Present: Harvie Steele (Chairman), Michael Jackson, Estelle Warriner, and Isabel Butcher.

Also in attendance: Tony Thomas (Clerk to the Council) and one member of the public.

The Chairman opened the meeting and welcomed everyone.

Dennis Tyler, Neil Longson and Roger Watts

The minutes of the previous meeting, held on 15th December 2005, were approved at the meeting on 10^th January 2006, and were then signed by the Chairman.

The Clerk presented schedules showing the comparison between budget 2006/7, expected actual 2006/7 and proposed budget 2007/8. The main variances actual to budget 2006/7 were small but two items are worth noting, the donation to CHART of £2,100 for the purchase of a defibrillator kit and a provision for expenditure of £3,750 on the refurbishment of the children’s playground in the recreation ground, as a condition of the grant promised by HDC. This expenditure has been balanced by an increase in income due late receipt of the previous year’s rents and the delay in starting the re-roofing of the tractor shed. In the budget an inflation increase had been provided for routine expenditure apart from Electricity where a higher increase has been allowed for due to rapidly rising prices. There were no significant variances year on year. Discussion therefore centred on "Other and additional expenditure".

There were a number of repairs needed to buildings and equipment that could not be postponed any longer if permanent long term damage was not to occur, in particular the Tractor Shed. The roof of the Tractor Shed was leaking and damaged and it was possible it was covered in asbestos sheeting, which would require specialist removal. Other projects to be addressed were the willow trees on Hayling Pond blocking the drain leading to flooding; the removal of a dead tree on Hayling Pond and the repointing of the Reading Room which it is hoped can be done at the same time as the refurbishment of the museum.

It was thought by the members that a general provision for repairs should be built up so that unexpected repairs could be carried out before further damage was caused.

It was proposed to review the rents paid by the sports clubs for the use of the pavilion and the Clerk would seek details of membership, income and usage to enable a decision to be made. The allotment rents would also be reviewed and when agreed the required one years notice given.

To balance the draft budget would require a precept of £51,270. This would be equivalent to an annual charge of £23.50 for a band D council taxpayer, an increase of £0.90 or 3.98%.

It was then proposed by Isabel Butcher, seconded by Estelle Warriner and agreed that the Committee recommend the Parish Council to adopt the draft budget as amended and to precept for £51,270 in the financial year to 31 March 2008.

Pat Tinworth was pleased the budget was not showing the increases of expenditure of the previous year and if the provision for election expenses was removed the expenditure was reduced. However he considered that the Parish Council was spending too much of it’s budget on administration and asked whether the members considered this acceptable. The members thought that it was but the chairman agreed to make enquiries of neighbouring parishes to ascertain the percentage of their budget spent on administration.

The Chairman then reconvened the meeting.

There being no further business the Chairman thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting at 9.30 pm.