June 2026 Minutes (EOM)
ALLINGTON PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of the Extraordinary Parish Council Meeting held at Allington Village Hall
Monday 08th June 2026 17:30hrs
Present: Councillor Marvin
Councillor Plummer
Councillor Carlyle
Councillor Baron
Councillor Scott
Kate Griffin (Clerk/RFO)
62/26 WELCOME AND APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
The Chair thanked everyone for attending the meeting at short notice.
Apologies were received from Cllr Reynolds and Cllr Storer and accepted for reasons previously explained.
63/26 DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOCALISM ACT 2011
There were no declarations of Pecuniary Interest given.
64/26 TO REVIEW AND ACCEPT THE INTERNAL AUDITORS REPORT 2025/26
The Internal Audit was discussed and reviewed. The recommendations from the Internal Auditor were to focus on Financial Regulations and Standing Orders, whilst using the IA checklist, to get processes and procedures right. This would improve the weaknesses identified by the Internal Auditor, along with using the Practitioners Guide. It was discussed that many of the weaknesses related to the previous lack of transparency and correct procedures surrounding the payments relating to fundraising events and that the proposed new events committee should help resolve these weaknesses, if accepted.
The Chair thanked the Clerk for the hard work put in over the past 12 months to improve the outcome of the Internal Audit since the 2024/25 audit.
It was resolved to accept the recommendations and the Internal Auditors report for 2025/26.
ACTION - Clerk to email copy of IA to webmaster for website.
65/26 TO COMPLETE, CONFIRM AND SIGN THE AGAR SECTION 1 FOR 2025/26
The Annual Governance Statement Section 1 was reviewed and the assertions were discussed following guidance from the outcomes and checklist from the Internal Audit. The Parish Councillors discussed each assertion before making their decisions and the statement was completed and signed by the Chair and the Clerk. Proposed by Cllr Plummer, seconded by Cllr Carlyle, all in favour. It was resolved to approve the AGAR section 1.
ACTION – Clerk to email webmaster to upload to website and to send AGAR to external auditors PKF Littlejohn.
66/26 TO CONFIRM AND SIGN THE AGAR SECTION 2 FOR 2025/26
The Section 2/Accounting Statement was reviewed and confirmed.
Proposed by Cllr Carlyle, seconded by Cllr Scott, all in favour. It was resolved to approve the accounting statement Section 2 of the AGAR. The statement was signed by the Chair.
ACTION – Clerk to email webmaster to upload to website and to send AGAR to external auditors PKF Littlejohn.
.
67/26 TO APPROVE THE PUBLICATION OF THE EXERCISE OF PUBLIC RIGHTS IN RESPECT OF THE
ANNUAL AUDIT.
It was resolved to accept the dates for the publication of the exercise of public rights in respect of the Annual Audit to announce the dates the day following this meeting and to make them available for public inspection for the next 30days after that. It was resolved to announce the dates on Tuesday 9th June 2026 and to be available from Wednesday 10th June 2026 until Tuesday 21st July 2026.
It was proposed by Cllr Carlyle , seconded by Cllr Baron, all in favour. It was resolved to accept these dates for public inspection.
ACTION - Clerk to email webmaster to upload dates of inspection to website and advise external auditors of dates.
68/26 TO REVIEW AND APPROVE THE TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE NEW EVENTS COMMITTEE
Cllr Carlyle had previously circulated the proposed Terms of Reference.
Cllr Marvin commented that Cllr Storer had sent a few amendments which were discussed. The amendments mainly relate to wording which it was agreed to include. Cllr Storer also sent concerns regarding the name of the committee. It was discussed whether this should be re-named to include all village groups, however it was resolved to accept the original name of “Events Committee” as this would cover all events in general and could be applied to any village group wishing to organise an event.
Cllr Baron expressed concerns relating to how village groups would be treated in future within the TOR along with the advertising of events by groups using banners. Cllr Carlyle explained that these were valid concerns which could be discussed and included once the committee was set up. Cllr Carlyle explained there would be meetings at all planning stages when resolutions could be passed for finer details, but the TOR need to be in place first as these concerns were not specifically Terms of Reference.
Cllr Baron also expressed concerns that the Parish Council would be held to account should anything go wrong with events , to which Cllr Carlyle reassured that the TOR would be in place as an internal control to protect the Parish Council.
Cllr Marvin reminded the Council that it was agreed at the last meeting that the events committee would initially be for a 12-month trial period after which it would be reviewed. It was also discussed that this would mean additional hours for the clerk as required for preparing of agendas and minutes and monitoring receipts and payments. It was resolved to approve additional hours if and when needed.
Cllr Carlyle advised the TOR were designed to be fluid and flexible to allow the committee to meet as and when required to set budgets and for planning meetings giving the Parish Council more control over the finances.
It was resolved to agree that the committee did not limit itself to the PFFR but could be extended to any event within the village that was intended to be funded by the Parish Council.
