Burnham-on-Sea & Highbridge Town Council

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Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge Town Council set budget for 2024/25

On Tuesday 30th January the Town Council agreed a budget of £952,901 for the 2024/25 financial year.

To set the budget this year the Council has had to face the impact of cost of inflation in key areas including fuel, utilities and wages whilst also trying to mitigate the impact of the reduction of services proposed by Somerset Council.

The Council has been working towards clarity over the running costs of taking on additional services, facilities and responsibilities and this budget has taken this into account.  As always, we will continue to look for savings throughout the year which can be used to limit future inflation or invest in community services.

With all this in mind, the Council has agreed a budget which includes projected income of £118,025 and expenditure of £1,070,926.  These costs include the work of the Town Council to maintain our cemeteries, administer allotments and fund some of the key civic events in the towns including the Remembrance Parade.  The budget also covers maintenance of certain public facilities such as dog bins, the Princess Theatre and the work of the Town Rangers to support residents and visitors, as well as the award of grants of £35,000 to community groups.  Included within the expenditure is an additional £76,000 for increased costs in areas such as highways maintenance, parks and public conveniences that have previously come under the remit of Somerset Council.

The expenditure will be funded by a precept of £952,901, which will form part of the council tax along with the requirements of Somerset County Council and Police.  This equates to an increase in the Town Council element of £27.31 per year to a Band D property to £143.41, a weekly increase of just over 50p and one of the lowest increases throughout Somerset.

As the full extent to which Town & Parish Councils will have to take on public services is as yet unknown, the Council has decided it would not be prudent to draw down additional funding from reserves at this present point in time.

As the stability of local authorities continues to decline, it is becoming imperative that each Town and Parish Council take on additional responsibilities that are essential to the needs of their specific community.  However, the Council is aware that as individual household costs have also increased enormously any increase in council tax is an additional burden to the residents of Burnham-on-Sea & Highbridge.  Somerset Council have a council tax reduction scheme in place for low income households – – https://www.somerset.gov.uk/benefits-and-payments/council-tax-reduction/

Further cost of living information is available on the Town Council’s website – https://burnham-highbridge-tc.gov.uk/cost-of-living-advice.

The feedback from our public consultations have played a vital part of the decision-making process this year and whilst no increase is a welcome increase, the Council has taken the decision to make an incremental adjustment for essential services that would otherwise be cut, whilst still keeping the council tax at one of the lowest rates in Somerset.

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Grant Application Kings Coronation Form

The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III will take place on Saturday 6th May 2023, with an additional bank holiday on Monday 8th May 2023.

We are keen to hear from groups/organisations in Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge that are looking to celebrate the Coronation. The Town Council has £1500 available to allocate to events being organised to celebrate the Kings Coronation. The maximum grant to be allocated per event will be £500.

You must meet the following criteria for your application to be considered:

– The event will be open to all members of the public

– The event will be free of charge

– The event will take place within the Coronation weekend

– The event will take place within Burnham on Sea or Highbridge

 

Applications will close on Monday 6th March at midday. 

Your organisation and contact details

What happens next....
Applications will be considered at the Finance and Resources Committee Meeting on Monday 13th March 2023. You will be notified after this date whether your application has been successful.
Burnham & Highbridge Town Council takes your privacy seriously and will only use your personal information for the purposes of contacting you about this grant. The Council’s privacy notice can be found here.

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