1 Oct 2024 – Finance Meeting (Minutes)

GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 1st October 2024
Whittle Hall Community Centre

Chair: Cllr Williams
Present: Cllr Pennington
Cllr Watson
Cllr Cotter
Cllr Simpson

In Attendance: K. Carter (Clerk)

1. To receive and approve any apologies for unavoidable absence.
No apologies.

2. To approve the minutes of previous meeting 3/9/2024.
The draft minutes were moved and accepted as a true record of the meeting and signed as
such.

FINANCE/2024/75, RESOLVED:
To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 3rd September 2024 as a true record.

3. To receive the External Auditor’s report for the completed accounts, 2023-24.
The audit report noted two minor matters requiring attention, a transcription error in the
figure for fixed assets in the prior year (2022-23) box, and a reconciling item which should
have been included as a creditor. These will be amended, and the figures restated in next
years (2024-25) audit return.

FINANCE/2024/76, RESOLVED:
To accept the External Auditor’s report for the annual accounts for 2023-24. To restate the
figures prior to the 2024-25 AGAR.

4. To receive an update on the Parish Playing Field Drainage project.
Revised costs from the contractor are anticipated; once received, the final application forms
can be completed. The Football Foundation has been kept informed on progress. Cllr
Watson will follow up on the planning application through Cllr Parish.

5. 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.

Presented By Description Amount, £
Walton Turf Topsoil – repairs to TP Rec £150.00
Plantscape Barrier Basket inserts x 24 £435.02
10th Warrington Scout Customer refund – cancelled booking £33.00
Trade UK Gardener Tools £64.00
Trade UK WH Redecoration £47.84
CHALC Councillor Induction Course – Wren £25.00
PKF End of Year audit £1,638.00
B&B Hygiene Ltd Cleaning Supplies £437.47

FC/2024/33
5-11-24
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 1st October 2024
Whittle Hall Community Centre

One Ash Training Brushcutters staff training £240.00
One Ash Training Hand hedgecutters staff training £240.00
One Ash Training Ride on mower staff training £300.00
Safeguard Centre key £18.29
Trade UK Relocation of barrier at TP £36.57
Walton Turf Top soil – Hood Lane Planters £90.00
Trade UK Centres repairs £81.54
B&B Hygiene Ltd Cleaning supplies £434.69
Brentwood Moss Plants – HL £142.52
Taylor Rose Sankey Station – solicitor fee £1,944.00
MKM Limestone Chippings – HL £7.13
WBC Serv Charge – HM £382.89
One Ash Training Ride on Mower/Leaf Blower – Training £366.00
WBC Footpath Cleansing – WH 24-25 £285.97
Equals Petty cash top-up £381.52
TOTAL £7,781.45

FINANCE/2024/77, 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 August were also checked:

Novuna 01/08/2024 Electric Van Lease 456.20
BT 01/08/2024 WIFI/Telephone TP 105.98
BT 01/08/2024 WIFI/Telephone BB 73.28
SSE Energy 01/08/2024 GAS HM 97.76
SSE Energy 01/08/2024 GAS WH 66.33
SSE Energy 01/08/2024 GAS BB 85.03
SSE Energy 01/08/2024 GAS HL 29.91
Lex Autolease 01/08/2024 Council Electric Van Lease 851.98
Water Plus 01/08/2024 Water charges BB 44.69
Water Plus 01/08/2024 Water charges HM 50.95
Water Plus 01/08/2024 Water charges WH 80.38
BT 06/08/2024 WIFI/Telephone HM 354.61
Peninsula 12/08/2024 H&S Service H&S 200.93
SSE Energy 12/08/2024 Electricity WH 711.07
Water Plus 20/08/2024 Water charges HL 115.74
Water Plus 22/08/2024 Water charges TP 80.64
WBC 30/08/2024 July Business Rates TP 96.00
WBC 30/08/2024 July Business Rates HM 61.00
WBC 30/08/2024 July Business Rates WH 65.00
WBC 30/08/2024 July Business Rates BB 52.00
Utility Warehouse 30/08/2024 Mobile phones Office 53.40
Novuna 01/08/2024 Electric Van Lease 456.20
BT 01/08/2024 WIFI/Telephone TP 105.98

