- Present
- Cllrs C. Hamilton (Chair), D. Botterell, L. Fitzpatrick, T. Spong, J. Beady, K. Millar, V. Cauvain and K. Green. Also in attendance were 9 members of the public (MOP) and Cllrs P. Harris and D. Land
Apologies
- Apologies were received from Cllr Foster. Cllr Hamilton proposed, Cllr Botterell seconded and it was RESOLVED to accept the apologies.
Minutes of the Previous Meeting
- The minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 17th November 2025 were proposed by Cllr Botterell, seconded by Cllr Millar and it was RESOLVED: To approve the minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 17th November 2025 as an accurate record of proceedings.
Declarations of Interest
- Cllrs. Millar/Beady/Fitzpatrick declared an interest in item 09/12.
Clerk’s Report
The Clerk presented the previously circulated report attached as Appendix A. All Councillors confirmed they had read the report and there were no questions.
Public Participation
- A MOP asked about the road sign post at Crow Lane and whether it should be listed. ACTION: Clerk to investigate with Historic England
- Another MOP asked Cllr Harris about refuse collections as he had mentioned April for glass collection but TDC have stated October 2026. Concerns that there would be nowhere to take glass if any residents do not have a car. Cllr Harris will chase up.
- A MOP asked how the public can see the proposed planning sites that were rejected. ACTION: Clerk to email Gary Guiver and ask the question
TDC Cllr. Harris
- Gave an update on the Local Plan for Weeley and mentioned the 980 houses earmarked for the village.
- On 26th January the current Local Plan will be out of date but the new one will not have been ratified which could lead to a spate of speculative planning applications. The cancelled mayoral elections will make this more likely.
- Gutteridge Hall Lane. Things are happening but Cllr Harris cannot make them public.
ECC Cllr. Land
- Cllr, Land wished all present a Happy Christmas and then gave an overview of all the things he has done for Weeley in the last year and that he will continue to do as long as he is in post.
- He thanked the Residents Association and Weeley in Bloom for all that they do for the village.
- He has managed to get flashing speed signs for Little Clacton. Possibility to get some for Weeley. ACTION: Clerk to liaise with Cllr Land
Banking Arrangements
The Clerk advised that FSCA limits are now £120,000 not £85,000. Once Council funds are below this limit should we merge all accounts? ACTION: Clerk to look into Direct Debits at Unity Bank and keep this in mind for future changes.
Budget Review
Discussion re the Budget report and Cllr Hamilton proposed and Cllr Cauvain seconded and it was RESOLVED to accept the Clerk’s budget recommendation to keep the precept at the same as the previous year. ACTION: Clerk to complete and return the Ready Reckoner.
Christmas Tree Lighting Review
The event was a success with the cubs and scouts singing. The bus which should have been on diversion did not appear to have been told again. The roundabout was a good addition and allowed Mrs Christmas to have shorter queues.
- Possibly provide basic food options
- Increase the number of selection boxes to 50
- Event to be held on 29th November
Cllr Hamilton said she had ordered some flowers to be delivered to Mrs Christmas as a thank you from the Parish Council.
Weeley Bypass (Trees)
Cllr Cauvain proposed and Cllr Millar seconded and it was RESOLVED to buy 15 trees (10 London Plane and 5 Silver Birch) to put along Weeley Bypass and on the playing field. ACTION: Clerk to contact Highways re Bypass.
Grant Policy
Cllr Cauvain proposed and Cllr Beady seconded and it was RESOLVED to adopt the updated Grant Policy and Request Form and increase the budget by £200. ACTION: Clerk to upload to Website.
Fest4All Request to Use the Field
The Council voted unanimously (except for the 3 declared Councillors) to allow the use of the playing field. It was RESOLVED that any fee would be waived.
Barleyfields
Cllr Hamilton outlined and explained the situation relating to lighting in Thorpe Road. To be moved to a future meeting once further information received from Rose Developers. ACTION: Clerk to ask what their planning conditions are.
Correspondence
- Email from residents re 7 Colchester Road and the TDC response.
- Updates from Charlie Poulter re No.76 and No.2 bus routes. QR Codes for bus stops were suggested by Councillors.
- Information from TDC re the local plan.
- Appeal regarding land adjacent Oakdene Wenlock Road Weeley Heath (LPA Appeal Reference: 25/00056/REFUSE)
- Thank you card from Weeley In Bloom.
Planning Applications
There were no planning applications this month.
Finance and Budget
The list of monthly payments was proposed by Cllr. Hamilton and seconded by Cllr. Cauvain and it was RESOLVED to approve the list of payments set out in Appendix C.
Weeley Parish Council Reports
- Street Lighting: Nothing to report
- Tree Warden: Nothing to report. Christmas Tree health will be investigated
- Playing Field: First Playground inspection carried out by Cllr Millar and Clerk. Playground reports to be added to each agenda.
- Children’s Play Area: Nothing to report.
- Highways: Cllr Beady presented a report which is published on the Council’s website.
- Footpaths: Nothing to report.
- Transport (including Tendring Transport Meeting if held): An additional service will be put in place for the 76 bus which runs through Weeley, to run later on Friday and Saturday evening. The bus company is looking at providing a service between Clacton Hospital and Colchester Hospital. The Inspiration train will visit Clacton on Thursday the 5th and Friday the 6th of February. This is part of the Railway 200 celebrations. The Inspiration Train is a museum and was visited by over 40000 people last year. Tickets are available through the railway 200 website. Anglian Railways logo will be replaced by the Great British Railways branding next year. The colours will be red white and blue to mirror the union flag. Buses will run no service on Christmas Day with a Sunday service on Boxing day. Trains will run no service on both days, with a reduced service on Christmas Eve it is best to check the timetable before you travel over the festive period.
- TDALC: Met on 10th December and changed the constitution to give the TDALC more influence.
Other Reports
- Rural Policing: Cllr Hamilton reported 28 crimes in October.
- Speedwatch: Cllr. Beady presented her report which is published on the Council’s website.
- Weeley Residents Ass: presented their report which is available on the Council’s website.
- Weeley in Bloom (WiB): presented their report which is available on the Council’s website.
- Petanque Rink: presented their report which is available on the Council’s website.
Public Participation
- One MOP suggested putting TPOs on the trees on Weeley Bypass. ACTION: Clerk and Cllr. Millar to speak to Clive Dawson (TDC) about the Oak Trees
- A MOP asked a question about the source of Rural Policing data.
- A query was raised about how to get the information re the Local Plan to everyone.
- 2 MOPs directed questions to Cllr Harris (TDC) re Gutteridge Hall Lane but he could not release any more information.
Items to be Added to the Next Agenda
- Playground Inspections
The Chair invited people to stay behind for a small Christmas celebration and closed the meeting at 20.55pm
Date of Next Meeting will be: Monday 19th January at 7.30pm at Weeley Village Hall
Appendix A
| Topic | Action/issue | Information | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeley bypass | Determine options for the avenue of poplars | The Clerk has agreed to contact ECC Place Services to chase for a firm proposal including numbers and species of trees to plant. | Email received from ECC Place Services with suggestions. Postponing until March meeting as December meeting is very busy currently. Sourcing costs for 2 different colour Acer Trees to plant in Autumn 13/10 – On October agenda 17/11 – Postponed by Cllr Green until December |
| Reed Pond | Initiate Management Plan |
|
Lifebuoy now moved and flagpole erected. Flag purchased for St George’s Day. Reed Pond to be discussed at July Meeting Speaking to Kevin Green re work on the pond / Getting 3 quotes for next meeting 13/10 – Have second quote now but will move to later agenda as work will not start until next Spring now. Anonymous donation of £5000 received |
| Investigate new Playground Equipment | Research | Contacted Kompan regarding a larger slide and they will site visit and give us estimates | Will seek further quotes, but, no rush on this item. 16/7 – Possible use of funds for paths and surfacing 29/7 – to get quotes for surfacing 10/9 – One quote for surfacing received but waiting on Playdale visit and ROSPA report 13/10 – Report received deciding on next steps |
| Quarterly Bank Reconciliations | Adopt this policy to reconcile quarterly | To be signed by a Cllr who is not the Chair or signatory. | 29/7 – Bank reconciliation have a £40 discrepancy so working on this to reconcile. 11/8 – Completed by Cllr Millar and reconciled 20/10 – 2nd Quarter to be done 11/11 – Clerk and Cllr Millar currently working on this |
| Playground Inspections | No evidence of inspections undertaken despite them happening | Clerk will investigate software to help with this as long as the relevant Cllrs agree and cost agreed | Software setup. Now need to show councillors how to use. Will arrange meeting with James Dunne of PSS Arranging meeting with new rep. 10/9 – Arranged for ROSPA to do a 6 monthly inspection 13/10 – ROSPA report received all assets now added and Cllr Millar trained. Bi-weekly inspections due to start |
| Asset Register | Review Asset Register | Noted that Asset Register should be reviewed for obsolete items and to update actual replacements costs rather than book cost. Suggested that a limit is set for assets to be added (i.e £200 if this is the excess) | Cllr Fitzpatrick will assist the clerk with this activity. Clerk to liaise with Cllr Fitzpatrick and define this. No progress. Possibly use Playground software if adopted to load assets 8/12 – Updating and consolidating |
| Cloud Storage | Find Cloud Storage for Council documents | Currently the Laptop is backed up to a memory card. As part of our risk assessment we should also back everything up to the cloud. This should enable document sharing. | 4/9 – Renewed Microsoft subscription which gives 1gb of storage for each of the 6 available accounts. I will begin to look at uploading most recent docs and making accessible to all. 13/11 – No progress |
| Playground Surfacing | Possible upgrade of surfacing in Over 8’s play area | Playground Surface is already coming up and therefore we may wish to use S106 monies to improve the surface. | 5/9 – One quote received. Speaking to Playdale and possibly put in a complaint to the API. 13/11 – No progress |
Appendix B
| Date of Notification | Application No. | Details | Address | Resolution / Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25/01259/FUL | Planning Application - Replacement agricultural storage barn. | Mr Lumber, Ash Farm Thorpe Road, Weeley Essex CO16 9JJ | Approval - Full 20.11.2025 Delegated Decision | |
| APP/P1560/D/25/3371742 | The development proposed is retrospective application for a fence. | White Chalk House, Clacton Road, Weeley Heath, Clacton-on-Sea, CO16 9EF | Dismissed 1/12/25 | |
| 25/01627/WTPO | Works related to Tree Preservation Order (96/00002/TPO) 3 No. Oak trees - Reduce in size. | Oakwell House Roxburghe Road, Weeley, Clacton On Sea Essex CO16 9DU | Approval - Full 28.11.2025 Delegated Decision | |
| 25/01529/FULHH | Householder Planning Application - Single storey rear extension. | Mr and Mrs Chamberlain, 4 Victoria Road, Weeley, Clacton On Sea Essex, CO16 9EH | Approval – Full / 12.12.2025 Delegated Decision |
Appendix C
| Invoice Date | Invoice No. | Account | Payee | Service | NET (£) | VAT (£) | GROSS (£) | VAT No | Setup Pyt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18/11/2025 | SI-20793 | Unity Current | A D Mitchell Electrical Contractors | Street Light 9074 | £259.00 | £51.80 | £310.80 | 843710927 | Y |
| 18/11/2025 | INV-4869 | Unity Current | DM Payroll Services Ltd | Administration of Payroll Oct - Mar 2026 | £60.00 | £12.00 | £72.00 | 494691930 | Y |
| 26/11/2025 | 701681 | Unity Current | Tendring DC Direct Credits | Servicing of Post Bins Nov 25 - Nov 26 | £907.68 | £0.00 | £907.68 | Y | |
| 27/11/2025 | Unity Current | Weeley Residents Association | Grant | £300.00 | £0.00 | £300.00 | Y(Paid) | ||
| 30/11/2025 | Unity Current | Unity Bank | Monthly Charge | £6.00 | £0.00 | £6.00 | N(Paid) | ||
| 01/12/2025 | Unity Current | Steve Gunter | Dec Salary | £872.49 | £0.00 | £872.49 | Y | ||
| 15/12/2025 | Unity Current | Steve Gunter | Expenses | £16.70 | £0.00 | £16.70 | Y | ||
| 15/12/2025 | Unity Current | Steve Gunter | Canon Ink Subscription | £3.32 | £0.66 | £3.99 | Y | ||
| 25/11/2025 | IV03702409 | Barclays (DD) | SSE Energy Solutions | Street Lighting - October | £277.34 | £13.87 | £291.21 | 553769603 | N(Paid) |
| 16/12/2025 | Unity Current | Essex Pension Fund | December Pension | £275.24 | £0.00 | £275.24 | Y | ||
| 01/12/2025 | Inv-0976 | Unity Current | Goldacre Contracting | Verges, Reed Pond, Playing Field 10th Cut | £459.00 | £91.80 | £550.80 | 366952259 | Y |
| 05/12/2025 | 10008527841 | Barclays (DD) | Castle Water | Reed Pond Water | £7.35 | £0.00 | £7.35 | N(Paid) | |
| 04/12/2025 | 25666 | Unity Current | Tendring Telecoms and Security | Christmas Lights | £65.00 | £13.00 | £78.00 | 197075766 | Y |
| 07/12/2025 | Unity Current | Erics Entertainment | Roundabout for Xmas Lighting | £175.00 | £0.00 | £175.00 | Y | ||
| 08/12/2025 | 3325 | Unity Current | Essex Cleaning Services | Cleaning Entrance Gates | £40.00 | £0.00 | £40.00 | Y | |
| 09/12/2025 | Barclays (DC) | Government Pay | Title Register and plan Reed Pond | £14.00 | £0.00 | £14.00 | Y(Paid) | ||
| 22/12/2025 | Barclays (DD) | SSE Energy Solutions | Street Lighting - November | £295.14 | £14.76 | £309.90 | N(Paid) | ||
| 15/12/2025 | Unity Current | Christine Hamilton | Chair's Allowance | £195.92 | £0.00 | £195.92 | Y |
Totals: £4,229.18 NET, £197.89 VAT, £4,427.08 GROSS
Barclays Bank balances as at 20th October 2025; current account £507.41; deposit account £34666.44 Unity Bank balances as at 20th October; current account £3517.08, Savings Account £84860.46 Total in Bank £123551.39
PreApproved Payments
- 27/11/2025 £300.00 WRA Grant Approved on 17/11
- 09/12/2025 £14.00 Gov.co.uk Title Register and Plan Reed Pond
Total: £314.00
Receipts
- 08/12/2025 £109.53 Barclays Bank Interest
Total: £109.53