Town Council Agree 1% Increase in Precept Paid by Penrith Households Council Tax

At a meeting of Penrith Town Council held on Monday evening, members of the town council approved the council’s budget for 2024/25 with a planned total expenditure of £581,932 and approved a 1% increase in the precept paid by Penrith residents to fund the town council via the council tax.

The town council had previously frozen its precept for the last three years and the proposed 1% increase for this year came with an in-principal proposal to increase its precept by 3% over the next four years following the 1% increase this year.

Cllr Knaggs questioned the need for an increase by the town council and asked what difference it would make if no increase was made by the town council with the town councils finance officer stating it would represent around a £4,500 from the town council’s total precept demand of £487,735. The town council will use some of its reserves to cover the remaining budget gap between the budget of £581,932 and precept demand of £487,735.

The town council resolved the increase with all but one town councillors present at the meeting voting for the increase with Cllr Knaggs abstaining from voting for the 1% increase on Monday evening.

In Penrith a Band D property will following the 1% increase by the town council pay £83.92 a year to fund the town council. This is alongside the other charges that form the total council tax bill that include the proposed precept for Cumbria Police £310.05, and Cumbria Fire Services £93.24 and the Council Tax charged by Westmorland and Furness they propose to increase by 4.99% to £1,827.76.

Combined to give a total council tax for a Band D property in Penrith from April 2024 of £2,314.97 subject to final budget setting by Westmorland and Furness council, Cumbria Police and Cumbria Fire services.

In contrast residents in other towns in Westmorland and Furness will pay less than Penrith residents Kendal Town Council set a 9% increase to its precept with a Band D paying £57.41.

Ulverston Town Council set a 10% increase to its precept with a Band D paying £59.84

Westmorland and Furness Council have said that in the current council tax period 2023/24 the average town and parish council precept for a Band D property was £44.00.