The annual WI Jumble Sale publicised in the Leigh Post for the 16th October is now not taking place, because of uncertainty around COVID at that time.

Order a copy of this newly published history hot off the press!
A History of Leigh tells the story of Leigh from the bronze age to the present day and gives a sense of the ways in which life in this area has changed over time.

It is true that there are no dramatic events in Leigh of the sort that excite the national news or make the grander history books, but this is a story of people surviving and making a living while struggling with poor land, patchy seigneurial support, and poverty. A community that survived to become self-sufficient and to create lasting, sustaining institutions.

A History of Leigh is written by Harriet Hall using information gathered as part of her MA in local history and collected by a number of local residents. Harriet lived in Leigh for twelve years, sitting on Leigh Parish Council for seven of them. She now lives near family in South Wales.
To order a copy for £8 please email your details to leighhistory@gmail.com

With colour illustrations
Published by Leigh History Group with grateful thanks for funding from Leigh Parish Council

An ancient orchard in the village of Leigh (Surrey) is the subject of a special bequest to the village by a family who have lived in the village and supported the community for more than 100 years. When John Sidney Howard Handley Motion, who lived in Clayhill Road, passed away on 21 st April 2020 at the age of 84, he bequested that the 1-acre orchard dating back to circa 1850 that formed part of his estate, be gifted to the village for the benefit of the community. He specified that the future use be limited to an orchard or private paddock being a place for improving orchard and hedgerow management, to include an educational programme for teaching such skills as enhancing fruit production and optimum pruning techniques and to create a Wilding theme that can embrace and support wildlife and contribute to fruit yields.

At a ceremony on 30 th July, three members of John’s family handed over the Deeds of the orchard to the Leigh Parish Council who will act as Stakeholders in perpetuo. Mark Motion (son) and his two sisters Dr Sara Motion and Catherine Niessen (nee Motion) were jointly involved in the handover and joined a special lunch in their honour at the cricket pavilion to celebrate the generous bequest made by their father.

Leigh Parish Council Chair, Joanne Cambra, thanked Mark, Sara and Catherine for the amazing gift and explain how the terms and conditions will be met. “Our Council has been pleased to grant an exclusive Licence to the registered
Community Company ‘Leigh Apple Press Group’ (LAPG) to ensure that the very specific conditions that attach to this very generous gift are achieved. The LAPG is recognised for the management of the annual Leigh Food Festival, but more importantly they have a 6-year specialist record in apples and pressing which will be invaluable as they develop the vision and wider purpose for the John Motion Orchard” she said. During the ceremonials at the orchard, a sapling apple tree was planted by the three Motion family members , the first new planting there in more than 60 years. The process was assisted by Jo Cambra and Charlotte Kinloch.

The forebears of the Motion family came to live in the village in 1919, soon after the cessation of WWI. As a great grandfather to the current generation, Sidney Motion acquired the Leigh Place Estate including several cottages and some land. John Motion was born in The Priest House when it was owned by his father Graham. Soon after his marriage to Anne, John took up residence at Cleavers in Clayhill Road. Mark Motion said that the John Motion Orchard, as it will in future now be known, will provide a strong link with the community of Leigh as the residency of the family in the
village comes to an end after 102 years.

– ENDS –

Picture caption (left to right): Dr Sara Motion, Charlotte Kinloch, Mark Motion, Joanne Cambra and Catherine Niessen.

Issued by the LAPG. Media contact: Simon Ames – M: 07785 745857

Unfortunately there are new OPM nest sites reported in the village. Please keep dogs and children away from the sites:

• The spinney next to the recreation ground
• The footpath up from the gravel layby on Bunce Common Rd.

We have booked contractors to remove the nests and this will be done in the next fortnight. There may be other so please take care. The hairs on the caterpillars can cause nasty reactions.

Leigh OPM locations

LEIGH PARISH COUNCIL

NOTICE OF PUBLIC RIGHTS AND PUBLICATION OF UNAUDITED ANNUAL GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY RETURN (This can be viewed here Leigh PC AGAR 2020_21 complete)

ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 Sections 25, 26 and 27

The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/234)

The Accounts and Audit (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/404)

 LOCAL AUTHORITY ACCOUNTS: A SUMMARY OF YOUR RIGHTS

Please note that this summary applies to all relevant smaller authorities, including local councils, internal drainage boards and ‘other’ smaller authorities.

