OUTWOOD
OUTWOOD

06/01/2026

Diagram Description automatically generated with medium confidence
OUTWOOD PARISH COUNCIL

C/O 2 Dirty Lane, Ashurst Wood, West Sussex RH19 3RY

Tel:  07592 151985 ~ Email: parish.clerk@outwood.org 

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF OUTWOOD PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON 6TH JANUARY 2026 IN THE LLOYD HALL, BRICKFIELD ROAD, OUTWOOD AT 7.30P,

PRESENT:                             Cllrs. De Wiggondene-Sheppard (Chair), Baldock, Devlin, Malley and McIntosh

APOLOGIES:                       County Cllr. C Farr and District Cllr. S Farr

IN ATTENDANCE               The Clerk, District Cllr. Bolton and 4 members of the public

PUBLIC QUESTIONS

None

01/1185                               MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING 

    1. The Minutes of the meetings held on 4th November 2025 had been circulated in advance and were proposed for approval by Cllr. Devlin, seconded by Cllr. McIntosh and signed as a true record                                                                        SO RESOLVED
    2. Matters Arising - not covered elsewhere on the agenda. – None

01/1186                DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

None

01/1187                COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT

None

01/1188                DISTRICT COUNCILLORS' REPORTS

None

01/1189                PLANNING APPLICATIONS including any updates

Cllr. Malley updated members of the decisions on recent planning applications and this is attached to the Minutes for reference.

  1. Application: 2025/1299

Proposal:             Variation of Condition 2 (Drawings) and Condition 4 (Air Source Heat Pumps) of planning permission ref: 2025.126 (Extension to front of dwelling and conversion of the existing garage into home office gym and garden store) to allow for minor amendments and removal of Air Source Heat Pump

Location:              Outwood Post Mill, Gayhouse Lane, RH1 5PW

Comment:          No Objection

  1. Application: 2025/1466

Proposal:           Erection of part two storey part single storey side extension.

Location:           Cherrytrees, Dayseys Hill, Outwood, RH1 5QY

Comment:        No objection

  1. Application:                 2025/1340

Proposal:                     Variation of Condition 2 (Plans) of planning permission ref: 2024/695 (Demolition of existing garage and erection of new detached garage building). To move garage away from the boundary wall to allow access.

Location:                      Brightleigh Farmhouse, Millers Lane, Outwood, RH1 5PZ

Comment:                  No Objection

A member of the public raised a query on Application No: 2025/1078 Beechfield, Moats Lane.  He expressed concern at the ongoing impact of the activities on the site.  This was noted, and Members were grateful for the information.

01/1190                NATIONAL TRUST

It was reported that:

  • the car parks at the Common, Hournecourt Hill and Branslands have been cleared and surfaced
  • The tree safety surveys have been completed for the estate with some trees due to come out or receive remedial action in the coming months.
  • A fair amount of woodland work, mainly thinning to promote understory growth is currently being undertaken                                                                                                                NOTED

01/1191                AIRPORTS

Cllr. McIntosh attended his first meeting as a member of the Noise Management Board and reported that the biggest issue continues to be Airspace.  The next meeting is in March.     NOTED

01/1192                COMMUNITY MATTERS

  1. Beacon – The collapse of the Beacon has led to enquiries being made on possible repairs and replacement of the rotten post.  One at over £800 for the post and the second at £510 from Oak & Wood timber merchants in Lingfield

The restoration of the basked, erection and installation will be carried out by local artisans and workmen. The Chair proposed acceptance of the above price and the purchase of this by Andy Wright who would do the majority of the work for free. Thanks were proposed to all those giving their time and expertise for free.  This was seconded by Cllr. Malley and AGREED                                                                                                                                                                                     SO RESOLVED

  1. Finger Post: - To note outcome – It was NOTED that the pieces of the Finger Post were located outside   the last address of the supplier and collected by Cllrs. McIntosh and Devlin.  These were put together and erected by Cllrs. McIntosh and Devlin.  The matter is now considered closed without further action being necessary.

01/1193                TECHNOLOGY

    1. To retrospectively approve creation of Sub-Committee based on email correspondence and approval by Clerk under delegated authority.  Cllrs. McIntosh, and Malley were Proposed, seconded and APPROVED as members of the Technology Sub-committee.

SO RESOLVED

    1. To adopt Assertion 10 Requirements under the 2025 Practitioners’ Guide for the Governance and Accountability for smaller authorities in England - below

“AGS Assertion 10 — Digital and data compliance

5.117. Data protection and security - Using authority-owned email accounts ensures that sensitive information is handled in a controlled environment with appropriate security measures. This aligns with GDPR principles such as data minimisation, integrity and confidentiality.

5.118. Accountability and transparency - authority-owned email accounts provide a clear record of communications, which is essential for transparency and accountability.

This helps in maintaining an audit trail and ensures all authority-related

communications are accessible for review if needed.

5.119. Consistency, trust and professionalism - it is best practice to use .gov.uk domains for smaller authorities' emails and websites (excluding parish meetings). This helps maintain a consistent and professional image for the authority and ensures all communications are easily identifiable as coming from the authority. This is increasingly important as cyber scams are on the rise. For support on setting up a

gov.uk domain for your smaller authority you can follow the guidance on moving your parish council to a .gov.uk domain.

5.120. Having authority-owned email accounts also makes Data Subject Access and

Freedom of Information Requests easier to manage.

5.121. Compliance with policies - All authorities should have an IT policy that mandates the use of authority-owned email accounts for official business. These policies are designed to ensure that all communications are conducted in a manner that is consistent with the authority’s standards and legal obligations

5.122. IT Policies - An IT policy prevents misunderstandings when using IT equipment for authority business and makes sure that there can be no excuses for anyone in yourauthority not protecting their data or working safely. If your authority does not have a policy, you might like to use this IT policy template. It is important to personalise the template for the specific use of your authority and add links to guidance where needed.

5.123. Website accessibility - Where a smaller authority is subject to the requirements ofwebsite accessibility it does not have to buy a new website to comply with accessibility law if it places a disproportionate burden on the authority. At a minimum 47 of 74 all authorities’ websites must include an accessibility statement on their website and keep it under regular review. This statement should include reasons for not meeting accessibility requirements, ways to source alternative copies of non-accessible documents and a point of contact.

5.124. Data Protection - To ensure compliance with data protection regulations, smaller authorities must:

• Appoint a Data Protection officer to oversee data protection and ensure

compliance with GDPR.

• Conduct regular data audits to identify what personal data is held, how it is

used and make sure it is processed lawfully.

• Implement a Data Protection policy on data handling, storage and sharing.

• Provide regular training to ensure all staff and members are trained on data

protection principles and practices.

• Secure data using appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect

personal data from breaches.

5.125. The Freedom of Information Act places a duty on every public authority to adopt and maintain a publication scheme which details the publication of information by the authority and is approved by the Information Commissioner; adoption of the Information Commissioners Office model publication scheme meets this requirement.

5.126. In addition to this the Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities requires parish councils, internal drainage boards, charter trustees and port health authorities withan annual turnover not exceeding £25,000 to publish certain information set out in the code. This enables local electors and local taxpayers to access relevant

information about the authority’s accounts and governance.

5.127. Smaller Authorities with total turnover or expenditure greater than £25,000 should as best practice comply with the Local Government Transparency Code 2015; the government believes that in principle all data held and managed by local authorities should be made available to the public unless there are specific sensitivities to doing so.

5.128. Monitoring an authority’s compliance with the relevant transparency code is not part of the external auditor’s limited assurance review of the AGAR. It would however be expected that internal auditors would review this control area.”

This was proposed for adoption by Cllr. de Wiggondene-Sheppard:

  1. with the recommendation that Hybrid meetings be considered as and when necessary.
  2. And with the proviso that further actions that may involve the structure to the council will be considered in detail at the time

  This was seconded by Cllr. Devlin and                                                                                   SO RESOLVED

  1. To consider options for a new website and AGAR Assertion 10 requirements – It was proposed by Cllr. de Wiggondene-Sheppard that this be postponed till the Technology sub-committee has had time to consider options                                                 SO RESOLVED

01/1194                ANNUAL VILLAGE MEETING

    1. To confirm date – this was set as 20th April 2026 in the Lloyd Hall
    2. To discuss agenda – It was AGREED that it would be left to Village Groups to address the residents.

01/1195                FINANCE

    1. To approve
      1. Budget for 26-27 Financial Year – The budget had been previously discussed and all the relative information had been circulated to Members in advance.  It was recognised that the increase was beyond previous years’, but it was considered necessary as there was a need to build the Council’s reserves to accommodate the inevitable increase of responsibilities following the Local Government Reorganisation currently being undertaken. It was therefore AGREED that a virtually net zero budget be adopted to enable the reserves of the council to be preserved.

INCOME:                     £46,180

EXPENDITURE:          £46,313                

This was proposed by Cllr. de Wiggondene-Sheppard, seconded by Cllr. Malley and                                                                                            SO RESOLVED

      1. Set Precept to be levied on Tandridge District Council -  Cllr. de Wiggondene proposed that the Precept to be levied on Tandridge District Council should be £45,000 (forty-five thousand pounds). This was seconded by Cllr. Malley and                                                                                                                                     SO RESOLVED

25/26 Band ‘D’ - £98.81          26/27 Band ‘D’ - £131.96

    1. To approve Payroll Services Contract – this had been circulated in advance and it was NOTED that the charge is £132 +VAT p.a.  This was proposed by Cllr de Wigondene-Sheppard, seconded by Cllr. Devlin and                                                        SO RESOLSVED
    2. To Approve the following financial information which had been circulated in advance
      1. Bank Reconciliation
      2. Detailed Receipts and Payments by Budget Heading
      3. Approve List of Payments:
  • Deccember 25 – approved via Email
  • January 26

AGREED

    1. To approve replacement mobile phone – it was AGREED that a 5G mobile phone was necessary and this would be looked into and approved by email, and ratified at the next meeting.

01/1196                AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING – None

NOTE: THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE HELD IN THE CHILVERS ROOM

The meeting finished at 8.37pm

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