Parish Council Meeting held June 16th 2026
Minutes
Present: Cllr Fisher (Acting Chair), Cllr Springs, Cllr Connelly, Cllr Wilson & Cllr Tuffley. Eleven members of the public were in attendance.
Updates and questions from members of the Public
Brill Memorial Hall
A member of the Memorial Hall Committee read out the following statement:
I am writing in a personal capacity, although for transparency I should note that I am also a Trustee of the Brill Memorial Hall and a member of both the Hall Committee and the Hall Fundraising Team.
Since concerns were raised last year regarding the accounting arrangements between the Parish Council and the Memorial Hall, important questions have emerged about the leases for the offices in the Hall and payment arrangements between the two organisations. The Hall is owned by the Parish Council but the governing conveyance requires it to be managed by an independent committee of Hall users. This ensures that income from the hall is used for the benefit of the Hall and this community.
While changes to the office rental payments may be necessary, the solution should remain straightforward and should not undermine the Hall Committee's responsibility for managing the Hall and all its finances. Unfortunately, it would appear that discussions to date within the PC have been conducted privately and have resulted in proposals that many on the Hall Committee believe could weaken the independence of the Hall's management. Despite responses provided to the Clerk of the PC from the Hall Committee, these issues remain unresolved and, I believe unheard by the full PC, months later.
This uncertainty has delayed the Hall refurbishment project, affecting confidence amongst volunteers and fundraisers, and creating concern about the future management of the Hall.
It has also led to frustration that outstanding rental payments for the library are not forthcoming and there has been no offer of support for improvements to the Hall. My greatest concern is that there still has to be an open dialogue between the full Parish Council and the Hall Committee before any changes are made. As yet there has not been a full and transparent discussion involving both groups.
As a result, misunderstandings have grown, concerns have not been properly addressed, and trust has been eroded. For many years, dedicated volunteers have successfully managed the Hall, balancing finances, maintaining facilities, employing staff, and we are currently leading a significant fundraising effort to refurbish the Hall. This arrangement has served the community well and is consistent with the Hall's governing documents.
I do not believe it is realistic to expect the Parish Council, which is currently short of members and subject to regular changes in composition, to assume this additional responsibility effectively.
I therefore ask that the Parish Council and Hall Committee meet openly to discuss these matters and work together towards a solution that respects both the Hall's governing structure and the interests of the community.
I am writing this as I do not believe all the Parish Councillors are aware of just how incensed some of the Hall committee are with how this is being dealt with. The way forward is through open, honest and transparent discussion. Only by working together can we re build trust, resolve these issues, and ensure the successful future of the Memorial Hall.
The Council thanked the resident for the statement and ensure it formed part of any discussion regarding the Memorial Hall.
Parish assets
A resident raised concern over the Parish Council’s commitment to its assets, particularly in regards to the maintenance of the play area and the current length of the grass in these areas. The resident also expressed their concern over the MUGA and its surrounding area. Around the MUGA is very wild, with only approximately three of the hornbeam whips still alive, but struggling and being strangled by the longer wild grass. The resident reminded the Parish Council of the importance of managing it assets to demonstrate to the public that the cares about its assets and values these assets for use by the residents
026/020 To receive apologies for absence
Apologies were received for Cllrs Newman and Connelly
026/021 To receive any declarations of interest
Cllr Tuffley declared his role as the Lead of the Common Volunteers under item 026/027 - Common and Walks
026/022 To approve the minutes of the meeting held on May 19th 2026
Cllr Tuffley proposed and Cllr Wilson seconded and unanimously approved
026/023 Applications for co-option onto the Parish Council
Cllr Fisher announced that the Council had received two applications for co-option onto the Council. Following a show of hands Rupert Vernon-Hall was unanimously co-opted onto the Parish Council.
026/024 Finance
To receive the monthly finance spreadsheet.
The Councillors received and reviewed the finance spreadsheet.
