MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE OF RADLEY PARISH COUNCIL ON 14th NOVEMBER 2024 AT 7.30PM IN RADLEY CHURCH ROOM
Present: Crs Henderson (in the chair), Barnfather, Moggridge.
In attendance: The Clerk, and the Assistant Clerk
| 14/24 | APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Cr Crowley, Frank, McDermott. |
| 15/24 | DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST ON MATTERS ON THE AGENDA:
Cr Henderson – Trustee of Radley Village Hall and the North Radley Room CIO. |
| 16/24 | REQUESTS FOR DISPENSATIONS: None |
| 17/24 | MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 16th MAY 2024: |
| a) | · APPROVED the minutes of the last meeting. |
| 18/24 | CLERK’S REPORT on matters arising from the minutes |
| a) | Rialtas move to cloud-based system.
Update: Internal auditor raised concern that others should be able to log in if the Assistant Clerk is off work. Rialtas could be asked to transfer the licence, if necessary, at short notice. |
| b) | Accounts to 31 March 2024: In-year deficit £17,067. |
| c) | Pavilion utilities
New contract with SSE starts June 2024. Gas – The Opus contract has been transferred to EDF. EDF have confirmed the contract has been closed. Update – Water contract signed up with SSE. |
| d) | Insurance – new contract to start 1st June. Increase +£200, saving c£800 on the budget.
Rotunda – The public liability insurance will cover the Rotunda building. Require ‘keep out’ signage on site. |
| e) | Play area
The play area will be out of action during the village hall refurbishment: The architect has advised that the contractor will need to fence off a significant area of the pavilion for access to the side of the hall and for safety reasons, recommended that the play area should be closed for the duration of the works. Play areas on the Lawns and Church Farm will be open during this time. Update – The heating system has broken at the Village Hall, challenging finding parts due to the old of the heating system. |
| f) | SID solar panel
TWM quote £688 plus delivery and commissioning £750 = £1,438 to replace the solar panel for the Whites Lane SID. No significant reduction offered. RECOMMENDED that the upgrade should be considered in the next financial year. |
| g) | Cemetery
Action from October Parish Council meeting to write to the PCC explaining that there is no suitable land on offer and asking if they would want the Council to investigate the possibility of some if the land becoming a garden of remembrance. PCC members have been asked to clarify with the archdeacon his assertion that the District Council will become responsible for providing grave space and to conduct a review of available spaces in Radley cemeteries. |
| h) | Gooseacre lease
Clerk to check the length of the Gooseacre lease: Expires 14 October 2037 |
| i) | Budget for 24-25
Margins remain very slim. It is unlikely that there will be a surplus at the end of the year. |
| j) | Bank interest FY 23/24
Bank interest was allocated according to the proportion of reserves held between general and CIL reserves. |
| k) | Allotments
There are now 14 plots: 4 full and 10 sub-divided. The water situation was resolved in the summer at a cost of £1,208 over the two years. Total rent income from the site = £90, up from £80 in 2023 (plot subdivision) and £16 in 2011. |
| l) | Playing field and pavilion
Football club rent was received in October. Promised documentation (hygiene certificate and safeguarding policy) has not been provided. |
| 19/24 | ACCOUNTS TO 31ST MARCH 2025: |
| a) | RECEIVED the revised estimates and notes for 2024/25, and the projection to be £11,708 overspent, which includes the contingency amount 7.5k. Potentially could save costs with holding back with tree surgeries until next FY. |
| b) | RECOMMEND that the remaining donation from Abingdon marathon to spend on:
i) To purchase a small token of thanks to the Radley College volunteers. ii) Purchase a bottle of wine for Tony Stoyle as a thanks for all his help with the website. |
| 20/24 | GRANT APPLICATIONS: |
| a) | RECOMMEND
i) Friends of Radley Primary School – £325 ii) Hope after Harm (Thames Valley Partnership) – £50 iii) My Vision Oxfordshire – £250 iv) Oxfordshire South & Vale Citizens Advice – £1500 v) Radley PCC – £100 vi) Radley WI – £100 vii) The Abingdon Bridge – £250 |
| 21/24 | POLICIES: |
| a) | RECOMMENDATION to approve:
i) Risk Management Policy ii) Safeguarding Policy iii) Equality Policy iv) Dignity at Work Policy |
| 22/24 | BUDGET 2025-26: |
| a) | 1) Noted:
i) The general budget review shows an in-year spend of £85,545 and indicates the precept should be raised in 25/26 ii) CIL budget shows a deficit of £98,737 based on the current budget for Rotunda and the Village Hall. iii) Uncertainty of final overspending on the North Radley Room. iv) The overrun of the North Radley Room project will impact other projects – Village Hall and the Play Area. v) The CIL spending rules. |
| vi) No way of knowing what interest would be made, plus less money to invest due to CIL spending.
vii) No large increases in any costs within the budget. viii) Tax base to be released w/c 18th November. ix) For Radley Parish Council to cover the difference considerations to be made on either making cuts within the budget and/or increase the precept. x) Clerk to add £250 insurance excess to earmarked reserves. xi) Defibrillators to have the servicing costs added into the budget. 2) RESOLVED for the Clerk to check that the Rotunda building will be an asset of the parish council. 3) RECOMMENDED that the budgets for both Rotunda and Gooseacre to be discussed at a Parish Council meeting, along with discussions to produce a priority list for the Gooseacre project. |
|
| 23/24 | PRECEPT: |
| RECOMMENDED: Radley Parish Council should consider a small £2 or £3 increase for band D. Noted that this increase would not be sufficient to cover the estimated budget surplus. | |
| 24/24 | NEXT MEETING: Recommended to be held on:
8th May 2025 (to consider end of year) 10th July 2025 (to consider the Internal Auditor Report) 13th November 2025 (to agree the budget and precept for 26/27) |