Draft minutes
Please note these minutes remain in draft format until approved and signed at the next relevant meeting.
Meeting Pack
Agenda – Meeting 1 (2026/27)
Minutes and an audio recording will be made available as soon as possible after the meeting.
1. Election of Chair
(a) To elect the Chair to serve until the Annual Meeting of the Council in May 2027
(b) To receive the Declaration of Acceptance of Office from the elected Chair
2. Election of Vice Chair
(a) To elect the Vice Chair to serve until the Annual Meeting of the Council in May 2027
(b) To receive the Declaration of Acceptance of Office from the elected Vice Chair
3. Apologies for absence
To approve apologies for absence
4. Declarations of interest
To note any declarations of interest.
5. Approval of Absence under Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972
(a) To consider approving a dispensation for Councillor Pennington to be exempt from the requirement to attend meetings of the Council until the local elections in May 2027.
(b) Section 85(1) of the Local Government Act 1972, Section 85 provides that where a member of a local authority fails, throughout a period of six consecutive months from the date of their last attendance, to attend any meeting of the authority, they shall cease to be a member of the authority unless the failure to attend was due to a reason approved by the authority before the expiry of that six-month period.
(c) Council is therefore requested to consider whether it wishes to approve the continued absence of Councillor Pennington until the local elections in May 2027, thereby preventing automatic disqualification under Section 85(1) of the Local Government Act 1972.
6. Public Open Forum
To invite members of the public to speak on items on the agenda.
7. PCSO report
To note the report from PCSO N Flanagan.
8. Frodsham Leisure Centre
To receive an update from Anna Ranger (Economic Growth Programme Manager – Leisure and Market Towns)
9. Cheshire West & Chester Councillors
To note the report provided by Cllr M Garvey and Cllr L Sumner.
10.Chair’s report 2025-2026
To receive the report from Cllr Hayes together with reflections for the future.
11.Clerk’s Report 2025-2026
To note the Clerk’s Report with an overview of the highlights from 2025-2026 from each of the Committees.
12.Annual finance report
To note the report from J O’Donoghue (Town Clerk & RFO) which was also noted at the Finance and General Purposes Committee held on 20/04/2026.
13.Standing Orders
To note that the Standing Orders (NALC Model) are required to be updated annually and the last update took place on at the council meeting held 28/07/2025. Minute reference FTC/28/07/2025/10b. No further updates are required as of the date of this meeting: https://frodsham.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Standing-Orders-2025-2026.pdf
14.Finance Regulations
To note that the Finance Orders (NALC Model) are required to be updated annually and the last update took place on at the council meeting held 23/03/2026 and para 7.4 was revised. Minute reference FTC/23/03/2026/10d. No further updates are required as of the date of this meeting: https://frodsham.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/FTC-Finance-Regulations-2025-26-updated-23-03-2026.pdf
15.Complaints Procedure/Policy
To note that the Complaints Procedure (NALC Model) was approved at the council meeting held on 30/06/2025. Minute reference 30/06/2025/11a. No further updates are required until June 2027: https://frodsham.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Complaints-Policy-2025.pdf
16.Schedule of meetings
To approve the schedule of meetings provided by the Clerk.
17.General Power of Competence
To note that Frodsham Town Council satisfies the eligibility criteria for the General Power of Competence under the Localism Act 2011, section 1, and the Parish Councils (General Power of Competence) (Prescribed Conditions) Order 2012 (SI 2012/965), namely that:
- at the relevant election held in 2023, at least two-thirds of the members of the Council were elected; and
- the Clerk to the Council holds the Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA), being the prescribed qualification.
Accordingly, the Council continues to hold the General Power of Competence until the next relevant annual meeting following ordinary elections, at which time eligibility will be reviewed in May 2027.
18.DBS Checks for Councillors and Officers
(a) To note the report provided by the Town Clerk.
(b) To approve the recommendation of the Town Clerk that no further action in respect of DBS checks for Councillors and Officers is required at the present time.
19.Appointment to committees
(a) To appoint members to the Amenities & Planning Committee
(b) To appoint members to the Events Committee
(c) To appoint members to the Finance & General Purposes Committee
(d) To appoint members to the Staffing Committee
20.Appointment of representatives & delegates to external organisations
- Red Lion Bowling Club
- Protos (Ince Marshes Air Quality Forum)
- Castle Park Trust
- Liverpool Airport Consultative Committee
- Cheshire Association of Local Councils
- North Cheshire Rail Users Group
- Wind Farm Community Liaison Committee
- Frodsham Youth Association
- Weaver Navigation Society
- Weaver & Sandstone Cycle Forum
- PCC Parish & Town Council Meetings
- Brio Future Offer
21.Year end internal audit 2025-2026 (note that if the report has not been received by 13/05/2026 it will be necessary to convene an extra ordinary meeting and that the meeting must take place by 30/06/2026 under statutory regulations)
(a) To note the report provided by JDH Business Services (appointed Internal Auditor to Frodsham Town Council)
(b) To agree actions to be taken recommended within the report.
