Present:

Members	Present	Apologies	Reason
Chair: Cllr M Horwood	✓
Deputy Chair: Cllr P Brown	✓
Cllr G Darrington	✓
Cllr P Darrington	✓
Cllr J Ferrari	✓
Cllr C Prestedge	✓
Cllr L Taylor		✓	ABSENT
Cllr E Uttley	✓
Cllr R Wood	✓

Officers:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Ryan Hayman
Senior Executive Assistant – Adele Farrier
Responsible Finance Officer (RFO) – Stephen Innes
Executive Assistant – Marisa Levy

Also Present:
Cllr S Durden
Cllr L Dyball
Cllr J Ettridge
Parks, Venues Manager – Kerina Hunt
Open Spaces Manager – George Brooker
Swanley Link Manager – Shelley Fillipi

Public: NONE PRESENT

MEETING COMMENCED: 19:35

12448 – APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
NONE

12449 – DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
NONE

12450 – MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
To approve as correct the Minutes of the Meeting held on Wednesday 18th March 2026.
APPROVED AND SIGNED

12451 – TO RECEIVE THE MONTHLY FINANCES
The Chair thanked our RFO for his reports.

Civic Centre
Cllr Brown queried why the 2025/26 budget (£944,568.00) is lower than the 2024/25 budget (£1,153,006.40). The RFO explained that the primary reason is the exclusion of CIL income from the budget. The budget is set on the assumption that no CIL funding will be received; any such income is therefore recorded as a surplus when it is received.
The Chair added that CIL income cannot be predicted in advance. These funds are allocated for specific improvements, such as the skate park, and are dependent on new developments. Certain developments, such as warehouses, are exempt.

The CEO confirmed that £16,000 has been received in CIL funding from the new Lidl supermarket, with further CIL income expected from the Broomhill housing development. Of the total CIL receipts, 25% is allocated to the Town Council and 75% to Sevenoaks District Council. The Town Council’s 25% share has been secured through the adoption of the Neighbourhood Plan.

4053 Solar Panel Income – Cllr G Darrington commented that she is very pleased that the solar panel installation will begin to make money now the loan has been repaid.

7301 Vehicle Repairs & Servicing (Minibus) – Cllr G. Darrington raised concerns regarding the ongoing cost of repairs and queried the most recent expenditure of £599.53. The RFO advised that this cost related to necessary repairs to ensure the vehicle met MOT requirements. The CEO added that, following changes to the hire structure from half-day and full-day bookings to an hourly rate, there has been an increase in enquiries.

4605 Court Hire: Netball & 4612 Court Hire: Tennis – Cllr G Darrington commented that court hire income had gone down. The CEO advised that he could see no reason why bookings should not increase to previous levels and that he is looking into an alternative use for the sixth court.

The RFO shared that since April 2015 the Town council have received £715,000 in CIL money.

Alexandra Suite
4078 Car Parking – Cllr G Darrington noted that there is no income recorded for April. The RFO explained that this is due to a delay in receiving data, and that two sets of income will be recorded in April.

Olympic
Cllr Brown commented that overall income for The Olympic is slightly below down. This was due to two factors: firstly, the temporary vacation of the flat, which will now be accounted for under Housing Stock, resulting in a loss of rental income for approximately three to four months; and secondly, the rugby was expected to be at The Olympic and this was allowed for in the budget.

Swanley Park
4710 Car Parking – Cllr G. Darrington raised concerns regarding the decrease in income from £131,912.13 to £123,038.51. The RFO clarified that income for March is understated due to a delay in receiving data, with the outstanding revenue to be accounted for in April. It was also noted that adverse weather conditions may have contributed to reduced income. However, the introduction of two hours’ free parking has had a positive impact, increasing footfall and visitor spending within the park.

4708 Bouncy Castle – Cllr G. Darrington noted that income from the bouncy castle has not met expectations.

4727 Soft Play – Cllr G. Darrington expressed concern regarding the decline in income from £40,739.07 to £38,572.70. The Park and Open Spaces Manager reported that future revenue is expected to improve through increased soft play party bookings, with current demand reaching the maximum capacity of six bookings per weekend. The Chair referenced the allocated income target of £50,000 and queried whether this remains achievable considering local competition. The Park and Open Spaces Manager advised that they remain confident in meeting the target, highlighting the availability of exclusive hire options, which provide a competitive advantage over alternative local facilities.

Housing Stock
It was noted that rental income from the Olympic flat will commence next month. The monthly rent has been increased from £750 to £1,000.

Estates
4209 Service Recharge – Trollies – Cllr G. Darrington noted a significant increase. The increase was attributed to a restructuring of the collection service, including the introduction of the new van and more frequent trips to collect trolleys.

Bank Reconciliation
Cotton Mill Receipt – It was noted that the £140,000 relating to the Cotton Mill will reduce accordingly. Of this, £20,000 will be allocated towards playground improvements, and £42,000 will be paid to Sevenoaks District Council in respect of the five assets acquired.

Receipts in Advance – Network Rail – It was noted that £48,372.70 relates to works undertaken for a feasibility study for a new footbridge connection at Everest Place. The study was completed last year; however, an invoice has not yet been received. The funds will remain held as receipts in advance until the invoice is issued.

RESOLVED – accepted reports A/B/C/D/E/F/G/H/I/J

Date of next meeting – Wednesday 20th May 2026

MEETING CLOSED AT: 20:00
SIGNED: 20/05/2026

Cllr M Horwood
Chair of Policy and Finance