2023 January Finance & General Purposes Meeting Minutes
Minutes of Finance & General Purposes Committee for Cherry Willingham Parish
Council held at 7pm
0n 18 th January 2023 at The Millennium Hall, Cherry Willingham
Present: Cllr J Robinson (Chair of Finance & General Purposes Committee), Cllr J
Trahearn, Cllr B Robinson, Cllr V Houghton, Cllr T Bridgwood, Cllr I Lacey
Mrs J A Sparks– Clerk/RFO to the Council, Mrs C Hodgson – Finance Assistant
Meeting commenced at 7pm
Absent: Cllr Andy Burge
1. Apologies, welcomes and attendance, including to accept apologies and the
reasons for absence, where given.
Cllr Andy Burge - RESOLVED unanimously to accept reason for non-attendance.
2. Declaration of interest: To record declarations of interest by any member of
the Council in respect of the agenda items listed below. To note dispensations given
to any member of the Council in respect of the agenda items listed below:
None
3. To receive the notes of the Finance & General Purposes Committee meeting
held on 14 th November 2022 and agree for them to be signed as a true record.
The Committee RESOLVED unanimously to accept the notes as a true record and they
were duly signed.
4. To receive a review by the RFO of the Council’s Expenditure Year to Date
against the Budget for the current financial year.
The Financial Assistant provided a review:
i) Nearly all budget items are expected to be below the approved budget by
the end of 22-23 financial year, which may mean that it will not be necessary
to take any amount from the General Fund in balances to cover the budget.
ii) The £5000 that had been set aside for the cricket nets, that was earmarked
to be split between the L&A & VIC committees if the Cricket club no longer
required it, would be returned to balances; but if the VIC and L&A
committees have costed projects in the 23-24 financial year the F&GPS
could recommend to Full Council that both committees have £2500 each
from balances to use towards the project.
5. To note the employer pension contribution increases from 22.5% to 23.9%
year ending 310324, 25.2% year ending 310325 and 26.6% year ending 310326.
F&GPS committee noted the increases.
6. To agree the final budget for 2023-2024 subject to referral to Full Council for
approval.
i) RESOLVED unanimously for the F&GPS Committee to recommend to Full
Council to stop the retaining fee currently paid to Personnel Advice &
Solutions Ltd
ii) RESOLVED unanimously for the F&GPS Committee to recommend to Full
Council that the Clerk be permitted to spend up to £500 of the
professional/legal fees if required.
iii) RESOLVED unanimously for the F&GPS Committee to recommend to Full
Council that the Chair of the HR Committee together with the Chair of the
Parish Council (or Vice-Chair in their absence) be permitted to spend up to
£200 of the professional/legal fees budget in an emergency, if required.
iv) RESOLVED unanimously for the F&GPS Committee to recommend to Full
Council that in light of the Internal Auditors comments that events cannot be
charged for, the £1500 for the Events Working Group be used instead for the
Coronation and other events.
v) RESOLVED unanimously for the F&GPS Committee to recommend to Full
Council that the budget for 2023-24 be £100,070 with £6070 coming from
balances added to the proposed precept.
7. To consider the rate fixing for the Precept for 2023-2024 subject to referral to
Full Council.
RESOLVED unanimously for the F&GPS Committee to recommend to Full Council that the
Precept for 2023-24 be £94,000. This equates to a 12.09% increase.
8. To consider transferring £10,000 from HSBC Current account to Nationwide
Savings account subject to Full Council’s approval.
RESOLVED unanimously for the F&GPS Committee to recommend to Full Council the
transfer of £10,000 from the HSBC Current account to the Nationwide Savings account.
9. Matters for report and future agenda items.
Review all Financial policies.
10. To confirm a date for the next meeting.
Date confirmed as Wednesday 12 th April at 7pm at the Millennium Hall.
Meeting closed at 8.20pm.
These are draft notes until approved as Minutes at the next meeting.