026/025 Planning applications
Planning Ref PL/26/03828/FA
Address Juno House 12 Temple Street Brill Buckinghamshire HP18 9SX
Proposal Single storey rear extension
PC Comments Neutral
Planning Ref PL/26/04106/FA
Address Vale View Farm 35A The Firs Brill Buckinghamshire HP18 9RX
Proposal Erection of detached garage with loft storage above.
PC Comments Neutral
Planning Ref PL/26/04252/PNAD
Address Little Annie Acres Wotton Road Brill Buckinghamshire HP18 9UA
PC Comments Neutral
026/026 Communications Database
To review the recent communications
The Clerk updated on the following matters from the May 2026 Parish Council Meeting:
Enforcement at the Chapman’s Lane Crossroads
The suspected illegal burning of waste on in the property on the Chapman’s Lane Crossroads has been reported to Enforcement who will investigate if any planning or environmental breach has occurred.
Waste Bins
The Clerk has spoken to Rob Timms who is happy to continue to empty the bins and sort the waste into the relevant bins if the Parish Council replace the current litter bins with separate general waste and recycling bins.
Play Area Repairs
The repair work to the zip wire has been completed and the tension tightened. The damage to the swing in the smaller children’s lay area has been reported to Discovery for repair.
Pick-up and drop-off on The Firs
The Clerk has reported the concerns raised by a resident over the parking on The Firs during school drop-off and pick-up times to the Police Community Support Officer (PCSO). The PCSO said they would visit the Firs periodically to assess the situation.
Thames Water at Commoners
The residents at Commoners informed the Parish Council of a potential water leak and that Thames Water would be doing exploratory and repair work on the leak
Grass verges
Cllr Fisher enquired whether councillors wanted the verges in the village cut. The Parish Council was resolved to cut the verges on the entrance and exit from the village. Cllrs Fisher and Tuffley to provide the map of the verges.
026/027 The Common / The Walks
To receive an update on the Common
Grass Cutting on The Walks
The Clerk confirmed that the Bluebird FM24-70 Mower had been ordered.
The Cllrs are working with the Ranger to work out where the wild flowers are in The Walks to promote the bio-diversity in these areas. The Council will also be cutting the paths and the areas around the benches. The Council will also cut specific areas to be designated picnic areas etc.
A strip will also be cut in front of people’s houses in order to prevent overgrowth into residents properties
Span Green Bollards
The Parish Council resolved to replace the damaged bollards on Span Green
Norcott’s stobs
The Parish Council agreed the plan provided by Cllr Fisher outlining the areas for the track to be re-laid, and for the location of new stobs.
026/028 Bucks Council Energy Contract
To review the recent communication from Bucks Council on the renewal of the Bucks Council Energy Contract.
Cllr Tuffley proposed joining the Bucks Council energy contract seconded by Cllr Fisher and unanimously approved.
026/029 War Memorial
To review the offer of a grant from a resident for the maintenance and upkeep of the War Memorial.
Cllr Fisher proposed and seconded by Cllr Springs and unanimously approved. The Council thanked the resident for their kindness and generosity for the donation.
Meeting closed at 20:52
026/030 Income & Expenditure
Income
None
Expenditure
EDF - Street Lights £76.02
Hannah Hunter – Website £200.00
Argos - Litter Picking Storage Box £48.95
Bridget Knight – Internal Audit £150.00
Brill Sports & Social Club – Club Hire for APM £81.50
ESPO – Paper / Bin Bags £45.84
Hannah Hunter – Website £125.00
HMRC – PAYE £295.64
Play Safety – Play Area Inspection £176.40
R Damerell – Clerk Salary £1,343.23
British Bins – Grit Bins £1,807.44
Bucks Council – Waste Collection – April 2026 £121.20
R Timms – Bins – April 2026 £105.00
R Timms – Bins – May 2026 £105.00
ICO – GDPR £52.00
Squarespace – Website £8.40
HP – Ink £13.49
Bucks Council – VG Documents £48.25
Nest – Employer Contributions £69.58
Canva – Posters £100.00
BT – Utilities £104.27
Tracmaster – Bluebird FM24-70 Mower £5,718.60
