Following the council meeting on 15th January 2025, and after careful consideration, the councillors set the precept at £11,800, which represents a 25.23% increase from last year’s figure of £8,925. This means the council will receive an income against the expected expenditure budget of £14,292.

In recent years, the council has worked hard to keep the precept as low as possible, maintaining it below the budget required to run the parish council for that year. However, since the Covid pandemic, the parish council’s reserves have gradually been depleted.

Over the past year, there has been significant demand to address flooding issues in the village, and the council, led by Cllr Brindley, has been involved in several flood prevention projects throughout the village and concentrating on the Pond area by the Public House. These efforts have been costly, putting a strain on our limited budget. Despite being promised funding and support from the County Councillor, this assistance has not materialized, which is disappointing and has added further financial pressure as we proceeded with the work based on those assurances. The Parish Council will continue to chase this funding promise.

Additionally, following the floods, strong winds led to the need for emergency tree work.

Rising costs for contractors and their materials, and increased contributions to NICS have also contributed to the financial challenges.

On a positive note, our Band D rate remains relatively low compared to other local councils, positioning us favourably in comparison.