HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL
To: All Members of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee:
Maria Angelaki-King, Lesley Cruikshank-Robb, France Gaudencio, Don McBeth, Paul Shepherd (Chair), Ian Weir (Vice-Chair) with copies to all other Councillors for information.
A meeting of the POLICY RESOURCES & COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE on Tuesday 28 October 2025 at 7.30pm in the Council Chamber, Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks.
Parish Clerk 22 October 2025
Members of the public are encouraged to come to the meetings and there is an opportunity for them to address the Council relating to the non-confidential items on the published agenda. A period of 15 minutes will be set aside in item 4 Public participation. It may be necessary to consider particular items in confidential session and where this arises, these items will be considered at the end of the agenda.
1. TO ACCEPT APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
2. TO ACCEPT DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
3. MINUTES. To accept the Minutes of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee held on 23 September 2025. (Previously Circulated).
4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
5. COMMUNICATIONS (Verbal update)
6. FINANCIAL SCRUTINY – to review the proposed monthly/quarterly financial verification procedures Appendix 1 – Bank Verification Checklist (please click here to view Appendix 1). Appendix 2 – Bank Verification Procedure.
7. 2025/26 BUDGET MONITORING – the agreed budget provides a basis for monitoring progress during the year by comparing actual spending and income against what was planned. Members are asked to review the budget monitoring report for the period 1 April – 15 October 2025.
Appendix 3 – Budget Monitoring Report. Appendix 4 – Annual Budget Spreadsheet. (To view Appendix 4 please click here).
8. 2026/27 BUDGET PROPOSAL – the attached paper sets out a draft budget proposal and options for 2026/27. This is for discussion to help inform the recommendation to Council in Nov/Dec Appendix 5 – 2026-26 Budget Proposals. Appendix 6 – Draft Budget 2026-27. (To view Appendix 6 please click here).
Appendix 7 – Draft EMR 2026-27. (To view Appendix 7 please click here).
9. URGENT MATTERS at the discretion of the Chair for noting and/or inclusion on a future agenda.
10. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – 16 December 2025.
FILMING, RECORDING OF COUNCIL MEETINGS AND USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
During this meeting members of the public may film or record the Committee and officers from the public area only providing it does not disrupt the meeting. The Confidential section of the meeting may not be filmed or recorded. If a member of the public objects to being recorded, the person(s) filming must stop doing so until that member of the public has finished speaking. The use of social media is permitted but members of the public are requested to switch their mobile devices to silent for the duration of the meeting.
APPENDIX 2
This procedure enables a parish councillor to verify bank account transactions against supporting financial documents on a quarterly basis. This mini-audit ensures financial accuracy and proper record-keeping.
Part 1: Preparation (Before Starting)
Step 1: Gather Required Materials
Collect the following items before beginning:
Step 2: Print Bank Statements
There are 5 bank accounts to check:
Unity Trust Bank Account *****654
Barclays Bank Business Account ****114
Barclays Bank Premium ME ****548
Barclays Bank Premium ME ****514 and ****015
For each of the bank accounts:
Part 2: Transaction Selection
Step 4: Select Sample Transactions
Select at least 5 transactions from the Unity Bank account and at least 5 transactions from the Barclays Bank accounts.
Include a mix of:
Step 5: Record Selected Transactions
For each of the selected transactions, write the following on the checklist:
Part 3: Document Verification
Step 6: Locate Supporting Documents
For EACH of the selected transactions, you must have the supporting paperwork.
Step 7: Check Each Transaction
For each transaction, complete the following checks and tick the boxes on the checklist:
Check 1: Supporting Document Exists
Check 2: Amount is Correct
Check 3: Payment is Authorised
Check 4: Payment is Legitimate
For Staff Payments Specifically:
For INCOME (Money In):
Check 1: Supporting Document Exists
Check 2: Amount is Correct
Check 3: Income is Legitimate
Step 8: Document Your Findings
For each transaction on the checklist:
Part 4: Review and Completion
Step 9: Complete the Checklist
Step 10: Submit Documentation
Assemble the following documents in order:
Submit to:
APPENDIX 3
HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL
Committee Meeting Policy, Resources & Communications
Report of: Parish Clerk
Date: 28 October 2025
Subject: Agenda Item 7 – 2025/26 Budget Monitoring
Purpose of Report
1. The purpose of this report is to present information about progress against the budget agreed by Council on 10 December 2024 for the current financial year 2025/26 (PC24/109.2). It provides an accurate record of actual expenditure to date (15-10-25) and the remaining budget. It highlights any anomalies and revisions to ensure Members have an update regarding the current financial position of the Council.
