Agenda item

Without prejudice to the outcome of the Community Governance Review, to consider a report on the setting of an appropriate budget and the calculation and levying of a precept for the first year of operation of each of the proposed parish councils.

Jackie Weaver, Chief Officer, Cheshire Association of Local Councils, and local ward councillors who are not members of the Sub-Committee, have been invited to attend for this item.

Without prejudice to the outcome of the Community Governance Review, the Sub-Committee considered a report on the setting of an appropriate budget and the calculation and levying of a precept for the first year of operation of each of the proposed parish councils.

Jackie Weaver, Chief Officer of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils (ChALC), and her colleague Linda Davenport, were in attendance at the Sub-Committee’s invitation and the Chairman welcomed them to the meeting.

Local ward councillors who were not members of the Sub-Committee had also been invited to attend but were not present, Councillor Menlove having submitted his apologies.

Parish precepts would need to be raised for any new Parish Councils created, to cover the administration costs for the municipal year 2011/12. It was also necessary to take into account corporate proposals agreed by Cabinet on 19^th July 2010 for the devolution of services to parish councils. Further discussions would be required regarding the likely impact of this programme upon the newly-formed parish councils. However, the Sub-Committee was informed that with regard to the transfer of services, there would be no impact on town and parish council precepts through the initiative until April 2012.       

In order to consider and determine reasonable budgets for the new parish councils, the Sub-Committee had before it information on existing parishes in the Borough regarding Council Tax base and precept. This enabled Members to identify tax bases and precepts for parishes similar in size to the three proposed parishes in order to determine appropriate budgets and precepts for the first year of operation of the new councils.

The Cheshire Association of Local Councils (ChALC) had supplied examples of budgets for both a small and a large Parish Council which had been considered at the last meeting and were included again in the report in order to give some idea of the likely setting up and running costs.

In considering the setting of budgets and precepts for the new parish councils, Members had regard to the need to ensure that on the one hand each council had sufficient resources to carry it through its first year while on the other hand budgets were kept within reasonable limits in view of the current financial climate.

Jackie Weaver provided some useful background information on the likely costs and resource requirements of each of the parish councils in its first year of operation.

RESOLVED

That the following budgets be recommended for the proposed parish councils for the year 2011/12:

(Note: The indicative Council tax rates above are based on the estimated tax bases of the respective new parishes. Actual tax bases for 2011/12 will be known in time for setting Council taxes in February 2011.)

Jackie Weaver undertook to work with Paul Goodwin to provide some illustrative details of how the parish councils could work within the agreed budgets.

Jackie and her colleague, Linda Davenport, were thanked for their helpful contribution to the Sub-Committee’s deliberations.

The Sub-Committee also wished to place on record its thanks to Paul Goodwin, Finance Officer, in preparing and presenting his report.