The basic position

The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 (the Act) governs the work of auditors appointed to smaller authorities. This summary explains the provisions contained in Sections 26 and 27 of the Act. The Act, the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 and the Accounts and Audit (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 also cover the duties, responsibilities and rights of smaller authorities, other organisations and the public concerning the accounts being audited.

As a local elector, or an interested person, you have certain legal rights in respect of the accounting records of smaller authorities. As an interested person you can inspect accounting records and related documents. If you are a local government elector for the area to which the accounts relate you can also ask questions about the accounts and object to them. You do not have to pay directly for exercising your rights. However, any resulting costs incurred by the smaller authority form part of its running costs. Therefore, indirectly, local residents pay for the cost of you exercising your rights through their council tax.

The right to inspect the accounting records

Any interested person can inspect the accounting records, which includes but is not limited to local electors. You can inspect the accounting records for the financial year to which the audit relates and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers, receipts and other documents relating to those records. You can copy all, or part, of these records or documents. Your inspection must be about the accounts, or relate to an item in the accounts. You cannot, for example, inspect or copy documents unrelated to the accounts, or that include personal information (Section 26 (6) – (10) of the Act explains what is meant by personal information). You cannot inspect information which is protected by commercial confidentiality. This is information which would prejudice commercial confidentiality if it was released to the public and there is not, set against this, a very strong reason in the public interest why it should nevertheless be disclosed.

When smaller authorities have finished preparing accounts for the financial year and approved them, they must publish them (including on a website). There must be a 30 working day period, called the ‘period for the exercise of public rights’, during which you can exercise your statutory right to inspect the accounting records. Smaller authorities must tell the public, including advertising this on their website, that the accounting records and related documents are available to inspect. By arrangement you will then have 30 working days to inspect and make copies of the accounting records. You may have to pay a copying charge. Legislative changes have been made as a result of the restrictions imposed by the Coronavirus for the 2019/20 reporting year which mean that there is no requirement for a common period for public rights.  The period for the exercise of public rights must however commence on or before 1 September 2020. The advertisement must set out the dates of the period for the exercise of public rights, how you can communicate to the smaller authority that you wish to inspect the accounting records and related documents, the name and address of the auditor, and the relevant legislation that governs the inspection of accounts and objections.

The right to ask the auditor questions about the accounting records

You should first ask your smaller authority about the accounting records, since they hold all the details. If you are a local elector, your right to ask questions of the external auditor is enshrined in law. However, while the auditor will answer your questions where possible, they are not always obliged to do so. For example, the question might be better answered by another organisation, require investigation beyond the auditor’s remit, or involve disproportionate cost (which is borne by the local taxpayer). Give your smaller authority the opportunity first to explain anything in the accounting records that you are unsure about. If you are not satisfied with their explanation, you can question the external auditor about the accounting records.

The law limits the time available for you formally to ask questions. This must be done in the period for the exercise of public rights, so let the external auditor know your concern as soon as possible. The advertisement or notice that tells you the accounting records are available to inspect will also give the period for the exercise of public rights during which you may ask the auditor questions, which here means formally asking questions under the Act. You can ask someone to represent you when asking the external auditor questions.

Before you ask the external auditor any questions, inspect the accounting records fully, so you know what they contain. Please remember that you cannot formally ask questions, under the Act, after the end of the period for the exercise of public rights. You may ask your smaller authority other questions about their accounts for any year, at any time. But these are not questions under the Act.

You can ask the external auditor questions about an item in the accounting records for the financial year being audited. However, your right to ask the external auditor questions is limited. The external auditor can only answer ‘what’ questions, not ‘why’ questions. The external auditor cannot answer questions about policies, finances, procedures or anything else unless it is directly relevant to an item in the accounting records. Remember that your questions must always be about facts, not opinions. To avoid misunderstanding, we recommend that you always put your questions in writing.

