The new Parish Council has been busy working out the finances of the Pavilion and Playing Field over recent months and identifying the work that remains to be done.
So everyone has a better understanding, this is a summary of a Working Group meeting held last month outlining what still needs to be done and the likely costs.
Working Group 4th August 2021
Minutes
Present: Janet Walsh, Paul Rossington, Andy Porter, Julia Tillotson, Katie Jones, John Okell
Apologies Lisa Lloyd
This Meeting was set up to review the budget to help enable the Parish Council to get a preliminary idea what funds they have available to pay for necessary work on the pavilion and therefore prioritise works.
Paul Rossington had reviewed the current budget and prepared his suggested revised budget as a basis for our discussion
His proposed budget varied from the current budget as outlined below:
· Additional cost of the 0.3 head required by the grant from 1 October 2021
· Removal of the election costs. There is a small risk that if one of the councillors resigns then 10 parishioners could call an election and there would therefore be a cost
· Removal of the £500 pavilion budget so that we can see what potential spend we have available
· Removal of the grass cutting costs from 1 October (PC agreed at the July meeting that this cost should transfer to the BPPFF in keeping with lease agreement)
· Removal of the grant to the BPPFF as they have sufficient funds for this year.
Paul fed back that he had looked at the other estimated costs so far and the residual estimates were generally in keeping with predictions
The chair will not claim the chairman’s allowance (budget £150); affordability of skip to allotments unlikely (£129) but tree inspection and associated works are additional expenses
With the above adjustments the Parish Council would be left £11,560 in cash of which approximately £4,000 are earmarked for the war memorial and footpaths (from footpath books)
This would then leave approximately £7,500 out of which we need to leave RESERVE and tree inspection/necessary works (costs awaited).
The minimum reserve in our policy is enough to cover 3 months’ pay and payroll costs. However, it was felt that 3 months precept would be a safer figure which would amount to around £4000 (if we based it on a year without election costs).
This would leave us a likely budget of £3000 to £3500 this year to cover works to pavilion and Discharge of Planning requirements
The working group then looked at anticipated costs not yet budgeted for. To help us with this John Okell had helpfully obtained some initial costs for required works to the pavilion and works required by Planning Officer for Discharge of Planning.
It was noted that all costs below are exclusive of VAT, but we would hope to be able to reclaim this.
This work included:
1) Internal Works to pavilion
Costs of getting all work carried out by contractor: around £4950
Supply and Fit of MDF panels to the remaining walls
Painting panels in Vinyl Matt
Removing and refitting electrics necessary for above fitting of panels
Fitting of client supplied kitchen and splashback
Building up wall in intake room and paint to make secure
Supply and fit beads to window and mastic seal
Working Group discussed saving costs by
a) asking volunteers to paint panels
b) asking contractors to make good leaking window seals-To be discussed at next PC meeting
There was concern that if the kitchen if fitted as planned in room next to community room, this would leave large room (which was to be shop floor) without a kitchen and therefore of limited use for community functions. -to discuss with BPPFF
(Discharge of Planning).
2) Remove existing wooden fencing and de-nail posts; supply and fit 3ft chain link green fence on football pitch side
Cost of getting work done by contractor: £2450
The group felt that money could be saved by getting volunteers to carry out the work, including volunteers who are councillors.
Katie has a family member who works in this field and may be willing to measure up to see how much chain link fencing is required and get a cost for us, so we have an idea. Other quotes for the chain link would be sought online and from Ringwood fencing.
3) Required Work to Approach to Car Park as stipulated by Planning: Initial estimates for this could be between £8250 and £9,500
The working group felt that this would need to be done by an experienced contractor. John Okell advised that planning had stipulated that either tarmac or block paving would be acceptable. The block paving quote was cheaper and generally was thought to be more attractive although it may need more maintaining.
The group could not envisage us having the budget to carry out the required works this year and discussed asking planning to allow this stage of the works to be completed over a longer timescale.
There was also a discussion about problems with the current slope and the difficulty this caused for cars and wheelchairs etc. A suggestion was made that we might look at redesigning the entrance to make it more accessible and incorporate wildflower planting to the verge. We could look to see if any grants were available for this.
4) Discharge of Planning: Landscaping
Requirement for
a) 6 Rowan or Hornbeam trees: suggestion that perhaps residents may be willing to fund trees as donation, for example in memory of a loved one. Hornbeam would grow too large and block light from pitch/bowling green so Rowan favoured-to be discussed at PC Meeting
b) requirement for interplanting with 6 evergreen shrubs; suggestion that we might approach horticultural society for donation/overseeing-To be discussed at PC Meeting
c) installation of bird and bat boxes; we believe that these have been obtained and just need installing
5) Further access and security works
John Okell has been in contact with Chester Security to establish what residual works have been paid for and costs of further access and security work.
At the Working Group, councillors agreed that apart from any included work, which we would want to carry out, we need further discussion with BPPFF as leaseholders regarding their access and security needs and funding for this. It has already been agreed that joint meeting will be arranged.
Date for Joint Meeting with BPPFF 31st August 2021
Date for next PC Meeting when Revised Budget will be formally considered 14th September 2021