Bude-Stratton Town Council last week agreed its budget for 2022/23 and set the total precept for the year at £976,041. The precept – the element of Council Tax attributable to the Town Council – will now be £248.28 for a Band D property, which is an additional £7.23 for a Band D household for the year. This is an increase of 3% on 2021/22.
Councillors were very keen to keep any increase minimal, but with inflation running at more than 5% the Council is facing rising costs in all areas of its operations. The precept had been frozen in 2021/22, due to pressures of the pandemic on the community.
The new budget includes £18,000 for local grants (up 60%), £8,000 for the creation of a Youth Council and £14,201 for one-off project costs.
Councillors also deferred proposed increases to chargeable services – such as room hire at The Parkhouse Centre and The Castle – for further review.
Bude-Stratton Town Council delivers a range of facilities and services to the community including The Castle Heritage Centre, The Parkhouse Centre and Bude Library & Information Service. It also maintains a number of play parks and open spaces, such as Summerleaze Downs, Stamford Hill and Shalder Hill, and is responsible for town’s flower displays, public toilets and a host of other local amenities.
Cllr Tame, Mayor of Bude-Stratton Town Council, commented: “Obviously no Town Council wants to increase its contribution to Council Tax, especially at a time when there are so many other financial pressures on people. And, as a Council, we are really mindful of that.”
“But we also have a responsibility to the public to set a balanced budget, and to make sure we have sufficient funds to keep providing the services which improve our community.
“With rising inflation and pressure on costs, we have done our very best to keep the inevitable increase to a manageable level. This increase is below inflation, and I am advised that it will prove to be below the average precept increase in Cornwall this year.”
“As much as we’d like to have delayed this rise,” she added, “pushing it back another year would most likely mean a twofold increase next year. As a Council, we felt that raising it a little now would be better than a much more significant increase next year.”
Full details of the budget are available here Budget-2022-23.pdf (bude-stratton.gov.uk)
