Parish Council
Annual Report 2009-10
KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCIL
AND BURIAL AUTHORITY
ANNUAL REPORT 2009 – 2010
This Annual Report has been produced with the intention of helping the residents of The Sombornes become more familiar with the work of the Parish Council. The Report summarises the activities and responsibilities of the Council during the past year.
CONTENTS
Members of the Council 2009-2010
Membership of Council Committees
Appointments to/Liaison with External Committees and Organisations
Chairman’s Report
Financial Report
Parish Council Webpage
King’s Somborne Parish Council Newsletter
Parish Notice Boards
The Gauntlet Magazine
King’s Somborne Parish Councilc/o 2 Old Fromans Farm
King’s Somborne Stockbridge SO20 6QD
MEMBERS OF THE PARISH COUNCIL 2009-2010
Name Tel no Address
Cllr Ron Bevan 01794 388545 1 The Gorrings, King’s Somborne, SO20 6NT ronbevan0833@tiscali.co.uk
Cllr David Bidwell 01794 388939 Sycamore House, 6 Nutcher’s Drove, King’s Somborne SO20 6PA bidwellq@btinternet.com
Cllr Dick Dyke 01794 388525 1 Vicarage Cottages, Old Vicarage Lane, Chairman King’s Somborne SO20 6PZ richarddyke841@btinternet.com
Cllr Frank Fahy 01794 388314 2 Vicarage Cottages, Old Vicarage Lane King’s Somborne S020 6PZ frank.fahy@gmail.com
Cllr Richard Harwood 01264 810314 4 Marsh Court Farm, Romsey Road, Stockbridge SO20 6DF harwood_house@hotmail.com
Cllr Robbie Lane 01794 388792 Charmwood, Up Somborne, Stockbridge SO20 6RA rob@katelane.freeserve.co.uk
Cllr Gordon Pearson 01794 388662 Yew Tree Cottage, Romsey Road, King’s Somborne SO20 6PR
Cllr Roy Pidgeon 01794 388051 32 Scott Close, King’s Somborne SO20 6NS
Cllr David Room 01794 389344 2 Camp Field, King’s Somborne SO20 6QB davidroom@hotmail.com
Cllr John Werrett 01794 389311 5 Camp Field, King’s Somborne SO20 6QB JIWER@aol.com
BOROUGH COUNCILLOR
Cllr Tony Ward 01794 389649 5 Forge Close King’s Somborne SO20 6FA anthonyjohnward@btopenworld.com
COUNTY COUNCILLOR
Cllr Andrew Gibson 01264 861138 Test Valley Farm, Little Drove Road Chilbolton SO20 6AN andrew.gibson@hants.gov.uk
CLERK and RESPONSIBLE FINANCE OFFICER TO KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCIL and BURIAL AUTHORITY
Peter Storey OBE FCIS, 2 Old Fromans Farm, King’s Somborne, Stockbridge SO20 6QD
Tel: 01794 389688 Fax: 01794 389220 email: kingssomborne.pc@btconnect.com
MEMBERSHIP OF COUNCIL COMMITTEES
Planning Committee
Cllr David Room Chairman
Cllr David Bidwell Four Councillors as required
Newsletter Committee
Cllr Dick Dyke
Clerk
Parish Website Committee
Cllr John Werrett
Clerk
Councillors are co-opted onto these and other committees as the need arises
APPOINTMENTS TO/LIAISON WITH EXTERNAL COMMITTEES AND ORGANISATIONS
Appointments:
Footpath Warden Dr Stephen Rake
Tree Warden Colin Matthews
Village Hall liaison Cllr Dick Dyke
Council for the Protection of Rural England Cllr Gordon Pearson
Neighbourhood Watch Cllrs David Bidwell and Gordon Pearson
Flood Watch Cllr John Werrett
Cubs/Scouts liaison Cllr Roy Pidgeon
Test Valley Planning Users Group Cllr David Room
Horsebridge liaison Mrs Dawn Harrison
Cemetery records Cllr David Bidwell
School liaison Cllr Roy Pidgeon
Lead Councillors:
Farming Community liaison Cllr Richard Harwood
Three Fields site Cllr Ron Bevan
Sport facilities Cllrs Richard Harwood and Frank Fahy
Young People Cllrs Ron Bevan and Roy Pidgeon
Transport matters Cllr David Bidwell
Up Somborne liaison Cllr Robbie Lane
TVBC Environment Action Group Cllr Richard Harwood
Health & Safety – Muss Lane Cllr David Bidwell
King’s Somborne Cllr Ron Bevan
Up Somborne Cllr Robbie Lane
Graveyard and Cemetery Cllr Roy Pidgeon
Affordable Housing Cllrs Ron Bevan and Dick Dyke
Biodiversity Cllrs Frank Fahy, Richard Harwood and John Werrett
Highways matters Cllr Frank Fahy
Annual Report by the Chairman of the Parish Council
Presented by Cllr Dick Dyke at the Annual Assembly
held in the King’s Somborne Village Hall on 13 May 2010
As in previous years, this report is being published in The Gauntlet prior to the May Annual Assembly to allow parishioners an opportunity to formulate the questions they may wish to raise at the Assembly. This year there are no outside guest speakers but our County and Borough Councillors will hopefully attend. This report is published on coloured paper as a ‘flier’ to enable you to bring it to the meeting and also submit any questions you may wish to ask.
It is very easy to perceive the Parish Council merely as a paperwork administration, arranging for the minor jobs around the Parish such as grass cutting, hedge trimming etc. This is not so. Over the last year all 3 bus shelters have been replaced using timber in lieu of plastic being more in keeping with the Parish. Financial support to the sum of £4,000 has been given to the village hall to enable their management to continue with major renovations, also we have embarked on a major children’s play equipment replacement scheme which is due for completion in the immediate future. We are grateful to Star Energy who granted £7,000, Hampshire Playing Fields Association, our County Councillors, past and present, Testway Housing, each of whom contributed, and to Test Valley Borough Council who recently granted a further £9,200 towards the total cost of £26,000. The steps to the passage between Old Manor Farm and Scott Close have been replaced with a ramp – we are still trying to get the HCC Highways to add a non-slip surface and we are continuing to campaign for further highways improvements around the Parish. During the coming year, we shall undertake an assessment of the Up Somborne play area and support the installation of an all-weather path connecting the school to the village hall. We hope also to see some progress on the affordable housing scheme – at present a reassessment of the local needs is being done – we believe due to financial constraints. This unfortunately will delay the scheme and at the time of this report we have no indication of how long and to what extent this review will take. We are still planning a bio-diversity area for the Parish, which will probably be in the ‘three fields site’. Its final position and details will hopefully be published in the forthcoming year.
Finally, on behalf of the whole Parish I would like to thank our County Councillor Andrew Gibson and our Borough Councillor Tony Ward for the efforts given on our behalf. Our Clerk, Peter Storey, without whose efforts in obtaining grants, much of the schemes achieved would not have been possible. Colin Matthews, our Tree Warden, for giving us constant advice for replacement and new planting and Stephen Rake, our Footpath Warden, for leading some fascinating walks and keeping us informed on clearance and repairs. Both of these volunteers also carry out some minor maintenance work during the year for which we have to say thank you. Mike Rebbeck, our Odd Job/Maintenance Man, whose responds to our requests, sometimes within hours to carry out emergency work often needed during the year. I have to confirm that Stephen Rake wishes to step down at the end of the year, so we will be seeking his replacement – any volunteers?
