Seaford Town Council sets 2024-2025 precept increase under 2%

At its Full Council meeting on Thursday 25th January, the Town Council was presented with a draft budget which, after a healthy amount of discussion, was adopted and the level of precept required set at £1,101,019 for 2024-2025. For full details, the meeting papers can be found at www.seafordtowncouncil.gov.uk/meeting-year/2023-2024

The ‘precept’ is the Town Council’s share of the Council Tax collected by the local billing authority, Lewes District Council. By issuing a ‘precept’ this ensures the Town Council is able to meet its spending requirements, both from its strategic plans and also the upkeep and maintenance of its large portfolio of assets and facilities within the town.

Seaford Town Council has managed, through its careful and methodical budgeting approach, to set a precept with an increase of only £2.07 per year, or 4 pence per week (a 1.9% increase) on the Band D Council Tax (each Council Tax Bill will identify which band a property is in – Band D is however the average band and therefore used by all local authorities for the purposes of explaining the Council Tax level).

This slight increase is below the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of 3.9% for November 2023 and balances the Town Council’s acknowledgement of the financial difficulties facing individuals in the current economic climate with the need to fund services and facilities to deliver on the priorities identified within the Town Council’s strategic plan.

With its budget adopted, the Town Council is also pleased to publicly launch its new strategic plan. The 2023-2027 Strategic Plan was adopted in November 2023. The minutes of the November Full Council meeting can be downloaded here: www.seafordtowncouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/16.11.23-Full-Council-Minutes-DRAFT.pdf

Within the Plan, the Town Council has set six aims to:

• Promote and develop a thriving town, enabling future opportunities for economic wellbeing and an active community.
• Develop and deliver projects to help support the wellbeing of the residents of the town
• Develop and maintain assets, settings and recreational facilities so as to: Ensure safe access; Benefit the community; and Safeguard the character of the town.
• Listen to, engage with and give voice to our residents so that the Town Council is actively encouraging community voices to be heard and our priorities reflect the needs of the communities.
• Practice ethical and sustainable governance that shows fiscal responsibility and ensures sustainability.
• Help create a sustainable Seaford, resilient to the effects of climate change.

The full Strategic Plan can be downloaded here: www.seafordtowncouncil.gov.uk/strategic-objectives-mission-statement

Further communications from the Town Council on setting the precept for 2024-2025 will be published over the coming months. This includes a printed leaflet to all households which will be delivered with your Council Tax Bill from Lewes District Council.