Each year, the Parish Council is obliged to consider whether to raise its precept (the sum of money that Parish Councils charge their local electors to meet their budget requirements). Parish Councils are not funded by central or local government, and as such the precept is the primary means of income generation.
At their meeting on 29 November 2022, members of West Bradford Parish Council unanimously agreed to raise the precept payable by local residents by 5%. This decision was not taken lightly – members took into account the current national financial picture, with the Financial Statement on 17 November having set out the government’s intention to raise taxes and lower public spending. In addition, members noted that the rate of inflation (as calculated under the Consumer Price Index) had risen by 9.6% in the 12 months to October 2022.
However, the Parish Council has a number of activities planned for 2023, not least of which will be a local event to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. In order to fulfil these commitments, and to ensure that the Parish Council can continue to provide a high standard of support for residents, parish councillors felt that a rise in the precept was unavoidable. It was genuinely hoped that the 5% rise would not put too great a strain on residents’ finances, as it would result in each of the 379 Band D households in the parish paying only an additional £0.85 over the year.
Members were keen to ensure that residents were aware of the forthcoming increase and the thinking which underpinned it. If anyone has concerns at the proposed rise, or would wish to express any views on the increase, please feel free to contact the Clerk at westbradfordps@gmail.com
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