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 (FGS) have the responsibility to calculate a budget for consideration by Full Council who must agree the budget and the precept required to fund it.

2023-24 Budget Statement

Last financial year, the Council agreed there should be no increase in the precept given the hardship inflicted by the Covid-19 Pandemic. At the Full Council meeting on 10 January 2023, the budget for the next financial year was considered. A 10% increase in line with inflation was agreed. To achieve this, the Council decided to offset some of the significant increases in costs through using its General Reserve.

This means that the precept (the portion of council tax which is paid to Belper Town Council will increase from £590,058 to £649,064.

It would mean for a Band D property the charge will increase by £8.13 per annum or £0.69p per month.

Once again, a strong commitment to supporting the many organisations that make our town such an invigorating and caring community has been made. A total of £107,225 has been allocated in annual grants to maintain and enhance the services provided by:

Amber Valley Community Transport
Belper Early Years (Fun)
Blend Youth Project
Citizens Advice
Fleet Arts
Belper Leisure Centre
Belper Youth Sports Festival
H4B Community Food Hub

In addition, small grants (applied for throughout the year) remains at a total of £20,000. This has benefited numerous local organisations providing an array of services and opportunities throughout the town during the current financial year, including:

Transition Belper – Alton Manor Open Spaces
Unite (Community) – Death Cafes
Wilder Belper – Equipment
Belper Ukrainian Refugee Group – Summer School
Pride In Belper – Annual Event
Belper Meadows Sports Club – Building Repairs
Pentrich & South Wingfield Revolution Group – Information Board
Milford Community Green Space – Building Materials
Hope for Belper – Community Food Hub
Surtal Arts – Event
St Johns Ambulance – Youth Training
SSAFA – Belper Focussed Support Service
Rotary Club – Art Exhibition and Competition
Blend Youth Project – Event
Nailed It – Event
Transition Belper – Belper Goes Green Festival

This year, we have taken the view that it is essential that the town continues to develop. This can best be done by supporting and assisting local organisations, particularly in their ability to face the projected financial increases that will affect us all. And to build and support a staff team who can continue developing the town in line with the Corporate Plan and promoting its growing reputation.

If you have any specific queries about the budget, please email clerk@belpertowncouncil.gov.uk