Teignmouth Town Council

Accounts and Grants

Budget and Precept

Teignmouth Town Council is required to set a balanced budget (under the Local Government Act 2003) and comply with all statutory requirements pertaining to the setting of its budgets. To satisfy legal requirements, Councillors must approve a precept which meets the Council’s objectives and service level responsibilities, maintains appropriate reserves, and provides stability in the event of unforeseeable demands.

 

The precept is the most local element of the Council Tax levied by Teignbridge District Council on properties within the Parish of Teignmouth.
Teignbridge District Council each year determines the number of occupied and chargeable properties for the purpose of setting the precept. This is an anticipated number for the forthcoming financial year, and results in an approximation called the Band D equivalent properties count. The Band D equivalent property count for 2021/22 is 5,252.9 which is a reduction of 160.8 from the 2020/21 Band D equivalents of 5,413.7.

 

The reduction in the number of properties this year is due to several issues, including:
• The increase in dwellings was just less than half of what had been anticipated by the District;
• An adverse change in empty properties and completion times for property transactions taking longer than anticipated under Covid-19;
• Additional reliefs for single occupiers and exemptions for those receiving long term care in hospitals and care homes;
• Rising unemployment due to Covid-19 increased the levels of those receiving council tax support;
• A reduction in the anticipated collection rate of Teignbridge resulting in them receiving less in council Tax to hand over to precepting authorities.
 

Therefore, whilst there may be more houses in the Parish, some of those or existing properties will be receiving more council tax support, not meeting their full council tax obligations, be empty due to various reasons and have exemptions to not pay part or all, of their council tax liabilities. These adjustments then outweigh the number of new build dwellings. Teignbridge confirm this is something they have never seen before, and it is being reflected in other principal authorities as well.

The Town Council receives no external funding from government or other organisations; Teignbridge District Council ceased to receive and pass on the Council Tax Support Grant in April 2019 which amounted to £31,420 or approximately 5% of the then Town Council budget.
The Council did not and continues not to qualify for any government grants to support loss of income from our property due to the rateable value of the buildings being too high, either on an individual basis or combined.
Whilst principal authorities (such as District and County Councils) are subject to council tax referendum principles, meaning they are capped at the amount of increase they can levy at £5 or 2% whichever is the greater, town and parish councils are not.

 

Previous setting:
In 2018/19 the Town Council approved a 3.5% increase to its budget and in 2019/20 voted for a budget increase of 3 %.
The 2020/21 precept increased by 40% to allow for major works at Bitton House and a new CCTV system for the Town to be carried out in the future, this resulted in a Band D council tax figure of £134.34 which equated to £0.74p per week increase.
Although the 2021/22 precept was only raised by 3% by the Town Council, the resulting decrease in the Council Tax base from Teignbridge District Council meant that residents saw a 6.0% increase in the amount raised on behalf of the Town Council. This equated to £142.84 per Band D property, the equivalent of an increase of £0.16 per week.

 

Budget and Precept for 2021-2022 (option 2 was agreed at minute number 47 at Full Council on 5 January 2021)

Transactions


Transactions over £100 2019/20

Transactions April 2019

Transactions May 2019

Transactions June 2019

Transactions July 2019

Transactions August 2019

Transactions September 2019

Transactions October 2019

Transactions November 2019

Transactions December 2019

Transactions January 2020

Transactions February 2020 

Transactions March 2020 

Transactions over £100 2020/21

Transactions April 2020

Transactions May 2020 

Transactions June 2020

Transactions July 2020 to March 2021


Grants

The Council awards grants to local charities and community groups to support the purchase of equipment and running an event.

 

Grants Policy

The Council is committed to providing assistance and support to local organisations in Teignmouth, in support of the following objectives;

  • Social responsibility
  • Community Involvement
  • Fostering local talent and skills
  • Green, clean and safe town
  • Social inclusiveness and preventing social isolation
  • Sustainability
  • Increasing prosperity and tourism in the town

Grants Policy and Grant Application Form

 

Councillor's Fund Application

Each Ward Councillor has £500 per municipal year which can be used to improve your community and enhance the quality of life for residents of Teignmouth. Applications can be received from not-for-profit groups and organisations, not individuals Ward Councillor Grant Application Form

Annual Audit

Teignmouth Town Council's accounting year runs from the 1st April – 31st March.

Annual Governance and Accountability Return  2019/20

Exercise of Public Rights 2020 

Annual Return for the year ended 31st March 2019

External Auditor Report and Certificate 2018/19 

The annual return is a six page document that must be presented to the Full Town Council for formal approval before being submitted to the External Auditor on or before the 30th June.

The Independent Auditor is also required to sign the Annual Return.

The Annual Return is sent to the External Auditor with a variety of supporting documents as well as any other supplementary documentation as requested by the External Auditor during the auditing period.

Upon receipt, the External Auditor examines the annual return and all of the supporting documentation and upon completion will ‘sign’ the document (page 4 of 6). The annual return document is then returned with a written report, the actions of which highlighted are to be addressed by the Town Council.

The Town Council has a duty to display the fully completed Annual Return with the accompanying Notice of Conclusion of Audit.

The electorate have the right to exercise their rights to;

 

  • View the unaudited accounts – a 30 day period which must include the first 10 days in July. This is known as the ‘Exercise of Public Rights’. Notices to be published and displayed for the 30 day period on the Town Councils website and noticeboards.
  • For a 14 day period upon the date of the ‘Notice of Conclusion’ make a request to take copies of the accounting statements, the external auditor’s opinion and certificate of completion, any recommendation made relating to the authority.

 

Notices and the return to be published and displayed for the 14 day period on the Town Council's website and noticeboards.