Chairman's Update: Finance & General Purposes Committee

Published: 06 October 2026

Last Tuesday we held a meeting of the Finance & General Purposes Committee, looking at the Council’s current financial position and beginning some important work around the 2027/28 budget.

The Committee oversees the Council’s finances and considers strategically how our resources are managed and spent, including budget monitoring, reserves, investments and planning for future service provision.

WHAT IS CHANGING?
Windlesham Parish Council currently represents Bagshot, Lightwater and Windlesham.

From 1 April 2027, following the Community Governance Review:
• Windlesham will form its own new parish council, Windlesham Village Council.
• Bagshot and Lightwater will remain together as the continuing parish council, renamed Bagshot and Lightwater Parish Council.

At the same time, Local Government Reorganisation will see Surrey Heath become part of the new West Surrey Council.

Both parish councils therefore need to prepare for a very different future, and this is the backdrop against which we are developing the 2027/28 budget.

THE COUNCIL’S FINANCIAL POSITION IS STRONG

At the halfway point in the financial year, the Council’s financial position remains strong. The Finance & General Purposes Committee will continue to monitor income, expenditure, reserves and cash flow closely throughout the remainder of the year:

• Overall expenditure is broadly on target.
• The Council has a good cash position and a number of earmarked reserves held for specific purposes.
• The committee resolved to utilise higher-interest accounts to ensure residents’ money is working effectively.

Full details of the Council’s finances and budget monitoring are available on the Council website.

OPEN SPACES AND ASSET MANAGEMENT

One of the biggest areas of work is how we manage our open spaces and community assets in the future.

The new parish councils could potentially become responsible for considerably more land and assets. At the same time, some services currently accessed through Surrey Heath Borough Council may no longer be available in the same way, and we have been advised to plan for potential increases in externally provided service costs.

We are exploring options to achieve the right balance between external contractors and in-house support, helping us deliver services efficiently, respond to local needs, and provide good value for residents.

COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE LEVY (CIL)

CIL is money paid by developers as a result of new development, with a proportion passed to the Parish Council to invest in infrastructure and improvements that benefit the local community.

📍 BAGSHOT
Available: £206,016.92
Committed: £160,000
Remaining: £46,016.92

📍 LIGHTWATER
Available: £26,780
Committed: £0
Remaining: £26,780

📍 WINDLESHAM
Available: £28,809.79
Committed: £13,575.79
Remaining: £15,234

It has also been noted that there is currently no visibility of the likely CIL contribution from the Heathpark Wood development.

🔭 LOOKING AHEAD
It is important that any potential additional assets taken on by parish councils can be managed and maintained effectively.

As we develop the financial modelling for the councils following LGR and the CGR, we also want residents to help shape our priorities, particularly around the assets and resources that matter to each village.

Please look out for opportunities to get involved, and do speak directly to your councillors about what matters to you and how you would like to see village resources used for the benefit of your community.

We are starting from a strong financial position. The work now is about preparing properly, listening to our communities and making sure the new arrangements deliver good services and good value for residents.