1 Jun 2025 – Finance Meeting (Minutes)

GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 3rd June 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

Chair: Cllr P Watson
Present: Cllr S Pennington
Cllr N Catlow
Cllr B Simpson

In Attendance: K Carter (Clerk)

1. To receive and approve any apologies for unavoidable absence.
Apologies were received from Cllr Williams.

2. To approve the minutes of previous meeting 6/5/2025.
The draft minutes were moved and accepted as a true record of the meeting and signed as
such.

FINANCE/2025/49: Resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 6th May 2025
as a true record.

3. To scrutinise accounts for the year ending 31st March 2025 and make a
recommendation on acceptance to full Council on the

i) Annual Governance Statement.
FINANCE/2025/50: Recommended to accept and approve the Annual Governance
Statement for the financial year 2024-25 (Accounts & Audit Regulations 2015, reg 12)

ii) Accounting Statement.
FINANCE/2025/51: Recommended to accept and approve the Accounting Statement for the
financial year 2024-25(Accounts & Audit Regulations 2015, reg 12)

4. To receive the Annual Internal Auditors Report and decide on any actions to be taken.
The auditor had made 3 recommendations.
i) That when the council is unable to obtain 3 quotes for contracts, the reason for this should
be recorded in the minutes. It was noted that detail on contracts is usually recorded in the
minutes of the Finance Committee rather than the full Parish Council as it is the Finance
Committee that considers quotes and then makes recommendations to full council for
decision. The auditor will be made aware of this and the RFO will ensure sufficient
information is recorded to comply with the regulations.
ii) That the council considers using a bespoke accounts package to give a clearer audit trail
and assist in monthly budgetary reporting. To be investigated.
iii) To review the Financial Regulations regarding virements and budgetary control reporting as
clauses appear to have been missed from the most recent update. Clerk to review and
report back to committee.
FINANCE/2025/52: Recommended to accept the Annual Internal Audit Report and
implement the following action plan:
i) To ensure reasons for considering less than 3 quotes is recorded in the minutes of the
Finance Committee minutes if it has not been possible to obtain 3.

FC/2025/22
1.7.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 3rd June 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

ii) To investigate options and costs for accounts software
iii) To review and amend Financial Regulations, particularly with regard to virements and
budgetary control
5. Council investments.
Following the decision last month to open savings accounts through Unity Trust, application
forms were presented to the committee for signature. This will transfer £282,000 into an
Instant Access Savings Account (Q2 & Q3 funds, 2.25%) and £200,000 into a 90-day savings
account (Q4 funds, 3.06%). It was confirmed that the General Reserve of £100,000 is held
with WBC at 3.89% with 2 days-notice required for withdrawal and interest paid twice yearly.

FINANCE/2025/53: Resolved to sign application forms with Unity Trust Bank to open and
transfer £282,000 to an Instant Access Account and £200,000 to a 90-day account.

6. To scrutinise financial expenditure arising since the last meeting, including payments
by Direct Debit.
A list of payments to be made had been circulated prior to the meeting. The following
payments were considered and approved.

Amount,
Presented By Description
£
Top Print Advertising – Summer Fun Day 18.00
Impact Graphix Ltd Replacement playground sign – TP 222.00
S Short Go Fund Me Refund 10.00
A Nolan Go Fund Me Refund 10.00
J Locke Go Fund Me Refund 10.00
T Morris Go Fund Me Refund 20.00
WBC Site Fee (incl. deposit), Dakota Park – Fun Day 1070.00
Brentwood Moss Green waste (outstanding invoice) 122.40
Brentwood Moss Roses (outstanding invoice) 53.94
SSE Electricity WH (due to cancelled DD) 1376.57
Mr A.G. Boyle Donation to Wton Armed Forces Day 3000.00
Sankey Station CIC Contribution 10,000.00
Davina Ramsdale Customer Refund for cancelled class 35.20
Landscape Academy Staff training – K Ashby 2040.00
MKM Gardening equipment/supplies 209.71
Brentwood Moss Plants 283.58
Woodend Nursery St Mary’s Planters re-fill 662.40
TV Licensing TV license renewal for 5 centres 872.50
MKM Garden materials 38.06
MKM Garden materials 110.58
Tudor Environmental Storage Locker 333.50
Brentwood Nurseries Plants 234.48
Cheshire Haybales 40 bales – Great Sankey Summer Fun Day 227.20
360 Aggregates 1 tonne top soil – BB 60.00

FC/2025/23
1.7.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 3rd June 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

360 Aggregates 2 tonne top soil – TP 120.00
360 Aggregates 2 tonne top soil, 8 sleepers – TP 288.00
Cheshire Trailers Service and Inspection of Trailer 234.00
JDH Business 2024/25 Internal Audit 988.80
Les Halman Nurseries Bedding plants 2,154.55
Equals card Petty cash top-up 888.29
TOTAL 25,693.76

FINANCE/2025/54: Resolved to authorise all payments listed (under LGA 1976 s19 or LGA
1972 s15(5), s101, 111, 112, 133, 142 or 137).

The following direct debits on the Council’s account during April were also checked:

Novuna 06/05/2025 Electric Van Lease 456.20
BT 01/04/2025 WIFI/Telephone TP 23.29
Lex Autolease 01/04/2025 Council Electric Van Lease 851.98
Water Plus 01/04/2025 Water charges BB 79.91
Water Plus 01/04/2025 Water charges HM 50.95
Water Plus 01/04/2025 Water charges WH 80.38
SSE Energy 07/04/2025 Electric TP 539.22
BT 07/04/2025 WIFI/Telephone HL/TP/BB/HM 425.77
Peninsula 11/04/2025 H&S Service H&S 200.93
Global 4
Communication 14/04/2025 Office 365/email Office 106.38
Water Plus 24/04/2025 Water charges TP 29.23
WBC 30/04/2025 February Business Rates TP 229.36
WBC 30/04/2025 February Business Rates HM 149.46
WBC 30/04/2025 February Business Rates WH 152.88
WBC 30/04/2025 February Business Rates BB 122.00
Utility Warehouse 30/04/2025 Mobile phones Office 55.87
Service Fee Charge 30/04/2025 Service Charge Office 27.45
TOTAL £3581.26

7. To consider any quotes received and authorise or make recommendations to full
Council where appropriate.
No quotes.

8. To consider requests for financial assistance.
No requests.

9. Budget 2025-26: to scrutinise documentation and when satisfied as to correctness to
sign off financial reports and bank reconciliations for April.
The bank reconciliation and budget monitoring pages for April were considered and accepted.
Checks on financial transactions were carried out prior to the meeting by Cllrs Simpson and
Catlow.

FC/2025/24
1.7.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 3rd June 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

FINANCE/2025/55: Resolved to accept the bank reconciliation and budget monitoring pages
for April 2025 (Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 reg 4).

10. To authorise payment of wages, tax and ERNIC for May.
The list of wages to be paid was considered and authorised. Total Employment Costs
(including salaries, pensions & HMRC) were £22,564.44.

FINANCE/2025/56: Resolved to authorise payment of wages and HMRC costs (£22,564.44
total) for May 2025 (LGA 1972 s112).

FC/2025/25
1.7.25
Chair’s Signature: