Finance | Belper Town Council

Annual Precept

The precept is a tax that Town and Parish Councils charge local electors to help meet their spending requirements.

Town and Parish Councils do not receive any direct funding from central government and rely on the precept plus any other income they generate from services or facilities they provide. The precept is part of the council tax and is collected from local electors through their Council Tax payments.

Each year, Belper Town Council requests this funding from its local “billing authority”, Amber Valley Borough Council.

Annual Budget

The Council is required in law to agree a budget before it can set its precept. The precept requirement is the difference between the Council’s estimated income and its anticipated spending requirements for the financial year (its budget). The Finance, Governance & Staffing Committee have the responsibility to calculate a budget for consideration by Full Council who must agree the budget and the precept required to fund it.

Fees and Charges

The Council facilitates events and services each year which it aims to operate in an economic and efficient manner for the benefit of residents. Where appropriate, charges levied are set at the most reasonable level to help offset the associated costs. The Council is required in law to review the Fees and Charges it sets each year and, once approved, these normally stay in place for twelve months (from April to March) in line with the financial year. This review is undertaken by the Finance, Governance & Staffing Committee as part of its budget-setting exercise. A breakdown of Fees & Charges is included in the ‘Other Financial Documents’ Section.

2025-26 Budget Statement

At the Full Council meeting of Belper Town Council on 14th January 2025, the Council approved the 2025/26 Budget recommended by the Finance, Governance & Staffing Committee. The Council receives the majority of its income (96.25%) through the precept, an annual sum of money collected with the Council Tax by Amber Valley Borough Council. The remaining 3.75% of the Council’s income is from market and fair fees and bank interest.

Belper Town Council’s budget for 2025/26 is £844,477. The precept the Council will receive for 2025/26 is £814,960. This equates to an annual cost per household of £109.38. This means that from the Council Tax each household pays every year, £109.38 goes to Belper Town Council. This is an increase of, on average, 15p per week, per household for a Band D property, which is £7.80 annually.

The Council is confident that the 2025/26 precept offers value for money and will enable standards to be maintained in all areas and in many instances enhanced throughout the year.

If you have any specific queries or comments about the 2025/26 budget, please email: [email protected]

Read the full 2025/26 Budget Statement.