Stone Town Council
Minutes of the Meeting held in the Council Chamber at 15 Station Road, Stone, on Tuesday 4 November 2025
PRESENT:
Councillor J. Metters in the Chair and Councillors: A. Best, J. Davies, L. Davies, J. Hood, B. Kenney, T. Kelt, R. Kenney, P. Leason, A. Mottershead, J. Powell, N. Powell and C. Thornicroft
Officers: L. Fleetwood & T. Williams
ABSENT:
Councillors: A. Battrick, A. Burgess, K. Dawson, I. Fordham and R. Townsend
Prayers
Before the meeting began, Reverend Paul Kingman, led prayers.
C26/055 Apologies
Apologies were received from Councillors: J. Battrick, K. Dawson, I. Fordham and R. Townsend
Apologies were also received from Officers: L. Trigg and R. Edwards
C26/056 Declarations of Interest
None made.
C26/057 Requests for Dispensations
None received.
C26/058 Representations from Members of the Public
None
C26/059 Minutes
RESOLVED:
- a) That the minutes of the meeting of the Town Council held on 7 October 2025 (Minute Numbers C26/045 – C26/054), be approved as a correct record.
* Items marked with an asterisk refer to reports or papers circulated with the agenda or distributed at the meeting. They are attached as an appendix to the signed copy of the Council minutes.
C26/060 Committee Minutes
RESOLVED:
- a) The draft minutes of the General Purposes Committee meeting held on 7 October 2025 (Minute Numbers GP26/063 – GP26/078), were noted.
- b) The draft minutes of the Planning Consultative Committee meeting held on 7 October 2025 (Minute Numbers PC26/025 – PC26/030), were noted.
C26/061 Council Accounts 2024-25
The Town Mayor reminded the Town Council that at its meeting on 7th October 2025, the Town Clerk had reported that the accounts for 2024-25 had been approved by the Auditor, except in one relatively minor area where the Auditor claimed that the Council had not fully complied with the regulations regarding the public inspection period. The Town Clerk had reported that he did not agree with the Auditor in this respect and had challenged the audit findings.
He said that the auditor had responded to the Town Clerk and now agreed that the Council was in full compliance with the regulations. The auditor has amended the completion letter to reflect this and has sincerely apologised for the matter being raised.
The revised audit completion letter has been posted on the Council’s website, and was enclosed with the agenda.
The Town Mayor invited the Chairman of the General Purposes Committee, Councillor R. Kenney, to read a statement from the Town Clerk who provided more details in relation to the 30 day inspection period for the audit and apologised for not being able to attend the meeting due to medical treatment received on this day.
RESOLVED: The Council accepted the update on the findings of the auditor for the Council accounts 2024-25.
C26/062 Local Government Transparency Code 2015
Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014
The Information* for Quarter ending 30 September was noted.
C26/063 Civic Announcements
The Civic Announcements, which had previously been circulated, were noted.
* Items marked with an asterisk refer to reports or papers circulated with the agenda or distributed at the meeting. They are attached as an appendix to the signed copy of the Council minutes.
C26/064 To receive the Town Mayor’s and Deputy Town Mayor’s Reports of Engagements
The Town Mayor’s and Deputy Town Mayor’s reports of engagements, which had previously been circulated, were noted.
The Town Mayor and the Deputy Town Mayor provided the Town Council with additional verbal reports on the details of their engagements.
TOWN MAYOR
* Items marked with an asterisk refer to reports or papers circulated with the agenda or distributed at the meeting. They are attached as an appendix to the signed copy of the Council minutes.