Annual Village Meetings

 

The Annual Residents Meeting or Annual Assembly of Electors, in legal terms, is a quite separate body from the Parish Council, but it is invariably the Parish Council that arranges it.  Its decisions are not binding on the Parish Council, although the Parish Council does take heed of what is said at the meeting.

 

The Annual Residents Meeting is a legacy from the Middle Ages, when Local Councils did not exist, and all local decision making was carried out by meetings of the whole community, taking place in the church vestry.

In Peasedown St John, this meeting is referred to as the Annual Village Meeting.  

This Meeting is open to all electors of the Parish, who have the right not only to attend but also to speak on any matter of local interest [in Peasedown this is done via questions submitted in advance of or at the meeting - see details below*]. This is in contrast to a Council meeting, where electors who are not Councillors have no automatic right to speak.  Peasedown St John Parish Council does however, have a set time before every Council meeting when electors can raise matters of concern.

The Annual Village Meeting must be held each year between March 1st and June 1st.

The minutes of this meeting can only be approved by the next Annual Village Meeting which will, of course, not be held until the following year. It is however, good practice to bring the draft minutes of the Annual Village Meeting to the next convenient meeting of the Parish Council, since otherwise matters are unlikely to get progressed.

Notice is hereby given that:

 

The Annual Assembly of Peasedown St. John Parish will be held

For members of the public wishing to observe the meeting or to raise a question/speak during item 8, you may join the meeting online or via the telephone.

Learn how to join a meeting via a computer or mobile device

To join our meeting on your computer or mobile device the hyperlink can be found below:

Click here to join the meeting

Or dial into our meeting using a telephone

- Phone: +44 20 3855 5887

- Meeting Conference ID: 212 374 36#

AGENDA

1. Welcome - Cllr. Kathy Thomas (Chair of Parish Council)

2. Apologies

3. To receive the minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on Tuesday 2^nd April 2019 [no meeting was held in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic].

4. Report from the Headmaster of Peasedown St John Primary School – Damian Knollys

5. Annual Peppercorn Ceremony for the rent of Beacon Hall & Field

6. Report from Peasedown St. John Parish Council Chairs of Standing Committees

a. Burial Committee – Cllr. Audrey Gillard-Sprake

b. Executive Committee – Cllr. Jonathan Rich

c. Finance & Amenities Committee to include a statement on the un-audited Parish Council accounts for year ending 31 March 2021 – Cllr. Andy Larcombe

d. Personnel Committee – Cllr. Simon Kidd

e. Full Council/General – Cllr. Kathy Thomas
 

7. Report from a representative of the Avon & Somerset Constabulary – P.C.S.O. Tony McIntosh

8. Questions for the Chair*

9. Brief reports from various organisations from the parish providing feedback on how they have assisted the community and continued their activities under the Coronavirus pandemic during 2020/21:

   a. 1st Peasedown St John Guides

   b. 2nd Peasedown St John Brownies

   c. Blood Donors

   d. Gabrielle Stanley - Exercise classes

   e. The HIVE

   f. The Hive - Peasedown Youth Partnership

   g. Humbug Theatre Group

   h. Line Dance with ME

   i. Peasedown Art Group

   j. Peasedown Community Trust

   k. Peasedown Environment Group

   l. Peasedown Methodist Church

   m. Peasedown Social & Wellbeing Group

   n. Peasedown Women’s Institute

   o. Somer Valley Food Bank

   p. Southside

Cllr. Kathy Thomas
Chair of Peasedown St. John Parish Council
17^th March 2021

*The Parish Meeting is an opportunity for the electorate of the Parish of Peasedown St. John (covering Peasedown St. John, Braysdown, Carlingcott and Woodborough) to raise any matters of concern to them that relates to their local community. Due to time limitations at the meeting we are requesting written notice of any matters to be raised by 23^rd March 2021. Questions or matters not submitted in advance may not be answered at the meeting; but a written response will be sent to the raiser afterwards. To submit questions or if you have any queries please contact the Clerk to the Parish Council (contact details above).

The Annual Village Meeting, scheduled to be held on 31st March 2020, was cancelled due to Coronavirus restrictions preventing group gatherings, this was in accordance with Statutory Instrument 2020 No. 392.