6 May 2025 – Finance Meeting (Minutes)

GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 6th May 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

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

In Attendance: K Carter (Clerk)

1. To receive and approve any apologies for unavoidable absence.
There were apologies from Cllrs Williams and Simpson.

2. To approve the minutes of previous meeting 1/4/2025.
The draft minutes were moved and accepted as a true record of the meeting and signed as
such.

FINANCE/2025/40: Resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 1st April 2025 as
a true record.

3. To consider final contribution to Warrington Armed Forces Day.

In 2023, GSPC agreed to provide financial support towards Warrington Armed Forces Day for
a period of 3 years with an initial contribution of £3,000 to be reviewed each year. This will be
the final year of support under that agreement. The organiser had been contacted to ascertain
if there is a specific requirement or shortfall for this year but has yet to reply. The committee
therefore recommended that the council approves a contribution of up to £3,000 as required.

FINANCE/2025/41: Recommended to approve a final contribution to Warrington Armed
Forces Day of up to £3,000 depending on response from the organisers.

4. To consider investment options.

WBC have been contacted for their current terms & conditions, including interest rates, on
short-term investments as the Finance Committee were considering investing its Earmarked
Reserves with them. No reply has been received so far.

Details of savings accounts through the Parish Council’s bank, Unity Trust, were considered.
There are options from Instant Access to various Fixed Term accounts. It was agreed that the
precept for the financial quarter 4 should be placed in a 90-day account, with quarters 2 & 3 in
an Instant Access account. This keeps funds in the council’s current account for day-to-day
operations which can be topped up as needed from the Instant Account. Additionally, it was
agreed to move a proportion of Earmarked Reserves to a 30-day Fixed Term account whilst a
response from WBC is awaited. The process will be reviewed in a few months to assess ease
of use and returns.

FINANCE/2025/42: Resolved to transfer Parish Council funds to savings accounts as detailed
in the minutes.

FC/2025/18
3.6.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 6th May 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

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, £
Meadowmania Wildflower seeds 445.98
Top Print Artwork for Dog show advert 18.00
Impact Graphix Park Sign – TP 222.00
T&O Harrison Green waste 30.00
Amazon Disposable teaspoons 11.74
Shakespeare Martineau Cadent Gas repair 380.90
Canda Copying Officer copier – copies 115.65
MKM Hardwood Plywood 29.45
MKM Large Rotavator 140.93
Rialtas Bookings system annual licence & support 348.00
CHALC Renewal of annual membership 1592.00
Rospa Playground annual inspection TP & VCP 206.40
Connexus Staff health surveillance – HAVS test 400.00
Ross Safety Wear Staff safety work wear 434.77
Tudor Environmental Weed killer equipment 188.61
360 Landscape 10 tonnes topsoil 600.00
Brentwood Nurseries Green Compost Waste 122.40
Secure Fencing Ltd Green mesh Fence BB 19,272.00
Brentwood Nurseries 2 Green Waste Compost 122.40
MKM Blades – mower 30.60
MKM Building materials – TP Garden 353.30
MKM Paving spacers – TP Garden 44.98
MKM Building Materials – TP Garden 105.13
B&B Hygiene Ltd Cleaning materials 252.08
MKM Building material – TP Garden 86.83
MKM Building materials – TP Garden 111.84
360 Landscape 2 tonnes topsoil 120.00
Amazon Flower basket hooks 13.88
Trade UK Toilet Repairs WH 49.96
Trade UK Grounds Maintenance equipment 137.98
Equals card Petty cash top-up 494.85
TOTAL £26,482.66

FINANCE/2025/43: Resolved to authorise all payments listed (under LGA 1976 s19 or LGA
1972 s15(5), s101, 111, 112, 133, 142 or 137).

