Environment & Highways Committee – Terms of Reference

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/village 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 WB Allotment Association 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.
• At its first meeting after the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council the membership will elect a Chair and Vice Chair.

Accountability:

• The Committee is accountable to the PC and will make reports to it monthly
• An annual report on its activity will be published following the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council each year.

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.

Review History	Date (to be reviewed every year)
Adopted by full council	Dec 2016
Revised	June 2022
Minor amendments	May 2025
Last reviewed	28th May 2025
Date of next review	27th May 2026