Sticklepath Budget Review September 2024

Mid-Year Budget Review

The budget review is very positive compared to last year. Last year we overspent by £163 (2.33%) due to the wall repairs and the MVAS contract. This year we have not (yet) had any unexpected expenditure, and it looks as if at the end of the year there will be an £574 (8%) underspend, mainly due to spending below budget on the village environment, FILCA, maintenance, speed awareness (even if we buy a battery), the housing initiative and contingency. There will also be around £100 of savings interest received, which was not budgeted. These more than compensate for the extra cost of paying last year’s website costs in this financial year, and the expected WDBC grant going to the Playground Equipment Fund not the general fund.

Thanks to this surplus and the transfer of the Hardship Fund in to the General Reserves, our General Reserves are at a comfortable level again. They are expressed as a percentage of expenditure, so our slightly reduced expenditure makes them look even better.

There is an imminent donation of £200 coming for the wall fund.

However, we shouldn’t be complacent. Another collapse of the wall at £1,440 like last year would wipe the surplus out completely, and it is important that we should be saving up for that. These end of year figures are just estimates.

Downloadable PDF of figures

Ear-Marked Reserves

Actual 21/22

Actual 22/23 Actual 23/24 Budget 24/25 Ear-Marked Reserves

Half Year Position 30/9/24

Exc VAT Inc. VAT Inc. VAT Inc. VAT Already Spent from General Actual Reserve Estimated Expenditure from General Difference from Budget General Fund Interaction  Forecast Fund Balance April 2025  Comments 
Reserves

Defibrillator

£60.00 £160.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £679.31 £0.00 £0.00 No input

£579.31

Assumed some income, normal outgoings
Ladywell Enhancement

£75.11

£0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £449.04 £0.00 £0.00 No input

£359.04

Assumed normal outgoings
Walks Leaflets

£10.64

£250.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £9.56 £0.00 £0.00 No input

£0.00

Assumed leaflets not needed
Hardship Fund

£1,356.54

£0.00 £0.00 £0.00 -708.63 £0.00 -708.63 £708.63 Transfer to General

£0.00

Closed
Playing Field Wall Repairs

£0.00

£0.00 £690.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 No input

£0.00

Wall repairs 23/24
Playing Field Equipment

£2,760.00

£250.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £7,676.44 £0.00 £0.00 No input

£0.00

Assumed equipment bought 24/25

Expenditure

Expenditure Budgets Actual 21/22 Actual 22/23 Actual 23/24 Budget 24/25 Half Year Position 30/9/24 Estimated Full Year Expenditure Difference from Budget Comments
Village Environment

£1,706.31

£1,570.00 £1,917.28 £1,979.00 £934.35 £1,634.35

£344.65

Bins, More Mowing, Seeds – should still be in budget
Safety Inspection

£89.50

£100.00 £115.20 £120.00 £122.40 £122.40

-£2.40

Safety Inspection went up a little bit more than budgeted
Insurance

£727.51

£500.00 £538.71 £560.00 £547.08 £547.08

£12.92

Slightly under budget
Bus Shelter

£0.00

£0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00

£0.00

No expenditure
Subscriptions

£102.98

£100.00 £170.94 £220.00 £219.42 £219.42

£0.58

On target
Clerk

£1,939.53

£2,215.20 £2,646.32 £3,147.00 £1,464.84 £3,148.25

-£1.25

On target, including estimated pay rise still not agreed for 24/25
Stationery

£22.65

£25.00 £33.49 £10.00 £0.00 £10.00

£0.00

Still expecting paper and some postage
Audit

£50.00

£50.00 £120.00 £70.00 £70.00 £70.00

£0.00

On target
Training

£70.00

£50.00 £63.00 £144.00 £0.00 £72.00

£72.00

FILCA delayed to another year, training for new councillor should be done as per our Code of Conduct
Donations

£260.00

£275.00 £200.00 £275.00 £0.00 £275.00

£0.00

To be done in January
Publicity (website, noticeboards, printing)

£150.00

£120.00 £88.00 £231.00 £189.50 £486.99

-£255.99

Website invoice was delayed last year, so two lots of website costs in this year; plus the extra data storage and a newsletter in March. No noticeboard costs have been submitted.
Small Maintenance

£1,337.08

£185.00 £0.00 £100.00 £16.98 £16.98

£83.02

Only bench plaque spent so far.
Data Protection Fee

£35.00

£35.00 £35.00 £35.00 £0.00 £35.00 £0.00

On target

Parish Council Election

£0.00

£0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00

On target

Speed Awareness

£436.46

£150.00 £0.00 £70.00

£80.00

Cllr Moore suggests not renewing after this contract so no need to put money in fund, but possible battery.
Housing Initiative

£100.00

£0.00 £0.00

£100.00

No expenditure expected
Hall Rental

£100.00 £74.00 £109.00

-£9.00

Aug-Dec to come (Jan-Mar paid next year)
Contingency

£125.00 £200.00 £11.16 £11.16 £188.84

Only plaque in contingency spending

Replenishment of Reserves

£100.00

£0.00 £100.00

£0.00

On target

£10,752.85

£5,885.20 £7,179.40 £7,541.00 £3,649.73 £6,927.63

£613.37

Due to savings on FILCA, small maintenance, less environment, contingency and housing, despite website duplication, we are surplus to budget. 8% underspend

Income

Income        
Actual 2021/2022 Actual 2022/2023 Actual 2023/24 Budget 2024/25 Actual Income to date Estimated Full Year Income Difference from Budget
Precept

£5,387.00

£5,732.28 £6,088.00 £7,033.00 £7,033.00 £7,033.00

£0.00

On target
Wayleaves

£27.92

£27.92 £27.92 £28.00 £27.92 £27.92

-£0.08

On target
Fund Raising/Donations

£160.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00

£0.00

On target
Grants

£179.75

£0.00 £99.99 £150.00 £0.00 £0.00

-£150.00

Grant went to Equipment Fund
VAT Refund

£1,993.86

£639.51 £330.00 £335.08 £335.08

£5.08

On target
Interest

£0.00 £43.87 £103.87

£103.87

Interest not budgeted
General Reserves Income

£5,594.67

£5,920.20 £6,855.42 £7,541.00 £7,439.87 £7,499.87

-£41.13

 
Fund raising/donations to Reserves

£820.28

£3,945.55 £3,112.65 £1,541.50

£1,741.50

Grants to Reserves

£2,200.00

£0.00 £500.00 £1,300.00

£3,300.00

Ear-Marked Reserves Income

£3,020.28

£3,945.55 £3,612.65   £2,841.50

£5,041.50

Total Income

£8,614.95

£9,865.75 £10,468.07   £10,281.37

£12,541.37

Reserves

2023/24

2024/25
Expected general reserves at end of year. Should be at least 50% of expenditure

£3,645.55

£4,926.42

51%

71%