FC/2025/19
3.6.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 6th May 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

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

Novuna 03/03/2025 Electric Van Lease 456.20
BT 03/03/2025 WIFI/Telephone WH 253.38
Lex Autolease 03/03/2025 Council Electric Van Lease 851.98
Water Plus 03/03/2025 Water charges BB 79.91
Water Plus 03/03/2025 Water charges HM 50.95
Water Plus 03/03/2025 Water charges WH 80.38
BT 04/03/2025 WIFI/Telephone 23.29
SSE Energy 04/03/2025 GAS HM 371.95
SSE Energy 04/03/2025 GAS WH 248.43
SSE Energy 04/03/2025 GAS HL 341.85
SSE Energy 04/03/2025 GAS BB 667.62
BT 10/03/2025 WIFI/Telephone ALL 305.20
Peninsula 11/03/2025 H&S Service H&S 200.93
Global 4 Communication 14/03/2025 Office 365/email Office 106.38
Water Plus 20/03/2025 Water charges HL 92.31
Water Plus 21/03/2025 Water charges TP 71.25
BT 31/03/2025 WIFI/Telephone WH 248.98
SSE Energy 31/03/2025 GAS WH 235.27
SSE Energy 31/03/2025 GAS BB 433.43
SSE Energy 31/03/2025 GAS HM 277.83
SSE Energy 31/03/2025 GAS HL 379.43
WBC 31/03/2025 February Business Rates TP 96.00
WBC 31/03/2025 February Business Rates HM 61.00
WBC 31/03/2025 February Business Rates BB 52.00
Utility Warehouse 31/03/2025 Mobile phones Office 53.40
Manual Handling Charges 31/03/2025 Bank Charges Office 8.10
Service Fee Charge 31/03/2025 Service Charge Office 24.15
TOTAL £55,406.62

6. To consider any quotes received and authorise or make recommendations to full
Council where appropriate.
There were no quotes.

7. To consider requests for financial assistance.

Request 1: GSPC had approved a contribution of £10k to Sankey Station CIC in October 2024
to appoint a project manager. Details of the contract between the CIC and Project Manager
were requested which had now been forwarded.

FC/2025/20
3.6.25
Chair’s Signature:
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 6th May 2025
Whittle Hall Community Centre

FINANCE/2025/44: Recommended approval of the £10k contribution to Sankey Station CIC
for the appointment of a Project Manager. The Project Manager will lead on the development
of the website and social media content and presence, manage planning applications &
building regulation processes, manage contractors, engage with the local community, identify
and approach funders and chair the steering group to keep the project co-ordinated and on
track.

Request 2: From customer for compensation for missed booking due to staff error. It was
agreed to give the next session free of charge and recompense the customer for perishable
goods bought for the class (£35). It was also agreed to give a further £35 as a gesture of
goodwill for the inconvenience caused.

FINANCE/2025/45: Resolved to provide a free session plus £70 in compensation to customer
for booking missed due to staff error.

Request 3: From a Link Club for consideration of concessionary hire rate. It was agreed to
apply the community rate to the new customer in line with the existing Link Club and in
consideration of the service offered and the booking duration.

FINANCE/2025/46: Resolved to apply the community rate for Wasps Link Club for Whittle
Hall Community Centre.

8. Budget 2024-25: to scrutinise documentation and when satisfied as to correctness to
sign off financial reports and bank reconciliations for March.

The bank reconciliation and budget monitoring pages for March were considered and
accepted. Checks on financial transactions were carried out prior to the meeting by Cllrs
Watson and Pennington. It was noted that there had been a surplus of £52,000 at year end as
predicted which has been added to earmarked reserves for the council’s long-term projects.

FINANCE/2025/47: Resolved to accept the bank reconciliation and budget monitoring pages
for March 2025 (Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 reg 4).

9. To authorise payment of wages, tax and ERNIC for April.

The list of wages to be paid was considered and authorised. Total Employment Costs
(including salaries, pensions & HMRC) were £28,517.12.

FINANCE/2025/48: Resolved to authorise payment of wages and HMRC costs (£28,517.12
total) for April 2025 (LGA 1972 s112).

FC/2025/21
3.6.25
Chair’s Signature: