5 Aug 2025 – Finance Meeting (Minutes)

GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 5th August 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

Chair: Cllr T Williams
Present: Cllr N Catlow
Cllr P Watson
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 1/7/2025.
The draft minutes were moved and accepted as a true record of the meeting and signed as
such.

FINANCE/2025/65: Resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 1st July 2025 as
a true record.

3. To be informed of changes to staff pension provision and consider options for
administration.
The council’s pension provider has been taken over and will be moving to Smart Pensions in
September which means that GSPC will need to change its payment process for this. The
primary option for paying contributions will be by Direct Debit instead of BACS. A contributions
schedule will need to be provided by the 5th of the month, with collection then initiated around
the 7th of each month. It was noted that this will still allow the Finance Committee to approve
the salary schedule before submission to Smart Pensions, except for occasional months when
meetings are on the 5th or 6th of the month. It was accepted that in a scenario where the
contributions were incorrect, this would be amended within the following months pay. It was
therefore agreed to allow the Clerk to sign the Direct Debit mandate for Smart Pensions.

FINANCE/2025/66: Resolved to authorise the Clerk to sign the Direct Debit mandate for
Smart Pensions.

4. To be informed of issues with the CCTV at Tim Parry Recreation Ground and consider
options.
Only 2 cameras at Tim Parry Recreation Ground are currently working. There have been a
couple of issues with the cabling being damaged or broken at different times when works to
the grounds have been undertaken. Several of the cameras have also previously been
repaired and it is not clear whether the current issue is due to the cables or the cameras
themselves. The system is around 7 years old, and it was agreed to obtain quotes for both
repair if possible, and replacement.

FINANCE/2025/67: Resolved to obtain quotes for repair or replacement of the CCTV system
at Tim Parry Recreation Ground.

It was also suggested that the council could look into CCTV at the Parish Playing Field
following the recent incursion by travellers. The site security is of particular concern once the
project to install drainage pipes and improve the field is completed. This aspect is due to be
considered by the Parish Estates Committee, but it was agreed that advice could be sought at
the same time as investigating options for Tim Parry Recreation Ground. It was also

FC/2025/30 2-9-25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 5th August 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

suggested that GSPC could approach Livewire to ask about the possibility of supplementing
the system on Sankey Hub car park.

FINANCE/2025/68: Resolved to investigate the possibility of CCTV for the Parish Playing
Field.

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.

Amount,
Presented By Description
£
Dr Stella Fletcher History of PC project £500.00
Steve Mahon Centre Gas Safety Certs £330.00
PDT Autocare Toolbar Electrical fault £60.00
National Security
Gates Repairs to barrier £822.00
T&O Harrison Greenwaste £60.00
Canda Copying Ltd Office Copier – copies 128.50
Canda Copying Ltd Rental of Copier 94.80
B&B Hygiene Ltd Cleaning Supplies £474.61
Samrose Door lock repairs and new lock HM/TP £155.00
Superstars Playscheme £4,200.00
Amazon Business Trailer Cable & plug £35.84
Amazon Business Trailer plug socket Connector £15.86
Ross Safety Wear Staff workwear £35.51
Mobilates CIC Customer refund – cancelled booking £35.00
Comtec Electrical repairs – HM/WH/TP £695.00
Amazon Business Vax carpet cleaner and solution £183.67
Amazon Business Steel Wire Strimmer replacement £31.89
MKM Hire of Breaker £25.38
Kieran Ashby Refund of Runcorn Bridge toll for training £14.40
Papyrus Donation from Fun Day Fairground proceeds £800.00
Peace & Mind Donation from Fun Day Fairground proceeds £800.00
JUMP Donation from Fun Day Fairground Proceeds £800.00
Equals card Petty cash top-up £1185.83
MKM Delivery Charge £42.00
MKM Micro digger Hire £253.80
Paul Brookes & Sons Tarmac Surfacing TP £2964.00
TOTAL £14,743.09

FINANCE/2025/69: Resolved to authorise all payments listed (under LGA 1976 s19 or LGA
1972 s15(5), s101, 111, 112, 133, 142 or 137).

