Annual Meeting – Election of Mayor

To the Members of the Town Council of Louth:

You are hereby summoned to attend the Annual Meeting of Louth Town Council which will be held on Tuesday 20^th May 2025 in the Old Court Room, The Sessions House, Eastgate, Louth at 7pm.  The business to be dealt with at the meeting is listed in the agenda below.

Please note there will be no public forum.

Mrs. L.M. Phillips

Town Clerk

Dated this 15^th Day of May 2025

AGENDA

ROBED TOWN COUNCIL

(Membership: All Cllrs.)

1. Election of Mayor (Chairman)
   Council to receive nominations and to elect the Mayor of Louth (Chairman) to hold office until the Annual Meeting of Louth Town Council in 2026, followed by:
   1. Mayor to sign the Declaration of Acceptance of Office
   2. Mayor’s Address – The Mayor to address and thank the Council.
   3. Vote of Thanks to the 2024/25 Mayor.
   4. Appointment of Chaplain, The Mayor will announce the arrangements they have made.
2. Election of Deputy Mayor
   Council to receive nominations and to elect Deputy Mayor (Vice Chairman) to hold office until the Annual Meeting of Louth Town Council in 2026.
3. Apologies for Absence
   To receive and note apologies where valid reasons for absence have been given to the Town Clerk at least one hour prior to the meeting.
4. Declarations of Interest
   To receive declarations of interest in accordance with the Localism Act, 2011 – being any pecuniary interest in agenda items not previously recorded on Members’ Register of Interests and any written requests for dispensation received by the Proper Officer under section 22 of the Localism Act.
5. Council Minutes
   To approve as a correct record the notes of the Council Meeting held on 25^th March 2025.

6. Committee Minutes
   To confirm receipt of the minutes and adopt resolutions contained therein of the following Committee Meetings:
   1. Planning Committee – 25^th February 2025
   2. Planning Committee – 25^th March 2025
   3. Planning Committee – 15^th April 2025
   4. Governance and Finance Committee – 25^th February 2025
   5. Community Resources Committee – 4^th February 2025
   6. Personnel Committee – 4^th February 2025
   7. Personnel Committee – 15^th April 2025

7. Louth Town Council Governance
   Council to confirm that Governance Documents such as Standing Orders, Financial Regulations, Code of Conduct, Risk Management and Internal Controls, the Asset Register, the Council’s Complaints Procedure, all policies relating to GDPR, the Handling of Freedom of Information Requests Policy, Media Policy, Employment, Health and Safety, Sexual and General Harrassment and other policies and procedures were reviewed and adopted in 2024/25. (Available to view in the office and on the website).
8. Insurance
   Further to previous discussions, Council to note that the insurance review is still underway and resolve to renew delegated authority to the Town Clerk, assisted by Cllr. DH, Cllr. Mrs. KP and Cllr. PS to progress and finalise.

9. Committees of the Council
   On a proposal by the Mayor, seconded by the Deputy Mayor, Council to re-establish Committees, as Committees of Louth Town Council and confirm membership, terms of reference and delegated authority as contained within Standing Orders:
   1. Planning Committee (P), All Members
   2. Governance and Finance Committee (G), All Members; and
   3. Personnel (H) Committee, 7 Members (not to include the Mayor), (2024/25: JMS, EB, GEH, DH, HF, JB, JD).
10. Town Clerk
    On a proposal by the Mayor, seconded by the Deputy Mayor, Council to confirm delegated authority to the Town Clerk as contained within Standing Orders and Financial Regulations.
11. Representation on External Bodies and Arrangements for Reporting Back
    Council to note it has representation as follows:
    1. Louth United Charities – Cllr. DEW.
    2. King Edward VI Almshouse School and Educational Charity of Louth – Cllr. PS, Cllr. JMS, Mr. A. Leonard.
    3. Louth Navigation Regeneration Partnership – Cllr. Mrs. PFW.
    4. CCTV Partnership – Cllr. Mrs. EB and Town Clerk
    5. LALC Management Committee – Town Clerk
    6. Louth Transport Board – Cllrs. JB, JD and Town Clerk

Representatives to note that reports back to Council are requested at least every 6 months.

12. Council’s Membership of Other Bodies
    Council to note that Louth Town Council is a subscriber to / associate of / registered with:
    1. Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils (LALC)
    2. National Association of Local Councils (NALC)
    3. LALC Annual Training Scheme
    4. Historic Towns Forum (Free associate)
    5. The Information Commissioners Office
    6. The Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management
    7. Rural Market Towns Group
    8. Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC)

13. Arrangements with other organisations
    Council to note that it has arrangements with other organisations e.g., leases/agreements which can be viewed in the office, in respect of:
    1. Old Mill House (lease with private tenants/their mortgage company)
    2. Wayleave (with Northern Powergrid re. poles located on Council land at Julian Bower)
    3. Grasscutting (agreement with LCC that the Council will cut amenity verges in the town)
    4. Legal representation (letters of engagement with Wilkin Chapman Rollits)
    5. Land off London Road (lease with Louth Athletics Club)
    6. Julian Bower Field (grazing licence with private individual)
    7. Aethelheard’s Chapel (occupation agreement with local branch of the Greek Orthodox Church)
    8. Sessions House (agreement with LNALS re. storage space at SH)
    9. Flood Alleviation Scheme (agreement with Environment Agency to contribute financially annually)
    10. Trinity Lane, London Road, Mount Pleasant Allotments (Lease with Louth Cottage Garden and Allotments Assoc.)
    11. Land off London Road – Astro Turf Site (Lease with Magna Vitae (LRSP))
    12. London Road Sports Partnership (agreement that Council will contribute annually to a maximum of £20,000)
    13. CCTV (maintenance contract with ELDC)
    14. James’ Church – clock and external lights (payment of clock repair costs and electricity to run it and lights)
    15. War Memorial (agreement with ELDC that it will pay for electricity and LTC will maintain the asset)

14. Meetings of the Council
    On a proposal by the Mayor, seconded by the Deputy Mayor, Council to approve the attached schedule of meetings (previously discussed on 25^th March), these to be physical meetings unless legislation allows. The Town Clerk to issue summons by email, accordingly.
15. Nominated Key Holders
    Council to note that nominated key holders of The Sessions House, whose role was primarily to respond to alarm call outs, are no longer needed, as in accordance with the Council’s Insurance Risk Assessors recommendations, a private company has now been awarded this work. If previous keyholders (JB, DH and JD) could please return their keys to the Town Clerk for safekeeping, it would be much appreciated.
16. Bank Signatories
    Council to note signatories on its accounts are as follows and nominate another member for addition to its approved Lloyds signatories:
    1. Lloyds Account – EB, LMC, KP, DH, JMS
    2. NSI Account – EB, LMC, DH
17. Purchase of Street Hoover
    Council to approve a recommendation from the GF Committee that a street hoover and additional battery be purchased from Overton Ltd at a cost of £1,933 + VAT (funds to be taken from the EMR Capital Expenditure) and that procedures be drawn up to allow this to be used by other local organisations, if needed.
18. Date of Next Meeting
    Council to note that the date of the next scheduled Town Council meeting is 3rd June 2025.