Finance
PRECEPT 2023/24
Each year the Parish Council is required to review the amount, called the ‘precept’, that it will require from householders in the parish. The precept is a small component of the Council Tax you pay to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, which they collect on our behalf. We use this money to provide services that neither the Borough nor Kent County Council provide, to maintain a number of community assets and green spaces, and to support local groups, organisations, churches and charities that keep the heart of our community beating. Councillors, of course, continue to give their time for free.
The Council regularly review our various costs and the grants that we provide, ensuring that we provide the best value to the community. Minutes of our meetings can be found here
Speldhurst Parish Council has a strong history of keeping tax low and we always remember that it’s your money we use to provide these services. We also understand that many households are feeling squeezed through rising costs, coupled with income that is not rising to the same extent. After freezing the income from our precept in 2021, we needed to raise the average band D rate by 5.4% last year, given the inflationary pressure that we were seeing from our suppliers.
This year that inflationary pressure has intensified, with many of our suppliers raising prices by double digit percentages. Given the Council maintains a prudent level of banked reserves, our desire was to spare parishioners these double digit increases. We have therefore managed to keep the increase down to 6.8%, so the average household (in Band D) will pay £73.81, up from the current £69.11. This is still very competitive compared to many local parishes who charge over £100.
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).