Council Finances
Council receives an income through the Precept. This is collected through the Council Tax which the Borough organises, and you will see as a separate line on your bills. Each year Council must prepare a budget. This is what Councillors need to spend in the Parish, and on which they base the Precept. These decisions are made in Public, and recorded in the minutes.
For each Full Council meeting an information pack is provided along with agenda, which lists the current balances, spending against budget and proposed expenditure for approval. Once approved, this is recorded in the minutes. We also list all expenditure for the previous year.
Council’s accounts are audited annually. This begins with the Internal Auditor, who also monitors Council’s Governance. Following this, Council agrees the signing of the AGAR (External Audit) forms. These have to be sent to the External Auditor by the end of June. All this paperwork is available on the website, and Electors have the right to view the accounts during a set period which must include the first week of July.
Approved Budget And Precept 2026-27
Community Infrastructure Levy
This Levy replaces for most purposes the Section 106 agreements that were put in place on new properties to cover expenditure on improved infrastructure required to cope with new development. In essence, new dwellings have a set amount per square metre which they have to contribute to the CIL “pot”. Affordable homes and self-builds are excluded.
Parishes receive 15% of this money (25% if they have a Neighbourhood Plan as we do), which has to be accounted for separately, and which has restrictions on how it can be spent. Local Groups can apply for this in specific circumstances. The remainder goes to the Borough.
The Borough share has some set aside which can be applied for by Groups and Parish Councils. It is applied for in January and July each year via the Borough Council website – Borough CIL applications page. This gives full details on the process, what it can be used for, and who can apply.
Please note that if your group is applying, it will need the written support of the Parish Council, and this should be applied for as soon as possible so that your applications are not held up by waiting for a meeting. It is also a good idea if you can evidence local public support – letters etc. – to help your application succeed.
Finally, it is worth noting that Brancaster has received a considerable sum over recent years due to the level of development. Village Groups are able to apply to us, as well as the Borough, for such funding (again, with limitations).
We are require to publish the completed CIL forms each year – these are not in an accessible format:
