|
Report to:
|
Cabinet
|
|
Date of
meeting:
|
16 December
2025
|
|
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
2024/25 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. 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 and Information Service entered into
an initial seven-year lease with NSL Limited, providing a local
area hub for traffic rule enforcement administration, parking and
traffic attendants at Lewes Library. This lease has been extended
in line with the NSL Limited parking contract extension until 30
June 2028. This hub includes the use of office space and shared
facilities for NSL staff.
1.5
A rental income of £22,000 per year 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 annually during quarter three of
the following financial year as per the Charity Commission
guidance. The return for 2024-25 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 2024/25
Accounts
2.1 The annual return for Lewes
Public Library and Museum Charitable Trust has been completed by
the Council’s Finance Manager and been submitted to the
Charity Commission.
2.2
The Trust’s Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet
are set out in the
Table
below:
|
Lewes
Public Library and Museum Charitable trust
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income and
Expenditure Account for the year ended 31 March 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023/24
|
Income
|
2025/25
|
|
|
|
|
|
£
|
|
£
|
|
0
|
Fees
|
0
|
|
(22,000)
|
NSL
Ltd shared facilities
|
(22,000)
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
(22,000)
|
|
(22,000)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less
Expenditure
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
22,000
|
Other
expenses
|
22,000
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
0
|
(Surplus)/Deficit
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance Sheet as
at 31 March 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023/24
|
|
2024/25
|
|
|
|
|
|
£
|
|
£
|
|
0
|
Fixed
Assets: Land and Buildings
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
Assets:
|
|
|
0
|
Cash
at Bank
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
Liabilities:
|
|
|
0
|
Sundry
creditors
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
0
|
|
|
Representing:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reserves:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
|
General
Reserve
|
0
|
|
0
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
2.3 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 the Lewes Public Library and Museum
Charitable Trust as submitted to the Charity Commission.
3.2
Cabinet is also recommended to note that there are no issues that
require any further action by the Council as the trustees.
Director of Communities, Economy
and Transport
Contact Officer: Natalie Anderson,
Head of Customer, Library and Registration Services
Email: Natalie.Anderson@eastsussex.gov.uk
Tel. No. 07523 944866