2 Sep 2025 – Finance Meeting (Minutes)

GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 2nd September 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

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

In Attendance: K Carter (Clerk)

1. To receive and approve any apologies for unavoidable absence.
All present.

2. To approve the minutes of previous meeting 5/8/2025.
The draft minutes were moved and accepted as a true record of the meeting and signed as
such.

FINANCE/2025/75: Resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 5th August 2025
as a true record.

3. To review community centres,
3.1 to receive and consider I/E report
3.2 to review charges for hire of the centres
The I/E report was reviewed, and it was noted that the council currently subsidises the 5
community centres to a total amount of £100,000 per annum. Expenditure on the centres has
risen because of overall inflation and increases in wages & NI. The centres operate at
maximum capacity and therefore the only option to offset the increasing costs is to increase
hire charges to customers. It was proposed that the committee looks at setting a level of
subsidy to operate at (£75,000 suggested) and adjust hire charges to meet that amount in a
phased way. Those calculations will be considered at the next Finance meeting with a view to
an initial increase in rates in January and a second in April.

FINANCE/2025/76: Recommended that the council sets a subsidy level for the community
centres (£75,000) and reviews hire charges to meet this target in a phased way, with possible
increases in January 2026 and April 2026 (LG (Misc. Prov.) Act 1976 s19).

4. To consider potential costs for an industrial unit for Grounds Team
It was agreed that the council needs to move forwards with the proposal to lease a unit on
Penketh Business Park as an operations base for the Grounds Team as the current location at
Whittle Hall Community Centre is unsuitable. The lease is £12,180pa. This is affordable by
reducing the Community Fund to £5,000 per annum as this budget has been significantly
underspent in the last 5 years. It will not affect Sankey Fun Day which has a separate budget.
There will be some set up costs for legal fees and fit out, including a mezzanine floor. Quotes
are being sought; there is scope within earmarked reserves for these set up costs which can
be offset by the sale of the current office and storage containers.

FINANCE/2025/77: Recommended that the council utilises the unspent budget from the
Community Fund to enter into a 3-5year lease for an industrial unit on Penketh Business Park
for GSPC’s Grounds Team to operate from whilst a more permanent solution is investigated
(LGA 1972 s124).

FC/2025/34 30.9.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 2nd September 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

5. To evaluate initial budget considerations alongside ongoing projects and future plans
for the council.
Members agreed that this requires a separate meeting to discuss in full detail.

FINANCE/2025/78: Resolved to have a separate meeting of the Finance Committee to
discuss the budget (both 2026-27 and longer term). To be arranged for the middle/end of
October.

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
£
Trade UK Master lock padlock £13.99
Trade UK Painting materials to redecorate TP Main Hall £49.96
Viking Office UK Office Stationery £333.81
B&B Hygiene Ltd Cleaning materials £421.82
360 Landscape Sleepers Lingley Green £187.00
360 Landscape ½ tonne topsoil TP £45.00
Tudor Environmental Sprayer nozzle replacement £56.70
Firecheck PAT Testing – HM £54.00
Firecheck PAT Testing – HL £54.00
Firecheck PAT Testing – TP Main Hall £54.00
Firecheck PAT Testing – TP Annexe £54.00
Firecheck PAT Testing – WH £54.00
Viking Office self inking stamp for receipts £25.19
Cheshire Constabulary PCSO for Q1 &Q2 April 2025 – Sept 2025 £22,050.00
The Landscape Acad Lantra Basic Tree Survey Inspection Training £216.00
Agrovista Grass renovater seed – TP £987.39
Brentwood Moss 2 Green Waste Compost £122.40
Woodend Nursery Plants for sites £48.00
Amazon Wedge seat £28.98
Equals card Petty cash top-up £942.67

Tudor Environment 4 Prong Manure Fork £46.15
TOTAL £25,845.06

FINANCE/2025/79: Resolved to authorise all payments listed (under LGA 1976 s19 or LGA
1972 s15(5), s101, 111, 112, 133, 142 or 137).

FC/2025/35 30.9.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 2nd September 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

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

Novuna 01/07/2025 Electric Van Lease 456.20
BT 01/07/2025 WIFI/Telephone WH 265.06
SSE Energy 01/07/2025 Electric WH 38.21
SSE Energy 01/07/2025 Gas BB 8.57
SSE Energy 01/07/2025 Gas HL 33.38
Lex Autolease 01/07/2025 Council Electric Van Lease 851.98
Water Plus 01/07/2025 Water charges BB 79.90
Water Plus 01/07/2025 Water charges HM 40.68
Water Plus 01/07/2025 Water charges WH 74.96
BT 01/07/2025 WIFI/Telephone TP 24.78
BT 07/07/2025 WIFI/Telephone HL/TP/BB/HM 385.33
SSE Energy 07/07/2025 Electricity TP 170.07
Peninsula 11/07/2025 H&S Service H&S 200.93
Global 4 Communication 14/07/2025 Office 365/email Office 113.94
Public Works Loans 21/07/2025 Office 11666.94
SSE Energy 21/07/2025 Electricity BB 291.26
Water Plus 21/07/2025 Water charges 60.44
Water Plus 22/07/2025 Water charges TP 80.89
WBC 30/07/2025 May Business Rates TP 235.00
WBC 30/07/2025 May Business Rates HM 147.00
WBC 30/07/2025 May Business Rates WH 156.00
WBC 30/07/2025 May Business Rates BB 125.00
BT 31/07/2025 WIFI/Telephone WH 263.67
SSE Energy 31/07/2025 Gas HM 11.74
SSE Energy 31/07/2025 Gas WH 38.72
SSE Energy 31/07/2025 Gas BB 34.71
SSE Energy 31/07/2025 Gas HL 28.70
Utility Warehouse 31/07/2025 Mobile phones Office 56.38
Service Fee Charge 31/07/2025 Service Charge Office 22.95
TOTAL £15,963.39

7. To consider any quotes received and authorise or make recommendations to full
Council where appropriate.
None.

8. To consider requests for financial assistance.
One request had been received from a Girl Guiding leader for assistance towards a group trip
to Romania. It was agreed to seek clarification on whether members of the group are from
Great Sankey to ensure they are eligible for a donation, and if so, to award a donation of £160.

FINANCE/2025/80: Resolved to award a donation of £160 to the Girl Guiding trip to Romania,
subject to clarification that attendees are from within the Parish (LGA 1972 s137).

FC/2025/36 30.9.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 2nd September 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

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

FINANCE/2025/81: Resolved to accept the bank reconciliation and budget monitoring pages
for July 2025 (Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 reg 4).

10. To authorise payment of wages, tax and ERNIC for August.
The list of wages to be paid was considered and authorised. Total Employment Costs
(including salaries, pensions & HMRC) were £24,572.80.

FINANCE/2025/82: Resolved to authorise payment of wages and HMRC costs (£24,572.80
total) for August 2025 (LGA 1972 s112).

FC/2025/37 30.9.25
Chair’s Signature: