5 Nov 2024 – Finance Meeting (Minutes)

GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 5th November 2024
Whittle Hall Community Centre

Chair: Cllr Williams
Present: Cllr Pennington
Cllr Watson
Cllr Simpson

In Attendance: K. Carter (Clerk)

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

2. To approve the minutes of previous meeting 1/10/2024.
The draft minutes were moved and accepted as a true record of the meeting and signed as
such.

FINANCE/2024/82:
To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 1st October 2024 as a true record.

3. To review use of Hood Lane Community Centre by the Food Bank.
It was agreed that councillors arrange a meeting with the organisers to discuss how the
group is getting on and raise a couple of issues experienced recently.

FINANCE/2024/83:
To arrange a meeting with Good Neighbours WA5 to discuss the food bank.

4. To receive an update on the Parish Playing Field Drainage project.
Revised costs from the approved contractor had been received and forwarded to the
Football Foundation. The Football Foundation are now considering whether additional
quotes are required as a year has elapsed since the tender exercise was undertaken. A
further set of questions has been raised by the Football Foundation on the original tender
and evaluation process. The GMA will be asked for input to help answer these.

FINANCE/2024/84:
To request input from the GMA to answer queries raised by the Football Foundation in the
tender and evaluation exercise for the drainage project on 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.

Presented By Description Amount, £
Woodend Nursery St Mary’s Planters re-fill £657.60
Beauty Beneath Flooring TP/WH Floors sand and refinish £4,580.00
Steve Mahon Plumbing Repairs to HM toilets £280.00
Cheshire Prestige Flooring Repair vinyl flooring TP £900.00
Canda Copying Office Copier hire £94.80
Canda Copying Office Copier – June to Sept copies £76.36
Viking Office Office Stationery £191.40

FC/2024/37
3.12.24
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 5th November 2024
Whittle Hall Community Centre

Trade UK Centre Maintenance – WH £108.49
Les Halman Nurseries Ltd Plants – GSPC Grounds £438.91
Trade UK TP Drainage – GSPC Grounds £76.95
Trade UK TP Drainage – GSPC Grounds £64.69
Trade UK TP Drainage – GSPC Grounds £11.29
MKM TP Drainage – GSPC Grounds £804.31
Firecheck Annual Fire alarm check – TP £156.00
Firecheck Annual Fire alarm check – WH £156.00
Firecheck Annual Fire alarm check – HL £156.00
Firecheck Annual Fire extinguisher service – HM £36.00
Firecheck Annual Fire extinguisher service – BB £36.00
MKM TP Drainage – GSPC Grounds £47.34
Brentwood Moss Tulips TP – Site upkeep £182.40
C. J Lyon & Sons Ltd Jet blocked drains TP – GSPC Grounds £540.00
CHALC Councillor Training – Planning £35.00
Woodend Nursery Bedding plants – Site Upkeep £56.80
Travis Perkins TP Drainage – GSPC Grounds £49.58
WBC PPF Grounds Maintenance Q3 £959.45
RBL Wreaths Poppy Appeal £47.50
MKM TP Drainage – GSPC Grounds £1601.18
Equals Petty cash top-up £849.97
WBC 2021 Elections Final Payment £3222.19
TOTAL £16,416.21

FINANCE/2024/85:
To authorise all payments listed (under LGA 1976 s19 or LGA 1972 s15(5), s101, 111,
112, 133, 142 or 137).

Novuna 02/09/2024 Electric Van Lease 456.20
BT 02/09/2024 WIFI/Telephone HL 73.28
BT 02/09/2024 WIFI/Telephone TP 105.98
BT 02/09/2024 WIFI/Telephone Office 129.24
BT 02/09/2024 WIFI/Telephone BB 73.28
SSE Energy 02/09/2024 GAS HM 92.51
SSE Energy 02/09/2024 GAS WH 61.78
SSE Energy 02/09/2024 GAS BB 71.93
SSE Energy 02/09/2024 GAS HL 38.33
Lex Autolease 02/09/2024 Council Electric Van Lease 851.98
Water Plus 02/09/2024 Water charges BB 44.69
Water Plus 02/09/2024 Water charges HM 50.95
Water Plus 02/09/2024 Water charges WH 80.38
BT 06/09/2024 WIFI/Telephone HM 354.61
Peninsula 11/09/2024 H&S Service H&S 200.93
Global 4 Communication 16/09/2024 Office 365/email Office 7.38

