30 Dec 2024 – Finance Meeting (Minutes)

GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 30th December 2024
Whittle Hall Community Centre

Chair: Cllr T Williams
Present: Cllr P Watson
Cllr N Cotter
Cllr S Pennington

In Attendance: K Carter (Clerk)

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

2. To approve the minutes of previous meeting 5/12/2023.
The draft minutes were moved and accepted as a true record of the meeting and signed as
such.

FINANCE/2025/1: To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 3rd December 2024 as a
true record.

3. To consider the budget and precept level for 2025-26 and make a final recommendation
to full Council.
Initial figures had been circulated to the full Parish Council meeting in December 2024, with a
proposal from the Finance Committee for an increase to the precept. Operating costs to
manage the council’s open spaces and community centres have increased, and the changes
to employers NI contributions from April 2025 will also impact the council’s finances. A small
increase in the precept will be essential to cover these additional costs, but this doesn’t include
a budget for new community or landscaping projects.

Hire rates for the community centres will be subject to an increase to alleviate the increasing
costs but have been kept as low as possible to avoid undue difficulties for customers.

The council has earmarked reserves for the Sankey station renovation project (£80k) and the
Parish Playing Field drainage project (£80k). The Football Foundation has asked GSPC to
increase the match funding for the Parish Playing Field; without this it is unlikely the Football
Foundation will give the necessary funding to install the drainage. The Parish Estates
Committee is also looking at options to relocate the grounds depot from its temporary home at
Whittle Hall Community Centre to a larger, more suitable site. It is anticipated that the council
will need to source some external funding or borrowing for this, but there will be a need for
upfront costs and possibly match funding. If Childs Wood Field is a suitable location, the
council will look to landscape the remaining space as community gardens. The Finance
Committee therefore proposed a further increase to the precept to be able to set aside funds
for this project. An increase from £48.59 per annum to £55.88 per annum per Band D property
was proposed. This is a 15% increase, but the precept remains relatively low for residents in
real terms. It is an increase of £7.29 per annum (61 pence per month) for Band D properties.

The full council agreed this in principle in December with time to assess the proposal and ask
questions or further detail from the Finance Committee. None have been forthcoming, and the
committee therefore finalised its recommendation.

FC/2025/1
4.2.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 30th December 2024
Whittle Hall Community Centre

FINANCE/2025/2: To recommend acceptance of the draft budget for 2025-26 (Accounts & Audit
Regs 2015, Reg 3).
FINANCE/2025/3: To recommend a £7.29 (15%) increase in annual precept level for Band D
properties for 2025-26 (from £48.59 to £55.88 per annum) giving a total precept of £622,654
(LGFA 1992, Part 1, s41).

4. 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, £
Sankey Seniors Donation Christmas Dinner 200.00
WODAC Donation Christmas Appeal 250.00
Great Sankey Primary Donation Christmas Appeal 100.00
Wild Tribe 50% deposit Face Painting Fun Day 165.00
Kathryn Carter Reimbursement café baked goods 24.10
Amy Doyle Circus skills deposit – Fun Day 200.00
MKM Bricks for TP Garden 918.00
MKM Bricks for TP Garden 39.48
Trade UK Clear Adhesive – Centre Maintenance 7.89
Travis Perkins Cement 126.06
WBC X2 benches and plaques 2,800.00
MKM Breaker Hire for TP Garden 31.72
MKM Building Material for TP Garden 172.15
Brookmeade Building Ltd Replacement panels – HM 1,806.00
360 Landscape Sand and stone – TP Garden 156.30
Roller Shutter Repair to Roller Shutter at TP 168.00
WBC Service Charge – HM 382.89
MKM Building materials – TP Garden 59.20
MKM Building materials – TP Garden 42.30
MKM Building material – TP Garden 89.42
B&B Hygiene Ltd Cleaning Supplies 343.80
Trade UK Rubber Mallet 21.98
MKM Concrete top edging – TP garden 14.87
Holly Oak Tree Services Removal of windblown willow 1,080.00
J. Riley Onsite WIFI support – TP 95.00
T&O Harrison Green waste 30.00
Equals card Petty cash top-up 514.92
TOTAL £

FINANCE/2025/4: To authorise all payments listed (under LGA 1976 s19 or LGA 1972 s15(5),
s101, 111, 112, 133, 142 or 137).

FC/2025/2
4.2.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 30th December 2024
Whittle Hall Community Centre

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

Novuna 01/11/2024 Electric Van Lease 456.20
SSE Energy 01/11/2024 GAS WH 32.33
SSE Energy 01/11/2024 GAS HL 41.08
Lex Autolease 01/11/2024 Council Electric Van Lease 851.98
Water Plus 01/11/2024 Water charges BB 44.69
Water Plus 01/11/2024 Water charges HM 50.95
Water Plus 01/11/2024 Water charges WH 80.38
BT 06/11/2024 WIFI/Telephone HM 73.40
Peninsula 11/11/2024 H&S Service H&S 200.93
SSE Energy 11/11/2024 Electricity WH 2013.89
SSE Energy 11/11/2024 Electricity HM 64.52
Global 4 Comm 14/11/2024 Office 365/email Office 424.14
Water Plus 19/11/2024 Water charges HL 101.70
Water Plus 21/11/2024 Water charges TP 77.13
Utility Warehouse 29/11/2024 Mobile phones Office 53.40
Service Fee Charge 30/11/2024 Service Charge Office 21.75
TOTAL £6057.60

5. To consider any quotes received and authorise or make recommendations to full
Council where appropriate.
Quote 1: for the supply and installation of v-mesh fencing around the site perimeter at Bewsey
Barn Community Centre. Three quotes had been obtained ranging from £16,060 to
£25,779.50 +VAT. The lowest quote was accepted.

FINANCE/2025/5: To accept the quote from Secure Fencing for 280m of 2m high v-mesh
fencing for Bewsey Barn Community Centre. To include 1nr single leaf pedestrian gate and
1nr double leaf vehicle gate with locks (LG (Misc. Prov.) Act 1976 s19).

Quote 2: for replacement boiler at Hood Lane Community Centre. A quote of £2,250 had been
provided by the council’s plumber for supply and installation of an Alpha E Tec 38kW combi
boiler with 13-year warranty. This is in line with comparative online quotes and was therefore
accepted.

FINANCE/2025/6: To accept the quote from Steve Mahon Plumbing of £2,250 for a
replacement combi boiler for Hood Lane Community Centre (LG (Misc. Prov.) Act 1976 s19).

6. To consider requests for financial assistance
A request had been received from Jack & Jill preschool for a donation towards their Christmas
party but had unfortunately been received too late to be considered at the December Finance
meeting. The request is therefore being made retrospectively.

FINANCE/2025/7: To give a donation of £100 to Jack and Jill Preschool towards their
Christmas party (LGA 1972 s137).

FC/2025/3
4.2.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 30th December 2024
Whittle Hall Community Centre

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

FINANCE/2025/8: To accept the bank reconciliation and budget monitoring pages for
November 2024 (Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 reg 4).

8. To authorise payment of wages, tax and ERNIC for December.
The list of wages to be paid was considered and authorised. Total Employment Costs
(including salaries, pensions & HMRC) were £21,408.76.

FINANCE/2025/9: To authorise payment of wages and HMRC costs (£21,408.76 total) for
December 2024 (LGA 1972 s112).

FC/2025/4
4.2.25
Chair’s Signature: