parish precept

Liz Matthews
1 March 2025

News

Haydon Wick Parish Council – Precept 2025-26

Haydon Wick Parish Council – Precept 2025-26 https://haydonwick.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/HW-Budget-Precept-2025_Artboard-1.png 1819 2552 Liz Matthews Liz Matthews https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3c218b56a6fa3d8df354fa71beb70533e452920ca3bf5dad7bf5eacb9ca1ed8c?s=96&d=mm&r=g 1 March 2025 14 March 2025

As we prepare for the 2025-26 financial year, Haydon Wick Parish Council has worked diligently to create a balanced and responsible budget that reflects the needs and priorities of the community. This year’s budget includes a variety of exciting projects and services while acknowledging the challenges presented by reductions in funding from Swindon Borough Council.

For the 2025/26 financial year, the parish precept has been set at £153.43 per year for a Band D property, which amounts to just under £3 per week. This ensures that we can continue to maintain essential services, support ongoing projects, and plan for future developments across the parish.

Key Budget Allocations for the Year Ahead
National Insurance Liability Increase
The increase in National Insurance contributions, mandated by the current Government, has added an additional cost of £20,000 to the Council’s budget. Despite this increase, we have ensured that it does not impact our core services or the projects outlined in this budget.

Outdoor Gym Installation
The installation of an outdoor gym will provide residents with free access to fitness equipment, promoting a healthy lifestyle in an outdoor setting. This facility is designed to be inclusive for all, helping to enhance community wellbeing.

Additional Hedge and Grass Cutting Equipment
We are investing in new hedge and grass cutting equipment to improve the maintenance of our public spaces. This equipment will help us manage our green areas more efficiently and maintain the appearance of the parish.

Completion of Grounds Maintenance Facility
The new Grounds Maintenance Facility is nearing completion, and this facility will greatly improve our ability to care for and maintain public spaces. It will ensure that our outdoor areas are kept in good condition for residents to enjoy.

Weed Spraying Trial
In response to Swindon Borough Council’s reduction in weed spraying services and an increasing number of resident requests, we are introducing a trial programme for weed spraying in certain areas. This initiative aims to keep public spaces, pathways, and footpaths clean and well-maintained. We will evaluate the effectiveness of this trial to determine whether it should continue in the future.

Planning for a Dog Park
Based on feedback from residents, we are exploring the possibility of creating a dedicated dog park. This space would provide a safe, enclosed area where dogs can exercise and socialise off-lead. The planning process will involve community engagement to ensure the park meets the needs of dog owners and other local residents.

Plans for Tadpole Field
We are working on an exciting development for Tadpole Field, in partnership with the Swindon and Cricklade Railway. This project aims to preserve the area’s natural beauty while providing a space that benefits the local community. Further details will be shared as planning progresses.

Supporting Youth Events and Facilities
The Council remains committed to supporting young people in Haydon Wick. We are allocating funds for the continued upkeep and improvement of the following facilities:

The Skate Park – Maintaining and enhancing this popular recreational area. We’re also excited to organise a series of youth events at the Skate Park throughout the year, including skateboarding competitions, workshops, and community fun days. These events will offer local young people the chance to showcase their skills, learn from professionals, and engage with their peers in a supportive and fun environment.
Play Parks – Ensuring that our 23 play areas & Skate Park remain safe and enjoyable for children and families. We also plan to host community events in our play parks and open spaces, such as family activities,, and seasonal celebrations. These events will foster community engagement, providing opportunities for residents of all ages to come together and enjoy the local parks.
The Underground Youth Club at the Orbital – Providing support for the Well Church through the Council’s community grant funding schemes to enable the ongoing Underground Youth Project at the Orbital Centre, Swindon

Increasing Attendance at Community Cafés
The Council’s Community Cafés, namely the Memory Café, The Haydon Wick Haven, Companions Café and Menopause Café have proven to be valuable services for our community, with attendance steadily increasing. We are allocating additional resources to support these initiatives and ensure they remain accessible to those who need them most.

Swindon Borough Council Collaboration
While there has been a reduction in funding from Swindon Borough Council, we remain committed to working in partnership with them on community events and services. We are hopeful that this collaboration will continue to strengthen the delivery of services like the Memory Café and Haven, which are essential to supporting local residents.