FC/2024/38
3.12.24
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 5th November 2024
Whittle Hall Community Centre

Water Plus 19/09/2024 Water charges HL 115.74
Water Plus 20/09/2024 Water charges TP 80.64
WBC 30/09/2024 August Business Rates TP 96.00
WBC 30/09/2024 August Business Rates HM 61.00
WBC 30/09/2024 August Business Rates WH 65.00
WBC 30/09/2024 August Business Rates BB 52.00
Utility Warehouse 30/09/2024 Mobile phones Office 53.40
Manual Handling Charges 30/09/2024 Bank Charges Office 11.40
Service Fee Charge 30/09/2024 Service Charge Office 68.70
TOTAL £3297.33

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

7. To consider requests for financial assistance
• to decide if any donations are to be made or if requests should be recommended
to full Council.
• to consider approval process for Friends Groups

Requests
a) Access to Tin Parry Community Centre. The barrier had been installed and was being
closed at the weekend but left open midweek. However, regular customers have still
been ignoring the restrictions and endangering members of the public. A decision was
therefore made to close the barrier, except for specific customers requiring access
either for disability or equipment. One customer has asked that they are allowed
access, although it is this group who have contravened the rules. After discussion, it
was agreed to purchase a combination lock for the barrier and issue a permit for access
on request, up to a maximum of 2 per group. If this is then ignored, the permit will be
revoked.
FINANCE/2024/86:
To purchase a combination lock for the access barrier at Tim Parry Community Centre
and provide parking permits on request. Maximum of 2 permits per group. Permit will be
revoked if parking restrictions are disregarded.

b) From Mature Movers for financial assistance towards a Christmas party for their
members. £150 donation approved.
FINANCE/2024/87:
To give a donation of £150 to Mature Movers towards their Christmas party.

Approval Process
The café run by the Friends of Tim Parry Park is becoming more popular and the group
is looking forward to raising funds to make small improvements to the park or run events.
The council has been clear that the group will need to seek approval from the council for
any idea for the park before it can go ahead. It was agreed that any requests or ideas
with a financial implication should be considered through the Finance Committee using a

FC/2024/39
3.12.24
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 5th November 2024
Whittle Hall Community Centre

simple application form for formal approval to be granted. Any minor request, with no
financial implication can be discussed and agreed by Council officers.

FINANCE/2024/88:
To require formal approval from the Finance Committee for ideas/events with a financial
implication proposed by the Friends of Tim Parry Park. To allow Council officers to
decide on any minor requests with no financial implication.

8. Budget 2024-25
• to scrutinise documentation and when satisfied as to correctness to sign off
financial reports and bank reconciliations for September.
• 6-month review: to assess current spend and consider reallocation of funds

The bank reconciliation and budget monitoring pages for September were considered and
accepted. Checks on financial transactions were carried out prior to the meeting by Cllrs
Williams and Simpson.

FINANCE/2024/89:
To accept the bank reconciliation and budget monitoring pages for September 2024
(Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 reg 4).

The 6-month budget review highlights a possible underspend of around £50,000 by the end
of the financial year. This was noted and options will be considered over the next couple of
months.

9. 3-year budget forecast
Projections had been provided for income from the community centres and the council’s
fixed operational costs. Depending on the exact figure for the tax base, which should be
received in mid-November, it is likely there will need to be a small increase in the precept to
cover these costs. It was noted that the figures do not include additional sums for projects
across the parish and the council will need to discuss and consider options for financing
these prior to the budget setting in January.

10. To authorise payment of wages, tax and ERNIC for October.

The list of wages to be paid was considered and authorised. Total Employment Costs
(including salaries, pensions & HMRC) were £27,520.84.

FINANCE/2024/90:
To authorise payment of wages and HMRC costs (£27,520.84 total) for October 2024
(LGA 1972 s112).

FC/2024/40
3.12.24
Chair’s Signature: