10 June 2026 – Council meeting (minutes)

GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of meeting: Wednesday 10th June 2026
Tim Parry Community Centre

Chair: P. Watson
Councillors: S Pennington H Cooksey N Catlow
N Cotter A Morley C Lynas
A Muqeem C Wren

Other: K. Carter (Parish Clerk)

1. To receive apologies for unavoidable absence.
Apologies had been received from Cllrs L Hussain, M Hussain and Simpson.

2. To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 13th May 2026.

PARISH/2026/06/53: To approve minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 13th May
2026 as a true and accurate record (LGA 1972, Sch 12, para41(1)).

3. To receive declarations of interest on items on the agenda.
Agenda item 10: Cllrs Morley & Watson as Directors of Sankey Station CIC.
Agenda item 6: Cllr Pennington as Treasurer of Whittle Hall JFC.

4. Finance Committee: to be informed of the meeting held on 2.6.26
4.1 to receive the draft minutes of the meeting (tabled).
Noted.

4.2 to receive and note the Annual Internal Audit Report and actions recommended
The comments from the Internal Auditor were explained along with the actions
recommended by the Finance Committee to address these. None of the comments were
cause for concern and the actions were approved, to be implemented as soon as possible.

PARISH/2026/06/54: To accept the Annual Internal Audit Report and approve the actions
recommended by the Finance Committee,
i) To discuss increasing the council’s fidelity cover with its insurers.
ii) To ensure the number of hours booked on the bookings system matches the hours on
the invoices.
iii) To investigate options and costs for accounts software and set up, plus training for
staff.
4.3 Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR): to consider and approve
Council accounts for the year ending 31st March 2026

4.3.1 to approve the Annual Governance Statement

PARISH/2026/06/55: to accept and approve the Annual Governance Statement for the
financial year 2025-26 (Accounts & Audit Regulations 2015, reg 12)

4.3.2 to approve the Accounting Statements

PARISH/2026/06/56: to accept and approve the Accounting Statement for the financial year
2025-26(Accounts & Audit Regulations 2015, reg 12)

PC/2026/19 8-7-26
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of meeting: Wednesday 10th June 2026
Tim Parry Community Centre

4.4 to consider recommendations for approval
In addition to the recommendations relating to the audit, there was one recommendation
relating to increasing the level of the General Reserve. The council had previously agreed
to increase this from £100,000 to £150,000 to meet JPAG guidelines; £100,000 is currently
invested through WBC and the Finance Committee had requested information on the fund
before deciding whether to add to this. The interest rate for 2026-27 is 3.11% with 2-days’
notice required to withdraw funds and no fixed term for investment. The monies are
invested with highly secure Money Market Funds with AAA credit ratings, and the Finance
Committee therefore recommended additional investment with this fund.

PARISH/2026/06/57: to invest a further £50,000 with WBC increasing the General Reserve
to £150,000.

5. Community Projects Committee: to be informed of the meeting held on 4.6.26
5.1 to receive the draft minutes of the meeting (tabled).
Noted; the meeting mainly covered details for Sankey Summer Fun Day (see 5.2). In
addition, quotes for Christmas trees are being obtained for future discussion and
information is still awaited from WBC to progress the Heritage Board project.

5.2 to be informed of timings and procedures for Sankey Summer Fun Day.
9am – 11am Set up
11am – 12noon SEN hour
12noon – 4pm Main event
4pm onwards Close and clean up.
The Event Management Plan has been finalised and sent to ESAG along with the site plan;
unfortunately, the bar has been cancelled for this year. The briefing for volunteers will take
place in the morning (around 9.30am) and the timings for the performances and dog show
have been set, with both taking place in the central arena.

6. Parish Estates Committee: to receive a verbal update on the meeting held on 9.6.26.
6.1 to receive the draft minutes of the meeting (tabled).
Noted. Cllr Pennington decided to step down as Chair of the Committee, although will
remain on the committee and Cllr Lynas was voted in as the new Chair.

PARISH/2026/06/58: Cllr Lynas to take over from Cllr Pennington as Chair of the Parish
Estates Committee.

6.2 to consider recommendations for approval.
There were several recommendations on the Childs Wood Field project. WBC had been
engaged to undertake initial surveys on the field funded by a successful application to the
UKSPF for £15,000. These show no undue concerns for developing the field, although
there were recommendations to undertake ground surveys and sampling, and bat activity
and roosting surveys, depending on the type of work planned for the field. Given indicative
costs for building a grounds depot and new access point, the committee recommended that
plans for this are postponed for the time being. The committee still wants to develop the
field for community use and recommended that the undertakes a consultation with residents
through a third party such as Mersey Forest and that an initial landscape plan is drafted by
the Head Gardener.

PC/2026/20 8-7-26
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of meeting: Wednesday 10th June 2026
Tim Parry Community Centre

PARISH/2026/06/59: to postpone plans for building a depot on Childs Wood Field until
such time as this becomes a necessity and/or funding allows.

PARISH/2026/06/60: to task the Head Gardener with producing an initial landscape plan for
a community garden.

PARISH/2026/06/61: to engage an organisation such as Mersey Forest to undertake a
community consultation on Childs Wood Field to obtain residents views and
suggestions for the field.

7. To consider planning applications received by the Council and decide if any
objections are to be raised.
There were no applications requiring discussion; it was noted that an application for change
of use from a residential property to an on-site care facility had been rejected because of
concerns relating to potential noise through a party wall.
8. To consider correspondence received by the Council and decide if any action is
required.
None.
9. To receive verbal reports from Parish Councillors and from Borough Councillors on
items of note within the Parish.
None.

Part 2

10. To exclude public and press for consideration of the following items because of the
confidential nature of the business to be discussed.
No members of public were present.

11. Sankey Station House lease update
The council discussed the solicitors’ recommendation in relation to the longstop date on the
Agreement for Lease with Sankey Station CIC and agreed to accept the recommendation.

PARISH/2026/06/62: to retain the longstop date in the Agreement for Lease with Sankey
Station CIC.

Sankey Station CIC has a grant from the Railway Heritage Fund (RHF) which was awarded
2 years ago and is pending the signing of the lease. The RHF has been in touch asking the
council for the reason for the delay and offering support to help resolve any issues. Council
agreed that it was happy for the lease details to be discussed with the RHF and would any
help that they could offer with negotiating with Arch Co. The decision will be passed to the
CIC.

PARISH/2026/06/63: to accept the offer of help from the Railway Heritage Fund to resolve
the lease issues.

PC/2026/21 8-7-26