Agenda item

that the annual reports and accounts for the Barham Park Trust for 2006/7, 2008/9, 2009/10 and 2011/12 be approved for submission to the Charities Commission.

Mick Bowden (Deputy Director of Finance) introduced a report to the committee setting out the annual report and accounts for the Barham Park Trust for 2011/12 for the committee’s consideration and approval. As trustee, the council was required to submit the 2011/12 accounts by 31 January 2013 to the Charity Commission. It was highlighted that the transactions for 2011/12 brought in the receipts from the sale of the 776 and 778 Harrow Road. The receipt of £620k from this sale, along with the interest earned, was being ring-fenced for the future development of the Trust.

Mick Bowden explained that the report also incorporated the annual reports and accounts for the Trust for 2006/7, 2008/9 and 2009/10. Whilst the council had submitted summary financial figures for these years, the full annual reports and accounts were currently outstanding. It was noted that the reports for these earlier financial years were consistent with the summary financial information that had already been submitted to the Commission.  Following the Commission’s review of the council’s arrangements for fulfilling its obligations as trustee, it had been recognised that with regard to transactions between the council and the Trust, there had not always been a clear separation of the two entities. The Commission had stated however that it did not intend to unravel the past, noting that the council had subsidised the charity’s income from its statutory funds. The Charity Commission had expressed its views on establishing future arrangements for the Trust and a number of proposed changes would be applied for the production and monitoring of the Trust’s accounts for 2012/13 onwards.

Councillor Lorber (Ward Councillor, Sudbury) stated that the accounts presented for 2011/12 were not sufficiently detailed to enable the committee to make an informed decision to approve them. As an example, he noted that there was no information on the rental payments made by the council for use of buildings within Barham Park. Mick Bowden confirmed that the accounts met the requirements set out by the Charity Commission. There would be changes made to future practice with regard to the the production and monitoring of the Trust’s accounts to accommodate the Charity Commission’s views on the future administration of the Trust. The Chair reiterated that the committee had been advised that the Charity Commission had been consulted and was in agreement with the approach being taken. 

RESOLVED:  -

that the annual reports and accounts for the Barham Park Trust for 2006/7, 2008/9, 2009/10 and 2011/12 be approved for submission to the Charity Commission.