Dick Dyke
Chairman
FINANCIAL REPORT
KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCILINCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2009
INCOME 2008 2009 £ £ £ £
Precept 26750 30000
Bank & Other Interest 1464 722
Burial Board Income 2775 2235
Income from Recreation Ground 283 285
VAT repaid by HMRC 2301 2869
Misc grants received 10698 1354
TOTAL INCOME 44271 37465
EXPENDITURE
General Administration: Clerk’s salary & expenses 8740 9682
Insurance premium 1770 1386
Audit fee 845 843
HAPTC – Sub & LCR 249 813 Courses, publications 81 Facility hire 120 250 Councillors’ expenses Elections 1537 Other admin costs 485 13827 2157 15131
S137 Expenditure/Parish furniture/Boards 1028
Parish Clock – maintenance & electricity 408 392
Village Hall 3013 6248
Other Grants 18050 1454
Bus shelters 10618
Misc maintenance, street lights 2648 634
Burial Board Expenditure:
Grass cutting 762 1672
Other works 448 1210 324 1996
Open Spaces:
Churchyard 1987 865 Village Green 982 1002
Muss Lane 80 212
Up Somborne Recreation Ground 202 260 King’s Somborne Recreation Ground 1406 2924
Play equipment – repairs/purchases 285 183 Community safety 33 169
Three Fields 2177 7152 1848 7505
VAT on repayments 4535 2708
TOTAL EXPENDITURE 48195 47714
KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCILINCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2009 GENERAL FUND 2008 2009 £ £
Balance at 1 April 36354 34684
add Total Income 44271 37465 80625 72149
less Total Expenditure 48195 47714
Balance at 31 March 32430 24435
Notes on General Fund The Parish Council has committed the following amounts for future projects and liabilities as follows:
Provision for purchase of Top Field 15000
Uncommitted funds 9435 24435
KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCILBALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2009
LONG TERM ASSETS 2008 2009 £ £ £ £ Investments nil nil Long Term Debts nil nil nil nil
CURRENT ASSETS
Stocks & Stores nil nil
Work in progress nil nil Debtors nil nil
Payments in advance nil nil
VAT Recoverable 3031 2231
Bank Balances 32053 35084 22654 24885
TOTAL ASSETS 35084 24885
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Creditors 400 450
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 34684 24435
Long Term Liabilities nil nil
NET ASSETS 34684 24435 REPRESENTED BY:
General Fund 19654 9435
Provisions 15000 15000 34684 24435
Signed ……………… ……………………. Chairman Responsible Financial Officer
Date Date 10 May 2009
KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCILACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2009SUPPORTING SCHEDULES ASSETS £
The following Fixed Assets were held at 31 March 2009:
Community Assets
Cemetery & Extension – Stockbridge Road nil
Lay-by opposite Cemetery nil
Village & War Memorial Green nil
Muss Lane Open Space nil
Up Somborne Recreation Ground nil
Kings Somborne Children’s Play Area * nil
Old Palace Farm Land nil
Extension to Kings Somborne Recreation Ground* nil
* the remainder of the King’s Somborne Recreation Ground is owned by Fields in Trust and the Parish Council acts as Managing Trustee.
Other Fixed Assets £
Cemetery and Churchyard walls 35580
Street furniture 29301
War Memorial 19294
Play Equipment 27270
Parish Clock 5202
Gates – Cemetery Extension/Cemetery 5112
Light – KSRG 515
Skate Ramp – KSRG 12652
Clare Norton Painting (Shire Horses),
Village Hall wall 5151
Litter bin 93
Filing cabinet 55
Notice board (Horsebridge) 1424
Play safety surfaces 24541
Speed Indicator Device 2650
Trim trail 12863 181703
The basis of valuation of the Assets is their insurance valuation during Financial Year 2008-9, with the exception of Community Land which is valued at nil. The flint wall at the Churchyard is insured for £28568. Although owned by the Parochial Church Council, the wall is the responsibility of the Parish Council for maintenance; as the Churchyard is ‘closed’ by Order in Council.
Borrowings At the close of business on 31 March 2009 no loans to the Council were outstanding.
Leases The Council has a ten year lease on John O’ Gaunt Palace site and Upper Field.
Tenancies The Council is an agricultural tenant of land at Old Palace Farm.
Agency work None
Advertising None
S137 Payments Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972 enables a Parish Council to spend up to the product of £5.86 per head of electorate in 2008/9 for the benefit of people in the area of activities or projects not specifically authorised by other powers.
