Full Parish Council Ordinary Meeting
Meeting Summary
Meeting Agenda
1. Apologies for Absence
To receive apologies for absence and note apologies not received.
2. Declarations of Interest
- Pecuniary Interests: To receive Declarations of Pecuniary Interests as declared on the Register of Interests.
- Non-registerable Interests: To receive Declarations of Non-registerable Interests.
- Dispensations: The Clerk will consider and report on any requests for dispensation in line with the Council’s Code of Conduct.
- Gifts & Hospitality: To declare any gifts or hospitality in line with the Council’s Code of Conduct.
3. Co-Option
To consider an application for co-option and to resolve action required.
4. Councillor Declaration of Acceptance of Office
To witness any co-opted member, sign their Declaration of Acceptance of Office in the presence of the Proper Officer.
5. Public Participation [1]
To hear from members of the public who wish to make representations, answer questions, and give evidence in respect of the business on the agenda. A question shall not require a response at the meeting nor start a debate on the question. The chairman of the meeting may direct that a written or oral response be given.
6. Cornwall Councillor Reports [2]
To receive and note reports from Cornwall Cllr Elaine Kist and Cornwall Cllr Stephen Trevelyan and ask questions on the content.
7. Full Council Meeting Minutes
To receive and resolve to adopt the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 6th May 2026 to allow the presiding Chairman to duly sign.
8. Committee Meetings Minutes
To receive the minutes of the following committee meetings and approve any recommendations therein:
Planning & Licensing – 20th May 2026
Property & Services – 27th May 2026
9. Clerk’s Report
To receive a report from the Clerk on any matters arising from previous minutes, meetings attended by officers and future dates for the diary. For information only.
10.Parish Councillor’s Reports
To include an update on any meetings attended by Members as representatives of the Parish Council and future dates for the diary. For information only.
11.Working Parties
To consider the membership and remit of the following working parties and to resolve action required –
- Asset of Community Value
- Century of Change Publication
12.Asset Register Review
To receive a verbal report on the asset register review and resolve any action required.
13.Arrangements for Insurance
To resolve to note the Council has in place adequate arrangements for insurance cover in respect of all insurable risks.
14.Financial Matters
- To approve expenditure payments.
- To appoint a Councillor to counter authorise the payments.
- To note income.
- To note account balances.
15.Consultations
- To receive details of, and appoint members to respond to, any consultations received up to the time of the meeting.
- To receive and approve responses to previous consultations.
16.Annual Internal Audit Report 2025/6
To receive the internal auditors report and resolve any action required.
17.Annual Governance Statement
To complete and to resolve to adopt the Annual Governance Statement.
18.Year End Accounts.
To resolve to adopt the final year end accounts as presented
19.Accounting Statements for 2025/26
- To consider the accounting statements
- To resolve to approve the accounting statements
- To witness the presiding Chairman sign and date the accounting statements
20.Public Right of Inspection
To formally note that the Public Right of Inspection period will run from Monday 15th June 2026 until Friday 24th July 2026 inclusive with the notice being issued by the Responsible Finance Officer on Friday 12th June 2026.
21.Civility & Respect Pledge
To review and resolve to reaffirm the Council’s commitment to the Civility and Respect Pledge.
22.Statement of Assurance
To note whether all councillors have signed the Statement of Assurance
23.Confidential Matter(s)
To resolve that under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, the public and representatives of the press and broadcast media be excluded from the meeting, and that the live streaming and any recording cease, during the consideration of the following item(s) of business as publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest because of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted –
Sensitive legal advice on disputed insurance claim.
[1] Standing Order 3f: Total time allowed will be 15 minutes (limit of 3 minutes per person) which may be varied at the discretion of the Chairman.
[2] Standing Order 3l: Total time allowed will be 5 minutes each which may be varied at the discretion of the Chairman. The reports are for information purposes only.
Meeting Minutes
Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of St Stephen in Brannel Parish Council
held in the Brannel Room, 22 Fore Street, St Stephen
on Wednesday 10th June 2026 starting at 6.30pm.
Present
Cllr Mike Berryman, Cllr Julie Broad (Chairman), Cllr David Coles (Vice Chairman), Cllr Debby Hussey, Cllr Steve Oakley, Cllr Tina Patterson, Cllr Nigel Spragg and Cllr Keith Truscott.
