Report to:

Cabinet

 

Date of meeting:

 

23 January 2024

By:

Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

 

Title:

Annual Accounts for Lewes Public Library and Museum Charitable Trust

 

Purpose:

Provide annual statement of accounts for Lewes Public Library and Museum Charitable Trust

 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

Cabinet is recommended to:

1)    note the final accounts for 2022/23 for the Lewes Public Library and Museum Charitable Trust; and

2)    note that there are no issues that require any further action by the County Council as the Corporate Trustee.

 

1              Background Information

1.1.        The Charitable Trust was established by a Conveyance dated 21 June 1872, relating to the old library and museum at Albion Street, Lewes (the ‘Original Library’) when that property was conveyed ‘on trust to permit the same premises and all buildings to be erected thereon to be and forever hereafter appropriated and used as and for a school of children and adults in drawing, painting, modelling, designing for architecture, manufactures and decorations and for no other purpose’. This created a permanent endowment of the Original Library which became known as the Lewes School of Science and Art. By Orders made by the Board of Education in 1934 and 1956 the scheme was modified and extended to include ‘Public library’ and ‘museum’. The County Council became the owner of the Original Library and museum by virtue of a transfer of functions under the Local Government Act 1972.

1.2.        In 2008 the Council signed a Declaration of Trust after detailed consultation with the Charity Commission regarding the disposal of the Original Library. By the 2008 Declaration, the Council confirmed the current name of the Charity as the Lewes Public Library and Museum Charitable Trust. East Sussex County Council also declared that the current Lewes Library at Styles Field would be held on trust and used for the Charity in place of the Original Library.

1.3.        The charitable use of the Library is ‘use as a public library and museum for the safe custody exhibition and study of objects of educational artistic or scientific interest and such other collections and objects of a similar nature as the council may think fit’, constituting the objects of the Charity.

1.4.        From 1 July 2018, the Library Service entered into a seven-year lease with NSL Limited, providing a local area hub for traffic rule enforcement administration, parking and traffic attendants at Lewes Library. This hub includes the use of office space and shared facilities for NSL staff.

1.5.        £22,000 per year rental income has been achieved for the Charity, however as the gross income exceeds the statutory threshold for registration (£5,000 per annum) the Charity has been registered with the Charity Commission.

1.6.        The registration was completed in December 2019 and subsequent annual returns have been completed during quarter three of the following financial year as per the Charity Commission guidance annually. The return for 2022-23 has again been completed in the same format.

1.7         The Governance Committee on 26 June 2018 agreed that annual accounts will be prepared and reported annually to Cabinet, in line with the current practice where the County Council is a Corporate Trustee. 

2          2022/23 Accounts

2.1.        The annual return for Lewes Public Library and Museum Charitable Trust has been completed and submitted to the Charity Commission. As the income is less than £25,000 there is no requirement for the accounts to be submitted along with the annual return.

 

The Trust’s Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet are set out below:

 

Lewes Public Library and Museum Charitable Trust

Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31 March 2023

2021/22

Income

2022/23

£

 

£

(22,000)

Fees -NSL Ltd shared facilities

(22,000)

 

 

 

(22,000)

 

(22,000)

 

 

 

 

Less Expenditure

 

 

 

 

22,000

Other expenses (contribution to library for building costs)

22,000

 

 

 

0

(Surplus)/Deficit

0

 

 

 

 

 

Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2022

2021/22

 

2022/23

       £

 

       £

0

Fixed Assets: Land and Buildings

0

 

 

 

 

Current Assets:

 

0

   Cash at Bank

0

 

 

 

 

Current Liabilities:

 

0

  Sundry creditors

0

 

 

 

0

 

0

 

 

 

0

  General Reserve

0

 

 

 

0

 

0

 

 

 

 

2.2.        Please refer to Appendix 1 of this report to review the submission for the annual return to the Charity Commission.

 

3          Conclusion and Reasons for Recommendations

3.1.        Cabinet is recommended to note the final accounts for 2022/23 for the Lewes Public Library and Museum Charitable Trust.

3.2.        Cabinet is also recommended to note that there are no issues that require any further action by the County Council as the Corporate Trustee.

 

 

RUPERT CLUBB

Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

Contact Officer: Samantha McManus
Tel. No. 07919 298416

Email: samantha.mcmanus@eastsussex.gov.uk