Council Meeting
14 November 2024
Review of Council Policies

Reserves Policy
1. At its meeting on 18 July 2024, the Strategy, Policy and Finance Committee
reviewed the Reserves Policy and in the light of advice from the internal
auditor, considered that more reserves should be earmarked and only a
relatively modest amount remain unallocated. The Committee minute is as
follows:

RESERVES
The Clerk presented his report which noted the comments of the Internal
Auditor which recommended a review of unallocated and earmarked reserves.

At 30/06/24 the Council held restricted reserves of £543,441.36 comprising
the ring-fenced parish CIL fund together with a small sum of £369.76 held as
proxy for Broom Knoll Community Association. Earmarked reserves of
£58,048.50 were held to support the budget and £37,000 was the remaining
amount of the half year precept also supporting the budget. Unallocated
reserves totalled £233,548.21.

The Committee agreed that unallocated reserves should amount to 50% of
the precept, £74,000, which could be called upon for unseen eventualities.
The remaining unallocated reserves, £159,548.21 should be earmarked
against the published Council priority projects for 2024/25.

The Clerk was requested to amend the Reserves Policy to reflect the
foregoing for submission to Council at its next meeting.

2. Attached to this report is the Reserves Policy approved and adopted on 8
February 2024 with track changes to reflect the above agreement of the
Strategy Policy and Finance Committee.

3. It is RECOMMENDED that the revised Reserves Policy, attached to this
report, be approved and adopted and reviewed in a year’s time.

Code of Conduct for East Bergholt Parish Councillors
4. At its meeting on 9 November 2023, the Council approved the model code of
conduct developed by the Local Government Association with support from
the National Association of Local Councils and the Society of Council Clerks.

5. Since its introduction in 2020, the model code has been adopted by local
authorities at all levels, including Suffolk County Council and Babergh District
Council and was recommended to all local councils in Suffolk by the Suffolk
Association of Local Councils.

6. The code, attached to this report, has been in effect in East Bergholt for a
year and during that time members have adhered to its requirements and no
issues have arisen in respect of it.

7. It is RECOMMENDED that the Code of Conduct for East Bergholt Parish
Councillors, attached to this report, be approved and adopted and reviewed in
a year’s time.

Graham White
Parish Clerk
6 November 2024