Budget Planning Process
The budget planning process is transparent and involves careful consultation with various groups and committees. Here’s an outline of how we approach the development and approval of the budget:

Preparation
In August each year, the Councillor and Officers begin by reviewing current services, anticipated costs, and income. This helps us to assess both ongoing needs and potential new projects.
Consultation with Committees
Committees such as Parks and Open Spaces, Finance and Policy, and Community Development are consulted to gather input on their priorities. Each committee reviews the projects and services relevant to their area of focus and contributes ideas for the coming year.
Community Engagement
We value the opinions of our residents so Councillors will be looking at the types of requests for services residents make, and review our Community Led Action Plan to gather feedback on budget priorities. This ensures that our budget reflects the concerns and needs of the community.
Drafting the Budget
After gathering input, the Officers draft the proposed budget, outlining projected expenditures, income, and reserves. This document is reviewed by the Finance and Policy Committee to ensure that it is both responsible and achievable.
Final Approval
The proposed budget is presented to the full Parish Council in January for discussion and approval. Any necessary adjustments are made to ensure the budget aligns with the community’s needs and expectations.
Monitoring and Review
Throughout the year, the Parish Council closely monitors progress on budgeted projects and spending. We regularly review financial reports to ensure that the budget is being managed effectively and make adjustments as needed.

Moving Forward
While the upcoming financial year presents some challenges, we are confident that this budget will help us continue to provide valuable services and support to the Haydon Wick community. We are committed to ensuring that your money is spent wisely, and we will continue to look for new opportunities to enhance our services and facilities.
If you have any questions or would like further information about the budget, please don’t hesitate to contact the Parish Council.

Cllr Vinay Manro
Chairman to the Council

Georgina Morgan-Denn
23 February 2023

News

Haydon Wick Parish Council – Precept 2023

Haydon Wick Parish Council – Precept 2023 https://haydonwick.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/precept-23-1.png 602 510 Georgina Morgan-Denn Georgina Morgan-Denn https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/86720b6552d1081447e5765e596ef00f25d359d874727de93ee6c522b559facc?s=96&d=mm&r=g 23 February 2023 23 February 2023

Haydon Wick Parish Council has created a considered, balanced, and careful budget which proves the current cost of living rises has been at the forefront of the Council’s attention. Options have been explored and revisited, whilst watching the economy closely over the last three months. The deadline to submit the precept to Swindon Borough Council was extended by two weeks to ensure that the most accurate and up to date information was considered.

The Parish Council has also experienced significant rises in costs from external factors such as materials, fuel, insurances and personnel cost of living rises. Therefore, a standstill budget was not feasible. The Parish Council has also leased two new electric vehicles to help offset against its carbon footprint and reduce fuel costs, but in turn the utility costs have risen.

The Council has met in the middle and made cost savings on projected spend for this financial year, and where possible, reduced budget lines from next financial year. The Council has looked at ways of promoting its services and increasing its revenue, from letting out its meeting room to community groups, contracting out external grounds maintenance services to other parishes and local businesses, hiring out the community bus and selling advertising in the local parish magazine, which will help balance the budget and save further costs being drawn from the precept.

Building on its significant progress within the last twelve months, delivering the enhanced grounds maintenance programme, hosting an award-winning Memory Café, organising and running more than twenty successful community events and receiving a Quality Gold Award, which recognises that the Parish Council meets the highest standards set by the sector. This award means that the Parish Council has proven to be going above and beyond its legal obligations, leading the community and continuously seeking opportunities to improve and develop even further. Furthermore, Haydon Wick Parish Council is the first parish council in Swindon to be accredited at the Quality Gold level.

The Parish Council is also exploring options for the building of the proposed Grounds Maintenance Facility which will house the Parks & Open Spaces Team and enhance operational efficiency. This large scale project has been two years in the making and is vital to enable its in-house team to deliver the good standard of grounds maintenance that the community has grown to appreciate.

Recognising the mental and physical wellbeing these outside spaces provide for residents, the Council has committed to improved maintenance, enhancements and effective management of the playparks, allotments, and open spaces.

Chairman Councillor Vinay Manro said:

“To expand on the Parish Council’s success and continue to provide the best service possible the residents who live within the parish, some crucial decisions have been made to deliver a balanced and fair budget.

Haydon Wick Parish Council’s precept is still relatively low in comparison to other parishes of a similar size within the Borough of Swindon. This demonstrates that it has delivered a high level of service at best value. As recognised by the recent Quality Gold award.

Fortunately, prudent management of previous budgets stood us in good stead. The financial uncertainty that many of our residents’ face has been at the forefront of our minds as we set this year’s precept. At the Full Council meeting on 14^th February 2023 the precept was agreed to be £108.68 per year which is an increase of £9.80 per year for a Band D property.”

The Parish Council hopes that residents recognise the value for money the precept of £108.68 per year represents, and the services this offers to all sectors of the community it represents.