Meeting documents

The activities for Special Expenses are detailed below for 2006-07.  The accounts are due to be examined by our external auditors in July 2007.  Explanations have been provided for variances over 10% or £1,000.   Further explanation on any variance can be provided on request.  

Note 1. The outturn position presented in this report have been compared with revised budgets which take account of any in year virements between budgets and reflect the removal of notional interest from capital charges.  The latter of these two adjustments to the published budgets has reduced the total budget for High Wycombe Town by £6k.

Commentary on Significant Variances

Recreational Grounds

The net overspend was £3,156.  The ground maintenance recharge was underspent by £2,300 due to the dry summer.  The Minor maintenance work and cleaning contract budgets were underspent by £636 and £683 due to lower than expected expenditure.  The General maintenance budget was overspent by £5,879, mainly due to £5,782 essential maintenance work that had to be carried out at Booker Changing room.  An investigation is currently being undertaken to find out whether this money can be recovered from the adjoining landowner.  There was a shortfall in income of £1,976 due to the continuing downward trend in sport being played outside and people willing to pay for better facilities.    

Allotments

The net underspend was £5,807.  The variance was mainly a result of receiving £4,000 unbudgeted rent from Vodaphone for a phone mast.  There were also underspends in the following areas: maintenance of grounds of £600; treework of £300; and water charges of £523.     

Financial Assistance to Vol Groups

The net underspend was £3,000.  This was because Castlefield Community Centre was closed for the period 1 April 2006 to 30 June 2006.

Other Expenses

£8,810 of the Financial Assistance budget for the Community and Village Halls  remained unspent.  There was also an underspend of £370 on the expenditure for the war memorial.

Footway Lighting & Bus Shelters

The net underspend was £5,435.  All repairs are carried out on a reactive basis.  There was £4,098 that was not spent of the purchase of equipment budget.  Electricity costs were lower than expected, which has resulted in an underspend of £680.  

Cemetery

A total £60,809 was spent on capital expenditure at the Cemetery.  The breakdown of the expenditure was as follows: -

·     £34,341 on the Cemetery walls and steps;

·     £22,053 on data capture; and

·     £4,415 on the Cemetery path.     

The revenue expenditure variance was made up of underspends on repairs and maintenance of £700, grounds maintenance of £3,283 due to the dry summer and less grass cutting being required.  £1,900 of the Minor maintenance work budget remained unspent.  The general maintenance budget was underspent by £937.  There was total refund of £2,718 from the gas suppliers for a previous year overpayment.   Water rates and cleaning budgets were underspent by £852 and £574.  There were overspends on the rates budget of £860 due to the budget being incorrectly set.  Also, the telephone line was upgraded which lead to the telephone budget being overspent by £657.

Due to changes in accounting standards nationally after the budget was set, the cemetery was charged only for depreciation of £2,612, and not notional interest on the capital value.  This resulted in an ‘underspend’ of £23,588.

There were shortfalls in income that totalled £7,560 for Internment and monument fees due to lower than estimated numbers using the cemetery for burials.  A total of £9,120 extra income was received from grave maintenance, purchase of Burial Rites, and other income.  This resulted in total net extra income of £1,560.   

Martin Henwood

Head of Financial Services

May 2007