At a meeting of the Parish
Council held on 11 February 2008 at 7.00pm
the following Parish
Councillors were present:-
C
Mitchell (Chairman)
T Baldwin, P Carlton, G Downey, M Duggan, F Forrest, P Gill, L
Green, J Harkins and G Payne
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors J
Rooney
and M Varney
Prior to the
commencement of the formal business, Colleen Fairhurst and Joanne Smith of the
new Children’s Centre briefed Parish Councillors on the ethos of the centre and
its proposed activities.
4523 Minutes – 28 January 2008
The
minutes of the meeting held on 28 January 2008 were received as a correct
record and signed by the Chairman.
4524 Financial Matters
The
Parish Council
1)
approved the following invoices for payment:
|
Payee |
Details |
Amount £-p |
Cheque no. |
|
HMRC |
Tax/NI |
1,089-42 |
4937 |
|
Payroll |
4 January 2008 |
3,411.36 |
D/D |
|
Payroll |
6 February 2008 |
3,457-35 |
D/D |
|
ASDA |
Fuel |
40-70 |
D/D |
|
Scottish Power |
Electricity September 2007/January
2008, changing rooms |
245.69 |
4938 |
|
British Gas |
Gas – November 2007/February 2008 |
14-65 |
4939 |
|
Kirkby Skips |
Skip hire – 29 January 2008 |
129-25 |
4940 |
|
Euphony |
Telephone calls – January 2008 |
6-28 |
D/D |
|
Sefton Council |
Altside Business Village
Partnership membership |
2,500 |
4941 |
2)
agreed that the above payments were lawfully payable under the General
Powers of the Parish Council and Open Space legislation
3)
agreed that £10,000 be transferred from the capital reserve account to
the current account and that future transfers be delegated to the Parish
Council's cheque signatories following advice from the RFO.
4525 Internal Auditor’s
Report
The
Parish Council considered the internal auditor’s report as shown below:
Findings
Having received the books
from the Responsible Finance Officer I checked the maintenance of the cashbook
and the bank reconciliation which are up to date. As a part of my assessment I
checked the arithmetic of the cashbook and in general could find no reason to
raise this as an issue for the Council.
I checked the reclaim of
VAT for 27 September 2007 and could find no reason to raise this as an issue
for the Council. I checked the initialling of cheque counterfoils for the two
cheque books. In the main they had the requisite two signatures. However, I am sorry to report during my
checks of the next series 4711/4830 that the stub for cheque number 4819 for
£100 had no signatures.
I found an error in the
recording of VAT. On invoice 147 to ARCO the VAT is specified as £52.19 while
the cash book records this figure as £52.18. Within the bounds of the incorrect
VAT, the arithmetic for November and December 2007 show the figures in the
summary plus those in the reconciliation are in accord. The cashbook is
regularly balanced and updated as required by the Council’s financial standing
orders.
However, I must bring a
small matter to the Parish Council's attention concerning the books in relation
to invoice 165 for the audit by BDO Stoy Hayward. The professional fees have
been recorded on the wrong line and against the invoice for Kirkby Skips.
I also checked a number of
invoices against the amounts included in the books for November and December
2008 and ensured that two sets of authorising initials were present. On all of
the eleven invoices I sampled the invoice contained two sets of initials.
However, I was concerned to find that invoice 155 for £340 made payable to
Councillor Mitchell only had invoices to cover £90 of this payment.
I made the suggestion in my
most recent report that no cheques be drawn or payments made without some form
of receipt although the Council may choose to define in its financial standing
orders when payments may be made without a receipt.
I have scanned the minutes
of the council for unusual activity and have nothing to report. I noted the
regular financial reporting.
I note the taxi receipts
for J Gordon for locking the gates and the authorising initials; however I
remain concerned about the tax implications concerning this payment.
In relation to other wages,
I would raise with the Council the matter of a student paid over a six month
period to date. I am concerned that having checked the wages’ book and the
RFO’s handwritten record of payment that there is no accumulation of pay to
indicate if the employee would be required to pay national insurance and have
tax deducted.