22.Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2025-2026 (AGAR) (note that if the IA report has not been received by 13/05/2026 it will be necessary to convene an extra ordinary meeting and that the meeting must take place by 30/06/2026 under statutory regulations)
(a) To approve and sign Section 1 Annual Governance Statement 2025/2026
(b) To approve and sign Section 2 Accounting Statement 2025/2026 which has been signed by the Clerk prior to the meeting
23.Exercise of public rights
To approve the period for the Exercise of Public Rights and the publication of the unaudited Annual Governance and Accountability Return commencing as soon as practicable following approval of the AGAR and no later than Wednesday 1 July 2026, ending on Tuesday 11 August 2026, in accordance with statutory regulations.
24.Meeting minutes
To approve the minutes from the meeting held 23rd March 2026.
25.Accounts
(a) To note that the precept of £300,309.00 was received on 13th April 2026.
(b) To approve a councillor to check April/May 2026 bank statements against April/May 2026 bank reconciliation reports on a date to be agreed.
(c) To approve the following monthly direct debits for the 2026-27 financial year
| Organisation | Purpose | Amount (GBP) |
| PENINSULA BUSINESS | HR SLA | £149.50 |
| TELECOMS (Prism) | Office phone/broadband | VARIABLE |
| PRISM BUSINESS DEV | IT SLA | £646.58 |
| BAGNALL & MORRIS | Cemetery waste | £162.90 |
| BRITISH GAS | Cemetery electricity | VARIABLE |
| HM LAND REGISTRY | Land searches | VARIABLE |
- To approve the following monthly contractual payments
| Detail | Purpose | Amount (GBP) |
| STAFF SALARIES | CONTRACTURAL | VARIABLE |
| STAFF PENSIONS | CONTRACTURAL | VARIABLE |
| HMRC PAYMENTS | EMPLOYMENT LEGISLATION | VARIABLE |
| NTC GROUNDS MAINTENANCE SLA | CONTRACTURAL | £ 3,554.20 (PLUS WATERING HANGING BASKETS (VARIABLE) |
| RABBIT DIGITAL SLA | CONTRACURAL | £120.00 |
| CHESHIRE WEST | 44 Main Street Office rates | TO BE CONFIRMED |
| EDF | 44 Main Street Office electricity | VARIABLE |
| 44 MAIN STREET | 44 Main Street Office rent | £850.00 |
| CANDA COPYING LTD | Photocopier | VARIABLE |
| PRISM LTD | IT services | VARIABLE |
- To approve the following for the 2026-27 financial year
| Detail | Amount |
| ChALC affiliation fee | £1,592.00 |
| NABMA annual subs | £384.00 |
| ICO Annual fee | £40.00 |
| Cheshire Community Action | £110.00 |
| Frodsham Community Association | £15.00 |
| National Allotment Society | £55.00 |
| ICCM | £100.00 |
26.Staffing
(a) To approve the recommendation from both the Staffing Committee Meeting held on held on 13th April 2026 and the Finance & General Purposes Committee Meeting held on 20/04/2026 to appoint a part-time Administration Officer on a 20-hour-per-week, two-year temporary contract to oversee the administration of Tarvin Road Cemetery, along with other administrative responsibilities, including the management of allotments, defibrillators, and related duties.
(b) To note that the appointment of an Administration Officer on the SLCC recommended salary scale SCP 13–17 (FTE £28,163; £15.06/hour at SCP 13) for 20 hours per week, represents an actual salary of £15,662.40 plus employer on-costs (NI £1,599.36 and LGPS £3,210.79), giving a total annual cost of £20,472.55, to be funded from the existing £44,000 earmarked staffing reserve over the two-year contract period.
27.Freedom of Frodsham
To consider whether to award the Freedom of Frodsham to a qualifying resident in 2026.
28.Christmas Voucher Scheme
To note the report provided.
29.Frodsham Town Council/Frodsham Youth Association/Frodsham Community Association Lease
(a) To note there has been no change/update to the current lease arrangements.
(b) To agree any action to be taken.
30.Consideration of Restrictions on the Chair of the Council
(a) To note the report provided by the Clerk.
(b) To approve the recommendation of the Town Clerk, acting as Proper Officer, Legal Officer and Responsible Financial Officer, that no amendments be made to the current governance arrangements or Standing Orders relating to the Chair of the Council, as the existing arrangements remain appropriate and consistent with the NALC Model Standing Orders adopted by the Council on 28th July 2025 (minute reference FTC/28/07/2025/10b).
31.Exclusion of press and pubic (please note that this item may not be required subject to agenda item 25)
To consider that, in accordance with section 1(2) of the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960, and as extended by Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public, including the press, be excluded from the meeting because of the confidential nature of the following business to be transacted.
32.Freedom of Frodsham Nominations (please note that this item may not be required subject to agenda item 25)
- To receive nominations from Councillors.
- To agree action to be taken.