Council Tax 2025/2026 – Parish Precept Update

Council Tax 2025/26 – Parish Precept Update

Harlestone Manor Parish Council set its precept for 2025/26 at £32,156 – the same amount as the previous two years, with no increase.

However, after the precept was agreed, we received updated tax base figures from West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), which showed a reduction in the number of homes currently contributing to the council tax. This means that although the total precept amount hasn’t changed, the contribution from each household has increased – resulting in a 13% rise in the parish element of your council tax bill.

The increase does not reflect a rise in council spending – it is due to the reduced tax base, which is outside of the Parish Council’s control. While the number of contributing homes may increase again in future years, the tax base can fluctuate and is determined annually by WNC. We want to reassure residents that the tax base will be taken into account in all future precept calculations and where rises in the precept are necessary, explanations for this will be provided on our website before you receive your council tax bills.