Proposal
In consequence I would
propose that the items highlighted above should be noted and appropriate action
taken by the Council to ensure compliance with Financial Standing Orders.
The
Clerk and the RFO advised the Parish Council that
a)
the cheque stub for 4819 had now been initialled
b)
invoice number 165 had now been allocated to the correct line
c)
in respect of the £340 cheque, a substantial amount of that payment was for
the second payment of the Chairman’s allowance for which no voucher/invoice would
be available
d) in respect of the taxation of taxi fares, the Parish Council had considered this
matter on 10 September 2007 when it had agreed that the fares were not taxable emoluments but rather a
reimbursement of legitimate travelling expenses incurred by Mr Gordon following
him agreeing to the Parks Committee’s request that he return to the park on the
odd occasion to secure it but insisting that he use a taxi for his personal
safety due to the unsocial hours that he would be required, those occasions being
when Mr Gordon was not on duty.
The
Parish Council agreed that
1)
Mr Evans be thanked for another
thorough audit report
2)
the RFO be requested to include vouchers when no invoices are available to
ensure an audit trail
3)
any invoices available must be submitted to support claims
4)
the decision relating to the taxation of taxi fares be confirmed but
nevertheless, the Clerk be requested to review the matter in the light of HMRC’s
briefing EIM21831 “Particular benefits: late night taxis: general overview” and
to report to the next meeting
5)
the RFO be requested to notify the HMRC about new employees.
4526 Budget and Precept – 2008/2009
The Parish Council
1)
noted that the estimated reserves at 31 March 2008 was £79,930
2)
agreed that the Aintree Village Business Partnership be funded for
2008/2009 with a grant of £2,500
3)
approved the following budget for 2008/2009:
|
Budget head |
Allocation £ |
|
Wages |
70,000 |
|
Heat,
light & telephone |
2,500 |
|
Water |
2,000 |
|
Repairs
& renewals |
10,000 |
|
Bank
charges |
500 |
|
Loan
repayments |
14,200 |
|
Sundries |
15,000 |
|
Purchases |
20,000 |
|
Mileage |
500 |
|
Section
137 |
2,000 |
|
Altside
Business Village membership |
2,500 |
|
Total |
£139,200 |
4)
noted that the estimate of current band D equivalent properties for the
Parish was 2,288.05 properties
5)
agreed that the precept for 2008/2009 be £125,000 which would produce a
contingency of £65,730 once the full precept was received
6)
agreed that for a trial period, the monthly statements showing the
expenditure and income activity in each month be replaced by monthly comparison
statements showing expenditure to date against the above budget heads
7)
agreed that future consideration be given to the sub division of the above
budget heads.
4527 Asset and Investment Register
The
Parish Council carried out its annual review of its Asset and Investment
Register and agreed that the register as annexed to these minutes on page 2840
be approved.
4528 Correspondence
1) 2nd Sefton East Scout Group; letter of thanks
for grant noted.
2) Aintree Village Neighbourhood Watch; letter of thanks for
grant noted.
3) LAPTC; Lancashire Best Kept Village Competition 2008
noted.
4) Mr M Bleasdale re flower beds/possible further plans and
the Clerk’s response noted.
5) Sefton Council re parking on grass verges and greens
noted.
6) Sefton Council re flooding by Handcock’s Bridge noted.
7) Councillor G Howe re litter bins noted.
8) Sefton Council – notification of consultation process for
supplementary planning documents on Green Space, Trees and Development and
Peel/Knowsley and Linacre neighbourhoods noted.
9) Councillor P Dowd, Cabinet Member for Children’s
Services; noted that sympathetic consideration would be given to car park
sharing between the youth centre and doctor’s surgery.
10) Sefton Council; noted that Big Issue sellers did not
need a licence, providing they held the Big Issue Permit.
11) Mr P Harper indicating that he felt that the Parish
Council had not answered his previous question relating to the Ain Tree and asking
for details “of the exact nature of any expression of view, or statement of any
kind, that Aintree Village Parish Council has submitted to any other party in
relation to my proposal to have a new Ain Tree planted in the grounds of
Aintree Library on Altway”; Mr Harper be informed that the Parish Council believes
that the Parish Council did answer his previous question and has not made any
such representations as described above.
4529 Proposed Parish MeetingThe Parish Council1) received notification of a proposed Parish Meeting from Mr P Harper
2) agreed that Mr Harper be informed that as far as the use of the Assembly Room for the meeting was concerned, the Parish Council could not guarantee that it will have staff available to open the building nor stay to 8.30pm to secure it and he be further informed that the room is not suitable for a public meeting which may well attract high numbers
3) agreed as far as the use of the Parish Council's notice boards was concerned, Mr Harper be informed that the board at the Old Roan is awaiting repair but a notice relating to the meeting could be put on the board opposite the library and he be further informed that although authorisation is given to the Clerk to put a notice on the board, it would be on the understanding that the Clerk will try to comply with any statutory publication requirements but that compliance could not be guaranteed.
4530 Park/Safety Issues
The Parish Council
1)
considered and noted the minutes of the Parks
Committee held on 7 February 2008
2)
noted estimated park expenditure for 2008/2009
totalling £8,150 for various items required in the park
3)
requested the Clerk to discuss with Mr
Atherton an incident of a person being locked in the park at 4.50pm on Saturday
9 February 2008
4)
noted that the rocking horse had been fitted
5)
noted that the showers had overflowed last
weekend and that Mr Atherton would be clearing the internal drains
6)
noted that the fire alarm had gone off in the
changing accommodation and requested Mr Atherton to continue to monitor the
situation as it might have been caused by the additional heat due to the above
overflowing of water
7)
agreed that a notice for the vacancy for
weekend staff be put in the changing rooms and the Aintree Ratepayers’
Association be requested to also include in its next newsletter
8)
agreed that the Liverpool Shutter Company be
requested to advise on the garage shutter door and to submit estimates if
appropriate
9)
agreed that the new Atholl Crescent entrance
gate be painted as soon as possible
10) agreed
that notices be put on all cars parked in the park indicating that the car park
gates would be closed at 5.00pm each night.
4531 Planning Issues
The
Parish Council noted the following planning matters:
|
Application number |
Details |
|
0042 |
Application for internal
illuminated signs – unit 11 Racecourse Retail Park |
|
1092 |
Approval for extension –
28 Aintree Lane |
|
1089 |
Approval for railings –
The Village Inn |
4532 Parish Councillors’
Business/Clipboard
1)
Rubbish alongside B & Q; Clerk to contact Land and Securities Ltd.
2)
Illegal night club posters on Ormskirk Road.
3)
Repainting of Blue Anchor Bridge; bridge shoes require repainting and
repair.
4)
Blue Anchor Public House; management responded to issues after closing time
by reducing the weekend hours.
5)
Sefton Council to be asked for progress on the various “grot spots”.
6)
Battery garages in Oriel Drive; suggest apron area be marked out for car
parking.
7)
Burscough Parish Council’s risk register; for consideration at the next
meeting.
8)
Loose BT wire by the telephone kiosk outside the Blue Anchor public
house.
9)
Drain cover protruding on Ormskirk Road.
4533 Next Meetings
The Parish Council noted that the next meetings would be held at 7.00pm
on the following dates:
|
25 February 2008 |
|
10 March 2008 |
|
25 March 2008 |
|
14 April 2008 Annual Parish Meeting to be followed
by a Parish Council meeting |
|
28 April 2008 |
|
12 May 2008 Annual General Meeting |
9 June 2008
|
|
23 June 2008 |
|
14 July 2008 |
|
28 July 2008 |
|
11 August 2008 |
|
8
September 2008 |
|
22 September 2008 |
|
13 October 2008 |
|
27 October 2008 |
|
10 November 2008 |
|
24 November 2008 |
|
15 December 2008 |
The meeting closed at 10.00pm
Minutes 4523 to 4533
received as a correct record on 25 February 2008
………………………………………..
Chairman