Great Tey Parish Council

Great Tey Parish Council Great Tey Parish Council

Agenda for the Parish Council meeting held at Great Tey Village Hall dated Tuesday 17th March 2026at 7.30pm

Great Tey Parish Council

Members of the Council are hereby summoned to attend the Parish Council meeting being held at Great Tey Village Hall, on Tuesday 17th March 2026 at 7.30pm.

Members of the press and public are welcome to attend.

Agenda

1. Apologies for Absence: Council members are required to forward their apologies to the Clerk ahead of the meeting.

LGA 1972, s.85(1): Failure to attend meetings for six consecutive months without valid reason may result in disqualification.

2. Disclosure of Pecuniary Interests: Council members to identify any item on the agenda that they have a connection

to, as introduced through the Localism Act 2011. Failure to do so could result in a fine and a ban.

LGA 1972, s.117(2): Members must declare direct or indirect pecuniary interests.

3. Minutes of Previous Meeting: To approve the minutes of the meetings held on 17th February 2026.

LGA 1972, Sch 12, para 41(1): Minutes must be signed as a true record.

4. Public Questions (15 Minutes Allowed.): Members of the public in attendance may ask the Parish Council a question.

Following this item, members of the public are welcome to observe the rest of the meeting but are asked to remain

silent. Any question that requires a Council decision must be added to a future agenda. LGA 1972, s.100B(4): Public

questions are permitted but any matter requiring Council decision must be placed on a future agenda.

5. Report from County Councillor: (10 Minutes Allowed.)

6. Report from City Councillors: (10 Minutes Allowed.)

7. Planning Applications: LGA 1972, Sch 1, para 8: Powers related to town and country planning.

a) Applications: Any applications received after the agenda has been published will be included for consideration at the

Parish Council Meeting.

Application Number &

Date Received

Address Request

260326

06/03/2026

The Red House, Brook Road, Great Tey Colchester

CO6 1JG

Proposed single storey rear

extension and part conversion of

existing integral garage.

260307

23/02/2026

The Old Vicarage, Chappel Road, Great Tey

Colchester CO6 1JQ

Fell Holly to stop damage to

neighbours wall

b) Determinations: Any determinations received after the agenda has been published will be included for consideration

at the Parish Council Meeting.

8. Accounts:

a) Banking Reconciliation: Two Non-Banking Signatories are to review and authorise the banking reconciliation for

February 2026.

b) Payment Schedule: Two Non-Banking Signatories to review and authorise the proposed payment schedule for

March 2026. LGA 1972, s.150: Council's authority to approve accounts and financial matters.

9. Review of 2024/2025 Audit: The Parish Council is requested to review and consider the Internal and External Audit

reports for the financial year 2024/2025.

10. Internal Auditor: The Parish Council is requested to consider and determine the Parish Clerk’s recommendation to

appoint Heelis & Lodge as the Council’s Internal Auditors.

11. GDPR UK Training: The Parish Council is requested to determine which members wish to attend UK GDPR training

provided through Nimble in association with the EALC.

Great Tey Parish Council

12. Civility & Respect Pledge: The Parish Council is requested to review and determine the adoption of the Civility and

Respect Pledge.

13. Noticeboard at Bus Shelter: The Parish Council is requested to consider and determine whether to install a

community noticeboard at the bus shelter opposite the Village Hall.

14. Clerk’s Report: The Parish Clerk is to report on any relevant correspondence received from residents and to raise

matters for consideration at future meetings.

− ICO Certificate: The ICO Certificate has been arranged and purchased to ensure the Parish Council is appropriately

registered for data protection purposes.

− Essex Records Office: All historical documents have been transferred to the Essex Records Office for storing.

− Skills Matrix: The scoring criteria for the Skills Matrix will be circulated to the Parish Council in due course to identify

training requirements.

− Social Media & Website: The Parish Council is advised that, following the selection and approval of the website and

email platforms and associated costs, responsibility for managing the social media and website will rest with the

Parish Clerk, with the Chair provided with access credentials.

15. Councillor’s Reports: An opportunity for each Councillor to note any relevant communications with residents or raise

any business that needs to be discussed at a future meeting.

Private & Confidential Parish Council Meeting

16. Personnel Committee: The Parish Council is requested to review and determine the members of the Personnel

Committee.

17. Personnel Committee Terms of Reference: The Parish Council is requested to review and adopt the terms of

reference for the Personnel Committee.

18. Pension: In accordance with the terms of the contract, the Parish Council will enrol the Parish Clerk and all future

Clerks in the Essex Pension Fund, and members are requested to ratify this decision.