Recommendation
2. Members of the Council are required to discuss and note the contents of the report.
Background
3. The 2025/26 Annual Budget Spreadsheet shows the original budget agreed by Council on 10 December 2024 and a revised budget which includes additional income and expenditure agreed during the current financial year. New budget lines are highlighted in pink.
4. The following projects are being delivered in the current financial year using General Reserves, the additional budget sums were approved at Council meetings:
5. 240/4705 – the Operation Watershed is fully funded through a grant from West Sussex County Council ((PC25/54.3).
6. The following projects are being delivered in the current financial year using Earmarked Reserves:
7. The overall impact on the Earmarked Reserves is shown in the table below:
Table A: Earmarked Reserves
| Account | Opening Balance | Transfers | Closing Balance | |
| 320 | EMR – Hearing Enhance P/O | 3,500.00 | 3,500.00 | |
| 321 | EMR – Speed Indicator Device | 4,000.00 | 4,000.00 | |
| 323 | EMR – Hassocks Traders Assoc. | 500.00 | 500.00 | |
| 328 | EMR – Allotment Gate | 1,637.41 | 1,637.41 | |
| 329 | EMR – Adastra Drainage Scheme | 75,787.50 | 11,925.00 | 63,862.50 |
| 332 | EMR – Adastra Tennis Courts | 3,638.00 | 3,638.00 | |
| 333 | EMR – Adastra Skate/Masterplan | 27,147.85 | 27,147.85 | |
| 335 | EMR – Garden of Remembrance | 2,652.94 | 250.00 | 2,402.94 |
| 342 | EMR – Bus Shelter New | 10,000.00 | 10,000.00 | |
| 344 | EMR – Village Signs | 4,000.00 | 4,000.00 | |
| 346 | EMR – Tree Planting | 560.90 | 560.90 | |
| 349 | EMR – Burial Ground | 2,115.00 | 2,115.00 | |
| 351 | EMR – Play Equipment Sink fund | 40,408.00 | 10,102.00 | 50,510.00 |
| 354 | EMR – Repairs Fund | 13,190.00 | 8,864.00 | 4,326.00 |
| 355 | EMR – Legal/Land Transfer | 8,000.00 | 8,000.00 | |
| 356 | EMR – Flooding | 2,096.00 | 2,096.00 | |
| 357 | EMR – PROW 14C | 3,000.00 | 3,000.00 | – |
| 358 | EMR – PROW Improvements | 45,072.19 | 21,904.00 | 23,168.19 |
| 359 | EMR – SDNPA CIL Funds | 1,994.23 | 738.00 | 1,256.23 |
| Totals | 249,300.02 | 36,579.00 | 212,721.02 |
8. There are a number of minor budget anomalies that Members are asked to note:
9. Due to an arithmetical error, the original budget provided a £15,500 surplus. The additional works and revisions outlined above have reduced the surplus to £2,185. As a result, there is no requirement to draw on General Reserves and the Council is making good progress to deliver the planned programme within budget.
APPENDIX 5
HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL
Committee Meeting Policy, Resources & Communications
Report of: Parish Clerk
Date: 28 October 2025
Subject: Agenda Item 8 – 2026/27 Budget Proposals
Purpose of Report
1. The purpose of this report is to provide members with draft budget options for the next financial year. These proposals are for discussion to help finalise a budget proposal for consideration by Full Council in Nov/Dec in order to set the Precept for 2026/27.
Recommendation
2. Members of the Council are required to discuss and select a preferred option.
Revenue Expenditure
3. The draft budget has been produced using the previous year’s figures as a guide and the current year’s spending outturn to date. There is an assumption that costs will rise in 2026/27 in line with inflation which is currently approx. 3.8% so this is reflected in the expenditure estimates and income targets. There are notes column to highlight and explain any changes to the budget lines.
4. The 2026/27 Draft Annual Budget Spreadsheet is based on a core budget forecast with five different staffing options:
Option 1 – No change to the existing staffing levels (Clerk & RFO, Deputy Clerk, Administration Assistant, Groundsperson)
Option 2 – An additional part-time (21 hours) Community Engagement & Communications Officer
Option 3 – An additional full-time (37 hours) Community Engagement & Communications Officer
Option 4 – An additional part-time (21 hours) Community Engagement & Communications Officer and part-time (21 hours) Bookkeeper
Option 5 – An additional full-time (37 hours) Community Engagement & Communications Officer and part-time (21 hours) Bookkeeper
5. In September 2025, PR&C committee members discussed future staffing arrangements and agreed in principle that additional staff would beneficial, but this would depend on affordability and a phased approach to growth might be needed.
