LANGHAM COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Minutes of a Finance Committee Meeting
held on 13th February 2023 at 7.30pm in the Clubroom

Present Alan Cadman, Maureen Shouksmith, Martin Bottwood, Liz Schofield, Sue Armstrong, Liz Winter (Minutes Sec).

Minutes of the Finance meeting on 14th November 2022
These had been circulated to the Finance Committee prior to the meeting and had been agreed.

Matters Arising from these minutes and from the Trustee Meeting on 19.01.23
Applications for Sue’s job:
Alan had received four more applications, bringing the total to seven. He had ruled out three candidates as two were not available until later in the year and one seemed unsuitable. Unfortunately, Alan has suffered a back strain and been unable to organise interviews for the remaining four, as he cannot sit for long. It was agreed to offer them interviews on Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th February in the Committee room. Alan would contact them to arrange times. AC
Cricket:
Sue asked about the proposed cricket players needing to use the showers and toilets when the hall may be let to hirers, including children’s parties. Martin confirmed that it was not yet certain whether the “square” would be ready for this season and it was agreed to defer consideration of this question.

Chairman’s Report
Alan had spent some time negotiating with our insurers over two proposed Hindu ceremony hires, one of which wanted overnight hire and the other the use of indoor fire. The insurers rejected the fire (and it would, in any case, have set off the fire alarms) and, in the end, both groups had decided not to go ahead.

Treasurer’s Report
Maureen reported that the Current Account balance at close of business today is £2,767.34 and the Saver £69,971.33.
She has spent hours trying to unravel the electricity charges from British Gas Lite. In November and December we received no bill and no direct debit was taken. BGL say this is because we were due a Government grant but none has been received. They issued us a credit note for £17,797.09 for charges from 5.3.21 to 20.1.23 and only took £186.37 for January. Maureen had checked that the figures are correct but has some queries for BGL. The amount payable this month will be £1,129.40. Maureen will check if this is a smart meter reading or an estimate.
Sue asked if this would have any impact on the Shop electricity payments. Alan confirmed that, as he reads their meter and calculates their contribution, they will have been correctly charged. Sue also asked if we needed to increase hire rates to cover the cost. Maureen felt we should not increase them at a time of recession, as hires had fallen with people having less money to spend. Everyone agreed.
In May our one-year deal comes to an end and Maureen has been contacted by Utility Aid, who are recommended by the RCCE to negotiate deals for village halls.

Maureen apologised for not having the balance sheet for January finalised for the meeting. She had had to go to York for a funeral and only returned this afternoon. There is a discrepancy of £56.99 in the figures as two payments have gone through the Bank which should have gone through Petty Cash and Maureen hasn’t been able to adjust this on the spreadsheet yet. At the end of December we were showing an annual loss of £4,101.81. At the end of January this will be £6,951.96 because over £4,500 was paid for three months’ electricity. Despite the credit note received, we did owe this amount and the deficit is quite worrying. It is not known how much the Government grant may be. Maureen will carry out projections for the end of year.

She will also contact Essex Police regarding information they require for their booking next week and, as Sue will still be in our employ after the end of March, Maureen will re-enrol her in the pension scheme. MS

Maureen was thanked for the time she had spent (and still had to spend) sorting out British Gas Lite’s accounting.

Marketing Manager’s Report
Sue had circulated her reports and the most recent maintenance plan (2023 v.1).
She would need to store the TV and some other things in the changing rooms while the hall floor is done. The meeting agreed that the changing rooms should remain unlocked as they are an escape route.
The new children’s indoor football group is struggling with only nine. Sue had pointed out that it takes several months to get these activities paying for themselves.
Sue continues to show a lot of enquirers round the building but the take-up is disappointing.
There are more bookings for the summer.
The Committee room blinds need replacement, as more people hire it as the cheapest option. These are in the maintenance plan and last replaced in 2014.
Terry has made an excellent strong repair to the stage banister rail. Cheryl has checked all the chairs and 115 are still in usable condition.

