4 Feb 2025 – Finance Meeting (Minutes)

GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 4th February 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

Chair: Cllr T Williams
Present: Cllr P Watson
Cllr B Simpson

In Attendance: K Carter (Clerk)

1. To receive and approve any apologies for unavoidable absence.
Apologies were received from Cllrs Cotter & Pennington.

2. To approve the minutes of previous meeting 30/12/2024.

The draft minutes were moved and accepted as a true record of the meeting and signed as
such.

FINANCE/2025/10: To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 3rd December 2024 as a
true record.

3. To be updated on the match-funding provision for the Parish Playing Field drainage
project.
Revised costs for the drainage project had been obtained in October 2024 as the original
quotes were over 12 months old and costs have understandably increased. The Parish
Council had set aside £80k in match funding for the project. The Football Foundation have
asked if this will be increased to reflect the increase in costs. It was discussed and agreed
that the Parish Contribution could be increased to £95k towards the total project cost of
£266,580.

FINANCE/2025/11: To increase the Parish Council’s funding contribution for the project to
install a drainage system to the Parish Playing Field to £95k (Open Spaces Act 1906 s10).

The planning permission for the project has been granted with conditions and the parish
council’s consultant had stated that they would be able to help with these for a fee of £3-600,
but it may be that the construction firm will provide some of the necessary documentation.
None of this will be required unless the funding is secured form the Football Foundation. It
was agreed to put the planning consultants on hold until the result of the funding application
is known, and if successful to liaise between the GMA, the construction firm and the
consultants to satisfy the required conditions for the planning.

FINANCE/2025/12: To liaise with the planning consultants, the GMA and contractors to fulfil
the planning conditions for the PPF Drainage Project if the funding application to the Football
Foundation is successful (Open Spaces Act 1906 s10).

4. To be informed of the ongoing operating procedures for the Community Café at Tim
Parry Community Centre.
The new committee has been formed and is looking into a bank account for the café. In the
meantime, the café is still opening at weekends for the benefit of residents with monies being
held in the Parish Council bank account. A full record of transactions, both cash and card, is

FC/2025/5
4.3.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 4th February 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

being kept by both the Parish Clerk and the new Treasurer. The card transactions through
SumUp are currently linked to the council’s account. Once a new bank account for the café
has been set up, the remaining operating funds held will be transferred from the Parish
Council to the café and the card machine linked to the café account. It was noted that these
monies are separate from the donations made through GoFundMe which total £773.37.
These will be kept safe by the Parish Council until a decision has been made on item(s) to be
purchased. Any purchases will be for improvements to Tim Parry Recreation Ground as
detailed in the GoFundMe appeal.

FINANCE/2025/13: To accept the current interim operating procedures for the café accounts
and note that all monies will be transferred to the café once a new bank account has been
set up (Accounts and Audit Regulations, Reg 4).

5. To be informed of future cost for PCSO provision and consider within the budget for
2025-26 to inform the discussion at full Council.
The 2025-26 budget had been set with an estimated increase in the funding cost for the
Parish PCSO. Confirmation of the actual cost has since been received which is slightly
higher (an additional £600). It was agreed by the committee that this increase could be
managed within the next financial year’s budget; the decision on whether the council wishes
to continue with the service will be taken by full council.

FINANCE/2025/14: To confirm that the cost for the Parish funded PCSO (£44,100) can be
allocated within the 2025-26 budget should the Parish Council decide to continue with the
service (Police Act 1996 s92).

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.

Presented By Description Amount
Comtec Electric repairs to Centres £380.00
Steve Mahon Plumbing Ltd Supply & Fit new boiler HL £2,860.00
Kathryn Carter FTPP reimbursement £97.65
Terrier Tools Batteries Garden equipment £409.39
Canda Copying Office Copier Rental £94.80
Canda Copying Copier – colour and B&W copies £116.03
WBC PPF Maintenance 24/25 Q4 £959.45
360 Aggregates Loose mot – Tim Parry garden £169.75
Viking Office Stationery £340.07
WBC Election recharge cost – 1 of 4 payments £6,135.92
360 Aggregates 2 tonne MOT – TP Rec £100.00
Trade UK Blue circle postcrete – Grounds £6.62
Trade UK Centre Maintenance – HL £11.92
Trade UK Weed control – Grounds £51.00
Trade UK Centre repairs – BB £18.27

FC/2025/6
4.3.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 4th February 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

Cheshire Constabulary PCSO Qtr 3 Charge £10,325.00
MKM Red Building Sand – Grounds £7.94
MKM Heavy duty galvanised strap – Grounds £80.16
B&B Hygiene Ltd Cleaning supplies £528.94
Roller Shutter Services Ltd Repair to TP Roller Shutter £168.00
Travis Perkins Hired Plate Compactor £41.20
Rialtas IT support for booking software £12.00
One Ash Training Tree Inspection Training – Head Gardner £600.00
MKM Cement – TP Garden £18.02
MKM Hire Plate Compactor – TP Garden £35.24
WBC Wildflower seeds 2024 £5,028.54
WBC Christmas Lights £682.00
360 Aggregates 5 tonne hardcore – TP Garden £36.48
Viking Office Laminator £43.19
MKM Self binding gravel – TP Garden £173.88
MKM Building Materials – TP Garden £121.09
The Landscape Academy Staff training Abrasive course £483.00
360 Aggregates 2 tonne top soil – TP Garden £120.00
Equals card Petty cash top-up £739.42
Jack and Jill Pre-school Donation towards Christmas Party £100.00
TOTAL £31,094.97

