The Town Council has frozen the precept at last year’s rate of £206,000, despite rising costs due to inflation and the increasing demands placed upon it as other authorities reduce funding for some services. Head of the finance working group, Ian Cooper, said “Last year, we took a bold step and reduced the precept by £20,000 compared with the previous year. With careful financial management, we have met our commitments within this budget. The financial climate continues to be tough for everyone, which is why we have set ourselves a slightly reduced budget in real terms for 2012/13”.
Although the overall amount remains the same, thanks to the growth in housing, it will be spread across a greater number of households, resulting in a slightly reduced annual charge.
April 2012 Minutes