Paul Armstrong had provided a note of the Tennis Club’s AGM with regard to Mark Kleingeld booking the hall for his tennis camps. The TC suggested he could provisionally book the hall space for these dates and let the Langham Community Council know at the end of each camp if the hall had been used, when he would be charged. Clearly this would not work, as a slot could not be set aside for someone who might not use it, if it meant turning away another hirer who would.
Sue would ask Paul to take this message back to the Tennis Club. SA/PA

Paul would get our letter of thanks off to CIF for the hearing loop grant by the end of the month. He has the invoice but they also need a receipt. Maureen would find the Barclays payment advice and give it to him. PA

Section 106 Developer Contributions
As Martin reported at the Trustee meeting, a Communities Facilities Contribution of £78,860.79 was due from Vistry and should have been paid to the CCC by 3rd February. The agreed list of projects submitted by the Langham Community Council via the Parish Council is:
a) The refurbishment of the disabled toilet at the Langham Community Centre; and/or
b) The provision and installation of acoustic panels in the main hall at Langham Community Centre; and/or
c) The installation of a disabled stairlift to the first-floor committee room at the Langham Community Centre; and/or
d) The provision of an electrically operated veranda for the rear patio area of the Langham Community Centre.

The first three of these were on Sue’s original list drawn up in 2020. Alan had asked for a list from the Shop and the Pre-School after the Finance meeting on 14th November 2022 but had received no response. Liz Schofield felt we should make a further attempt. AC

As he had requested, Martin and other representatives of the Parish Council are meeting with Karen Syrett from CCC on 22nd February to discuss the workings of the S.106 allocation system, which just does not work in its present form.

“Cabin” in the car park
On carrying out his annual electric check on the Langham Community Centre last week, Chris from Future Electrics had raised several queries regarding the electricity supply to the cabin.
Two weeks after the Trustee meeting on 19th January, Charlotte had requested that all Trustees be contacted to ask for their approval for the connection of the cabin’s power supply via the Shop. Once Charlotte had supplied the necessary information, Liz Winter sent out an email on Sunday 5th February regarding the schedule of works and name of electrician. All but one Trustee replied by return and all approved the connection.

Alan had attended three meetings with the Shop but was not aware of the trench being dug for the cabling to cross to the Shop. He had confirmed at the Trustee meeting on 19th that the building would be covered by the Shop’s insurance and would need adding to the lease once a date for opening had been fixed. However, contrary to the statement in the Trustee minutes from 19/01/23, the Shop will only be leasing the area of the car park on which the cabin stands, since they own the cabin themselves. The lease will need amending from the day the cabin opens and Alan needs to know this date as soon as possible.

The questions raised by Chris and Sue Armstrong are listed in the Agenda. Charlotte sent replies a few hours before tonight’s Finance meeting as follows:
1. Already arranged under the Shop’s own insurance.
2. Fire alarm fitted which is sufficient for the building according to advice taken from “fire and security” and the fire service. Documentation to follow.
3. Following advice, no emergency light necessary.
4. The cabin will have 3 tables and chairs. At most 12 people so plenty of room for escape if necessary.
5. The Shop is responsible for maintenance/repairs.
6. This would be a simple update. The current lease does not state what is there…so there is actually no change to the lease as the cabin comes under the Shop.
Sue Armstrong agreed to follow up these replies. SA

In answer to a query from Martin Bottwood, Alan confirmed that the building is exempt from planning or building regs because it is a shed, is less than 30 metres square and has no foundations. He was not included in any of the meetings with BH Electrics and did not know until recently that there was a circuit-breaker fitted to protect the main building in case of malfunction in the cabin. He was also under the illusion that solar panels were being used.

It was felt that the whole exercise had been poorly managed from the exclusion of the Parish Council and Community Council by CBC at the start, when developer contributions were being sought for a pull down canopy, outside seating and storage areas; the fact that the Shop did not keep the Community Council informed by asking their representative to report to LCC meetings; as well as the last-minute need for LCC Trustees to be emailed regarding connection of the electricity supply, when this could have been put on the Agenda at the January Trustee meeting and been more fully considered at that time. It is also disappointing that the provision of a cabin has not appeared as an agenda item at any LCC Finance committee or Trustee meeting.

Any Other Business
i) Elizabeth Schofield pointed out that Monday 8th May was intended by King Charles to be “Volunteers” day, to encourage people to help their local community and asked if we were doing anything for this? There was a tired silence. Martin confirmed that the Parish Council was planning a one-day event on Saturday 6th May.

Date of next meeting
No Finance meeting was deemed necessary before the next Trustee meeting on Thursday 30th March 2023. There being no further business, the meeting closed at 10 pm.