Terms of Reference - Estate Management and Planning Committee
Name: Estate Management and Planning Committee
Status: A standing committee subject to the rules of the Council’s Standing Orders.
Areas of Responsibility - Estate Management
1. All buildings and infrastructure owned or managed by Ruskington Parish Council:
- The Parish Office, its outbuildings, and grounds (including the community garden)
- Public toilets on Church Street
- Wreath shelter in the Memorial Garden
- Cemetery, lychgate, and the closed churchyard
- The war memorial in the cemetery
- The Pavilion and Changing Rooms
2. To oversee the maintenance, repairs, and renovation of Parish Council owned and managed property, including dealing with tenders, architects, contractors, and project managers.
3. To review legal documents relating to property and land, owned or managed by Council for recommending to Council.
4. To liaise with Council’s solicitors as required.
5. To explore the feasibility of Estate’s Management related projects, including financial cost, staff requirement, equipment requirements.
6. To consider, on a case-by-case basis, offers of donations of benches or other memorial items to the village.
7. To consider the environmental impact of all projects and planning applications pertaining to the Committee, explore ways to improve the environment and improve biodiversity, and create an environment impact statement for all projects.
8. To make recommendations to Council.
The Committee has no devolved spending powers.
Areas of Responsibility – Planning
1. To consider planning applications and make comments to the appropriate planning authority.
2. To authorise and participate in public meetings in response to contentious planning applications.
3. To liaise with the Parish Clerk, and other agencies.
4. To manage any planning applications relating to Council owned property or land.
Membership
All members of the Parish Council are eligible to become members.
Members of external organisations and volunteers may be co-opted. Non- councillor members are not able to vote.
Quorum
A Quorum shall be 3 members of the committee membership.
Meetings
The Committee shall meet as often as required with no less than 4 meetings per fiscal year.
Chairman
At the first committee meeting following the Parish Council’s Annual Meeting, a Chairman and Vice Chairman shall be elected.
The Chairman shall be responsible for:
1. The conduct of meetings.
2. Liaising with the Clerk to ensure works, repairs, and maintenance is taking place within agreed timeframes and to a high standard.
3. Presenting the minutes of committee meetings / reports to full Council and seeking recommendation for or ratification of proposals made.
4. Ensuring a Councillor represents the Parish Council at Planning Authority meetings, as required.
5. Ensuring the Chairman of Council and in their absence the Vice Chairman of Council is informed of matters of concern.
6. The Chairman of the Committee, or a representative, shall be a member of the Finance Committee.
Adopted by Ruskington Parish Council - 14 April 2026 Min ref: 8.5., page 15-2026