Bielby Parish Meeting 29th October 2018 Treasurer Report

Bielby Parish Meeting

29th October 2018

Treasurer Report

1. Financial Position

Current financial position as of 29th October 2018: £2,773.29

Estimated future receipts, 30th October 2018 to 31st March 2019: £250.00

Estimated future expenditure, 30th October 2018 to 31st March 2019: £1,642.00

Estimated year-end financial position as of 31st March 2019: £1,381.29

See attached financial accounts from 1st April 2018 through to 29th October 2018.

2. 2018 Annual Governance and Accountability Return

Changes in the law allowed Bielby Parish Meeting to be granted a Certificate of

Exemption (for small authorities with annual income and expenditure

less than £25,000), with no requirement to submit the annual

return to the government-appointed External Auditor.

- The Certificate of Exemption was duly forwarded to the External Auditor.

As legally required, the “Notice of Public Rights and Publication

of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return” was duly

posted on the “Bielby Blog” and on the Village Notice Board

(at the bus shelter) between 1st June 2018 and 13th July 2018 for

review and comment of local electors.

- No comments, queries, objections or requests for further information

were received.

Thanks to the introduction by Valerie Nolton, Brenda Hardy agreed to

continue as volunteer internal auditor for the 2018-2019 financial year.

3. Changes to banking

• The NatWest branch in Pocklington closed.
• Bielby Parish Meeting Account is now held at the NatWest branch
• in Market Place, Beverley.
• Upon resigning as Treasurer at end-April 2018, Valerie Nolton
• authorised signatory status was relinquished.
• Upon appointment as Treasurer at end-April 2018, Ian Ross became
• an authorised signatory.
• The legal requirement for two signatures for cheques was abolished
• with repeal of Section 150(5) of the Local Government Act 1972.
• Cheque signing authority has been revised to allow for cheques up to
• £200.00 to be issued with only one authorised signature; however,
• cheques for any amount over £200.00 still need two authorised signatures.
• Repeal of Section 150(5) of the Local Government Act 1972 allows
• authorities and organisations to utilise online banking (digital banking).
• Bielby Parish Meeting has submitted an application to NatWest for digital
• banking, allowing online payments rather than issuing cheques, and
• online inspection of the account; this will be particularly beneficial considering
• the NatWest branch in Pocklington has closed.
• Land rental invoices for 2018-2019 allowed payment by bank transfer
• as an alternative to payment by cheque; two of the four invoices were
• paid by online bank transfers.    

4. Precept and Land Rents

1. Precept

The precept provided to Bielby Parish Meeting for 2018-2019, paid via Council

Tax, was increased by 30% (£452.56) to £1,965 from the 2017-2018

amount of £1512.44; this increase was proposed and agreed at the

Bielby Parish Meeting, 30 October 2017, Item 5, with no objections.

Unless unexpected items of significant expenditure arise between now

and 31st March 2019, the financial position is satisfactory; therefore, the

Treasurer recommends that the precept should remain at the present

rate with no further increase for 2019-2020.

- The Local Precept Demand to be issued to ERYC by the Chair

and Secretary following this meeting.

2. Land Rents

Land Rents have remained unchanged for three years. At the previous Bielby

Parish Meeting of 23rd April 2018, the Treasurer recommended that the

Land Rents should be increased by 5% every three years, subject to annual

review, with the next increase being in 2019; this recommendation was accepted

by the meeting with no objections.

Notifications of the intention to increase Land Rents by 5% in 2019 were issued

with the Land Rent Invoices for 2018-2019, requesting any objections to be raised

at this meeting.

Further to the recommendation of the previous Treasurer in April 2018 to raise

Land Rents by 5% in 2019, Treasurer hereby recommends that such

an increase should be proposed, discussed and either confirmed or rejected

at this meeting so the position is clear for 2019.

The result of a 5% increase in Land Rents would be:

- £8.00 annual rent increasing by 40 p to £8.40

- £33.35 annual rent increasing by £1.67 to £35.02

- £66.70 annual rent increasing by £3.34 to £70.04

5. Financial governance for items of significant expenditure

Bielby Parish Meeting has very few items of significant expenditure (say, over £500).

During 2017-2018, the only items of significant expenditure were:

• £873.60 for clearing and maintenance of Bielby Beck.
• £701.72 for four planters to be located in the village.

For such items of significant expenditure, the financial governance process has been:

• Such items of expenditure are agreed in principle at the Bielby Parish
• Meeting, with written minutes of the meeting.
• Best value is obtained by a designated representative for Bielby Parish.
• Invoices are subsequently issued by the supplier and paid by Bielby Parish.
• All such payments are listed in the accounts which are presented at the
• subsequent Bielby Parish Meeting and are available for audit.

However, the actual procurement of such items appears to have been

single sourced; that is, a supplier has been selected without any written

and auditable tendering process or consideration of potential alternative suppliers.

Procurement of items or services by single source award is not considered

good practice and could expose Bielby Parish Meeting, particularly the

Chair and Treasurer, to scrutiny, criticism, objections or demands for external audit.

It is accepted that single source awards are expedient and can be justified

with a local and trusted supplier; however, financial governance would be

improved if any such single source awards are justified with a written explanation

and agreed with the Bielby Parish Meeting so the matter is fully transparent and auditable.

6. 2019-2020 Budget

There is a statutory requirement for all authorities (including smaller authorities

such as Parish Meetings) to prepare an annual budget.

Expenditure throughout the financial periods of 2017-2018 and 2018-2019

may be used as a guide for preparing a 2019-2020 Budget.

Treasurer requests that potential items of expenditure for 2019-2020 are

proposed, discussed and considered at this October meeting so that

such items can then be included in a 2019-2020 Budget to be prepared,

proposed and agreed (or rejected) at the Bielby Parish Meeting in April 2019.

Click on the link below to see the report and financial report.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zpirXltdYCo-fZoBheHm3Ua8h3xwGF7TEBlIDYrnEh0/edit?usp=sharing