Parish Council Audit and Accounts 2020/21

NOTICE OF PUBLIC RIGHTS AND PUBLICATION OF
UNAUDITED ANNUAL GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY RETURN

ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2020

Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 Sections 26 and
27 The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/234)

1.Date of announcement Wednesday 30th June 2021

2. Each year the smaller authority’s Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) needs to be reviewed by an external auditor appointed by Smaller Authorities’ Audit Appointments Ltd. The unaudited AGAR has been published with this notice. As it has yet to be reviewed by the appointed auditor, it is subject to change as a result of that review.

Any person interested has the right to inspect and make copies of the accounting records for the financial year to which the audit relates and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers, receipts and other documents relating to those records must be made available for inspection by any person interested. For the year ended 31 March 2019, these documents will be available on reasonable notice by application to:

Adam Keppel-Green (Parish Clerk)
 33 Manor Crescent, Knutsford, WA16 8DL  – clerk@gawsworthpc.org.uk –  07584 057 228

commencing on Thursday 1st July and ending on Wednesday 11th August 2021

3.Local government electors and their representatives also have:


• The opportunity to question the appointed auditor about the accounting records; and
• The right to make an objection which concerns a matter in respect of which the appointed auditor could either make a public interest report or apply to the court for a declaration that an item of account is unlawful. Written notice of an objection must first be given to the auditor and a copy sent to the smaller authority.

The appointed auditor can be contacted at the address in paragraph 4 below for this purpose between the above dates only.

4.The smaller authority’s AGAR is subject to review by the appointed auditor under the provisions of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014, the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 and the NAO’s Code of Audit Practice 2015. The appointed auditor is:

PKF Littlejohn LLP (Ref: SBA Team)
1 Westferry Circus, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4HD
 sba@pkf-littlejohn.com

Nancy’s Wood Tree Works

The Parish Council has been contacted by a number of residents concerned about the extent of the tree works at Nancy’s Wood and we understand the concern.

The Parish Council commissions regular arboricultural reports on the trees under its care and programmes the required tree works. At the same time, the council has also put in place a management plan for Nancy’s Wood which will see it’s ecology improved over the coming years.

The latest tree survey identified a number of trees for felling due to a shortened life expectancy / poor form. These works have been undertaken and leave a large part of the woodland open. The Parish Council will be undertaking a comprehensive planting programme later this year to replace the trees, plant additional understory shrubs and to plant wildflowers too.

You can view the tree survey here: Gawsworth Tree Survey 2020

You can view the management plan for the wood here: Nancy’s Wood Management Plan.

Neighbourhood Plan Referendum

NOTICE OF REFERENDUM

GAWSWORTH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN AREA

Referendum on the adoption of the Gawsworth Neighbourhood Plan

1. A referendum will be held on Thursday 6 May 2021 to decide the question below:

“Do you want Cheshire East Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Gawsworth to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”

• Applications to be included on the register of electors for this referendum must be received no later than Monday 19 April 2021.

• Electors and their proxies should take note that:

Any changes to, or cancellations of, existing postal or proxy vote records, and new applications to be treated as postal voters, must reach the Electoral Registration Officer, either by hand at the Elections Office,  Macclesfield Town Hall, Market Place, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 1EA, or by post at the Elections Office, Macclesfield Town Hall, c/o Municipal Buildings, Earle Street, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 2BJ by no later than 5.00pm on Tuesday 20 April 2021  if they are to be effective for this referendum.  You must allow sufficient time for posted applications to be received in the Elections Office by the deadline.

• All new applications for proxy voting arrangements must reach the Electoral Registration Officer, either by hand at the Elections Office, Macclesfield Town Hall, Market Place, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 1EA, or by post at the Elections Office, Macclesfield Town Hall, c/o Municipal Buildings, Earle Street, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 2BJ by no later than 5.00pm on Tuesday 27 April 2021, if they are to be effective for this referendum.  You must allow sufficient time for posted applications to be received in the Elections Office by the deadline.

• All applications to vote by emergency proxy at this election must reach the Electoral Registration Officer, either by hand at the Elections Office, Macclesfield Town Hall, Market Place, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 1EA, or by post at the Elections Office, Macclesfield Town Hall, c/o Municipal Buildings, Earle Street, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 2BJ by 5.00pm on Thursday 6 May 2021 if they are to be effective for this referendum.  You must allow sufficient time for posted applications to be received in the Elections Office by the deadline.   

                                                                                                                                                COUNTING OFFICER

Dated: 29 March 2021                                           

Printed and Published by the COUNTING OFFICER, WESTFIELDS, MIDDLEWICH ROAD, SANDBACH, CHESHIRE, CW11 1HZ

Explanatory Note – regarding our office address:

Delivery of applications to register to vote, to vote by post or by proxy – These forms can be hand delivered to the Electoral Registration Officer, Ground Floor, Macclesfield Town Hall, Market Place, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 1EA.  If you choose to post these forms the address to which to post them is the Electoral Registration Officer, Macclesfield Town Hall, c/o Municipal Buildings, Earle Street, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 2BJ, but you must ensure that you allow sufficient time for posted applications to be received in the Elections Office by the relevant deadline for each type of application.

