Council Budget
Local councils vary in size. Some represent a few hundred people, others represent communities of over 30,000 people. Budget and staffing levels are proportionate to the size of the community and number of residential properties being served.
Holmes Chapel Parish Council can only spend, raise or use money if it has a statutory power to do so. It has a wide range of powers under different acts of Parliament, most of which are discretionary. The exercise of these powers may depend on other bodies, for example, the owner of land or another public body such as the highways authority. Almost all the powers of Holmes Chapel Parish Council may be exercised by either the Parish Council or the District Council.
Holmes Chapel Parish Council raises money by precept (a mandatory demand) on Congleton Borough Council. The precept required is then collected by the Borough Council as part of the council tax levied on tax payers in the parish.
Holmes Chapel Parish Council has to prepare a budget in January each year for the ensuing financial year which runs from 1 April to 31 March.
The budget fixed in January 2008 for the year 2008/9 is summarised on the right. A full outline of the budget can be downloaded here.
Report of the Finance Officer on the 2008 - 9 Budget
During the year 2007-8 the Council embarked on the improvement of the village and its environment. The village centre re-paving had been planned for a long time and has now been completed with a chorus of support on the one hand and concern over the cost on the other.
The maintenance of the surfaces is the responsibility of the County Council at present but the Parish Council has included a small amount for extra cleaning, if this proves necessary, to maintain the now established high standard of finish. Whatever anyone may think there is no doubt that our Church and its surrounding conservation area are much more attractive than they were. It’s not generally appreciated that the Parish Council spends money on the floodlighting of the church and also on the maintenance of the grounds. All of which adds to the ambience of the centre and, we hope, makes it more inviting.
This budget also provides initial finance for work to improve the accessibility and attractiveness of the Dane Valley from which the Council wishes residents to gain much more benefit. A report will be before the Council in February, aimed at initiating work on this, which provides a nature trail, attractive walks and seating. Cranage playing fields and a footbridge over the Dane are also in the plans.
The Council agreed last year to finance a Police Community Support Officer at an annual cost of £11,000 per annum. For the Council this was a significant investment and they were vigilant in making sure the contractual terms agreed insulated them from the increases which accrue, as a matter of course, in the employment of police personnel. The contract is binding and subject to twelve months’ notice if the Council decides that the scheme is not value for money.
The lighting of some village footpaths is being devolved to the Parish Council and provision has had to be made in the capital estimates for necessary remedial works.
There is also a need to provide clerical assistance to the clerkship and some provision is made for this. However, there is no hard and fast policy as yet so the estimates are notional at this time and will depend, in the end, on the Council’s final decision. However, the Clerk’s remuneration had not been reviewed for five years and that has been remedied effective from September 2007 to take account of additional hours being worked.
There is a Parish Plan Steering Group in being, made up of villagers independent of the Council, which is looking at the needs of the village and its community and which will be reporting within roughly twelve months. There is also a report which has been prepared by a task group of Parish Councillors on the way forward for Holmes Chapel which has been presented to the January Council meeting. These two documents and the intelligence they generate will provide the information needed to assist in the preparation of the Council’s five year business plan which, in turn, will give direction to the ongoing financial planning represented by the annual budget process.
It is not generally known that some organisations rely on donations from the Parish Council to help their work, such as the youth club and the hospice. The youth club does an excellent job for the youngsters in the village and funds from the County Council have been reduced, giving them a difficult task to keep their heads above the water financially. Last year the Council felt it necessary to increase the grants made to these organisations because of the valuable contribution they make to the village and its residents. Some of these amounts remain at the higher level in the budget for 2008-9.
The council approved the budget and adopted it as their financial plan for 2008 - 9 and declared a precept of £66.527 (last year £44,492) for the financial year.
As the year progresses the web site will be updated to report progress on these items