8 Jan 2025 – Council Meeting (Minutes)

GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of meeting: Wednesday 8th January 2025
Tim Parry Community Centre

Chair: P. Watson
Councillors: B Simpson S Pennington
N Catlow T Williams
C Wren

Also present: K. Carter, Clerk
8 members of public

Public Participation
The members of public were either former committee members of the Friends of Tim Parry
Park, or present in support of them. The council had received letters from them in relation to
the operation of the café and these were asked again in person. The queries were due to be
discussed in Part 2 of the council meeting and a written response forwarded after the
meeting.

Council Meeting

1. To receive apologies for unavoidable absence.
Apologies had been received from Cllrs Parish, Cooksey, Lynas, Hussain, Cotter, Muqeem,
Cameron, Hussain, Morley.

2. To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 11th December 2024.
The minutes had been circulated prior to the meeting and were approved as an accurate
record.

PARISH/2025/1: To approve minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 11th December 2024
as a true and accurate record.

3. To receive any declarations of interest.
There were no declarations.

4. PCSO reports.
Council noted that the new style report is working well as it gives more useful information than
the previous style. An email had been received from Chief Inspector Drum asking if the council
is intending to continue funding a PCSO in 2025-26. Cllr Wren, as Police Liaison, will be
meeting with Sergeant Bell at the end of the month for a review; the council will therefore
consider the funding at the February meeting of the Parish Council.

5. Finance Committee: to be informed of the meeting held on 30.12.24
5.1 to receive the draft minutes of the meeting.
Noted.

5.2 to consider recommendation on 2025-26 budget.
The proposed budget for 2025-26 had been circulated at the December meeting and accepted
in principle. No questions from members had been received and therefore the Finance
Committee recommended adoption of the proposed budget. This was approved.

PARISH/2025/2: To approve the budget for 2025-26

PC/2025/1 12.2.25
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of meeting: Wednesday 8th January 2025
Tim Parry Community Centre

5.3 to consider recommendation on level of precept required for 2025-26.
As with the budget, the council had considered an initial proposal from the Finance Committee
for an increase in the precept at the December meeting. 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. Hire rates for the
community centres will be subject to an increase from April 2025 to alleviate the increasing
costs but have been kept as low as possible to avoid undue difficulties for customers. Even
with this increase in the hire rates, an increase in precept is essential to cover the additional
costs as well as continue the council’s work to improve its green spaces. There are ongoing
projects to improve the drainage at the Parish Playing Field so that it can be used year-round
by the community, to create community facilities at Sankey Station, and to provide a
permanent Estates Office with associated community space alongside. An increase from
£48.59 per annum to £55.88 per annum per Band D property was proposed and agreed by
majority. Cllr Catlow voted against the proposal. This is an increase of around 15% but is a
moderate increase in real terms (£7.29 per annum (61p per month) on a Band D property).

PARISH/2025/3: To agree a precept of £55.88 per annum per Band D property for 2025-26 to
give a total precept of £622,654 for the Parish Council (LGFA 1992, Part 1, s41).

5.4 to consider remaining recommendations.
There were no questions on the other recommendations made by the Finance Committee, and
these were approved.

PARISH/2025/4: 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).

PARISH/2025/5: 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).

PARISH/2025/6: To give a donation of £100 to Jack and Jill Preschool towards their
Christmas party (LGA 1972 s137).

6. To consider planning applications received by the Council and decide if any objections
are to be raised.
There were no objections to the applications listed. It was noted that approval had been given
to the provision of a post-16 and post-19 education facility within the Tim Parry Jonathon Ball
Peace Foundation off Cromwell Avenue which was welcomed.

7. To receive verbal reports from Parish Councillors and from Borough Councillors on
items of note within the Parish.
Cllr Catlow asked whether there was a map showing the location of grit bins throughout the
Parish. It was thought that Warrington Borough Council have a list, although it may not be fully
up to date.

He also reported that there was a possible fault on the new pedestrian crossing near the new
retail area on Omega. Cllr Parish volunteered to look into this.

PC/2025/2 12.2.25
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of meeting: Wednesday 8th January 2025
Tim Parry Community Centre

Part 2

PARISH/2025/7: Pursuant to section 1(2) of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act
1960 it is resolved that the public and press leave the meeting during consideration of the
following item of correspondence because of the confidential nature of the correspondence
and to comply with the Data Protection Act.

8. To consider correspondence received by the Council, and response sent.
The correspondence from former committee members of the Friends of Tim Parry Park was
discussed in detail and a reply agreed. The Chair and Clerk were delegated authority to
provide this response on behalf of the council who now considers the matter closed.

PARISH/2025/8: To respond to the former committee members of the Friends of Tim Parry
Park as discussed.

PC/2025/3 12.2.25