In attendance
Linda Ranger – Clerk & RFO, Ruth Mills – Deputy Clerk, Cornwall Cllr Elaine Kist and one member of the public.
FPC89/26 Apologies for Absence
It was
RESOLVED to note apologies from Cllr Anne Hartshorne and Shelagh Tasker.
Proposed by Cllr Debby Hussey. Seconded by Cllr David Coles. All voted in favour.
It was noted that no apologies had been received from Cllr Marian Seaton.
FPC90/26 Declarations of Interest
- There were no declarations of pecuniary interests.
- There were no declarations of non-registerable interests.
- No dispensation requests had been received.
- There were no declarations of any gifts or hospitality received.
FPC91/26 Co-Option
The candidate was not present. It was
RESOLVED to defer the agenda item to the next meeting.
Proposed by Cllr Julie Broad. Seconded by Cllr Mike Berryman. All voted in favour.
FPC92/26 Councillor Declaration of Acceptance of Office
As the candidate was not present. It was
RESOLVED to defer the agenda item to the next meeting.
Proposed by Cllr Julie Broad. Seconded by Cllr David Coles. All voted in favour.
FPC93/26 Public Participation
The members of the public present did not wish to speak.
FPC94/26 Cornwall Councillor Reports
Cornwall Cllr Stephen Trevelyan was not present and had not submitted a report.
Cornwall Cllr Elaine Kist gave a verbal report which covered meeting residents regarding planning application 26/02227 (land off Carkeek Close, Stephen), advising her Community Chest was now open for applications, sourcing funding for additional yellow lines, issues with pot hole repairs, contact from a resident regarding concerns with South West Water, and the Cornwall Council site visit for the planning applications associated with a proposed solar farm at Trelion.
FPC95/26 Full Council Meeting Minutes
It was
RESOLVED to adopt the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 6th May 2026 to allow the presiding Chairman to duly sign.
Proposed by Cllr Nigel Spragg. Seconded by Cllr Keith Truscott. All voted in favour.
The Chairman duly signed the minutes.
FPC96/26 Committee Meetings Minutes
The draft minutes of the Planning & Licencing committee meeting held on 20th May 2026 were received. It was
RESOLVED that the following recommendation be approved –
P&L63/26 Neighbourhood Priorities Statement (NPS):
That the Designation Letter be sent to Cornwall Council for the purpose of producing a Neighbourhood Priorities Statement in accordance with Schedule 7 15K of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 and paragraph 61G of the Town and Country Planning Act.
That the map of the Parish, previously used for the Neighbourhood Development Plan, be used identifying the area to which the application relates, being the entire area of St Stephen in Brannel Parish; and
That residents be encouraged to complete the Cornwall Council Local Plan Survey through various methods including newsletters, social media, and noticeboards, as Cornwall Council can share the responses at a parish level to inform the NPS.
Proposed by Cllr Steve Oakley. Seconded by Cllr Debby Hussey. All voted in favour.
Action: Deputy Clerk
The draft minutes of the Property & Services committee meeting held on 27th May 2026 were received. It was
RESOLVED that the following recommendation be approved –
P&S40/26 Transfer of ownership:
Allotment boundary tree
That the ownership of the tree be transferred as per the advice from the solicitor.
Proposed by Cllr Keith Truscott. Seconded by Cllr Julie Broad. All voted in favour.
Action: Clerk
FPC97/26 Clerk’s Report
A report had been circulated prior to the meeting which covered the following:
Affordable & Social Housing Meeting – The office is still waiting for Ocean Housing to confirm meeting dates.
Community Speed Watch – Despite the previous agreement that all Councillors would register for Community Speed Watch, only the Clerk, as co-ordinator, and a few Councillors have completed the registration form to date. The registration email has been circulated again. If Members do not sign up, the project cannot move forward.
Code of Conduct Training – A polite reminder that all Councillors must undertake Code of Conduct training within 6 months of appointment. Emails of training available are regularly sent out and it is up to the individual to respond to the office advising when they can undertake the training.
Planning Training – The online planning training with Andrew Towlerton is on Wednesday 24th June 2026, starting at 6.30pm. This session is for St Stephen in Brannel Parish Council only. All members and staff are expected to attend.
