Budgets and Audits
Parish councillors and the Clerk are always happy to provide fuller details and answer any queries.
Annual Budgets
The Parish Council discusses, and then sets, its annual budget for the following financial year (from 1st April) in December/January. It submits the agreed parish precept figure to NHC who manage the council tax administration but have no jurisdiction over the figure set by the parish. The annual precept is the main source of income for the Parish Council to carry out its functions and maintain village services.
Funds for specific projects and other contingency expenditure are held in an allocated reserve carried over from year to year.
Information on the Budget for 2023-24 has appeared in the 2023 edition of the Yearbook and is also included below.
Parish council finances
How we report the cost of Parish Council services
Reports in previous years only showed direct spending on items like the Recreation Ground or the Springs. But the cost of time spent by the clerk and deputy clerk on them was bundled up under the heading ‘Parish management’. This generic term covers a wide range of work: premises management, burials at the cemetery, and dealing with queries from parishioners are just three examples.
For the coming budget year, we have analysed the detail of Parish management costs and are reporting the intended spend on each service, including the cost of staff time. This is a more rigorous and informative approach.
2022-23 actual spend
The total budget for 2022-23 was expenditure of £95, 859 and income of £95, 860.The net spend is not expected to be significantly different.
The background to the 2023-24 budget
The last year has seen prices rise steeply and the Parish Council has not been exempt from that.
In fact, many of the services it needs are subject to greater increases than the general rate of inflation would suggest, owing to suppliers shrinking their businesses and therefore reducing the amount of competition.
The cost pressure has primarily been due to: possible election costs, higher Yearbook printing costs, solving the rabbit problem at Small Gains and a very significant sum for tree surveys at the Springs. As for all of us, the price of energy has risen too.
In discussions about the 2023-24 budget the unanimous view was that the level of services available to Ashwell’s residents, clubs and organisations makes a major contribution toward making it a good place to live. Given that the area is still relatively prosperous it makes sense to keep services at present levels.
After an item by item review the Parish Council decided to increase the precept by 17.3% (this is the amount that goes to the parish out of your Council Tax).The effect on each household is an additional11.5% or £10.74 for a band ‘D’ property, which is slightly less than the precept increase as the growth in dwelling numbers has spread it over a wider base than the previous year.
Fees and charges make up only a small proportion of our income (9.3%) but putting them up has a big impact on, for example: the clubs that use the Recreation Ground and allotment tenants. Therefore there has only been a modest increase for these facilities, with a slightly larger one for burials in the cemetery.
Click here for information on the planned expenditure figures
Click here to see the budget for 2021-22
Annual Audit
Following the end of the financial year the required documents are submitted to the appointed Internal Auditor and External Auditors.
Documents are made available here as they become available.
The appointed External Auditor for Ashwell Parish Council is PKF Littlejohn. The date set for their conclusion of the audit is 30th September.
Audit for 2021-22
The External Audit has now been completed. See below for links to all documents.
Click here for the Notice of Completion
Click here for the External Auditors Report
Click here for Notice of Public Rights 2021-22
Click here for the Annual Return to External Auditor 2021-2022
Click here for the Bank-reconciliation 2021-2022
Click here for the Summary receipts and payments with general notes 2021-22
Audit for 2020-21
The External Auditor has completed their report and no there were no matters to be raised. See all documents below.
Click here for Sections 1 & 2 of the Annual Governance & Accountability Return
Click here for Section 3 of the AGAR interim report from external
Click here for Final External Auditor Report and Certificate
Click here for notice of conclusion of audit 14oct2021
This last document is the formal notice giving details of how the public can access information. Please note that this is always available at any time from the Parish Office not just during the audit period.
Office at 6a Back Street (01462) 743706 clerk@ashwell.gov.uk
The period for the exercise of public rights (the formal period when the unaudited accounts are available for inspection) ran from Thursday 1st July until Wednesday 11th August
Click here for details of the public rights
To see the documents sent to the External Auditor, PKF Littlejohn, please click on the headings below
Bank Reconciliation
Explanation of variances between the financial years 2019-20 and 2020-21
Click here for a summary of receipts & payments with general notes
Audit for 2019-20
The External Auditor raised no issues. Full documents are available for inspection -please contact the office (01462) 743706 clerk@ashwell.gov.uk
Click here for the Annual Return.
Click here for the accompanying documents (Bank reconciliation and Explanation of variances).
Click here for the Summary statement of Receipts and Payments.
Audit for 2018-19
Audit for 2017-18
Click here for the Annual Return
Click here for the External Return
Audit for 2016-17