The right to make objections at audit

You have inspected the accounting records and asked your questions of the smaller authority. Now you may wish to object to the accounts on the basis that an item in them is in your view unlawful or there are matters of wider concern arising from the smaller authority’s finances. A local government elector can ask the external auditor to apply to the High Court for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful, or to issue a report on matters which are in the public interest. You must tell the external auditor which specific item in the accounts you object to and why you think the item is unlawful, or why you think that a public interest report should be made about it. You must provide the external auditor with the evidence you have to support your objection. Disagreeing with income or spending does not make it unlawful. To object to the accounts you must write to the external auditor stating you want to make an objection, including the information and evidence below and you must send a copy to the smaller authority. The notice must include:

• confirmation that you are an elector in the smaller authority’s area;
• why you are objecting to the accounts and the facts on which you rely;
• details of any item in the accounts that you think is unlawful; and
• details of any matter about which you think the external auditor should make a public interest report.

Other than it must be in writing, there is no set format for objecting. You can only ask the external auditor to act within the powers available under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014.

A final word

You may not use this ‘right to object’ to make a personal complaint or claim against your smaller authority.  You should take such complaints to your local Citizens’ Advice Bureau, local Law Centre or to your solicitor. Smaller authorities, and so local taxpayers, meet the costs of dealing with questions and objections.  In deciding whether to take your objection forward, one of a series of factors the auditor must take into account is the cost that will be involved, they will only continue with the objection if it is in the public interest to do so. They may also decide not to consider an objection if they think that it is frivolous or vexatious, or if it repeats an objection already considered. If you appeal to the courts against an auditor’s decision not to apply to the courts for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful, you will have to pay for the action yourself.

LEIGH PC Making Provision for the exercise of Public Rights 2020-21

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING

You are warmly invited to the Annual Parish Meeting. It will be held on Tuesday 25^that 7.30 pm. The meeting will be held remotely via Zoom (join up details at the bottom of the page).

Hosted by Leigh Parish Council, the Meeting will be chaired by Joanna Cambra, Chairman of the Parish Council and is a meeting of Parish electors.

AGENDA

1. APOLOGIES
2. TO SIGN THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS ANNUAL PARISH MEETING – THURSDAY 21^ST MARCH 2019
3. GUEST SPEAKER – HARRIET HALL ON THE HISTORY OF LEIGH
4. CHAIRMANS REPORT – 2020/21
5. FINANCIAL UPDATE – 2020/21
6. COMMUNITY GROUP (list attached)
7. DISTRICT AND COUNTY COUNCILLOR REPORTS
8. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83178276093?pwd=aXhSUytmTUd6VWRBWElDbFNZcjFhZz09

Meeting ID: 831 7827 6093 Passcode: 696273

Invited:

North Downs School

Leigh Lollipops

Leigh Parish Councillors (Including Playground Committee)

Surrey Councillor

Mole Valley Councillors

Rural PCO

Leigh WI

Speedwatch

Teas4U

Leigh Heritage

History Group

Bell Ringers

Leigh Cricket Club

LDCGS

Village Hall Committee

Leigh Food Festival & Apple Press

Smiths Charity

Norwood Hill Residents Association

Leigh PC Footpath Officer

GAAC

Local Parishes

Due to legislation changing, Parish Council meetings are non longer being held remotely. All Leigh Parish Council meetings will now be held face to face at The Pavilion, Leigh Recreation Ground, Bunce Common Road.

To  keep everyone safe and to comply with government restrictions we ask you to note the following:

• Try and inform the clerk if you are going to attend. A register will be taken for track & trace reasons.
• Do not come if you feel unwell at all
• Wear a face mask at all times, even when speaking and use the hand sanitiser provided.
• Raise your hand to make yourself seen.
• Chairs will be laid out spaced apart, please do not move them
• A single toilet will be available for attendees
• The windows and doors will be open for ventilation so wrap up warm!
• In the unlikely event that there are too many attending for the room (up to 15), residents will not be allowed to enter.
• Please note that the meeting minutes will be published within 7 days of the meeting.

If you cannot attend and you would like to raise an issue or make a comment, please contact the clerk (Laura) on leighparishcouncil@gmail.com. She will raise it for you.

The next meeting is on Monday 17th May at 7:30pm.

Leigh Parish Council is very sad to hear of the death of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. We send our deepest sympathy to Her Majesty The Queen and members of the Royal Family.

We will always remember the lifetime of service that His Royal Highness devoted to Her Majesty, our Nation and the Commonwealth.

Residents and members of the community are able to sign an e-book of condolence which is available at www.royal.uk.