Balances
The Parish Council’s financial position over time may be illustrated by the closing balance of its accounts each year. The table below shows the closing balance of our accounts for each financial year since 2010-2011.
Financial Years Summary and Balances
| Financial Year | Opening Balance | Income | Expenditure | Surplus | Closing Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 - 2011 | £11,959 | £5,973 | £5,680 | £293 | £12,252 |
| 2011 - 2012 | £12,252 | £7,706 | £7,503 | £203 | £12,455 |
| 2012 - 2013 | £12,455 | £6,429 | £3,964 | £2,465 | £14,920 |
| 2013 - 2014 | £14,920 | £6,075 | £4,224 | £1,851 | £16,772 |
| 2014 - 2015 | £16,772 | £5,908 | £8,480 | (£-2,572) | £14,200 |
| 2015 - 2016 | £14,200 | £6,942 | £6,267 | £675 | £14,895 |
| 2016 - 2017 | £14,895 | £6,535 | £7,450 | (£-915) | £13,982 |
| 2017 - 2018 | £13,982 | £7,800 | £8,779 | (£-979) | £13,007 |
| 2018 - 2019 | £13,007 | £5,783 | £6,581 | (£-798) | £12,209 |
| 2019 - 2020 | £12,209 | £22,326 | £16,303 | £6,023 | £18,232 |
| 2020 - 2021 | £18,232 | £16,487 | £8,954 | £7,533 | £25,765 |
| 2021 - 2022 | £25,765 | £6,395 | £3,321 | £3,074 | £28,838 |
| 2022 - 2023 | £28,838 | £4,562 | £0 | £4,562 | £33,400 |
The above figures show that the Parish Council has consistently held its balances at an approximate ratio of 2:1, where the amount of funds available is twice the average income/expenditure.
The graph below shows the income and expenditure for each financial year since 2010-2011.
The table below shows the current balance of the Parish Council’s accounts, based upon the present accounting system implemented at the start of the financial year 2019 – 2020.
Account Current Balances as at Friday 17th of April 2026
| Account | Amount |
|---|---|
| Lloyds Treasurers Account | Active |
| Opening Balance | £0.00 |
| + Transfers In | £15,202.27 |
| + Receipts | £34,085.65 |
| - Transfers Out | £0.00 |
| - Payments | £15,887.57 |
| Current Balance | £33,400.35 |
| Nat West Community Account | Inactive |
| Opening Balance | £12,208.73 |
| + Transfers In | £0.00 |
| + Receipts | £15,684.25 |
| - Transfers Out | £15,202.27 |
| - Payments | £12,690.71 |
| Current Balance | £0.00 |
Reserves
Reserves may be categorised as follows:
| No. | Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | General | It is recommended that a Parish Council should typically hold between 3 and 12 months expenditure as a general reserve |
| 2 | Earmarked | Money is allocated for a specific purpose but may not be spent in that financial year |
| 3 | Ring-fenced | Monies or grants allocated for a specific project only that must not be used for any other purpose |
| 4 | Election | All reasonable costs of holding parish council elections can be fully recharged by the district to the local council. This covers that possibility. |
Parish Councils have no legal powers to hold revenue reserves other than for reasonable working capital or for specifically earmarked purposes, therefore the year-end general reserve should not be significantly higher than the annual precept.
The Finance Sub Committee considers the reserve ratio when setting the budget and precept for the following year. The Reserves Policy may be viewed here and in the Document Library.
Reserves Statement
| Reserves | Amounts | Totals |
|---|---|---|
| Available Funds as at Friday 17th of April 2026 | £33,400 | |
| General Reserves | ||
| 50% of Precept Income | £3,178 | |
| Sub Total General Reserves | £3,178 | |
| Earmarked Reserves | ||
| Insurance Excess | £1,500 | |
| Children's Play Area | £3,000 | |
| Asset Management | £2,000 | |
| Neighbourhood Plan | £0 | |
| Sub Total Earmarked Reserves | £6,500 | |
| Ring-Fenced Reserves | ||
| APLCHF Donations | £4,415 | |
| Donations | £8,500 | |
| Sub Total Ring-Fenced Reserves | £12,915 | |
| Election Reserves | ||
| Sub Total Election Reserves | £0 | |
| Total Reserves | £22,593 | |
| Unallocated Funds | £10,808 | |
It is rare for a Parish Council to hold its reserves other than in the form of easily accessible bank deposit or other short-term savings accounts. These short-term investments are often used to maximise income from cash balances during the financial year. We follow this practice.