Cllr Carlyle proposed that the TOR were accepted, noting the changes to the Financial Regulations and Standing Orders to clarify how we operate in line with governance. Seconded by Cllr Plummer, all in favour.
It was resolved to approve the TOR.
It was resolved to approve the following changes to the SO/FR:
Recommended amendments to Standing Orders and Financial Regulations
These amendments are intended to allow a delegated event budget while keeping proper Council financial control. They should be adopted by the full Council before the delegated version of the Terms of Reference is used.
A. Standing Orders - add to Standing Order 4 (as e and f)
Suggested wording:
"The Council may appoint an Events Committee with resident/non-councillor members. The Council may delegate to that Committee authority to authorise event-delivery expenditure within an annual events budget and event limits previously approved by full Council. For the avoidance of doubt, such limited event-delivery authority shall not include setting the Council budget or precept, approving accounts, authorising borrowing, changing reserves, controlling banking arrangements, writing off debts, or making financial decisions outside the approved events budget."
"Resident/non-councillor members may vote on Events Committee business only to the extent permitted by law and expressly authorised by Council. Where the Clerk/RFO advises that an item is not one on which non-councillors may lawfully vote, the matter shall either be voted on by councillor members only or referred to full Council."
B. Financial Regulations - amend budgetary control
Suggested wording to add to Regulation 4 (as 4.12 – 4.13) :
"Where full Council has approved an Events Committee budget, the Events Committee may authorise event-delivery expenditure within those limits, subject to these Financial Regulations, procurement requirements, confirmation by the Clerk/RFO that funds are available, and reporting to the next ordinary Council meeting."
"The Events Committee may not authorise expenditure that exceeds the approved event budget, creates an unapproved ongoing commitment, changes earmarked reserves, or relates to a capital project unless full Council has approved that specific authority."
C. Financial Regulations - amend payment approval
Suggested wording to add to Regulation 5 (insert as 5.16 and amend the following regulation numbers):
"A schedule of payments arising from expenditure authorised by the Events Committee under its Terms of Reference may be paid by the Clerk/RFO in accordance with the bank mandate and reported to the next Council meeting. The Clerk/RFO must certify that the goods or services have been properly authorised, received or evidenced, and allocated to the approved events budget."
D. Financial Regulations - replace the cash float restriction
Suggested wording to replace Regulation 10a:
"The Council will not maintain a general cash float. A temporary event cash float may be issued by the Clerk/RFO for an approved Council event when authorised by the Council or the Events Committee within its delegated budget. The amount, named custodian, purpose and return date must be recorded. All event cash income must be counted by two people, recorded on a cash sheet, returned to the Clerk/RFO and banked intact as soon as practicable."
E. Financial Regulations - amend income handling
Suggested wording to add to Regulation 13 (as 13.8):
"All income from Council-supported events is Council income unless the Council has agreed otherwise in writing before the event. Event income must be recorded, reconciled to tickets/tills/donation records where practicable, and banked intact. Event surpluses shall normally be allocated to the Events earmarked reserve unless full Council resolves otherwise."
As per the TOR a Chair would be elected by the Full Committee. Cllr Carlyle nominated himself for the position of Chair which was seconded by Cllr Plummer, all in favour. It was resolved that Cllr Carlyle would be the Chair of the new events committee.
ACTION: Cllr Carlyle to meet again with Fund Raisers to present the Terms of Reference.
Clerk – to amend the FR’s and So’s accordingly and upload new versions to website.
69/26 CLERKS FINANCE REPORT
(a)The accounts for payment were checked against the invoices and lists, and signed by Cllrs Marvin, and Carlyle. It was resolved to approve the payments for ABW invoices to date as per Financial Regulations 6.10 as follows:
Idle Hive Band – payment to S&R Scott invoice 001 £800.00
Zest Brewery – invoice 2987 - £362.63 + VAT £72.53
Hello print - Banners – invoice 5216135 – to reimburse I Blackburn £80.83
Lincoln & District Model Engineering Society, miniature railway, invoice 102 £200.00
Sylvie Monaghan, vocalist – invoice 001 - £200.00
(b) It was resolved to approve a float of £600.00 for the ABW to be transferred to the Fundraisers which would be re-imbursed back to APC bank account following the event. Proposed by Cllr Carlyle, seconded by Cllr Scott, all in favour.
(c ) It was resolved to approve the following invoices already paid due to time constraints as per Financial Regulations 6.9iii:
Zurich Insurance – an additional amount was paid to the insurer to cover the additional cost of insuring the new playpark surface, as agreed at the last meeting. The original quote accepted at the last meeting was £1634.92, the cost paid for the policy to include the surface was £1729.96 – an increase of £95.04 above the original approved quote. It was resolved to accept the increase in cost.
ACTION: Clerk to make payment of invoices and to arrange Float to be sent to the fund raisers.
70/26 DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING
08/07/2026 – Full Parish Council Meeting
CLLR MARVIN CLOSED THE MEETING AT 6:48PM