Saltford PC is a prudently managed council, with one of the lowest precepts in the B&NES area. Saltford Parish Council spends its precept to provide services which it judges to be necessary or of importance to the community, to pay for costs associated with its assets or its responsibilities (i.e. St Mary’s Churchyard including its walls and trees; the allotment site), and to pay for the running costs of the Council so it can operate effectively (including IT, staff and office costs).
Parish Councils have set minimum level of reserves, which need to be maintained on the advice of the auditor. Due to increase in costs in 2022/23 alongside an unexpected significant spend required on the churchyard walls, Saltford Parish Council required use of its reserves during 2022/23. Due to the churchyard wall works required, this included the Council resolving to go below its minimum recommended levels on the grounds of Health and Safety (and to avoid incurring possible further costs should the walls have deteriorated further if no action had been taken).
Following a draft budget meeting in December, at its January 2023 meeting SPC formally agreed its budget for the 2023/24 financial year. It was resolved that SPC would increase its precept by 20.8% in 2023/24, from £41,005 in 2022/23 to £49,534 in 2023/24.
This decision reflected SPC’s position as a fiscally responsible Council, with the change to the precept allowing the Council to meet its costs and to build SPC’s reserves back to recommended minimum levels over three years.
Following receipt of Saltford’s tax base from B&NES Council, this means that an average Band D property (Band D is used as the national comparison) in Saltford will pay £27.08 p.a. e.g. £2.26 per calendar month in 2023/24.
This is a £4.55 per year increase for an average Band D property, or an increase of c.38p per calendar month in 2023/24.
Although SPC has agreed an increase of its precept of 20.8%, as the Tax Base for Saltford has increased for 2023/24, please note on the Council Tax letter to be received by residents it will translate to an increase of 20.2% for each household.
Saltford Parish Council consistently levies one of the lowest precepts in the B&NES Council area and this position is likely to remain similar after the increase in precept for 2023/24. In Bath and North East Somerset there are 44 parish councils, 3 town councils, 3 parish meetings and one village council. Saltford has the seventh largest population out of all the parished areas (according to 2011 census). In 2022/23, SPC levied the fourth lowest precept for an average Band D property when compared to the c.50 precepted areas in B&NES. The average parish precept for a Band D property in the B&NES Council area for 2022/23 was £45.30, compared to Saltford’s which was less than half of this.
SPC shares information about its precept on its social media pages (Facebook and Twitter), SPC’s e-newsletter and SCAN page, as well as on its noticeboard.
Saltford PC resolves its budget for the financial year ahead at a Full Council annually in December/January (when the tax base is shared and prior to the precept demand being required). Spend by the Council throughout the year is resolved at meetings, which members of the public are welcome to attend and speak on any agenda item. Please see our ‘Meetings – Agendas and Minutes‘ page for details. SPC is transparent with all its spend, and follows its ‘Financial Regulations’ to ensure that it is managing its income and spend according to set procedures at all times.
For information about how SPC spends its income including the precept, financial matters are recorded in SPC’s full council minutes. Monthly financial reports and schedules of expenditure are publicised at least three clear days before a full council meeting on SPC’s website and noticeboard. Full council minutes subsequently include monthly financial reports and schedules of expenditure (to views these please scroll to the end of each set of minutes).
Saltford Parish Council’s annual accounting statements and audit information can be found on SPC’s Finance page under ‘Audits’.