FC/2025/31 2-9-25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 5th August 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

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

Novuna 01/07/2025 Electric Van Lease 456.20
BT 02/06/2025 WIFI/Telephone TP 24.78
BT 02/06/2025 WIFI/Telephone WH 261.70
Lex Autolease 02/06/2025 Council Electric Van Lease 851.98
Water Plus 02/06/2025 Water charges BB 79.91
Water Plus 02/06/2025 Water charges HM 50.95
Water Plus 02/06/2025 Water charges WH 74.96
BT 02/06/2025 WIFI/Telephone HL/TP/BB/HM 385.33
Peninsula 11/06/2025 H&S Service H&S 200.93
Global 4 Communication 16/06/2025 Office 365/email Office 113.52
Water Plus 23/06/2025 Water charges TP 81.49
SSE Energy 27/06/2025 Gas TP 1413.71
WBC 30/06/2025 April Business Rates TP 235.00
WBC 30/06/2025 April Business Rates HM 147.00
WBC 30/06/2025 April Business Rates WH 156.00
WBC 30/06/2025 April Business Rates BB 125.00
Utility Warehouse 30/06/2025 Mobile phones Office 56.38
Service Fee Charge 30/06/2025 Service Charge Office 25.05
Manual Handling Charges 30/06/2025 Bank Charges Office 7.50
TOTAL £4,747.39

6. To approve internal transfer of investment funds.
Noted that no current need to transfer funds from savings to current account but it may be
possible to transfer additional funds to WBC to benefit from a higher interest rate. This to be
investigated further.

7. To consider any quotes received and authorise or make recommendations to full
Council where appropriate.

None.

8. To consider requests for financial assistance.
a) From Good Neighbours WA5 to increase their booking at Hood Lane Community Centre
to include a Friday evening as well as Sunday morning. GSPC supports this group which
provides free food parcels for those in need of assistance by allowing free use of the
centre. It was agreed that the increased use would be allowed on a trial basis until the end
of November. The group will be reminded not to interrupt other customers bookings and
ensure that excessive food waste is removed and disposed of appropriately. Use will be
reviewed at the November Finance Committee meeting.
FINANCE/2025/70: Resolved to allow free use of Hood Lane Community Centre for Good
Neighbours WA5 for Friday evenings (4-7pm) and Sunday mornings (9am-12noon) on a
trial basis until the end of November 2025.

FC/2025/32 2-9-25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 5th August 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

b) RBL – request for support for Remembrance Sunday
An email had been received from Cllr Peters (Penketh Parish Council) asking if GSPC
would support the Remembrance Sunday event again this year with a joint financial
contribution from both Parish Councils. Last year, GSPC were asked to manage the event
notification, management plan and risk assessment and organise the road closures &
marshalling. It was not clear whether the same level of input is being requested as well as
the financial contribution; Cllrs Pennington & Catlow will liaise with the RBL and Cllr
Peters about this. It was also agreed that a meeting with the Chairs of both Parish
Councils should be arranged.

FINANCE/2025/71: Resolved to continue to support the event with a joint financial
contribution with Penketh Parish Council. Cllrs Catlow & Pennington to liaise with the RBL,
and a meeting with Penketh Parish Council to be arranged to discuss arrangements for the
event.

c) Request for purchase of wreath for VJ Day (Cllrs Catlow & Pennington)
FINANCE/2025/72: Resolved to purchase wreaths for both VJ Day and Remembrance
Sunday and to invite other GSPC Cllrs to the wreath laying ceremony for VJ Day on 15th
August.

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

FINANCE/2025/73: Resolved to accept the bank reconciliation and budget monitoring pages
for June 2025 (Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 reg 4).

The Committee was informed that the income received from the fairground rides at Sankey
Summer Fun Day totalled £2,497.25. £110 was the initial cash float; £2,365 was paid into the
council’s bank and the remaining £22.25 which could not be paid into the bank was added to
the petty cash tin. The total in the petty tin (65.25) was checked by councillors prior to the
meeting.
(Note: the council had agreed prior to the Fun Day that any income would be donated to 3
charities, Platypus, Jump and Peace & Mind. £800 to each was approved by full Council on 9
July, PARISH/2025/72)

10. To authorise payment of wages, tax and ERNIC for July.
The list of wages to be paid was considered and authorised. Total Employment Costs
(including salaries, pensions & HMRC) were £28,847.93.

FINANCE/2025/74: Resolved to authorise payment of wages and HMRC costs (£28,847.93
total) for July 2025 (LGA 1972 s112).

FC/2025/33 2-9-25
Chair’s Signature: