Council Meeting
8 July 2021
BUDGET MONITOR 2021/22 Q1

1.All Committees
Overall the Council spend in Q1 has been average. There have been no major
projects which have been completed and paid for though several will be due in Q2.
The major financial variance has been the supplementary estimate to RFF from
reserves in the sum of £85,000. This was necessary to cover the substantial costs of
the car parks works which the RFF budget could not accommodate without extra
funding. The Internal Auditor had noted the underspend in 2020/21 of over £82,000
and recommended that plans should be drawn up to deal with it. The delay in the car
park works to 2021/22 and the need for the supplementary estimate has more than
covered the underspend.
2.RFF (General)
The Committee has spent only the most basic sums on litter picking and the annual
litter and dog bin emptying charges. There are many projects with budgetary
provision which have not been progressed to date which the Committee will wish to
address in the near future.
3. RFF (Car Park and toilets)
There has been regular expenditure on toilet cleaning, utilities and on the
maintenance contract for the car park foliage. The provision for car park
improvement of £5,000 has been exceeded with payments for the Council’s and the
Landlord’s legal costs associated with the Section 146 notice together with various
associated works such as the replacement of the lighting in the car park. The
supplementary estimate covers those excess costs and will be available for the
drainage works, now completed and the imminent resurfacing costs.
4. Playing Fields
The only expenditure has been the regular grounds maintenance contract and works
to the Sports Pavilion occasioned by vandalism. The larger planned projects, (CCTV
and outdoor gym) will fall within Q2.
5.Burial Grounds
The majority of the expenditure has been in respect of the regular grounds
maintenance contract and machinery repairs. A deposit has been paid for the War
Memorial refurbishment. Income in the form of cemetery fees has been down a little
on recent quarters and needs to be kept under review to see if a trend is being
established.

6. EBNP
The two budgets, for review and projects, have not been called upon except for
minor printing costs for the Heritage Study report. Plans need to be formulated by
the Committee if the budgetary provision is going to be utilised in this financial year.
7. SPF (Grants)
There have been only four applications for grant aid in Q1, three of which were
successful, and there is a useful balance for grant aid to local bodies which seek it.
8. SPF (General)
An average quarter of regular payments. Bank interest has been derisory with
interest of less than £2 per month compared with over £40 per month two years ago.
The refund for VAT paid in 2020/21 amounted to £7,800 but that will be wholly
insufficient to cover the large VAT charges on the major works projects in the car
park. It is likely that the Committee may need to seek a virement from RFF for a
proportion of the supplementary estimate to cover the VAT attaching to the works but
this will be a matter for consideration when all the bills have been paid.
9. Other income/expenditure
The income received from Babergh DC in this quarter has been the half year precept
of £78,898.50 and a Parish Grant of £1,115.00. The supplementary estimate from
reserves counts as ‘other expenditure’.

Graham White
Parish Clerk
5 July 2021