MINUTES of the Meeting of the FINANCE, GOVERNANCE & ESTATES COMMITTEE held at 7.30pm on Thursday 16 April 2026 at the Hurstpierpoint Village Centre.
| Members Present: | Cllr Duncan Ranger (Chair) | Cllr Rodney Jackson Cllr Claire Majsai |
Also present: Sarah Groom, Clerk to the Council & Responsible Finance Officer and Stephen Witchell, Estates & Facilities Manager.
F25/26.134: Apologies for absence: Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Shaun Hole, Cllr Malcolm Llewellyn, Cllr Julia Shorrocks and Cllr Annette Street, and it was:
RESOLVED: That the Committee ACCEPTS the apologies for absence from Cllrs Hole, Llewellyn, Shorrocks and Street.
F25/26.135: Declarations of Interest: There were no declarations of interest.
F25/26.136: Previous Minutes: The Committee considered the minutes of the Finance, Governance & Estates Committee meeting on 19 March 2026 (amending the maturity date for the Hampshire Trust Bank account 30 1.3.27), and it was:
RESOLVED: That the Committee AGREED the minutes of the Finance, Governance & Estates Committee meeting held on 19 March 2026, as amended.
F25/26.137: Adjournment for questions from the public: There were no members of the public present.
- F25/26.138: Parish Council Financial Monitoring for Month 12 (March 2026): The Committee noted:
- Payments of £87,857.42 (Ex VAT). Payments included the January, February and March 2026 salaries, plus £7,376.75 to Foster Landscapes for the new South Avenue trampoline, funded by Section 106.
- Receipts of £116,786.29 (VAT N/A). Receipts included a £100,000 transfer from the Unity Trust savings account and the £4,360 bank interest from the matured Hampshire Trust Bank.
- Bank Reconciliations. These were signed by Cllr Jackson.
- Balance Sheet.
- Nominal Ledger.
- Income and Expenditure. The Committee noted the positive end of year figures.
- The funds held in CCLA shares on 31 March 2026 were £116,082.01.
- The deposits and investments accounts on 31 March 2026 were noted as follows, and it was:
| Financial Institution/(Credit Rating) | Account Type | Interest AER % | Maturity Date |
| Unity Trust (BBB) | Current Account | 0 | N/A |
| Unity Trust (BBB) | Savings Account | 2.25 | N/A |
| Nationwide (A/A1) | 95 Day Savings Account | 3.25 | 95 Days notice |
| Cambridge & Counties (Not Published) | 1 Year Fixed Term | 4.35 | 24/06/2026 |
| Cambridge & Counties (Not Published) | 1 Year Fixed Term | 4.35 | 30/11/2026 |
| United Trust Bank (Not Published) | 1 Year Fixed Term | 4.11 | 19/12/2026 |
| Hampshire Trust Bank (Not Published) | 1 Year Fixed Term | 4.00 | 10/03/2027 |
- RESOLVED: That the Committee AGREED the Parish Council financial monitoring for Month 12 (March 2026).
- F25/26.139: Village Centre Financial Monitoring for Month 12 (March 2026): The Committee noted:
- Payments of £3,679.56 (VAT N/A).
- Receipts of £10,620.88 (VAT N/A).
- Bank Reconciliations. These were signed by Cllr Jackson.
- Balance Sheet.
- Income and Expenditure. The Committee noted the positive end of year figures.
- Bank accounts held were i) CAF Cash Current Account with 0.2% interest and ii) CAF Gold Savings Account with 1.75% interest. Maturity dates do not apply, and it was:
RESOLVED: That the Committee AGREED the Village Centre financial monitoring for Month 12 (March 2026).
F25/26.140: Parish Action Plan: The Committee reviewed the:
- The Finance & Governance Action Plan: The Committee noted the three actions for 2026/27 and agreed to remove the Parish Strategy action as there was little likelihood of it being completed in 2026/27..
- The Estates & Facilities Action Plan:The Committee noted all of the actions for 2026/27 which was an impressive list. Progress against the Reeds Lane Play Area (Item 2a) project was given including the delays caused by the contractor. The war memorial wall repairs (Item 2f) is a project for 2026/27, as is the hedge laying in Buckwilly (Item 6h). Any further updates on other projects is now a section at the end of the Action Plan as opposed to a further Estates & Facilities Management Update Report agenda item, and it was:
RESOLVED: That the Committee AGREED the Action Plan updates for 2026/27.
F25/26.141: Hurst Meadows Working Group: The Committee noted the minutes of the Hurst Meadows Working Group on 9 April 2026 held on site, and it was:
RESOLVED: That the Committee noted the minutes of the Hurst Meadows Working Group on 9 April 2026 held on site.
- F25/26.142: Year End Adjustments: The Committee noted the year end adjustments made for creditors, debtors, accruals and receipt in advance, and for the transfers to or from the General Reserve and Earmarked Reserves and to recommend them to Council for approval and adoption, and it was:
- RESOLVED: That the Committee AGREED the year end adjustments made for creditors, debtors, accruals and receipt in advance, and for the transfers to or from the General Reserve and Earmarked Reserves and to recommend them to Council for approval and adoption.
F25/26.143: Additional Burial Plots: The Committee considered a briefing note with a proposal to bring into use six additional burial plots within the ‘S’ mound area of South Avenue Cemetery and to recommend them to Council for approval, and it was:
RESOLVED: That the Committee AGREED the proposal to bring into use six additional burial plots within the ‘S’ mound area of South Avenue Cemetery and to recommend them to Council for approval.
F25/26.144: Burial Plot Buy Back: The Committee considered a briefing note recommending the buying-back of a burial plot (F25) that is no longer required by the owner, and it was:
RESOLVED: That the Committee AGREED to buy-back burial plot F25 that is no longer required by the owner.
F25/26.145: To note any further information items, correspondence received or requests: There were no further items.
There being no other business, the Chair closed the meeting at 8.38pm.
Chair