6. The impact of these options on the amount of the Precept is detailed in the table below:
| Staffing options | Tax Base | Precept | Band D | £ Inc/Dec | % Inc/Dec |
| 2024-25 | 3782 | £339,577 | £84.43 | ||
| 2025-26 | 4029 | £339,577 | £84.43 | ||
| 2026-27 | +427 | ||||
| Option 1 | 4276 | £329,638 | £77.09 | £7.34 | -8.69% |
| Option 2 | £354,386 | £82.88 | £1.55 | -1.84% | |
| Option 3 | £373,241 | £87.29 | -£2.86 | 3.38% | |
| Option 4 | £379,134 | £88.67 | -£4.24 | 5.02% | |
| Option 5 | £397,989 | £93.08 | -£8.65 | 10.24% |
7. These figures are based on an expectation that housing growth will expand the tax base by a similar figure as last year, and they are calculated on an increase of a further 247 new homes.
8. Option 3 is highlighted because this would enable the Council to expand and offer more community services, without increasing the Precept beyond the current level of inflation.
Financial Reserves
9. In addition to revenue expenditure, the budget proposals also outline a number of suggested changes to the Earmarked Reserves. If approved, this would reduce the Council’s General Reserves to approx. £225,758 which equates to approx. 6 1/2 months expenditure.
10. The EMR Reserve budgets support the delivery of the Council’s business plan. They also provide funding for specific projects, long term renewals and improved maintenance programmes for sports and other facilities.
11. ‘The Practitioners Guide: Governance and accountability for smaller authorities in England’, produced by the Smaller Authorities Proper Practises Panel, recommends that the Council retains between three and twelve months of revenue expenditure in General Reserves. Based on an annual turnover of £412,000, this amounts to approx. £34,333 per calendar month, which means a minimum of £103,000 is needed to comply with the audit guidelines.
12. The revenue budget proposals all provide for a balanced budget which is good practise as it does not require the Council to draw on General Reserves to fund a shortfall.
HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL
Draft Minutes of the meeting of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee held on 28 October 2025 at 7.30pm in Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks.
Attendees: Parish Councillors Maria Angelaki-King, Lesley Cruickshank-Robb,
Frances Gaudencio and Don McBeth.
In Attendance: Elaine Langridge (Clerk & RFO)
MINUTES
PRC25/42 APOLOGIES – Cllrs Paul Shepherd, Ian Weir
PRC25/43 In the absence of the Chair and Vice-Chair, members of the committee elected Cllr McBeth to Chair the meeting.
PRC25/44 DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS
Disclosure by Councillors of personal interests in matters on the agenda, and whether the Councillor regards their interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct. – None.
PRC25/45 MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 23 September 2025 were accepted as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
PRC25/46 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
No members of the public were present.
PRC25/47 COMMUNICATIONS
The Clerk informed members that the November issue of Hassocks Life will have a one-page feature with information on the Hassocks to Ditchling footpath improvements, Remembrance Sunday, the completion of the Operation Watershed project in Downs View Road, Adastra Park drainage works and Community Grants to encourage applications to the January round. An article about Remembrance Sunday has also been published in the November issue of Talkabout.
The copy deadline for the January issue of Hassocks Life is 11 December and it was agreed that it should include Remembrance Day photos, Street Tree Scheme publicity, a Road Safety feature and a community reminder to help keep the drains clear of leaves.
PRC25/48 FINANCIAL SCRUTINY
Cllr Shepherd had drafted a Bank Verification Checklist and Procedure notes for review by the committee. Members were satisfied with the documents and felt they were a helpful guide which will provide continuity for future Councillors who have to carry out verification checks. The checks will usually be carried out by the Chair of PR&C or he can nominate another Councillor to do so on his behalf.
The Clerk explained that the monthly checks involved cross referencing at least five transactions on the payments list presented to Council with the bank statements. The bank reconciliation is produced on the first working day of each month. This can be done at home by Councillors with online banking access or bank statements can be printed out in the office.
The quarterly checks are more detailed and should be carried out in accordance with the paperwork provided in Appendices 1 and 2. Members will need to make an appointment with the Deputy Clerk to come into the office, so she can assist and keep a record of all signed verification checks.
