Members are appointed annually at the May meeting of the parish council but will be assumed to be willing to continue from year to year unless they advise otherwise.
The committee aims are to:
assist the Council in fulfilling the its responsibilities for the Open Spaces of the village.
ensure that the Council’s services contracts for Open Spaces are properly procured and managed.
In pursuit of these aims it will:
advise the Council and fulfil its decisions regarding the following areas and issues:
Village Green
Village Hall Car Park
Village Cemetery
Village Playground including equipment and skate ramp
Football Pitch
Allotments
Village “street furniture”, including signage, benches, three bus shelters, stone cross near church
Common land owned by the council (Southside pocket nature reserve, former chalk pit by Vale Farm and former sandpit at Larkwhistle)
Village Tree Plan
Village assets, including the Ash Burn Rest, the stocks, grindstone, war memorial, etc.
Village clean up days.
Note – for a full list of village assets and equipment see the asset register in the annual accounts
recommend annually to the Council a budget relating to its Open Spaces activities
review annually the Open Spaces contracts and make recommendations.
conduct a competitive tendering process every three years for Open Spaces contracts above £1,000 in value, and make recommendations regarding the contracts
As well as councillors, membership shall include the Village Lengthsman, the Clerk to the Burial Board, the Tree Warden and other co-opted individuals, as are necessary to meet these terms of reference.
The committee will liaise where necessary, keeping close working relationships with other Council committees (e.g. Planning and Footpaths) and working groups.
The committee will meet as necessary. The normal pattern of meetings is
a meeting in autumn to make budget recommendations regarding the Open Spaces expenditure
a meeting in spring, to consider a work programme.
The annual village inspection in June
The committee will review these terms of reference annually