Financial Information

The Precept is that element of your Council Tax that is paid to Daventry Town Council.

Each year, the Council draws up budgets and calculates how much money it needs for the next Financial Year. These are then submitted to West Northants Council.

For the Council Year 2024/2025

Parish Council tax for a Band D property in Daventry, for the financial year 2024/25, will be £180.10 per annum, a 3.46% increase on the previous year which equates to an £6.03 per year (11.6 pence per week), which will fund the management and maintenance of the parks, recreation grounds, open spaces, trees, highway verges, community events, community safety, museum, planning matters, support for local organisations/groups, cemeteries, market, street furniture, street lighting, allotments and the Town street scene.

Precept and Budget details can be seen in the documents below

Additional details of Daventry Town Council's budget for the financial year 2024/25 are available from the office.

Prior Years Budget and Precept

Details of prior years Budget and Precept

Daventry Town Council is required, in accordance with the Accounts and Audit Regulations, to complete an Annual Return setting out Accounting Statements and an Annual Governance Statement for each financial year. These statements and their supporting documentation are audited by the Council's Internal Auditor and an External Auditor.

The audit of accounts for Daventry Town Council for the year ended 31st March 2024 has been completed.

The completed Annual Governance & Accountability Return (AGAR), together with the relevant supporting documentation, has now been approved by the external auditor.

The Notice of Conclusion of Audit for 2023/2024 is displayed together with sections 1-3 of the Annual Return.

The Council's External Auditor is PKF Littlejohn.

Email: sba@pkf-littlejohn.com

Postal Address:

PKF Littlejohn LLP, 1 Westferry Circus, Canary Wharf, LONDON , E14 4HD

Prior Annual Returns

Details of prior years Annual Governance and Accountability Returns.

The Asset Register has four main purposes, it:

• forms a basis for completion of box 9 in the 'Annual Return'.
• forms a basis for decisions on risk and insurance issues.
• provides information on the age and potential lifespan of certain items.
• provides assurance of the continued existence of Council's property.

In order to ensure transparency and reasonableness, the following items are included in the Council's asset register, whether purchased, gifted or otherwise acquired, together with their holding location:

• land and buildings held freehold or on long term lease in the name of the Council
• community assets
• vehicles, plant and machinery
• assets considered to be portable, attractive or of community significance
• other assets estimated or known to have a minimum purchase or resale value of £100
• long term investments, shares and loans made by the Council

The Register is adopted by the Council at the end of each Municipal Year but is a working document over the following Municipal Year, during which Council Officers will update and amend details as necessary.

Risk is the threat that an event or action will adversely affect an organisations ability to achieve its objectives and to successfully execute its strategies. Risk management is the process by which risks are identified, evaluated and controlled. It is a key element of the framework of governance together with community focus, structures and processes, standards of conduct and service delivery arrangements.

This document has been produced to enable the Town Council to assess the risks that it faces and satisfy itself that it has taken adequate steps to minimise them. The Council is aware although some risks can never be eliminated fully, it has in place a strategy that provides a structured, systematic and focused approach to managing risk which:

• Identifies the key risks facing the Council
• Identifies what the risk may be
• Identifies the level of risk
• Evaluates the management and control of the risk and records findings
• Reviews, assesses and revises procedures if required.

Daventry Town Council has voted against awarding allowances to its members, but members are reimbursed expenditure incurred whilst on Council business.

The Town Mayor is allocated a budget of £3000 to facilitate Mayoral/Civic duties.

Daventry Town Council work in partnership with key local organisations to support some key community services:

• Police - CCTV for crime prevention and community safety
• DACT - Daventry Town Dial-A-Ride
• Daventry Community Association - Community Building/Hall

Daventry Town Council also awards grants of up to £1000 to voluntary organisations established for the benefit of the Daventry community.

Apply for a Community Grant: If you are a local voluntary organisation and would like more information, please visit our Community Grants page or pop into the town council offices and pick up an application form.

Details of Community Infrastructure Levy received and or spent by Daventry Town Council.

Details of council expenditure that exceeds £250.

The Council is required by the Government's Transparency Code (2015) to publish details of every transaction on a Government Procurement Card, details of every invitation to tender for contracts to provide good and/or services with a value that exceeds £5,000, and details of any contract, commissioned activity, purchase order, framework agreement and any other legally enforceable agreement with a value that exceeds £5,000.

Daventry Town Council does not use a Government Procurement Card.

Daventry Town Council tries to procure good and services locally wherever possible but is also mindful that it has a duty to obtain good value for money.

The Council is required by the Government's Transparency Code (2015) to publish its Pay Multiple. This is the ratio of the taxable earnings for the given year (including base salary, variable pay, bonuses, allowances and cash value of an benefits-in-kind) of the highest paid officer in relation to the median taxable earnings of all staff.

The Pay Multiple for Daventry Town Council as at 31st March 2024 is 1.8:1

The Council is required under the Accounts and Audit Regulation 2015 to publish the following information with regard to senior salaries:

• The number of employees whose remuneration in that year was at least £50,000 in brackets of £5,000
• Details of remuneration and the job title of certain senior employees whose salary is at least £50,000
• Employees whose salaries are £150,000 or more must also be identified

In addition to this requirement, local authorities must place a link on their website to these published data sets or place the data itself on their website, together with a list of responsibilities (for example, the services and functions they are responsible for, budget held and number of staff) and details of bonuses and 'benefits-in-kind', for all employees whose salary exceeds £50,000.

Daventry Town Council has one post where remuneration is £50,000 per annum or greater, the post of the Chief Officer. The salary is within the LC4 benchmarking range (Spinal Columns points 50 to 53) as recommended by the National Association of Local Councils and the Society of Local Council Clerks and is based upon size of population, budget and level of services of the Council.

The Council has no employees whose salaries are over £150,000.

Daventry Town Council does not pay bonuses or benefits-in-kind to employees and operates a TOIL (time off in lieu) system.