Environment & Highways Committee
Adopted by the Council at its meeting held in December 2016.
Purpose/Role of the Group:
The Environment Committee is responsible for the following:
- Maintenance activities for Trust or Parish Council managed land – Lorkin Daniell Field, Poor’s Land, Village Green, Allotments and MUGA
- Mowing and hedge-cutting of Parish & Trust managed land.
- Maintenance of children’s play areas and equipment.
- Litter-picking within village envelope.
- Supervise village handyman work schedules.
- Monitor highways and report problems and where appropriate draw in views from the parish to determine possible solutions.
- Liaise with ECC and CCC with respect to their village responsibilities.
- Maintain and keep bus shelters tidy.
- Management of ponds at Queens Road, Lexden Road, and Hall Road.
- Monitor dog bins and liaise with the dog warden.
- Monitor the salt bins and manage salt supplies.
- Maintain the friendly benches.
- Maintain and keep clean village sign, village entry signs and Jubilee beacon.
- Monitor village Footpaths (Public Rights of Way)
- Tree preservation orders for trees on Parish land.
- Environment financial expenditure, forecasting and budget.
- Liaise with allotment Committee.
- Environment related health and safety issues and informing Parish Clerk of concerns.
- Produce an action plan of issues arising from any of the above items and monitor progress and completion.
- The Environment Committee Chair is the environment H&S officer.
Membership:
- The Committee is open to members of the Parish Council including lay members not elected or co-opted.
- The Committee will normally be made up of a minimum of four people at least three of whom must be full PC members; the Chair of the Parish Council is by default an ex-officio member.
- Membership of the Committee is for a nominal 12 months extendable through the auspices of the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council.
- A Chair and Vice Chair are to be elected annually by its membership.
Accountability:
- The Committee is accountable to the PC and will make reports to it monthly
- An annual report on its activity will be published through the Annual Parish meeting
Working Methods/ways of working:
- The Committee will order and manage its work in the following ways
- At least 6 meetings per year will be held at which proposals will be made to take to the full Parish Council
- The Chair or Vice Chair may call ad hoc site meetings to be undertaken
- The Committee may through the Clerk make general and specific queries to Colchester City Council or Essex County Council officers
- The Committee may liaise with elected District or County Council members
- Methods of communication may include written reports or email correspondence either through the Chair or the Clerk.
- Recommendation outcomes to go to the PC will be taken by majority vote.
- A quorum will comprise of at least three PC members
Meetings of the Committee:
- The Environment and Highways Committee will arrange its meetings as follows:
- At least 6 meetings will be held per annum. Meetings will be held on the 2nd Thursday of the month unless advertised differently
- Meetings will be presided over by the Environment Chair or if unavailable the Vice Chair.
- Meetings will be advertised on the village web site
- An agenda will be published at least 3 clear working days agreed prior to the meeting taking place.
- The meeting will be open to the public and press under “have your say” standards of practice.
- Minutes of the meeting will be recorded and sent to the Parish Clerk for distribution to Parish Council members at least 1 week prior to the Parish Council meeting.
Sharing of information and resources (including confidential materials):
- All copies of agendas and decisions, recommendations, letters, reports and correspondence will be held by the Clerk.
- An area of the village web site will be devoted to Environment-related matters.
Review: These terms of reference will be reviewed annually.