Councils to no longer publish an elected or co-opted member’s home address – From 29 June 2026, section 65 of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (“2026 Act”) removes the requirement for a local government member’s home address to be published in council registers of interest. The newly added section 32A of the Localism Act 2011 requires that councils do not publish details of a member’s home address in public registers of interest unless an individual member explicitly requests it.
To aid transparency, public registers of interest will still state that an interest exists but that the address is withheld under the new section 32A. The exact address details will still need to be declared, remain available internally to councils and will continue to prevent conflicts of interest. Further, the register of member contact details maintained under section 100G of the Local Government Act 1972 must no longer include home addresses when made available for public inspection.
Only two Councillors responded to the Clerks email so all other home addresses will be removed from the public domain on 29th June 2026. New register of interest forms need to be completed and are available from the office. It is the individual’s responsibility to compete the form.
Cormac Summer Workshop Sessions – Cormac is inviting town and parish councillors, clerks, and Cornwall councillors to attend Meet the Team workshops this summer.
Supported by Councillor Dan Rogerson (Cornwall Council Portfolio Holder for Transport) and Councillor Loic Rich (Cornwall Council Portfolio Holder for Environment and Climate Change), the workshops will:
1.Provide updates on current projects and Cormac services
2.Offer opportunities to ask questions directly to Cormac managers
Workshops will take place across Cornwall, with all sessions running from 10:00am to 1:00pm. Dates have been circulated by email to all.
FPC98/26 Parish Councillor’s Reports
Cllr Tina Patterson gave feedback on the St Stephen Community Centre AGM – the committee membership and roles had remained the same.
Cllr Mike Berryman gave feedback on the Meet & Greet held in Lanjeth.
Cllr Nigel Spragg gave feedback from the St Dennis Education bursary meeting and the St Dennis & Nanpean Community Trust meeting, both had grant funding monies available. He reported that Cornwall Councillors would be holding a site visit for the planning applications associated with the proposed solar farm at Trelion on 3rd July 2026. Earlier in the day he had carried out the asset register and insurance review along with the biodiversity consultation response. Cllr Nigel Spragg intended to visit the site for planning application 26/02227 (land off Carkeek Close, Stephen) and invited other Councillors to join him.
Cllr Julie Broad reported that she had attended a meeting in Treviscoe with Cornwall Council representatives regarding a tree planting scheme. She had the pleasure of laying wreathes at both war memorials for VE day and attending the mayor making ceremony for St Austell Town Council. Arrangements for the Chairman Community Event were going well, and she had chosen St Stephen Pantomine Group as the local organisation to support.
FPC99/26 Working Parties
It was
RESOLVED to appoint Cllr Debby Hussey, Cllr Steve Oakley, and Cllr Keith Truscott with Cllr Nigel Spragg as substitute to the Asset of Community Value Working Party and that Cllr Steve Oakley be designated as the lead to oversee the organisation of meetings and ensure tasks are completed effectively.
Proposed by Cllr Julie Broad. Seconded by Cllr David Coles. All voted in favour.
Action: Cllr Debby Hussey, Cllr Steve Oakley, and Cllr Keith Truscott
It was
RESOLVED to appoint Cllr Anne Hartshorne, Cllr Debby Hussey, and Cllr Keith Truscott with Cllr Steve Oakley as substitute to the Century of Change Publication Working Party and that Cllr Keith Truscott be designated as the lead to oversee the organisation of meetings and ensure tasks are completed effectively.
Proposed by Cllr Julie Broad. Seconded by Cllr David Coles. All voted in favour.
Action: Cllr Anne Hartshorne, Cllr Debby Hussey, and Cllr Keith Truscott
FPC100/26 Asset Register Review
It was
RESOLVED that the asset register was correct and up to date and the more detailed report from Rialtus would be appreciated.
Proposed by Cllr Nigel Spragg. Seconded by Cllr Debby Hussey. All voted in favour.
Action: Clerk
FPC101/26 Arrangements for Insurance
It was
RESOLVED to note the Council had in place adequate arrangements for insurance cover in respect of all insurable risks.
Proposed by Cllr Steve Oakley. Seconded by Cllr Nigel Spragg. All voted in favour.
FPC102/26 Financial Matters
It was
RESOLVED to approve the expenditure presented in the report circulated prior to the meeting.
It was
RESOLVED to appoint a Cllr Julie Broad to counter authorise the payments.
It was
RESOLVED to note the income presented in the report circulated prior to the meeting.
It was
RESOLVED to note the account balances presented in the report circulated prior to the meeting.
Proposed by Cllr Julie Borad. Seconded by Cllr David Coles. All voted in favour.
Action: Clerk and Cllr Julie Broad
FPC103/26 Consultations
- It was
RESOLVED that Cllr Debby Hussey respond to the Public Spaces Protection Order renewals consultation.
Proposed by Cllr David Coles. Seconded by Cllr Julie Broad. All voted in favour.
Action: Cllr Debby Hussey
- Cllr Steve Oakley was yet to respond to the Belonging in Cornwall Strategy consultation.
Cllr David Coles had been unable to respond to the Cornwall National Landscape consultation as it had closed.
Cllr Nigel Spragg was yet to respond to the Planning for the Future consultation.
FPC104/26 Annual Internal Audit Report 2025/6
The Annual Internal Auditors Report for 2025/6 was received and considered. It was
RESOLVED to note that the report contained no recommendations however suggested monitoring the Fidelity Guarantee limit due to an increase in the precept and that all matters were in order; no further action was required.
Proposed by Cllr Steve Oakley. Seconded by Cllr Julie Broad. All voted in favour.
FPC105/26 Annual Governance Statement
The Chairman read each question from the Annual Governance Statement; Members confirmed the Council’s response as “Yes” to every assertion and the Statement was completed accordingly.
It was
RESOLVED to approve the Annual Governance Statement for 2025/26 with affirmative responses to all assertions and to authorise the Chairman and the Clerk/RFO to sign the Statement on behalf of the Council.
Proposed by Cllr Tina Patterson. Seconded by Cllr Debby Hussey. All voted in favour.
Members witnessed the Chairman and Clerk/RFO sign and date the Statement.
FPC106/26 Year End Accounts.
The year end accounts had been circulated prior to the meeting. The Clerk asked if there were any questions – there were none. It was
RESOLVED to adopt the final year end accounts as presented.
Proposed by Cllr Julie Broad. Seconded by Cllr David Coles. All voted in favour.
FPC107/26 Accounting Statements for 2025/26
Members received and considered the Accounting Statements for 2025/26 that had been signed by the Responsible Finance Officer prior to circulation before the meeting.
It was
RESOLVED to approve the Accounting Statements for 2025/26.
Proposed by Cllr David Coles. Seconded by Cllr Steve Oakley. All voted in favour.
Members witnessed the Chairman sign and date the Statement.
FPC108/26 Right of Inspection
It was
RESOLVED to formally note that the Public Right of Inspection period would run from Monday 15th June 2026 until Friday 24th July 2026 inclusive with the notice being issued by the Clerk & Responsible Finance Officer on Friday 12th June 2026.
Proposed by Cllr Julie Broad. Seconded by Cllr Steve Oakley. All voted in favour.
Action: Clerk
FPC109/26 Civility & Respect Pledge
It was
RESOLVED to reaffirm the Council’s commitment to the Civility and Respect Pledge and to apply its principles to the conduct of councillors and staff in all council business.
Proposed by Cllr Nigel Spragg. Seconded by Cllr Debby Hussey. All voted in favour.
FPC110/26 Statement of Assurance
It was
RESOLVED to formally record that all councillors bar one had signed the Statement of Assurance.
Proposed by Cllr Julie Broad. Seconded by Cllr Keith Truscott. All voted in favour.
FPC111/26 Confidential Matter(s)
It was
RESOLVED that under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, the public and representatives of the press and broadcast media be excluded from the meeting, and that the live streaming and any recording cease, during the consideration of the following item(s) of business as publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest because of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted.
Proposed by Cllr Julie Broad. Seconded by Cllr Keith Truscott. All voted in favour.
The member of the public and Cornwall Cllr Elaine Kist left the meeting at 7.33pm.
The live stream was stopped.
The Clerk passed on the legal advice concerning the disputed insurance claim for the damage to the barriers at Nanpean Short Stay car park. It was
RESOLVED to advise Sedgewick International UK that unless the monies were received within 28 days, the Council would start court proceedings. It was also agreed to report any vehicles not adhering to the risk assessment, to the Traffic Commissioners Office.
Proposed by Cllr Steve Oakley. Seconded by Cllr Debby Hussey. All voted in favour
Action: Clerk
The meeting ended at 7.40pm.