Full News Report

22nd December 2024

Council Tax going up 13p a week on average for local services

IT was with a heavy heart that Morval Parish councillors decided to increase their part of the Council Tax by between 8p or 25p a week, depending on a household’s ‘Band’ category.

Those living in a Band D property (generally regarded as the average) will pay about 13p a week more.

The Council’s precept (or budget) discussions for the forthcoming 12 months always make for one of the most difficult and sometimes emotive meetings.

Councillors are no different than any other resident of the parish; they, too, know that household and living expenses continue to rise, so the last thing they really want to do is add to that financial burden by raising the Parish Council precept request – the amount of money it gets from Cornwall Council’s Council Tax demands to keep the parish running.

But it’s important to strike the right balance. Only a couple of years ago the Council decided not to raise the parish precept – despite costs going up everywhere else – only to find out later that they had to put the precept up even more to get back on a level playing field and to continue delivering the same services.

Sometimes standing still, when prices all around you are rising, is not the best policy.

At their monthly meeting in the Village Hall, Widegates, councillors spent some time reviewing each and every item of spending, trying to reduce costs where they could while retaining a workable bank balance for both regular services and unseen eventualities or emergencies.

In the end, they voted on a £6.55 a year rise – equal to 8.62 per cent – for those in a Council Tax Band D property.

Band A properties will pay £4.36 extra (8.61 per cent) in the coming year and a Band H property will go up £13.10 a year (8.63 per cent).

To these increases will have to be added Cornwall Council’s Council Tax demand and the Police Authority’s contribution.

Morval will have a Parish budget of some £25,600 for the coming financial year – an increase of £3,500 on the previous 12 months.

Almost £2,000 of that has to be set aside for next May’s Local Council elections. 

The figure is determined by Cornwall County Council and Morval has no say in it; however, if there is no election for the Parish Council, most of that money will have been saved.

Similarly, the budget also includes £3,000 for maintenance, equipment renewal and contingencies and it is possible that not every penny of that will be needed. 

But other items like salaries, insurances, annual audits, subscriptions and training fees have all seen increases in the past year.

Incidentally, the new children’s play area at Farriers Way has been financed by way of Government grants and money set aside by the Council in previous years.

The new budget only includes a figure of £1,000 to cover statutory equipment inspections, rent, legal fees and any other incidental spending, such as signposting, grass trimming and the like.

The Parish Council’s accounts are on the website – https://www.morvalparishcouncil.org.uk – available for everyone to see.