Gawsworth Trail of Christmas Cheer

The trail map is available to buy in Gawsworth Shop, the Harrington Arms or available to download here: Christmas Trail Map.

The map costs £3 with proceeds split between our three charities. Please donate via the PayPayl link below and where possible use ‘Friends and Family’ option so we don’t lose charitable funds on charges.

https://www.paypal.me/gawsworth

Remember to maintain social distancing during the trail and at Santa’s Grotto!

Enjoy our trail and Happy Christmas!

Notice of Conclusion of Audit

he audit of accounts for Gawsworth Parish Council for the year ended 31
March 2020 has been completed and the accounts have been published.

The Annual Governance & Accountability Return is available for
inspection by any local government elector of the area of Knutsford
Town Council on application to:

Adam Keppel-Green (Clerk and RFO)
33 Manor Crescent, Knutsford, WA168 DL
clerk@gawsworthpc.org.uk

Between the hours of 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Copies will be provided to any person on payment of £0

Announcement made by Adam Keppel-Green

You can view the Annual Governance & Accountability Return here: www.knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk/council/finance

Date of announcement: 27/11/2020

Structural Patching – Congleton Road

Cheshire East Council will be carrying out structural patching along Congleton Road, Gawsworth and will take approximately 13 days to complete, commencing from 13 October 2020.

The scheme has been carefully planned to minimise disruption to local residents, businesses and members of the travelling public.

When it’s happening

The works are programmed to begin from Tuesday 13 October to Thursday 29 October 2020 between the hours of 09:30 – 16:30 (excluding weekends). Please note that occasionally the works have to be changed at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances such as adverse weather conditions or logistics.

Under current Health & Safety legislation and for the safety of our workforce and members of the public, it will be necessary for a road closure to be in place during the works.

Every effort will be made to maintain vehicular access to residents and businesses, but there will inevitably be some inconvenience. For enquiries contact Cheshire East Highways on 0300 123 5020.

Virtual Parish Meeting

Gawsworth Parish Council is hosting a virtual Parish Meeting on Wednesday 16th September at 7:30pm.

You will hear from the Parish Council on its work over the past year, plans for the next few months and have the opportunity to discuss any issues affecting Gawsworth and put questions and suggestions to the council and wider community.

You can join the meeting using Zoom or watch and interact via the Gawsworth Life Facebook page.

Questions and suggestions can also be submitted in advance by emailing clerk@ gawsworthpc.org.uk.

To join the meeting via Zoom click here: Gawsworth Virtual Parish Meeting.

Parish Council Audit and Accounts 2019/20

NOTICE OF PUBLIC RIGHTS AND PUBLICATION OF
UNAUDITED ANNUAL GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY RETURN

ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2020

Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 Sections 26 and
27 The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/234)

Neighbourhood Plan advances to next stage

The Gawsworth Neighbourhood Plan has advanced to the next stage after being submitted to Cheshire East Council. The plan is now subject to a six-week consultation (Regulation 16 Consultation) where residents are able to submit their comments on the proposed plan directly to Cheshire East Council.

All comments received in this consultation will be considered by an independent Planning Examiner who will decide whether changes are required to the plan’s policies.

As the plan progresses, the weight it carries in planning decisions builds and already Cheshire East Council will begin noting the policies in the emerging plan when appraising applications.

The Gawsworth Neighbourhood Plan and all associated documents may be accessed, downloaded and viewed via the Neighbourhood Planning pages of Cheshire East Council’s website: Gawsworth Neighbourhood Plan webpage

Hard copies of the neighbourhood plan are available to view at:

• Cheshire East Customer Service Centres, by appointment only (call 0300 123 5500)
• Macclesfield library, by appointment only (call: 01625 374000)
• Gawsworth village hub: 2 Longbutts Lane, Gawsworth, SK11 9QU

Representations on the plan may be made online via the Neighbourhood Planning pages of Cheshire East Council’s website and in writing to: Neighbourhood Planning Team, Westfields, Middlewich Road, Sandbach, CW11 1HZ

Representations on the Gawsworth Neighbourhood Plan must be submitted by 7PM on the 8 September 2020.

Highway Safety Concerns on the A536

In March 2019 the Parish Council submitted a detailed report on the community’s concerns about highway safety on the A536. The report, available below, highlighted that between October 2012 and May 2017 there were 64 personal injury accidents on a 12km stretch of the A536 between Congleton and Macclesfield.

The report contained suggestions to improve highway safety. This report was submitted to Cheshire East Highways Officers – no response was received.

The Parish Council has continued to chase Cheshire East for a response, but to date none has been recieved.

Gawsworth Highway Safety Report.