Finance
THE PRECEPT 2026/27
Every year, parish councils consider their finances and determine what their precept will be for the coming year. The precept is the portion of Council Tax you pay to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, which they collect on our behalf.
The precept for 2026/27 was agreed at our Full Council meeting on the 5th of January 2026. The total precept of £258,912 represents an increase of £13,551 over the previous year or 4.8% for a band D property.
The Parish Council was very mindful of the cost-of-living challenges faced by households and families in setting the precept to ensure the best value for money for each of the services the Council is responsible for. Councillors were also conscious that council reserves for unplanned or unexpected events are at the lower end of recommended levels. It was therefore important to strike the right balance to ensure known or anticipated costs for the next financial year were covered as much as possible from the precept, rather than depleting reserves further.
The Council is fortunate to own several pockets of land, including the recreation ground, the children’s play areas, and the car park at Langton Green. While the Council regards this as an important benefit, it does mean a significant portion of the precept is spent on maintaining these amenities. For instance, the Council has been replacing the wooden bollards at the car park. This work is being spread over several years to keep costs, around £8,000 p.a., manageable. An important point to highlight is that the Council is continually looking for cost-effective opportunities to improve an amenity. An example is an investment in creating a wild flower meadow at Pocket Park in Speldhurst, to be funded by a combination of Council funds and external grants.
The Council also owns 3 buildings, the Parish Office, the old Speldhurst Chapel, and the Langton Pavilion. The loan on the Parish Office will be fully repaid in 2026/27. The loan on the old Speldhurst Chapel for 2026/27 represents a cost of £30,136. Speldhurst Community Shop and Post Office are responsible for all other costs associated with this building. For the pavilion, the Council is still budgeting to subsidise the building, albeit at a reduced level from 2025/26. The Council, working closely with Langton Green Community Sports Association, is undertaking a review of the pavilion, to be completed by autumn 2026, with a goal to put in place a viable financial arrangement that fully covers the operating costs of the pavilion going forward.
Finally, our Highways Committee continues to strive to improve highway safety throughout the Parish and is working on several initiatives. The costs involved are significant and higher than the Council's budgets allow. Notwithstanding this, the Council has set aside an additional £15,000 for 2026/27 to provide some seed funding. This is to demonstrate to the relevant authorities, such as Kent County Council, the Council’s seriousness and commitment to unlock additional funding from them to allow these initiatives to move forward and hopefully be implemented.
While any increase in the precept is regrettable, councillors have taken all appropriate steps to keep the overall increase as low as possible for 2026/27. If you would like to know more about the precept and how it is spent, our Clerk will be happy to answer your questions.
If you would like further details about the precept and how it is spent, you are welcome to contact our Clerk Helen Chater, who will be happy to answer your questions.
GRANTS
The Parish Council will consider awarding grants to community projects. To apply for a grant please see the guidelines and application form below. If you would like a word version of the application form sent to you by email please contact the Clerk (this will enable you to type in the form which will expand to your requirements).
You can view a list of grants awarded for the years 2024-25 and 2025-26 below.