Noticestices

​

​

Budget + Precept 2024-2025

​

The Council is required to set an annual budget to deliver services,

and its income is financed through a combination of the parish precept,

and grants.

​

Over the past few years the Council has made efforts to establish a

realistic budget. The Council is now better equipped to respond to

issues as they arise and unforeseen circumstances (such as

detrimental planning applications) without this impacting the delivery

of other services. These increments over recent years would have been

less significant if there had been more reasonable annual increments

applied historically. However, between 2000-2020 the precept increased

by an average annual sum of only £1.16 per annum. While this produced

an overall saving for taxpayers for close to two decades, it effectively

resulted in real-term budget cuts throughout most of the Council’s recent

existence as the precept fell far short of inflation. If the Parish Council

has increased its precept by just £5 per annum per year since 2000,

then the Parish would have been in a much healthier fiscal position and would have enough precept and reserves to accommodate all overheads. 

​

Across a similar period the second-tier authority, Halton Borough Council, has experienced funding reductions of £57 million since 2010.

​

In reaction to these circumstances, the Parish Council has tried to play a more proactive role and reduce the potential risk of watching a decline of services in the Parish by undertaking additional public realm improvements in the village, whilst trying to protect and safeguard the community against overdevelopment which would involve significant alteration of our landscape and risk a loss of Preston Brook as residents know it today.

 

This year’s precept brings us almost to the level necessary to deliver all of our services, make additional investment in the Parish and the community, and continue making a meaningful difference to the people of Preston Brook. 

​

It is important to note that the Council’s costs have increased significantly in recent years, and it is becoming more difficult to maintain lower precept requests, without compromising on service delivery. 

​

The new precept delivers a Band D rate of £141.74, which is a year-on-year increase of £1.16 per week. 

​

To view the full budget and precept report, please click here.