The Town Council has produced its latest newsletter. For anyone who hasn’t seen it, here are some key points:
New councillor
Cllr Hanna joins BSTC for Strattan ward following an uncontested election. The council is now back at its full complement of 18 councillors.
Cllr Hanna said: “I have a passion for social and ecological justice and believe that good governance involves creating the conditions for people to thrive, not just survive. Having returned to Bude I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the wellbeing of our shared community, which is dear to my heart.”
Precept not raised but car parking and room hire charges will go up
At December’s Full Council meeting, the Council agreed the budget for 2023/2024 and decided not to raise the precept (the Bude-Stratton element of Council Tax).
The Bude-Stratton precept makes up around 11% of the total Council Tax bill, and this part has been frozen for next year, remaining the same at £248.28 per annum for a Band D property.
Mayor Amanda Tame said: “With the cost of living hitting hard, people are choosing between heating or food, and it will very likely get worse before it gets better. While our costs as a Council have gone up just like everyone else’s, we have voted not to raise next year’s Town Council precept.
“Many Councils across Cornwall are having to increase their precept in line with inflation and more, but we feel that this is the toughest year for many. We will look at other ways to close that shortfall and for this year, at least, we are providing the services the town needs without adding to everyone’s financial burden.”
The Council also considered a price increase for the 2023/24 financial year for charged services, which includes Parkhouse room hire, Castle rooms, wedding hire, outdoor spaces hire and cemetery fees – none of which was increased last year.
A 5% increase (half the rate of inflation) was agreed across the board for charged services. Additionally, car park charges will be raised from 80p per hour to 90p per hour.
Budget agreed for Coronation celebrations.
At December’s Full Council meeting, a budget of £3,500 was agreed for celebrations over the bank holiday weekend of His Majesty, King Charles III’s coronation in May, 2023. The coronation is Saturday, 6 May, 2023, and an additional bank holiday has been added to the calendar on Monday, 8 May.
There is more, some of which we have already reported on, so check for further details on the Council website.
