New planning applications

Published on May 13, 2018

Planning applications in and around the village

There are four new planning applications affecting Bourton: two affecting Lowerfield Farm and two at Home Farm.

Lowerfield Farm is the farm house and buildings opposite the road junction with the A420 at Bourton Wharf. Home Farm is the collection of farm buildings on the edge of the village on the right-hand side of the road heading towards Bishopstone.

These properties are part of the large areas of farmland surrounding the village owned by Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity, a charitable trust focused on improving people’s health in Lambeth and Southwark.

The plans involve developing commercial units and new houses in both locations. Links to the applications can be found on the Planning page of the website, here.

As with all planning issues, villagers are urged to read and consider the applications and provide comments to the Parish Council or directly into the planning process via the Vale’s online planning portal.

Annual Statutory Documents

The Parish Council (PC) is required to prepare and publish these documents following the end of each financial year. They comprise five main sections:

Certificate of Exemption

Small parish councils are exempt from a detailed annual audit by an external auditor. The definition of a ‘small’ council is annual gross income of less than £25,000; Bourton PC’s annual income falls well within this threshold. This form confirms the PC’s annual income and its exemption from an external audit.

Annual Internal Audit Report

Although exempt from an external audit, the PC’s affairs are still subject to an internal audit by a qualified individual independent of the PC. This is the auditor’s summary report.

Annual Governance Statement

This form deals with the standard of internal controls and general governance standards within the PC throughout the year.

Accounting Statements

This is the summary financial report for the PC for the financial year. It also includes commentary on any significant variances from the previous year’s financial results and a balance sheet reconciliation with bank accounts.

Notice of Public Rights

This notice sets out the rights of local electors to review and query the PC’s statutory returns, including the contact details of the internal auditor.