MINUTES of the Meeting of the FINANCE, GOVERNANCE & ESTATES COMMITTEE held at 7.30pm on Thursday 11 December 2025 at the Hurstpierpoint Village Centre.

Also present: Sarah Groom, Clerk to the Council & Responsible Finance Officer and Stephen Witchell, Estates & Facilities Manager.

F25/26.083: Apologies for absence:  Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Claire Majsai, Cllr Duncan Ranger and Cllr Annette Street, and it was:

RESOLVED: That the Committee ACCEPTS the apologies for absence from Cllr Majsai, Cllr Ranger and Cllr Street.

F25/26.084: Declarations of Interest:  There were no declarations of interest.

F25/26.085: Previous Minutes: The Committee considered the minutes of the Finance, Governance & Estates Committee meeting on 20 November 2025, and it was:

RESOLVED:  That the Committee AGREED the minutes of the Finance, Governance & Estates Committee meeting held on 20 November 2025.

F25/26.086: Adjournment for questions from the public: There were no members of the public present.

F25/26.087: Parish Council Financial Monitoring for Month 8 (November 2025): The Committee noted:

• Payments of £51,900.06 (Ex VAT).  Payments included the salaries for November 2025, plus the refurbishment of the Court Bushes Community Hub nursery toilets, funded by Section 106 money and the repairs of the ten vandalised Willow Way Street Lights funded by the Insurance claim.
• Receipts of 89,309.09 (VAT N/A).  Receipts include an £80,000 transfer from the Savings Account.
• Bank Reconciliations.  These were signed by Cllr Jackson. 
• Balance Sheet. 
• Nominal Ledger.
• Income and Expenditure. 
• The funds held in CCLA shares on 30 November 2025 were £114 619.49.
• The deposits and investments accounts on 30 November 2025 were noted.  The Financial Services Compensation Scheme, although not currently applicable, had raised the value of protected deposits from £85,000 to £120,000 from 1 December 2025.  The Unity Trust Bank was increasing its charges from 1 February 2026.

• The United Trust Bank investment that expires on 19 December 2025 was reviewed and it was agreed to re-invest the £100,000 in their 1 Year Fixed Rate Bond at 4.11% AER, and it was:

RESOLVED:  That the Committee AGREED the Parish Council financial monitoring for Month 8 (November 2025), and the renewal of the United Trust Bank investment for 1 Year at a rate of 4.11%.

F25/26.088: Village Centre Financial Monitoring for Month 8 (November 2025): The Committee noted:

• Payments of £4,560.42 (VAT N/A).
• Receipts of £9,257.85 (VAT N/A).
• Bank Reconciliations.  These were signed by Cllr Jackson.
• Balance Sheet.
• Income and Expenditure. 
• Bank accounts held were i) CAF Cash Current Account with 0.2% interest and ii) CAF Gold Savings Account with 1.85% interest.  Maturity dates do not apply, and it was:

RESOLVED:  That the Committee AGREED the Village Centre financial monitoring for Month 8 (Nov 2025).

F25/26.089:  Parish Action Plan:  The Committee reviewed the:

• The Finance & Governance Action Plan:  The Committee noted progress against the actions.  It was agreed to amend the Parish Strategy comments to read that, in light of the lack of progress on the draft District Plan and the potential for a new Unitary Authority the Parish Council will seek to establish what services it wishes to manage in the future, and identify where the required resources should come from.
• The Estates & Facilities Action Plan:The Committee noted all of the progress against the actions.  The Reeds Lane Play Equipment is due to be installed in February 2026.  The detail and costs for the South Avenue drainage project will be presented to a future Council meeting.  Section 106 claim outcomes are still awaited for the additional equipment at Reeds Lane Rec and the ground penetrating radar in the Cemetery.  Work will be progressed to trial three bollards on the Court Bushes Community Hub access road which are thought to offer greater resistance to anti-social behaviour.  WSCC will be approached to fund the cycleway from Hurst Meadows to Chalkers Lane, under the new Active Travel funding it has received, and it was:

RESOLVED:  That the Committee AGREED the Action Plans updates for 2025/26.

F25/26.090: Estates & Facilities Update: The Committeenoted the comprehensive update report.  The bollards adjacent to the pedestrian gate from St George’s Green into the Lane will be ordered.  The tree work planned in Tilley’s Copse was also highlighted.  This has also been published on Facebook, and it was:

RESOLVED:  That the Committee NOTED the update report on Estates & Facilities Management.

F25/26.091: Hurst Meadows Working Group:  The Committee noted the 4 December 2025 minutes of the Hurst Meadows Working Group, and it was:

RESOLVED: That the Committee NOTED the 4 December 2025 minutes of the Hurst Meadows Working Group.

F25/26.092: Budget Setting 2026/27: The Committee considered a briefing note to review and assess the Council budget requirements for 2026/27.  The Committee discussed each budget code and made a number of amendments.  The Committee agreed to recommend the final draft version to Council for approval and adoption, and it was:

RESOLVED:  That the Committee AGREED the Council budget requirements for 2026/27 as amended, and to recommend them to Council for approval and adoption.

F25/26.093: To note any further information items, correspondence received or requests:  The energy broker CUB UK had advised the Parish Council to look at new gas and electricity deals, as rates were currently very favourable.  The Committee agreed to consider new contract prices at its January 2026 meeting and also to enquiry whether current contracts can be renegotiated or even broken, before the end date.

There being no other business, the Chair closed the meeting at 9.49pm.  Chair