2024 Finance & General Purposes Minutes

January 2024 F & GP Minutes

Draft

Minutes of Cherry Willingham Parish Council’s 

Finance & General Purposes Committee

held on Tuesday 09th January 2024  at 19:00 pm in the Millennium Hall.

 

Present: Cllr Mr A Burge, Cllr Palmer, Cllr Robinson, & Cllr Trahearn. Loo Clinkscales - Clerk, & Christine Hodgson - RFO

 

Meeting started at 19:00 pm.

 

No members of the public were present

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  1. To resolve to receive any apologies and accept reasons for absence.

RESOLVED unanimously to accept the apologies of Cllr Fleetwood, & Cllr Mellor. Cllr Bridgwoood was absent

 

  1. Declaration of interest and dispensations: To record declarations of interest by any member of the council in accordance with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011 and to note requests for dispensation and disclosure of any gifts or hospitality, in respect of the agenda items listed below. Members declaring interests should identify the agenda item and type of interest being declared.

None

 

  1. To receive the notes of the Finance and General Purposes Committee Meeting, held on 17th October 2023 and to approve as Minutes.

RESOLVED unanimously to accept the minutes as a true record with the corrections of three spelling corrections..

 

  1. Review Expend v Budget:

    1. Review Expend v Budget as at the end of December 2023 and note any significant variances        

The document was reviewed and reasons noted for Variances where likely expenditure will be over budget. Overall the projected outcome at the end of the Financial Year is better than expected with an estimate that £4424 could be taken from Balances and not £19422 as planned for.  This would leave over £50,000 in the General Fund.

  1. Consider and recommend to Full Council the use of Virement i.e. to utilise underspent budgets in order to fund other expenditures which are coming in above budget e.g. the entrance to the allotments. As regards the 3 Variances above budget under Governance and Administration i.e. A2 Stationery and Office Costs, A8 Insurance and A9 Office Furniture it was RESOLVED Unanimously to recommend to Full Council to accept the overspend for the reasons given. All other expenditure within the sector is under budget .

As regards the Variances above budget under Projects it was noted that the M3 Play Equipment and R1 Allotments Entrance are likely to be over budget by £2610 and £1826 respectively. However, other Project spending is either not required or under budget and it was RESOLVED Unanimously to recommend to Full Council to use Virement from those and if there is still a shortfall to use Virement from E1 Village Grass Cutting where there is a surplus. 

  1. To review the provisional budgets under all headings for the 2024/2025 financial year and agree or amend as necessary prior to referral to Full Council to be finalised.

The document was reviewed and the following changes were RESOLVED unanimously for recommendation to the Full Council:

A2 Stationery and Office Costs- increase by £300 to allow for purchase of Software for Finance.

A9 Office Furniture and Equipment- increase by £500 to allow a contingency for a new laptop.

Add N17 to Projects to be described as Storage Container  £4000.

This increases the total budget for 24/25 to £116,603.

 

  1. To consider rate fixing for raising the Precept for 2024/2025 subject to referral to Full Council.

An Estimate of £102,000 was submitted to WLDC in November. The authority requires the final claim by 26/1/24.

It was RESOLVED unanimously to recommend to Full Council to request a Precept of £102,000 . If the Budget of £116,603 is agreed the planned shortfall of £14,603 would come from the General Fund in Balances.

 

  1. Grants

    1. To receive an update on Grant applications made by the Parish Council

  The Retail Grant application was successful and 80% of the funding has been received from 

WLDC. The RFO is to order the goods.The Electrical work cannot be completed until a trench has been dug- VIC Committee to obtain quotes. 

The Community Facilities Grant Application for an Outdoor Gym and Playground Equipment has been submitted to WLDC but no response has been received at this time.

  1. To consider any Grant applications received by the Parish Council 

None received

 

  1. Fees.

To review the fees payable by Allotment Holders for recommendation to Full Council. 

It was RESOLVED unanimously to recommend to the Full Council that fees be kept at £50 this year and that the annual review of fees should be in October for the future.  

 

  1. Insurance.

To receive an update from the RFO

The desktop valuation of the building of the Millennium Hall for insurance purposes had been received. It was RESOLVED unanimously to instruct the Insurers to increase the sum insured to £185,000.

 

  1. Risk Management Policy

To consider the proposed amendments for submission to the Full Council.

The document was reviewed and it was RESOLVED unanimously to recommend the changes to the Full Council.

 

Cllr Fleetwood, entered the meeting.

 

  1. To consider and authorise the RFO to set up the Clerk as the secondary user for HSBC internet banking. 

RESOLVED unanimously for the Clerk to become a secondary user for the HSBC internet banking.

 

  1. Matters for report and future agenda items. 

Full year overview 

AGAR

 

  1. To confirm a date for the next meeting. 

The next F&GP meeting will be held on the 15th April 2024, 7pm at Millenium Hall.

 

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Signed : Cllr Burge (Chairman)

 

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Dated