A message from Parish Councillors
A little while ago we informed residents that we were in dispute with our auditors regarding a bill of £1,000 for work done to answer a question from a resident.
We have been unable to find out what the query was about so, frustratingly, have no way to address the issue ourselves.
The auditors investigated thoroughly and found no grounds for complaint, but in spite of this the Parish Council has still been charged for the auditors work. We have now reluctantly paid this, as we were threatened with legal action if we did not.
Quite rightly, local residents have legal rights to inspect, ask questions about and challenge items in Parish Council accounts.
Information about how to use these rights responsibly can be found here https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Council-accounts-a-guide-to-your-rights.pdf
As per these guidelines, in future we ask that any queries about Parish Council finances are made to the Clerk or the Parish Council in the first instance, to avoid these high charges which have to be paid from our Village Precept (the amount included in your Council Tax to fund the Parish Council’s activities).
Our accounts can also be inspected free of charge.
To put this amount into perspective, over half the 5% rise in our Village Precept this year will be needed to cover this unexpected loss, which we would far rather have spent on something of benefit to the village.
Meetings Summary
Below are the minutes of meetings held during the year. Click on the links to see the individual meeting agenda, minutes and, if relevant, additional documents.