Cllr McBeth queried why the Council has five bank accounts. The Clerk stated that this was historical with three of the Barclays accounts are currently unused. The Council is using the Unity account for day-to-day business but many of the standing orders and direct debits are on the Barclays current account, so they need to be transferred. The Clerk intends to review the Council’s banking arrangements as the Earmarked and General Reserves could be invested to produce better financial returns. An Investment Policy and proposals will be presented to the Committee for consideration at a later date.
PRC25/49 2025/26 BUDGET MONITORING
The Clerk presented the Budget Monitoring paper and revised budget. She explained that there are a number of new budget lines that have been added since the original budget was agreed. These relate to new projects agreed by Council that are funded through General Reserves, the Operation Watershed project which was fully funded by West Sussex County Council and a number of improvement projects funded through Earmarked Reserves. The budget monitoring spreadsheet shows the impact of these on the bottom line of the annual budget which remains £2,185 in credit. The report also details movements in Earmarked Reserves which will be reduced by £36,579 by the end of the financial year.
Councillor Weir was absent from the meeting but had called in with some queries on the 2025/26 Budget Monitoring Report:
Cllr McBeth asked what the negative Net income over Expenditure figure for the Budget Remaining column referred to as it appeared to show a deficit of £254,115. The Clerk agreed that this was misleading, it could be deleted from the spreadsheet and Appendix 4 would be reissued.
Cllr Cruickshank-Robb asked about income from the sports pavilion at Belmont Recreation Ground and stated that the play area is in need of refurbishment. The Clerk reported that this site is owned and managed by Mid Sussex District Council so the Parish Council does not have any earned income or maintenance responsibilities. There are however S106 receipts allocated to the site and she has asked the District Council to provide information about their improvement plans and is expecting an update in November.
PRC25/50 2026/27 BUDGET PROPOSAL
The Clerk talked through the draft Budget Proposals for 2026/27 which provided Councillors with a baseline budget, based on the following:
Councillors were provided with five different revenue options with the aim being to maximise the number of additional staff hours for new posts that is affordable without increasing the precept beyond the level of inflation.
Councillor Weir had some comments on the budget proposals that the Clerk shared with the committee.
The Clerk agreed that the savings and costs could be amended in the final budget proposals.
Cllr Weir also queried the need to increase the Street Lighting budget in line with inflation. The Clerk responded that these costs are for energy and maintenance so will increase annually.
Councillors also considered the Earmarked Reserves (Appendix 7) line by line. The opening balance is based on the expected End of Year outturn in 2025/26 after planned expenditure. The Clerk suggested transferring a further £139,600 from the General Reserve to Earmarked Reserves to make a total of £352,321 set aside to deliver specific projects and long-term renewals. These projects are listed in the Council’s business plan or brought forward through Committees and Working Groups. This will reduce the General Reserve to approximately £225,000, which is equivalent to just over 6 months revenue expenditure and in line with the auditors guidelines.
Cllr McBeth asked if a new bus shelter was planned as there is an Earmarked Reserve for this. The Clerk clarified that the Council owns a number of wooden bus shelters in the Parish that have a limited life and will need replacing at some point, so this is sinking fund for future works.
Members required the following changes be made to the draft Earmarked Reserves proposals:
| 321 EMR – Speed Indicator Device | These funds should be retained and renamed to support the delivery of projects initiated by the Highways and Transportation Working Group. |
| 323 EMR – Hassocks Traders Assoc | These funds should be retained. The project is no longer in the business plan but a proposal may come forward in 2026/27. |
| 346 EMR – Tree Planting | These funds should be retained as this was a donation for this purpose. |
Councillor Gaudencio was concerned that residents will face increases in Council Tax from other authorities and was keen to keep costs down. She suggested the Council could explore opportunities for more income generation in 2026/27.
Councillors agreed in principle to the budget setting approach outlined by the Clerk and were satisfied with the proposals on the understanding a final draft could not be produced until finalisation of the Tax Base by Mid Sussex District Council. The final draft will be presented to Council in December for approval.
PRC25/51 URGENT MATTERS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIRMAN – None
PRC25/52 DATE OF NEXT MEETING Tuesday 16 December 2025
See full list of 2025/26 meetings, minutes and agendas here >
04/12/2025
Grounds & Environment Committee
09/12/2025
Hassocks Parish Council
See full list of 2025/26 meetings, minutes and agendas here >
The Council Office is located at:
Parish Centre, Adastra Park,
Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 8QH.
Opening Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.
Wednesday CLOSED
Friday
10.00 a.m. to 12 noon.