FC/2024/34
5-11-24
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 1st October 2024
Whittle Hall Community Centre

BT 01/08/2024 WIFI/Telephone BB 73.28
SSE Energy 01/08/2024 GAS HM 97.76
SSE Energy 01/08/2024 GAS WH 66.33
SSE Energy 01/08/2024 GAS BB 85.03
SSE Energy 01/08/2024 GAS HL 29.91
Lex Autolease 01/08/2024 Council Electric Van Lease 851.98
Water Plus 01/08/2024 Water charges BB 44.69
Water Plus 01/08/2024 Water charges HM 50.95
Water Plus 01/08/2024 Water charges WH 80.38
BT 06/08/2024 WIFI/Telephone HM 354.61
Peninsula 12/08/2024 H&S Service H&S 200.93
SSE Energy 12/08/2024 Electricity WH 711.07
Water Plus 20/08/2024 Water charges HL 115.74
Water Plus 22/08/2024 Water charges TP 80.64
WBC 30/08/2024 July Business Rates TP 96.00
WBC 30/08/2024 July Business Rates HM 61.00
WBC 30/08/2024 July Business Rates WH 65.00
WBC 30/08/2024 July Business Rates BB 52.00
Utility Warehouse 30/08/2024 Mobile phones Office 53.40
TOTAL £3732.88

6. To consider any quotes received and authorise or make recommendations to full
Council where appropriate.
a. Sanding and refinishing floors at Whittle Hall and Tim Parry Community Centres
Quotes from two companies and an online comparison were considered. Both
companies have previously worked for the council before; one was in line with the online
quote, the other cheaper. It was agreed to accept the lower quote as previous
experience has demonstrated quality and reliability and the other company has been
less reliable in the past.

FINANCE/2024/78, RECOMMENDED:
To engage Beauty Beneath Flooring to sand and recoat the main hall floors at Tim Parry
and Whittle Hall Community Centres at a total cost of £4,580 +VAT.

b. annual newsletter design (£600) and printing (£2,995). It was noted that the
distribution costs are usually in the region of £2,500 although a quote is yet to be
obtained. The committee discussed the effectiveness of the newsletter and whether a
full annual distribution at a budgeted cost of around £6,000 is cost-effective, or whether
other options may be as informative for residents at a much lower cost, freeing up the 6k
budget for other projects.

It was noted that some residents don’t have easy access to computers and a purely
online newsletter may therefore miss these people. A combination of an online
newsletter with some printed copies distributed was suggested and there are options for
changing the frequency and size of the newsletter. It was agreed to recommend halting
the production and delivery of this year’s newsletter and pass the discussion to the
Community Projects Committee for consideration.
.

FC/2024/35
5-11-24
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 1st October 2024
Whittle Hall Community Centre

FINANCE/2024/79, RECOMMENDED:
To cancel the production and delivery of the 2024-25 annual newsletter, reallocate the
budget to another project (to be decided). The Community Projects Committee to
consider alternative options for format, frequency, size and distribution.

7. To consider requests for financial assistance; to decide if any donations are to be
made or if requests should be recommended to full Council.
No requests.

8. Budget 2024-25 – to scrutinise documentation and when satisfied as to
correctness to sign off financial reports and bank reconciliations for August.
The bank reconciliation and budget monitoring pages for August were considered and
accepted. Checks on financial transactions were carried out prior to the meeting by Cllrs
Watson and Cotter.

FINANCE/2024/80, RESOLVED:
To accept the bank reconciliation and budget monitoring pages for August 2024
(Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 reg 4).

9. To authorise payment of wages, tax and ERNIC for September.
The list of wages to be paid was considered and authorised. Total Employment Costs
(including salaries, pensions & HMRC) were £21,957.83.

FINANCE/2024/81, RESOLVED:
To authorise payment of wages and HMRC costs (£21,957.83 total) for September 2024
(LGA 1972 s112).

FC/2024/36
5-11-24
Chair’s Signature: