What is Helston Town Council tax budget for 2023 to 2024

At its first full meeting of the year, Helston Town Council agreed on the budget for the forthcoming year including setting the precept.

The precept is the name for the portion of money the town council claims out of the council tax bill, the other parts going to Cornwall Council and the police.

Helston  Town Council explained that it was responsible for maintaining a number buildings and facilities around the town, including The Guildhall, public toilets, play areas, eight open spaces and more 66,000 square metres of verges, as well as six planted roundabouts, eight bus shelters, numerous benches and litter bins.

The council also provides a monitored CCTV system, a network of public access defibrillators, and detached youth workers, a well as giving out grants to organisations and community groups, including the Museum of Cornish Life and the Furry Youth Café.

Twice a year, community grants are given to local causes that apply, with the council also providing funds towards Helston Christmas Lights, which are installed by volunteers.

The council said that to provide all these services it had calculated it would need a budget of £776,190 in the coming financial year.

Part of this will come from income the council receives, including £29,840 from the hiring of the Guildhall for events - from weddings to training sessions and markets.

The remaining sum is what forms the precept part of the council tax bill. These figures are usually represented by the cost of a Band D property.

This new precept equates to a charge of £202.96 per annum for Band D taxpayers, which will result in an increase of £37.93 a year or 73p a week.

The council said that in Helston, nearly 76% of residences are in band A-C, which pay a lower charge. This would mean that a Band A property pays an additional 49p a week, Band B will have an increase of 57p a week and a Band C property will pay 65p a week more.

The council said it had "endeavoured to keep any increase to a minimum as it fully understands the challenge that people face now."

Council Tax Bands total weekly contribution (Image: Helston Town Council)

It added that it also faced a "significant increase" in the costs of delivering services, and it no longer receives the council tax support grant from the central government, which has been withdrawn.

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Mayor Tim Grattan-Kane said: “In the 22-23 budget we made a determined effort to make the smallest increase possible as the community emerged from Covid. Unfortunately, the impact of the war in Ukraine has dramatically increased the cost of fuel and energy which has had an impact on all the goods and services we use.

“Helston is the tenth largest town in Cornwall but our precept charge in recent years has placed us 18th in cost of our precept. This places Helston below the mid-point of charges for larger towns and parishes in Cornwall. I anticipate that we will remain at similar levels.

“The members believe that we continue to present value for money.”