Parish Precept

Parish Precept

This year’s Parish Council precept has been set at 8.8%, representing a 2.8% increase on the percentage uplift of 6% applied in 2021. When considered in monetary terms, this increase represents an additional £2,475 in income for the Parish Council for the coming year (approximately £10 per household per year, or 19p per week). This additional income has been allocated to specific budget pots including installation of a defibrillator, pay award increases, and parish council projects. In addition, the parish council has planned ahead for inflationary increases during 2022/23 across key areas of expenditure, in line with current economic trends affecting the whole country.  Councillors opted to increase, rather than ‘freeze’ the precept at last year’s position, to avoid the potential for significant rises in future years. The 8% increase is also in line with the rates applied in neighbouring parishes. Note that the additional precept is for expenditure anticipated during the coming year and has not been set to recover any costs from previous financial years: all costs incurred in 2021/22 have been appropriately managed within available budgets.

The annual precept for the parish is set over a 3-month period with all decisions transparent across the Minutes of the 3 full council meetings. The process starts in Oct/Nov each year, with the Clerk circulating a draft budget for all proposed expenditure and estimated expenditure for the forth coming year which includes for example: projects, training, subscriptions, planned purchases and the management of the parish and it’s needs. Discussions and decisions are then had at the December meeting.

Budgets are always an appendix to the agendas, and the budget spend is proposed on the agendas, all decisions are then fully transparent through the Minutes including the agreed budget and precept approved at the January meeting. The precept is paid to the council in April and September, the council has no other generated income. However, we will receive a commuted sum from David Wilson Homes for the initial management of the Loxton Fields Public Open Space once the transfer of the land is complete.