Representing and promoting the interests and the well-being of the parish

Financial Information

On this page you will find information in the following categories:

  • Audits, Exercise of Public Rights
  • Precept & Budget
  • Year to Date Performance vs Budget
  • Grants & Donations
  • Financial Regulations & Risk Assessments
  • Assets
  • Community Infrastructure Levy
  • Public Works Loan Board Loans
  • Contracts

Audits

The annual audit process is a formal external assessment of the Council's spending for each financial year, along with internal control and management of its business, with the most recent being year ended 31st March 2022. The audit process commences after the end of the financial year.

It is a two step process with the first step being the Internal Audit which is performed by Northants CALC and takes place annually between March and June. The second and final step is via the External Audit, which is performed by PKF Littlejohn and takes place annually between June and September. The conclusion of audit is then published on the Parish Council website from September onwards.

All documentation pertaining to this will be added to the Annual Audits section below, then select Audit 2021-22 page.

Exercise of Public Rights

Pursuant to the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, members of the public are able to request to review any documentation pertaining to the finances of the council and the audit process. The period for the Exercise of Public Rights for the year ended 31 March 2022 is Monday 13th June to Friday 22nd July 2022.

See Annual Audits section below, then select Audit 2021-22 page. The official Notice of Public Rights - Year Ended 31st March 2022 is published here. Pages 2 and 3 outline the audit process and the public's rights to view documentation.

Precept & Budget

The budget was prepared by the RFO. The expenditure budget was approved by full Council at its December 2021 meeting. The level of precept was subsequently approved at the December 2021 meeting.

The rate of council tax relating to the Parish Council was set at £125.56, per BAND D equivalent property which is a 4.13% increase (equating to £4.99 per annum or £0.10 per week). The precept was set at £119,023 which is a 4.9% increase (£5,560 in absolute terms) vs the 2021/22 year.

Click on the Budget and Precept Report below for a full breakdown of the 2022/23 budget.

Refer to the Budget Archive for budgets from previous years.

Year to Date Performance vs Budget

Updated at the end of each quarter, the report below shows actual expenditure vs budget, actual income vs budget and a breakdown of reserves.

Grants & Donations

These documents list the various grants and donations which have been awarded by the Parish Council and also received for various projects, during the year.

Go to the Grant Reports Archive to find details of Grants awarded and received in previous years.

Financial Regulations & Risk Assessment

Assets

  • Asset Register 31st March 2022 (PDF, 234 Kb)

    This is the Parish Council's most up to date and comprehensive list of all of its assets and community assets.

    Local councils must maintain an asset register to ensure fixed assets are appropriately safeguarded. Once recorded on the Asset Register at acquisition cost, the value of assets must not change from year to year until disposal. Concepts of depreciation and impairment adjustments are not appropriate for local councils.

    The Register is confirmed by the Council at the end of each financial year but is a working document over the following financial year, during which Council Officers will update and amend details as necessary.

    The definition of fixed assets are property and equipment with a useful life of more than one year used by the Council to deliver its services.

    A Fixed Asset Register has four main purposes:
    A) It forms a basis for completion of box 9 in the 'Annual Return.'

    B) It forms a basis for decisions on risk and insurance issues.

    C) It provides information on the age and potential lifespan of certain items.

    D) It provides assurance of the continued existence of Council's property.

CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy)

Amendments have been made to the 2010 Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Regulation that require the Unitary Authority to pass a proportion of CIL receipts collected from developments in their areas, directly to parish and town councils to be spent on infrastructure or anything else that is concerned with addressing the demands that development places on an area.

The West Northamptonshire Council will pass accumulated funds to the parish every 6 months, and the parish council will be required to report on receipts and expenditure each year.

The charging authorities (the Unitary Authority) have to pass on a proportion of CIL receipts to parish and town councils from developments that take place in their area. The Unitary Authority is required to pass 15% of CIL receipts to relevant Parish and Town Councils arising from developments in their areas. This rises to 25% in areas with an adopted Neighbourhood Development Plan.

Please see the attached report which outlines the CIL payments Crick Parish Council have received from West Northamptonshire Council (and formerly Daventry District Council) for the last few years.

Public Works Loan Board

The Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) is a statutory body operating within the United Kingdom Debt Management Office, an Executive Agency of HM Treasury.

PWLB's function is to lend money from the National Loans Fund to local authorities, and to collect the repayments.

Crick Parish Council currently have a number of loans with the Public Works Loan Board, which have enabled the council to purchase land for the woodlands, sports field complex and also more recently the land on which the allotment gardens sit. Another loan was also taken out a few years ago to cover the cost of converting all street lights to LED.

The details of all the loans are documented in the attached, which will be updated every six months, as and when repayments are made and payment schedules are received from PWLB. Payments for each loan are made at half year intervals dependent on when the loan commenced.

Contracts

Crick Parish Council hold contracts for all of the below named during this financial year as follows:

  • Police (PCSOs) £16k
  • Verges & Public Open Spaces Grass Cutting £9k
  • Churchyard & Burial Ground Grass Cutting £3.5k
  • Autela Payroll Service £0.3k

For the 2022-23 year, Crick Parish Council will hold contracts for PSCOs, grass cutting and payroll services, which were adopted by Council in January and February 2022.

Grass Cutting 2022

The contract for Grass Cutting is held with AB Landscapes for the 2022 grass cutting season and will be reviewed again during the budget process in October of this year.

The Contract value is for £6.3k which consists of 17 cuts during the grass cutting season of all open spaces within the Parish Council's remit.

The grass cutting contract for the churchyard and burial ground at St Margaret's was awarded to AB Landscapes for a total cost of £3.5k for the year.

Urban Highway Grass Mowing 2022

Crick Parish Council receive an annual agency grant of £1,140 towards grass cutting costs of urban highways within the Parish Council's jurisdiction, on behalf of Northamptonshire County Council.

Payroll Contract

Crick Parish Council hold a rolling contract with Autela Payroll Services at a value of £256 per annum.

Autela manage the payroll and pension process for employee(s) of Crick Parish Council.

Police Community Support Officer Contract 2022

Crick Parish Council help fund two dedicated PCSOs for the Crick area, which are shared with DIRFT, who also fund the majority of the annual cost for such a service.

Crick Parish Council's annual portion for the 2022-23 year is £15,938.

Last updated: Wed, 04 May 2022 12:26