Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972 gives the Council the power to “incur expenditure which in their opinion is in the interests of and will bring direct benefit to their area or any part of it or all or some of its inhabitants……..”
Section 137 was amended by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 s 36 so that any expenditure must be commensurate with the benefit to the community.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government had advised that the appropriate sum for the purpose of section 137(4)(a) of the Local Government Act 1972 for parish and town councils in England for 2019-20 is £8.12.
This is the amount that results from increasing the amount of 2018-19 (£7.86) by the percentage increase in the retail index between September 2017 and September 2018, in accordance with Schedule 12B to the 1972 Act.
The Parish has 4258 electors. Any expenditure under section 137 must be recorded in the minutes and identified as such in the annual accounts.
Section 137 spending (excluding VAT) for the financial year 2019 2020 is itemised below –
| Date | Item | Supplier | Amount | VAT | Amount |
| November 2019 | Printing of 2020 Community Calendars | On Demand Printers | £640 | 0 | £640 |
| November 2019 | Wreath for Remembrance Sunday | British Legion | £25 | 0 | £25 |