FINANCE/2025/15: 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 December were also checked:

Novuna 02/12/2024 Electric Van Lease 456.20
BT 02/12/2024 WIFI/Telephone WH-Office 129.24
SSE Energy 02/12/2024 GAS HM 166.67
SSE Energy 02/12/2024 GAS WH 64.83
SSE Energy 02/12/2024 GAS BB 98.71
SSE Energy 02/12/2024 GAS HL 123.52
WBC 02/12/2024 October Business Rates TP 96.00
WBC 02/12/2024 October Business Rates HM 61.00
WBC 02/12/2024 October Business Rates WH 65.00
WBC 02/12/2024 October Business Rates BB 52.00
Lex Autolease 02/12/2024 Council Electric Van Lease 851.98
Water Plus 02/12/2024 Water charges BB 44.69
Water Plus 02/12/2024 Water charges HM 50.95
Water Plus 02/12/2024 Water charges WH 80.38
BT 09/12/2024 WIFI/Telephone HM 281.32
Peninsula 11/12/2024 H&S Service H&S 200.93

FC/2025/7
4.3.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 4th February 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

Global 4 Communication 16/12/2024 Office 365/email Office 106.38
Water Plus 20/12/2024 Water charges HL 100.92
Water Plus 20/12/2024 Water charges TP 76.35
WBC 30/12/2024 November Business Rates TP 96.00
WBC 30/12/2024 November Business Rates HM 61.00
WBC 30/12/2024 November Business Rates WH 65.00
WBC 30/12/2024 November Business Rates BB 52.00
BT 31/12/2024 WIFI/Telephone WH-Office 129.24
Utility Warehouse 31/12/2024 Mobile phones Office 53.40
Manual Handling Charges 31/12/2024 Bank Charges Office 3.90
TOTAL £3589.51

7. To consider any quotes received and authorise or make recommendations to full
Council where appropriate.
Quote 1: from Superstars for the Summer Playscheme in Jul/Aug 2025. The quote is for 6
weeks split between Whittle Hall Community Centre and Tim Parry Community Centre. Each
3-hour session will be £4 per child and will include arts or Lego activities along with sports
and board games. The quote includes all administration and advertising, staffing, equipment
and insurance and is £700 per week (£4,200 total). This is within the budget allocated and
was approved.

FINANCE/2025/16: To accept the quote from Superstars to provide summer playschemes
for 6 weeks split between Whittle Hall and Tim Parry Community Centres (LGA 1972 s145).

Quote 2: from The Design Project to produce artwork for the council’s new bi-annual online
newsletter, £400. Approved.

FINANCE/2025/17: To accept the quote from the Design project for the artwork for the online
newsletter (LGA 1972 s142).

8. To consider requests for financial assistance.
1. Hire rate for the Land Trust to utilise Whittle Hall Community Centre for several hours for 4
weeks as part of a training course for Green Angels. Agreed the community rate would be
applied.

FINANCE/2025/18: To charge the Land Trust at the community rate for the hire of Whittle
Hall Community Centre during a Green Angels training course (LG (Misc. Prov.) Act 1976
s19).

2. from Penketh PTFA for contribution towards their playground project. £100 donation
approved.

FINANCE/2025/19: To give a donation of £100 to Penketh PTFA towards their playground
project (LGA 1972 s137).

FC/2025/8
4.3.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 4th February 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

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

FINANCE/2025/20: To accept the bank reconciliation and budget monitoring pages for
December 2024 (Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 reg 4).

9.1 to consider options for the income from the hire of the car park at Tim Parry
Recreation Ground.
The Parish Council had hired half of one of the car parks at Tim Parry Recreation Ground to
Opus from April to December 2024 to alleviate traffic issues whilst Opus was carrying out
essential works in the surrounding roads. The total sum received to date is £3,800 with a
further £300 due. It was proposed that this income is used to make improvements to the
recreation ground. There are two benches on the field where the ground becomes very
muddy over winter and are therefore not used so it was suggested that plinths are created to
alleviate this problem. Officers had already considered options to level an area outside the
annexe for tables and chairs to be placed for use by the café in good weather and it was
proposed that the remaining funds could be used for this purpose. Both suggestions were
agreed.

FINANCE/2025/21: To spend the income from the hire of the car park at Tim Parry
Recreation Ground on installing plinths for 2 benches on the field and on levelling an area
near the annexe for use by the café in good weather (Open Spaces Act 1906 s10).

9.2 to be informed of works to Tim Parry garden and consider contribution from
Cromdale Way Preschool
The garden at the rear of the community centre has been remodelled to provide an area for
the apprentice to work with as well as improve the safety and useability of the garden for
customers. As part of the works, the preschool’s raised planters were moved to this area, but
unfortunately needed to be rebuilt due to age. The preschool fund-raised to contribute
towards the costs, and it was agreed to accept the contribution offered.

FINANCE/2025/22: To accept the contribution from Cromdale Way Preschool towards the
relocation of their raised planters at Tim Parry Community Centre.

10. To authorise payment of wages, tax and ERNIC for January.
The list of wages to be paid was considered and authorised. Total Employment Costs
(including salaries, pensions & HMRC) were £27,399.49. It was noted that the Chair’s
Allowance will need to be paid through the payroll next month; it was agreed to pay this as
gross amount of £1800.

FINANCE/2025/23: To authorise payment of wages and HMRC costs (£27,399.49 total) for
January 2025 (LGA 1972 s112).

FINANCE/2025/24: To pay the Chair’s Allowance through the payroll as £1800 before tax.

FC/2025/9
4.3.25
Chair’s Signature: