Working Groups

On 11th June 2024, the Parish Council resolved (agreed) to appoint four members to an Allotments Working Group; five members to an Emergency Plan Working Group with one ex-officio member from Lands Ward; and four members to a Social Media Working Group [subsequently dissolved]; and to approve formal terms of reference with no delegated authority and outcomes recorded as ‘RECOMMENDED’ and brought to the whole council for resolution.

Terms of Reference for the Allotments Working Group

Duties of the Chair:

  1. To organise and manage the business of meetings held by the Working Group.
  2. To submit a report of the outcomes from the meetings [of the working group] to a subsequent meeting of the Parish Council, either verbally or in writing.
  3. The Chair does not have the authority to agree any spending on behalf of the Parish Council, without first clearing the same at a full meeting of the Parish Council.
  4. Where emergency action is required, between parish council meetings, the Chair of the Working Group Chair will liaise with the Chair of the Parish Council.

Membership of Working Group:

  1. The Working Group will consist of between 4 and 6 members of Evenwood Parish Council.
  2. The Working Group will meet at least four times per year.
  3. The Working Group will liaise with all allotment groups and other relevant groups to ensure the smooth running of the allotments.
  4. The Working Group will manage complaints, raised by the tenants and report them to the Parish Council.
  5. The Working Group will carry out regular inspections of the allotments to ensure their proper use by tenants.
  6. The Working Group will report all findings of their inspections to the Parish Council at the first available meeting of the Parish Council.
  7. The Working Group will compile a list of tenants and the allotments that they hold.
  8. The Working Group will compile a waiting list of residents who wish to hold an allotment.
  9. The Working Group cannot allocate allotments. Allotments can only be allocated to residents at a full meeting of the Parish Council.
  10. Allocations will be based on the waiting list, along with recommendations, provided by the Working Group.
  11. The Working Group does not have access to the services of the Parish Clerk and Responsible Finance Officer (RFO). All clerical support must be undertaken by a nominated member of the Working Group (this will usually be the Chair of the Working Group).

Objectives of the Working Group:

  1. To achieve a minimum 90% occupancy rate for the allotments under its control.
  2. To ensure that all allotment holders are fully compliant with the terms of the Tenants’ Agreements.
  3. To improve the communication between the Parish Council and the allotment holders.

Terms of Reference for the Emergency Plan Working Group

Duties of the Chair:

  1. To organise and manage the business of the meetings held by the Working Group.
  2. To submit a report of the outcomes from the meetings [of the working group] to a subsequent meeting of the Parish Council, either verbally or in writing.
  3. The Chair does not have the authority to agree to any spending on behalf of the Parish Council, without first clearing the same at a full meeting of the Parish Council.
  4. Where emergency action is required, between parish council meetings, the Chair of the Working Group Chair will liaise with the Chair of the Parish Council.

Membership of Working Group:

  1. The Working Group will consist of between 4 and 6 Evenwood Parish Council (including Evenwood Gate and Ramshaw) members, plus one ex-officio member from Lands Ward.
  2. The Working Group will meet at least four times per year.
  3. The Working Group will liaise with Durham County Council, the emergency services, residents, residents groups and other relevant groups to ensure the smooth operation of the Village Emergency Plan.
  4. The Working Group will manage the Village’s Emergency Plan, as published on the Parish Council’s website, and ensure that it is kept up to date and relevant to the latest threats.
  5.  The Working Group will carry out regular tests and emergency exercises to ensure the Emergency Plan is robust enough to deal with all the foreseeable situations, as listed in the Emergency Plan.
  6. The Working Group will report all findings of their emergency exercises, including details of action plans arising as a result of the exercise, to the Parish Council at the first available meeting of the Parish Council.
  7. The Working Group will compile an up-to-date list of emergency equipment that is held by the Parish Council.
  8. The Working Group will carry out regular inspections of any emergency equipment held by the Parish Council.
  9. The Working Group cannot agree to the purchase of any equipment, unless the cost has been approved by the Parish Council.
  10. The Working Group must ensure that all volunteer information is kept protected in line with the Parish Council’s General Data Protection Regulations Policy.
  11. The Working Group does not have access to the services of the Parish Clerk and Responsible Finance Officer (RFO). All clerical support must be undertaken by a nominated member of the Working Group (this will usually be the Chair of the Working Group).

Objectives of the Working Group:

  1. To provide and maintain a workable village emergency plan.
  2. To ensure that adequate numbers of volunteers are recruited to help operate the Emergency Plan.
  3. To improve communication between the Parish Council, the residents, the County Council and Emergency Services.