1 September 2026 – Finance Committee (minutes)

GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 1st September 2026
Whittle Hall Community Centre

Chair: Cllr S Pennington
Present: Cllr N Catlow
Cllr B Simpson
Cllr P Watson
Cllr C Wren

In Attendance: K Carter (Clerk)

1. To receive and approve any apologies for unavoidable absence.
Apologies were received from Cllr Hussain.

2. To approve the minutes of previous meeting 4/8/26.
The draft minutes were moved and accepted as a true record of the meeting and signed as
such.

FINANCE/2026/09/66: Resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 4th August
2026 as a true record (LGA 1972 Sch 12 41(1).

3. To consider suggestion for card payments.
The council currently accepts payment for hall hire by either cheque or bank transfer. Cash
payments were discontinued in October 2023 because changes to the banking system
made paying cash into the council’s account increasingly difficult leading to cash being kept
in the Parish Office for many months. A suggestion was made to acquire a card payment
machine to provide an additional method of payment. A review of the number and type of
payments over the last 12 months show that the majority (88%) of customers pay by bank
transfer and 12% by cheque, with only one request made for card payment. Given that
there would be a cost for the machine (either purchase or rental) along with transaction
fees, it was agreed that the demand does not support the need for a card machine at this
time. The situation will continue to be monitored and reviewed in the future if demand
increases.

FINANCE/2026/10/67: Resolved to retain the current process for payments to the council
via cheque or bank transfer and to review the need for a card machine if demand
increases.

4. To scrutinise financial expenditure arising since the last meeting, including
payments by Direct Debit.
A list of payments to be made had been circulated prior to the meeting. The following
payments were considered and approved.

Amount,
Presented By Description
£
The Landscape
Academy Staff Training 1132.80
Fisher German Rent Unit June to Sept 3654.00
Fisher German Service Charge Unit June to Sept 135.35
UBS Baliff services 3660.00
John Riley Laptop supply and set up 1795.00

FC/2026/36 6.10.26
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 1st September 2026
Whittle Hall Community Centre

T & O Harrison Greenwaste 30.00
Viking Office UK Office stationery 227.29
Tudor Environmental STIHL Dynamic Ergo 60.74
Amazon Business Samsung Galaxy Phone Case 11.94
K. Carter Paid for grounds van repair 49.50
Ross Safety Wear PPE Staff 26.26
Ross Safety Wear PPE Staff 34.52
Trade UK Padlock and chain 43.38
Trade UK Padlock 33.89
Tudor Trigger litter picker 53.59
Amazon Business 3 Drawers Filing cabinets 50.00
Trade UK Toilet repairs TP/BB 43.32
Firecheck NW Pat testing – TP 90.96
Firecheck NW Pat testing – BB 78.00
Firecheck NW Pat testing – HM 78.00
Firecheck NW Pat testing – WH 152.88
PSI Solutions CCTV Phase one installation 3,900.00
B&B Hygiene Ltd Cleaning Supplies 328.01
Tudor Environmental Secateurs and holster – grounds 80.11
Trade UK Toilet repairs TP/BB 43.32
Trade UK Retractable knife – Centre repairs 10.59
Ross Safety Wear Grounds staff PPE 51.30
Ross Safety Wear Grounds Staff PPE 59.10
GMA PPF Drainage improvements 1139.52
Trade UK Padlock 33.89
Firecheck NW Ltd PAT testing – HL 78.00
Amazon Business Dash Cam 58.99
Rialtas Bookings & Accounts software 1698.00
Amazon Business Spanners-wrenches 26.05
National Security Gates Repairs 618.00
Steve Mahon Toilet repairs, Hood Manor 360.00
Tom Taylor Company Website hosting Dec 25 – Sep 26 1800.00
Tom Taylor Company Website redesign Part 4 2200.00
Tom Taylor Company Website redesign Part 5 6000.00
Equals cards Account top-up 421.34
TOTAL 40,774.79

FINANCE/2026/09/68: Resolved to authorise all payments listed (under LGA 1976 s19 or
LGA 1972 s15(5), s101, 111, 112, 133, 142 or 137).

The following direct debits on the Council’s account during July were also checked:

Novuna 01/07/2026 Electric Van Lease 456.20
Lex Autolease 01/07/2026 Council Electric Van Lease 851.98

FC/2026/37 6.10.26
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 1st September 2026
Whittle Hall Community Centre

Water Plus 01/07/2026 Water charges BB 122.98
BT 06/07/2026 WIFI/Telephone HL/TP/BB/HM 426.30
Smart Pension Ltd 10/07/2026 Pension payment April Wages 1523.54
British Gas 13/07/2026 Gas BB 14.25
British Gas 13/07/2026 Gas TP 30.72
Peninsula 13/07/2026 HR/H&S Services HR 515.48
Global 4 14/07/2026 Office 365/email E-mail 64.21
British Gas 15/07/2026 Electricty WH 185.90
British Gas 15/07/2026 Electricty BB 97.62
British Gas 15/07/2026 Gas HM 6.04
Public Works Loans 20/07/2026 Loan repayment Office 11666.94
Water Plus 27/07/2026 Water charges TP 81.16
Water Plus 27/07/2027 Water charges HL 45.11
BT 28/07/2026 WIFI/Telephone WH 283.10
WBC 30/07/2026 July Business Rates TP 301.00
WBC 30/07/2026 July Business Rates HM 214.00
WBC 30/07/2026 July Business Rates WH 227.00
WBC 30/07/2026 July Business Rates BB 191.00
Utility Warehouse 31/07/2026 Mobile phones Office 94.87
Water Plus 31/07/2026 Water charges HM 45.60
Water Plus 31/07/2026 Water charges WH 74.96
Unity Trust 31/07/2026 Service Charge Office 29.80
TOTAL £17549.76

5. To consider any quotes received and authorise or make recommendations to full
Council where appropriate.
None.

6. To consider requests for financial assistance.
Request 1: from Families United who provide support to families with children & young
adults with a variety of neuro diverse, sensory and life-threatening conditions. £100
donation approved in recognition of the much-needed service provided.

FINANCE/2026/09/69: Resolved to give a donation of £100 to Families United.

Request 2: from Scout Leader at 10th Warrington West Scout Group for help towards an
expedition for the Scout of the World Award. £100 donation approved in recognition of the
development opportunity for scout leadership skills and ongoing benefit to young people in
the parish.

FINANCE/2026/09/70: Resolved to give a donation of £100 to a scout leader of 10th
Warrington West Scout Group.

7. Budget 2026-7: to scrutinise documentation and when satisfied as to correctness to
sign off financial reports and bank reconciliations for July.

FINANCE/2026/09/71: Resolved to accept the bank reconciliation and budget monitoring
pages for July 2026 (Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 reg 4).

FC/2026/38 6.10.26
GREAT SANKEY PARISH COUNCIL
Finance Committee

Minutes of meeting: Tuesday 1st September 2026
Whittle Hall Community Centre

8. To authorise payment of wages, tax and ERNIC for August.
The list of wages to be paid was considered and authorised. Total Employment Costs for
August (including salaries, pensions & HMRC) were £25,008.54

FINANCE/2026/09/72: Resolved to authorise payment of wages and HMRC costs
(£25,008.54 total) for August 2026 (LGA 1972 s112).

9. Governance issues (P Watson)
Proposed and agreed to recommend that the Parish Council reviews the strategic aims of
the council to focus objectives and aid in decision-making, with the initial work to be
undertaken by the Finance Committee.

FINANCE/2026/09/73: Recommended to review the strategic aims of the Parish Council
via the Finance Committee.

FC/2026/39 6.10.26