At its meeting on February 4th Timsbury Parish Council agreed its precept for 2019/20 at £56,000. This compares with £51,000 in 2018/19.
The Precept charge is divided between all the village households and is added to B&NES Council Tax bills. The increase in the annual charge for a house in Band D will be just under £5.
The increase largely reflects the loss of funding previously provided from elsewhere. The Parish Grant, provided by the Government via B&NES Council, has been stopped. In addition B&NES Council is reducing its contribution to the cost of the village sweeper, has stopped the mobile library service and closed much of its Youth Service.
The original budget for the Parish Council in the year ending April 2019 was £81,000 but the total spend for the year will amount to just over £100,000. The additional money came from reserves.
It was spent on widening the pavement along North Road (£8,000); resurfacing the Ha Ha (£3,000 with an additional £5,000 from B&NES Council); refurbishing the War Memorial (£7,500) and establishing the Hub Library (£5,600 with an additional £5,000 from B&NES Council). This additional spending will reduce the Council’s reserves to around £40,000 by April 2019.
In the coming financial year the Parish Council expects to spend £78,000 of which:
£25,000 on administration – staff, office expenses, insurance and activities.
£17,500 on amenities – Recreation Field and Play Area, support for local groups and clubs, litter picking, the cemetery, footpaths and plantings.
£7,700 on youth services.
£5,400 on the Hub Library.
£1,300 on electricity for 15 of the village street lights.
More details of the precept budget can be found on the website www.timsbury.org.uk/parishcouncil/finances
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