Statement of Accounts - Significant Differences between 2008/9 and 2007/8

The details below refer to exceptional differences in receipts and payments. Figures are approximate only.

RECEIPTS were £9.816 more in 2008/9 than in 2007/8

General Administration - £8,655 more

Bank Interest was £452 less in 2008/9.

A grant of £6,150 was received from the Big Lottery Fund (not yet expended) in 2008/9. No such grant was received in 2007/8.

Precept income was £3,000 greater in 2008/9.

Allotments - £436 more

Rents for both 2008/9(£232) and 2009/10 (£264) were received in 2008/9. Rent received in 2007/8 only amounted to £60.

Rents are collected on the Sunday nearest to 21st March each year. Depending on what percentage of rents are received on the day, how close the actual collection date is to 31st March and how quickly the monies are paid into the bank, will depend in which financial year the rents are received.

Children's Playground - £4,172 less

A grant of £4,172 was obtained in 2007/8 from the Yorkshire Rural Community Council to re-new the boundary fencing. No such income was received in 2008/9.

Recreation Ground - £2,402 more

Principally due to receipt of £2,437 from an insurance claim related to damage to the football pavilion.

Refunded VAT - £2,513 more

Consistent with the increased expenditure in 2007/8 v 2006/7.

PAYMENTS were £58,003 less in 2008/9 than in 2007/8

General Administration - £819 less

There were no election expenses in 2008/9, having been £330 in 2007/8.

Delivery of the Council's Newsletter cost £100 in 2007/8. In 2008/9 councillors delivered this themselves at no cost to the Council.

Rents for meetings were £54 less in 2008/9

Retention of £770 was paid in 2007/8 but none in 2008/9.

Rents for meetings were £54 less in 2008/9

There were no training costs in 2008/9 (£50 in 2007/8).

A subscription of £113 was paid to the Society of Council Clerks in 2007/8. No payment was made in 2008/9.

Staff costs were £10,326 in 2007/8 and £10,179 in 2008/9, a reduction of £147.

Cost of providing an information board in the Post Office was £85 in 2008/9.There was no such cost in 2007/8.

Insurance charges were £30 more in 2008/9.

Cost of providing a memo board in 2008/9 was £111 in 2008/9 (£0 in 2007/8).

Costs for preparation of a Parish Council Logo were £138 in 2008/9 (£0 in 2007/8).

Expenses paid to councillors were £36 in 2008/9 (£72 in 2007/8).

Subscription payments to YLCA were £298 more (2 payments) in 2008/9 than in 2007/8 (1 payment).

The audit fee paid in 2008/9 was £120 greater in 2008/9.

Recreation Ground - £4,954 less

Expenditure in 2007/8 included fencing to the bowling green amounting to £4,360, exceptionally high water bills of £1,399, repairs to the football pavilion £815, repairs to the bowling pavilion £230, roadway repairs of £33, erection of a new sign at £80 and transfer of £900 to the recently re-formed Recreation Ground Charity. In 2008/9 works expenditure related to repairs to cricket pavilion of £290, football pavilion £2,568 and water bills of £72. Electricity bills were £45 less in 2008/9.

Allotments - £82 less

Expenditure in 2007/8 and not repeated in 2008/9 included the provision of plot marker posts and entrance gate keys plus the cost of vermin control at a total cost of £151. Water bills amounted to £222 in 2007/8 and £291 in 2008/9, an increase of £69.

Children's Playground - £4,487 less

New boundary fencing, gate (using grant monies) and sign were provided in 2007/8 at a cost of £4,487. No works were undertaken in 2008/9.

Village Hall - £40,565 less

Costs related to the extension and improvements of the village hall were largely expended by 31st March 2008. Expenditure on this work in 2007/8 amounted to £49,182 but in 2008/9 work was confined to the provision of an additional toilet (£4,145) and pointing of the external brickwork (£4,472).

Village Maintenance - £1,640 less

The cost of hanging baskets, planters and lights provided in 2007/8 totalled £1,665 with payments to the village maintenance contractor of £2,825. In 2008/9, payments to the village maintenance contractor were £2,597 plus £254 for bedding plants.

S137 - £1,229 less

Fewer donations were made to local groups e.g. the contribution to the Village Fun Day in 2008/9 was £1,000 less than in 2007/. A £300 donation to the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme in 2007/8 was not repeated in 2008/9.

VAT Paid - £4,210 less

Consistent with the decrease in expenditure in 2008/9.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Precept was increased in 2008/9 by £3,000 to £32,000.

This was assessed to be necessary to provide funds for the approved budget.

Balances at 31st March 2009 were 63.65 % of Precept.

No payments were made in 2008/9 related to the grant of £6,150 received in that year from the Big Lottery Fund. Doing so would have reduced the year end balance to 44.43% of the Precept. Expenditure of the £6,150 is planned for 2009/10.

The £4,197.24 on balance in one of the Business Premium Accounts is "ring fenced" to pay the Clerk & Financial Officers Gratuity on his retirement. It is not, therefore considered as being available to provide funding for anything else.

Following serious defects only recently found in the existing cricket pavilion it has been resolved to build up a sum of monies (as happened in previous years with respect to the improvement and extension of the village hall) to contribute to the construction of a new sports pavilion, incorporating a facility for the cricket club. Grants are also being sought.

Asset Register at 31st March 2009

Fixed assets were valued at £695,650 (£747,050 in 2007/8)

The Council had previously been advised to remove the football pavilion from the Asset Register since this building existed on site before the Council became responsible for the Recreation Ground Charity. Advice received from Rotherham Borough Council has subsequently reversed this and the replacement value of the football pavilion has been once more included as a community asset (£98,000). The cost of re-building the village hall has been re-evaluated at £400,000 (£550,000 at 1st March 2008). An additional £600 has been included as the value of the village notice boards.

Parish Council