Minutes
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION (F&A) COMMITTEE
Minutes of the meeting held on 29th May 2025 at 7.00pm – 8.39pm at Colsterworth Methodist Church Hall.
This report to be submitted to Full Council on 3rd June 2025 with full assurance.
Present: Cllrs E O’Neill, C Russell. M Childs and the Clerk S Grant in attendance.
1. APOLOGIES: Cllr C Hainsworth, valid reasons given.
2. APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR:
Appointment of Chair - Councillor Cllr M Childs agreed to act as Chair.
Appointment of Vice Chair - Councillor Cllr C Russell agreed to act as Vice Chair.
3. NOTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING (26TH SEPTEMBER 2024)
Approved and submitted to Parish Council 1st October 2024. Minute ref; 2028.88.
4. TO ANNUALLY REVIEW THE FINANCIAL REGULATIONS (FIRST MEETING AFTER APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEE)
Approved with no changes. Next review July 2025.
5. TO NOTE THE HALF YEARLY BANK RECONCILIATIONS (APR – SEP & OCT - MAR)
The Bank Accounts are reconciled and approved at each Parish Council meeting and uploaded to the CADPC Website – SCRIBE Accounting Reports & Budget – Colsterworth and District Parish Council
Summary of Receipts and Payments are produced from the SCRIBE accounting system to monitor budget control and produced to full Council monthly and uploaded to the website. Showing % +/- / under/overspend.
Bank Balances at 31/03/25.
• Community Account £7,354.65
• Community Savings Account £54,078.16
• Total £ 61,432.81
Total Receipts for 2024/2025 = £94,856.72 (Excl VAT)
• Budgeted receipts of £88,912.78
• Actual receipts of £94,856.72.
Variance on receipts for 2024/2025 mainly due to the following receipts.
1. War Memorial Restoration Project Contingency and Professional Fees costs.
• £1,329.25 Balfour Beatty contribution to Contingency costs.
• £1,407.35 CFoR Funds raised for professional fees.
2. Lecturn Style Information Board on the WM Grant: -
• £1,700.00 from SKDC Prosperity Fund for the War Memorial restoration lecturn style Information Board.
3. Jane’s Bench Replacement – Nature Trail
• £514.28 Nature Trail fund raising from quiz night and book sale.
4. Colsterworth Community Orchard Grant from SKDC
• £366.50 Grant from SKDC
5. Bank Investment Interest
• £630.29 HSBC Interest Rates are variable and difficult to budget for.
Total Payments for 2024/2025 = £91,054.42 (Excl VAT)
• Budgeted payments £92,617.81
• Actual payments £91,054.42.
Variance on receipts for 2024/2025 mainly due to the following.
1. In Touch Magazine costs
The Parish Council continue to supplement the Parish Magazine costs as a community communication tool.
2. Internal Audit
• £345.00 Overspend due to change of auditor midway through 2023/2024 invoiced for in May 2024. It was not possible to budget for this unexpected change.
3. CHT Defibrillators
• £460.90 overspend due to replacement battery and pads.
4. Play Areas Maintenance
• £2,432.06 underspend due to payment for repairs the invoice received in 2024/2025 of £1,010.00 not debiting the bank account until 2025/2026.
5. Village Maintenance/Grass Cutting
£1,731.45 underspend due to the invoice received in 2024/2025 of £680.00 not debiting the bank account until 2025/2026.
6. Bank Account balances provided by the Clerk. Received no comment.
6. MONITORING RECOMMENDATIONS/ACTIONS FROM INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL AUDIT
1. Internal Audit Recommendations: - No recommendations on final internal audit for 2024/2025.
2. External Auditor Auditor’s Report and Certificate 2023/2024: - No findings or recommendations.
3. External AGAR 2024-2025 approved and signed at Parish Council Meeting 06th May 2025 and submitted to PKF Littlejohn Auditors on 09/05/2025.
4. Policies to Review: -
CAD Standing Orders or CAD Standing Orders NALC Update 2025.
Cllrs recommendation to adopt the CAD Standing Orders NALC Update 2025 as modified.
5. Resolved to update the HSBC Bank Account Mandate with the removal of former Cllr A Bouvie and add Cllr M Childs.
7. TO ANNUALLY REVIEW RISK AND ASSET REGISTERS
1. Risk Register – Received no comment. Uploaded to the website monthly and working towards green.
2. Asset Register – Reviewed and discussed. Cllrs recommendation - no requirement to include the War Memorial on the asset register.
The Clerk has reviewed the asset register with the insurance schedule to ensure that all assets as recorded are appropriately insured or “self-insured” by the Authority.
The asset register is provided for the Insurance Company and on Section 9 of Section 2 of the AGAR Accounting Statement.
8. RESERVES REPORT
• SCRIBE reserves report submitted by the Clerk for review.
Cllrs recommendations: -
1. £1,269.40 War Memorial to be returned to the General Fund and remove the project from the report. Project completed.
2. £1,000.00 Brick Bus Shelter Upgrade to be returned to the General Fund and remove from the report. No longer required.
3. £2,000.00 New Notice Board Co-op investigate permission to install a Notice Board outside Colsterworth Social Club as opposed to installing one at the Co-op.
4. -£00.01 War Memorial Contingency Fund (Rounding difference) to be credited from the General Fund and remove from the report. Project completed.
9. PROJECTS AND GRANT APPLICATIONS
Projects and Grant applications
Potential Funding schemes & criteria to be explored.
Ideas/Suggestions for new projects for 2025/2026.
• S137 amount £11.10 per elector.
Recommendations below: -
£3,000.00 1. Nature Trail Tree Works (Ash Die Back)
£3,000.00 2. Community Car Park – Progressing with SKDC
£2,000.00 3. Neighbourhood Plan Review
£2,000.00 4. Old Post Lane Cemetery Extension
I. Resolve to update the proprietor’s correspondence address on the Title Register.
II. Resolve to enquire with SKDC if a Change of Use planning application will be required.
III. Resolve to make a written request to Lincoln Diocese for a Petition of Consecration of the area of land to be identified as consecrated ground.
£500.00 5. North Witham Village Hall Grant request towards installing Three Phase Electricity. Cllr E O’Neill recommended the following amendment to the Grant Application Form at its next review. To include a section for the “Amount of Grant being requested”.
£2,000.00 6. Highways and Footpaths – Road safety measures. See link to the Highways and Footpaths Report June 2025 highways-footpaths-report-june-2025
£2,281.73 7. Election costs.
£44,000.00 8. 1yr Administration Expenses.
£450.00 9. Office Equipment Upgrade.
£2,000.00 10. New Notice Board.
£300.00 11. Nature Trail Information Board.
£193.11 12. Community Fund
£61,724. 84 Total Reserve Fund
Cllr E O’Neill recommended including a column detailing the headings used to calculate the 1 yr Administration Expenses reserves on the Budget Spread Sheet.
10. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
None.
11. DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING
The Chair closed the meeting at 8.39pm. Date and time of next meeting to be confirmed.