Contingent Liabilities and Pensions
There are no contingent liabilities relating to pensions or any other matters. Signed …………………… ………………………..
Chairman
Responsible Financial Officer Date …………………….. ………………………..
RFOs Report – Annual Parish Assembly 2010
The key to local authority accounting is the Annual Return. This is a document completed by me as RFO, signed off by our auditor and then submitted to the Audit Commission for verification. A copy of the last audited and accepted Annual Return, which is for the year ended 31 March 2009, is available in the room and, as you will see, contains the acceptance certificate from the Audit Commission. It is by nature of the procedure historical. At the risk of consuming you with figures, I have also provided copies of the detailed Income and Expenditure accounts for the year ended 31 March 2009 which went into compiling the Annual Return; these also show a comparison with the previous year ended 31 March 2008.
For the financial year just ended on 31 March 2010, the budgeted income for the year was £33,750 against an actual income of £52,052. Due to some successful bids for external grants we had an excess of £18302. There was a budgeted expenditure of £41,400 against an actual spend of £54,118, resulting in a small overspend on the year of £2,066 due to the decision to complete the bus shelter replacement programme sooner rather than later. When I attend presentations by other organisations on their accounts, I am more interested in financial trends and, looking at KSPC over the last 3 years, revenue expenditure increases slightly year on year primarily due to inflation. Expenditure is financed by income of around £3k plus pa, the Precept (council tax), which last year was £30,000, and a contribution from the Parish Council’s reserves. However, your Council cannot go on relying on diminishing reserves which have been further reduced by the £2,066 I mentioned earlier and now stand at £22,369 and consequently we plan to break even this year.
This is a healthy balance but we need to bear in mind the professional advice that a council should maintain a reserve in the region of that equal to one year’s administrative costs which in our case is around £17,800.
Of interest, the average Band D household in the Parish pays £44.04 pa for the services, support and improvements provided by the Parish Council with those in lower council tax bands paying less and those in higher paying slightly more. Not an extortionate amount I would suggest but one which places the Parish Council in a strong position financially to continue to implement the remaining suggestions contained within the Parish Plan and its update to continue enhancing the village facilities for the general benefit of us all.
Thank you.
Peter Storey
RFO
PARISH COUNCIL STAFF
Clerk to the Parish Council Peter J Storey OBE FCISand Responsible Finance Officer 2 Old Fromans Farm, King’s Somborne Stockbridge SO20 6QD
Tel: 01794 389668
Fax: 01794 389220
Email: kingssomborne.pc@btconnect.com
PARISH COUNCIL WEBPAGE
The Parish Council has a webpage on The Sombornes website containing information on the Parish, contact details for Councillors and staff, and copies of past meeting minutes. The website also contains information on local organisations with contact details and much more. The site is being updated continuously and the Website Committee welcomes suggestions from the general public. Links to other websites are being incorporated with the aim of promoting the website as a central resource for community information and the Parish Council is committed to these improvements in communication and the passage of information. The website address is: www.thesombornes.org.uk
KING’S SOMBORNE PARISH COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
In addition to the monthly report on Parish Council activities in The Sombornes magazine, an occasional King’s Somborne Parish Council Newsletter is issued during the year and is posted on the Village notice boards. Copies are also available from local shops and surgeries. The Clerk welcomes information from local residents which would be of general interest to others and this can be given to him or e-mailed to kingssomborne.pc@btconnect.com
PARISH NOTICE BOARDS
There are seven notice boards situated around the Parish. The boards are community boards available for any resident to display suitable notices and to this end are not locked. The Clerk updates the Parish Council notices weekly as necessary.
THE GAUNTLET MAGAZINE A volunteer committee of residents produces a free monthly magazine which is distributed to every household in The Sombornes and contains a variety of useful local information on events and traders. The Village Reporter, a local volunteer resident, attends the Parish Council’s meetings and reports on the discussions and decisions made for the magazine.