19. Payroll: The Parish Council is requested to consider transferring payroll services to DM Payroll.

20. Policies: To be reviewed, considered, and formally adopted by the full Council.

Anti-Bullying & Harassment Policy Internal Controls Policy

Asset Register Information Technology Policy

Code of Conduct Privacy Notice

Complaints Policy Publication Scheme

Data Breach Policy Retention of Documents and Records

Data Protection Policy Risk Assessment

Disciplinary Policy Social Media Policy

Financial Regulations Standing Orders

Financial Reserves Policy Subject Access Request

Freedom of Information Policy Training Policy

Grievance Policy Website Accessibility Statement

Health & Safety Policy

21. Old Laptop - Certificate of Destruction: Members of the Parish Council are requested to consider and ratify the

destruction of the old laptop. All data will be transferred to an external hard drive and securely stored in the cloud,

with access restricted to the Parish Clerk and the Chair.

Great Tey Parish Council

22. Maintenance Contract: The Parish Council is requested to determine whether to initiate a tender for a three-year

maintenance contract or to extend the current maintenance contract for a further year, and to review the situation

thereafter.

23. Website gov.uk & Email gov.uk Hosting Platform: Members are requested to review and consider the quotes obtained

for the hosting of the Parish Council’s gov.uk website and gov.uk email accounts. The Council is asked to evaluate the

proposals based on pricing, service features, security, and ongoing support, and to make a decision on the preferred

provider.

24. Southside Hedge Works Reconsideration: At the request of three Councillors, and following the provision of additional

information, the Council is asked to reconsider the decision made at the February meeting.

Members are requested to:

a)Rescind the previous decision relating to the Southside Hedge works; and

b)Review the quotations and determine a new course of action.

Date of next meeting: 21st April 2026: Great Tey Village Hall at 7.30pm

Closure

Lynsey Ritchie-Fagg: Parish Clerk & RFO

12th March 2026

Welcome to GOV.UK GOV.UK - The best place to find government services and information.

Change to Parish Council Meeting Dates

Great Tey Parish Council would like to let residents know that our monthly meetings will now take place on the third Tuesday of each month, rather than the second.

We hope this small change makes it easier for everyone to attend and stay involved in parish matters.

Welcome to Our New Parish Clerk – Lynsey Ritchie‑Fagg

Great Tey Parish Council is delighted to welcome Lynsey Ritchie‑Fagg as our new Parish Clerk.

Lynsey joins us with a wealth of clerking experience and a strong background in supporting local councils. She brings not only technical know‑how but a calm, capable approach that will serve the parish well as we continue to grow and modernise our governance.

Working closely with councillors, Lynsey will help ensure the council remains robust, transparent, and fully compliant, keeping our processes running smoothly and our community well‑supported.

She’s already hit the ground running, and we’re looking forward to the energy and expertise she brings to the role.

Please join us in giving Lynsey a warm Great Tey welcome.

We Have a Vacancy for a Parish Councillor – Could It Be You?

Great Tey Parish Council has a vacancy and we’re looking to co‑opt a new councillor to join the team.

If you care about our community and want to help shape local decisions, we’d love to hear from you. You don’t need any special qualifications — just enthusiasm, commitment, and a desire to make a positive difference.

You’re eligible if you:
✔️ Are 18 or over
✔️ Are a UK, Commonwealth, EU or qualifying citizen
✔️ Live in the parish (or within 3 miles), work here, or are on the electoral register

What to do: Send a short-written expression of interest explaining
Why you’d like to join the Council
What skills or experience you can bring
Anything you’re passionate about in the parish

Email: [email protected]
Deadline: Friday 27th March 2026
Co‑option will take place at our meeting on Tuesday 21st April 2026

If you’ve ever thought about getting involved in local decision‑making, now’s the perfect time. We’d be delighted to hear from you.

GREAT TEY PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

Meeting to be held on Tuesday 17th February 2026 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall Chappel Road, Great Tey

Councillors: You are hereby summoned to attend the annual parish council meeting followed by the Parish council meeting for the purpose of transacting the business itemised below. Members of the Public: In accordance with The Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960, members of the public wishing to address the Council can do so during the Public Forum. However, also in accordance with The Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960, the public may be excluded whenever publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business to be
transacted. Members of the public and press are warmly welcomed to attend.

