SHENSTONE PARISH COUNCIL
Serving Little Aston, Shenstone, Stonnall, Shenstone Wood End, Lynn, Parish Council Office 25C Main Street
Shenstone WS14 OLZ
Tel: 01543 481 947
e-mail: <admin@shenstone-staffs.gov.uk >
web: www.shenstone-staffs.gov.uk
Approved minutes of Finance, Legal, Health & Safety Committee Meeting on Thursday 18th April at 10.00am at Shenstone Parish Office
1 Register of Members in attendance:
Cllr Gail Nicholls (Chair), Cllrs David Salter, David Thompson, Stuart Jones, Lesley Edgley. Cllr Simon Fisher from 10.30(non-participatory).
Shirley O’Mara Clerk/R.F.O.
2 Acceptance of apologies.
None
3 Public Participation.
Members of the public are invited to address Council for a maximum of 15 minutes.None.
4 Declarations of interest. Members should consider whether they should partake in any discussion or vote on matters on the agenda unless they have a dispensation:
None
5 To accept and confirm minutes of the last Full Council meeting on Tuesday 23rd January 2024.
Approved & signed.
6 Finance.
Current financial position as of 18th April 2024. Unity Account £187,984.61 which includes the new Precept & the latest CIL funding.
Nat West Current £905.00. Nat West Business Reserve £24,272.27- the Clerk has moved £15,000 from this account to cover the bills paid to date for the Neighbourhood Plan refreshes for Shenstone & Little Aston & a further £15,000, both to the Nat West Liquidity Account, in order to capitalise on the much higher interest rate in this account- £250 approx. per month opposed to approx. £65.00. The Nat West Liquidity Account stands at £110.778.24 which includes funds ring fenced for ear marked projects. Further detail under Item 9.
Transactions for approval: all approved.
The Clerk also briefed Members on the Internal Audit visits with Alan Topliss, the Internal Auditor, on Weds 10th & Weds 17th April. Council is required this year to report on an income and expenditure basis rather than receipts and payments and to restate accounts for the past three years on this basis. The Clerk has amended the accounts package excel system and it was thought from the mid-year audit that the system was able to generate the year end figures to be presented in the required way. However, after extensive work over two visits this has not been possible. Deadline for presentation of the audit is mid-June so Alan Topliss has advised that a complete income and expenditure package such as Scribe is purchased, and all data transferred into that. He will investigate & advise the Clerk on Monday 22nd April.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Members were understanding of what a very frustrating situation for the Clerk & the likely impact on workload is ahead.
Clerk advised to consult other Parishes re their recommendations of accounts packages as well as costs, including potentially handing the whole project over to accounts experts, with purchases to follow. The Clerk to research & feedback to Council for approval.
7 CIL grant funding.
Cllr Nichols proposed that as no CIL grant funding was spent in 2023/24, and further funding recently received, it should be divided between Wards for the restoration of paths. Cllr Thompson felt that funds needed to be looked at as part of the bigger picture with Cllr Jones agreeing but adding that there needs to be a balance between big capital projects and smaller areas of need.
RECOMMENDATION: For consideration at a later meeting.
8 Review of Grant Policy.
RECOMMENDATION: As this is an important policy which should encompass all Council grants not just Community Grants, a specific meeting with Council should be held. In the meantime, Cllr Nicholls will share a discussion document later.
9 Review of ring-fenced funds.
The Liquidity Account now holds £110,778.24. Of this, £10,000 remains of the ear marked funds for Neighbourhood Planning as well as the £11,040 which is Stonnall Neighbourhood Plans historic fund.
£10,000 is also earmarked from the last stage of Community Grants for Little Aston Village Hall pending other grant funding applications from other sources. £25,000 is earmarked for Traffic Calming & £25,000 still held for professional fees including litigation costs which is no longer required.
Therefore, a meeting is required to redetermine these funds as well as those funds currently unallocated.
RESOLUTION: To be discussed at Full Council.
10 Review of fees for St Johns Cemetery.
The Committee compared fees from Burntwood, Tamworth, Walsall, South Staffs & Birmingham (attached).
RECOMMENDATIONS: Increase Interment fees for an adult from £600 to £650 and cremated remains from £250.00 to £300.00.
Increase exclusive right of burial for an adult from £1,000 to £1,200, cremated remains from £750 to £800 & re-opening of a plot from £300.00 to £400.00.
All other fees remain unchanged.
11 A.O.B.
The Clerk shared with the Committee two quotes received for the renewal of the Parish Office telephone system. They are very like for like but BT are cheaper than Zero. RECOMMENDATION: BT quotation recommended.
The Clerk has received an email from Shenstone Lodge School asking if Council would be willing to consider grant application requests if they had established links with Shenstone as a community.
RECOMMENDATION: As Shenstone Lodge School is an educational establishment, under Sandwell Borough authority, Council will not consider grant fund requests.