Present:
| Members | Present | Apologies | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair: Cllr M Horwood | ✓ | ||
| Deputy Chair: Cllr P Brown | ✓ | ||
| Cllr C Barnes | ✓ | ||
| Cllr G Darrington | ✓ | ||
| Cllr P Darrington | ✓ | ||
| Cllr J Knight | ✓ | ||
| Cllr C Prestedge | ✓ | ||
| Cllr L Taylor | ✓ | Absent | |
| Cllr E Uttley | ✓ |
Officers:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Ryan Hayman
Senior Executive Assistant – Adele Farrier
Responsible Finance Officer (RFO) – Stephen Innes
Venues Manager – Kerina Hunt
Gateway Manager – Claire Cormack
Grants & Administration Officer – Megan Campbell
Also Present:
Cllr S Durden
Cllr R Wood
Public: NONE PRESENT
MEETING COMMENCED: 19:29
12400 – APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Cllr L Taylor (Absent)
12401 – DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
NONE
12402 – MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
To approve as correct the Minutes of the Meeting held on Wednesday 27th November 2024.
APPROVED AND SIGNED
12403 – TO RECEIVE THE MONTHLY FINANCES
Civic Centre
4070 – Light Up the Town – It was noted that this event was over budget. RFO confirmed it was due to additional spend on activities for the event, i.e. reindeers.
4077 – Christmas Jumper – Low amount queried and RFO confirmed funds had been allocated under Save The Children.
7097 – Staff Reward – £250 staff reward was for venue staff vouchers.
7102 – Water Rates – Noted increase in water rates. RFO confirmed that it was due to meter previously not working and rates now adjusted accordingly.
7702 – Equipment Leasing – Increased outlay due to settlement of contract from previous company and payment for new copier supplier.
8201 – Subscriptions – Chair asked if we could move from monthly to an annual subscription for Amazon Prime.
8250 – Sundry Expenses – £30 payment made. CEO confirmed this was for flowers given to residents of Springfield Avenue for keeping an eye on our property when vacant.
Alexandra Suite
4100 – Bar Income – Noted this was down on last December. RFO clarified it is due to the number of functions being down and less takings had therefore been taken at the bar.
4105 – Catering Income – Was down this year. RFO stated this was due to a change in people’s overall spending habits.
4906 – CEO mentioned that this income is from the Work Boost grant, which will be offset again wages paid.
The Olympic
4622 – The RFO mentioned that there has been an increase in snooker membership over past year and there also has been an increase in darts usage at the Olympic.
4100 – Bar Income – It was noted that the income was down from 2023.
4126 – Room Hire – It was noted that room hire was also down on last year. The Venues Manager confirmed this was due to less market research bookings and the Olympic being closed for a week in December over the Christmas period.
Swanley Park
4727 – Soft Play – It was stated that there was a drop in income over December and CEO advised this was due to Soft Play Centre housing the grotto, which will have brought in a separate income logged under 5046, Outdoor Event.
7702 – Equipment Leasing – The CCTV contract is due to expire this year, and the current equipment will belong to us.
Housing Stock
It was raised about the cost of repairs for Springfield that they should be included going forward on the Housing Stock report instead of under the Civic Centre report.
Estates
5029 – Landscaping/Horticultural Work – The increase this year was due to be reimbursed by the Nursery for plants we purchased on their behalf.
7800 – Repairs & Maintenance – It was advised that £140 was for repairs to a broken window damaged whilst Grounds Team were strimming.
Aged Creditors/Debtors
With regards to Elim Church, it was decided to write off the money by end of this year. Cllr Dyball will follow up with them prior to this in a bid to get the outstanding payment for the Town Crier advertisement.
RESOLVED – accepted reports A/B/C/D/E/F/G/H/I/J
Date of next meeting – Wednesday 19th February 2025
MEETING CLOSED AT: 19:38
SIGNED: 19/02/2025
Cllr M Horwood
Chair of Policy and Finance