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Cllr Bartleet

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

All Members are to be reminded that they must disclose any interests (pecuniary/nonpecuniary) they have in items of business
on the meeting’s agenda either at this point or during the agenda item. They are reminded that they will need to repeat their
declaration at the appropriate point in the meeting and leave the room if the interest is a prejudicial one. Unforeseen interests
must be declared similarly at the appropriate time

3 INTRODUCTION OF NEW CLERK. Welcome of Lynsey Ritchie-Fagg to Great Tey Parish council

4 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: To confirm minutes of the Parish Council meeting of Tuesday 13th January 2026

5 ACTION POINTS FROM PREVIOUS MEETING IF NOT COVERED ELSEWHERE:

6 PUBLIC FORUM: To receive any representations from the Public. Note: A period of up to 15 minutes (maximum of 5 minutes per person) for members of the public to ask questions or submit comments about items on the agenda.

7 WARD AND COUNTY COUNCILLORS TO ADDRESS THE MEMBERS (IF PRESENT)

To receive reports from our ward and county councillors.

8. COUNCILLOR VACANCY: Agree key dates for co-opt application process.

9. PARISH COUNCIL MEETING DATES: Motion to change regular meeting dates. Proposed by Cllr Frances and seconded by Cllr Hill

10 PLANNING MATTERS.

• Mersea Homes – Removal of hedge to improve visibility splay on junction of Chappel Road. Consider response.

11 FINANCIAL MATTERS

• Payments for approval and reconciliation of current bank balances.

• Changes needed to bank mandate – Barclays Bank account

• Changes needed to bank mandate – Nat West account

• Changes needed to mandate instructions – CCLA and Blackrock investments.

• Proposal from Cllr Warnes to formally document details of all bank account and trustee nominees along with access rights and responsibilities.

• Consider donation to children’s allotment for the 26/27 renewal of public liability insurance.

12 HFRG

• Renewal of grass cutting contract – Consideration of quote from JPB landscapes.

• Consideration of quote for the removal of south side hedging.

13 VILLAGE LITTER PICK - Consider dates/frequency etc.

14 LOCAL PLAN – Update

15 ANY OTHER BUSINESS AND ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDA:

16 PERSONNEL MATTERS - EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC To RESOLVE that due to the confidential nature of the business to be transacted the public and press be excluded pursuant to Section 1 of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960.

Date and time of next meeting Tuesday 17th March 2026

"Parish Council Meeting – Update for Residents
We wanted to let everyone know that tomorrow’s Parish Council meeting has been cancelled.
The meeting will be rescheduled for Tuesday 17th February and we’ll share the agenda and details closer to the date.
Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to seeing parishioners then".

Huge thank you to 2 of our residents- Bob Groves and Paul Verrier for their impromptu litter pick on the road out of the village. Hugely appreciated both clearing up what was an absolute eyesore. Thank you for taking pride in our lovely village and for prompting us to organise the annual litter pick - I will add it to the Feb agenda. Once again thank you.

Job Opportunity: Parish Council Clerk – Great Tey

Applications are invited for a part-time role (8 hours per week, with some flexibility).

Great Tey Parish Council is seeking to appoint a highly motivated and forward thinking Parish Clerk to steer the Council proactively and positively as we seek to enhance and develop the opportunities for parishioners in this growing community.

Job Role:

The Clerk to the Council will be the Proper Officer of the Council and as such is under a statutory duty to carry out all the functions, and to serve or issue all the notifications required by law of a local authority's Proper Officer



The Clerk implements the decisions of the Parish Council and provides independent, objective, professional advice and information to assist the decision making process. The Clerk is responsible for the day to day operation and administration of the Council as it's ‘Executive Officer’.

Salary will be set according to experience and qualifications but will be in accordance with the National Association for Local Councils (NALC) agreed pay scales within the range LC2 points 18 - 23 (currently £16.35 - £17.85 ph). All terms and conditions will be in accordance with The National Joint Council for Local Government Services National Agreement on Pay and Conditions or ‘Green Book’ .

This is a home-based position with full support: a Parish Council laptop (with all necessary software), printer and a filing cabinet will be provided.

Alongside Parish Council duties, the post also includes serving as Honorary Clerk to the Trustees of Great Tey Village Hall and administration of Trust matters.

Key Responsibilities

● Acting as the Council’s Proper Officer under statutory duty.

● Informing and advising the Council on policy, procedures, and compliance.

● Preparing information to support effective decision-making.

● Prepare agendas in consultation with the Chairman, produce accurate minutes and keep register of action points

● To attend regular evening Parish Council meetings held on second Tuesday of each month, (and interim meetings when required)

● Takes action to implement Council decisions

● Assist in drafting and reviewing Council policies

● Monitor Council actions/decisions and advise on statutory duties and regulatory requirements

● Manage correspondence and emails efficiently

● Managing Council resources and reporting to the Council as required.

● Serving as the Responsible Financial Officer (RFO), accountable for all financial records and administration of Council finances.

● Liaise with agencies and contractors regarding property maintenance

● Handle day-to-day financial management, prepare annual budgets and end-of-year accounts to audit level, and submit VAT returns

Skills & Requirements

● Computer literacy in Excel and Word is essential

● Strong organisational and communication skills

● Ability to work independently and manage multiple responsibilities

Why Join Us?

This is a rewarding opportunity to play a central role in the smooth running of the Parish Council and Village Hall, ensuring our community thrives.



Great Tey Parish Council welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

How to Apply

For further information please contact the Clerk for an informal chat at [email protected] or call 0771 3791871.

To request an application pack, please contact Cllr Tim Frances, [email protected]. Closing date for applications is Monday 12th January 2026 at 5pm.

Polite request. The Colchester city council bin opposite the pub and adjacent to the Great Yard is overflowing with rubbish and has been reported to the street cleaning team. Whilst we are waiting for them to empty the bin, could you please use other bins in the area for disposing of your waste. There is a bin located further down the Street, one at the Village Hall and also a dog poo waste bin on the Old playing field. At the moment the overflowing bin is not nice for those who live in the immediate vicinity.

Job Opportunity: Parish Council Clerk – Great Tey

Applications are invited for a part-time role (8 hours per week, with some flexibility).
Great Tey Parish Council is seeking to appoint a highly motivated and forward thinking Parish Clerk to steer the Council proactively and positively as we seek to enhance and develop the opportunities for parishioners in this growing community.
Job Role:
The Clerk to the Council will be the Proper Officer of the Council and as such is under a statutory duty to carry out all the functions, and to serve or issue all the notifications required by law of a local authority's Proper Officer

The Clerk implements the decisions of the Parish Council and provides independent, objective, professional advice and information to assist the decision making process. The Clerk is responsible for the day to day operation and administration of the Council as it's ‘Executive Officer’.
Salary will be set according to experience and qualifications but will be in accordance with the National Association for Local Councils (NALC) agreed pay scales within the range LC2 points 18 - 23 (currently £16.35 - £17.85 ph). All terms and conditions will be in accordance with The National Joint Council for Local Government Services National Agreement on Pay and Conditions or ‘Green Book’ .
This is a home-based position with full support: a Parish Council laptop (with all necessary software), printer and a filing cabinet will be provided.
Alongside Parish Council duties, the post also includes serving as Honorary Clerk to the Trustees of Great Tey Village Hall and administration of Trust matters.
Key Responsibilities
● Acting as the Council’s Proper Officer under statutory duty.
● Informing and advising the Council on policy, procedures, and compliance.
● Preparing information to support effective decision-making.
● Prepare agendas in consultation with the Chairman, produce accurate minutes and keep register of action points
● To attend regular evening Parish Council meetings held on second Tuesday of each month, (and interim meetings when required)
● Takes action to implement Council decisions
● Assist in drafting and reviewing Council policies
● Monitor Council actions/decisions and advise on statutory duties and regulatory requirements
● Manage correspondence and emails efficiently
● Managing Council resources and reporting to the Council as required.
● Serving as the Responsible Financial Officer (RFO), accountable for all financial records and administration of Council finances.
● Liaise with agencies and contractors regarding property maintenance
● Handle day-to-day financial management, prepare annual budgets and end-of-year accounts to audit level, and submit VAT returns
Skills & Requirements
● Computer literacy in Excel and Word is essential
● Strong organisational and communication skills
● Ability to work independently and manage multiple responsibilities
Why Join Us?
This is a rewarding opportunity to play a central role in the smooth running of the Parish Council and Village Hall, ensuring our community thrives.

Great Tey Parish Council welcomes applications from all sections of the community.
How to Apply
For further information please contact the Clerk for an informal chat at [email protected] or call 0771 3791871.
To request an application pack, please contact Cllr Tim Frances, [email protected]. Closing date for applications is Friday 9th January 2026 at 5pm.

Date for your Diary - Wednesday 17 December 5.30-7pm

A120 Have Your Say

Informal discussion about the Braintree and Colchester Local Plans and the impact on safety and congestion along the A120

To be held at The Kings Arms Pub, Broad Green CO6 1RU

Hosted by: Councillor William Sunnucks (Colchester) and Councillor Michael Staines (Braintree)

RSVP [email protected] or ring/text 07771940763

👟💪 Dust off those trainers!
The brand‑new adult exercise equipment at Harold Fairs Recreation Ground is ready to use. Come and give it a go — fresh air, fitness, and fun right here in the village! 🌳✨