022. Cllr Atkins declined the nomination.
Cllr Atkins proposed, Cllr Hamilton seconded:
Cllr Bisdee should be elected Vice – Chairman for 2021/22
There were no other nominations therefore Cllr Bisdee was elected vice chairman unopposed.
Following the election of chairman and vice chairman members held a minute’s silence in memory of former councillor Elizabeth Thomas who had passed away on Sunday evening.
PPP3 MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING
The minutes of the meeting held on 26th April 2021 were APPROVED.
Cllr Hamilton asked for it to be noted that she did not believe she had a conflict of interest, as suggested in the Chairman’s comments. (Item PPP14 (a))
PPP4 POLICY REVIEW
- a) Disciplinary Procedure
Members reviewed the model copy which had been downloaded from the SLCC website. Whilst agreeing that it was an improvement on the Council’s existing policy members asked for the following to be considered:
- Between items 3.1 & 3.2 a statement that a complaint will be investigated within 15 working days
- An investigating officer who need to be allocated in the first stage – possibly the line manager
- The line manager would need to determine if the complaint amounted to mis conduct or gross misconduct
- An investigation panel may be needed – should consist of Council Chairman, Vice Chairman of the Personnel Committee and the clerk.
- The Chairman of the Personnel Committee should remain neutral to enable him to hear any appeals.
The policy would be amended and brought back for approval to the next meeting
- b) Lone Worker Policy – the proposed amendments were agreed
- c) Officer Member protocol – the proposed amendments were agreed
- d) Flag Policy – members agreed that in the event that the flag was required whilst the Christmas tree was in situ then the flag should take precedence and the tree removed.
- e) Grants Policy – the policy to be amended to state that applications can be submitted at any time.
- f) Adverse Weather Plan –
- the flood wardens would be asked for any comments they may have on the document.
- Residents would be advised to obtain their own sandbags and only rely on those at Putlands in an emergency.
PPP5 TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The Estates Committee had requested that the Committee review the Terms and Conditions for hiring out of Council premises.
- a) Terms and Conditions for the Day Centre – due to the increase in Covid 19 in the area members agreed that the numbers in the Day Centre should be reduced back to 18, and reviewed again in January 2022.
- b) Pitches and Pavilions – due to the late hour it was agreed that this document would be held over until January 2022
PPP6 DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting will take place on Monday 24th January 2022.
The meeting closed at 10.20 pm
