Willaston Parish Council Budget 2024-25
What is Willaston Parish Council?
Willaston Parish Council is your local council which covers the village of Willaston and surrounding area.
The Parish Council is your first tier of local government and unlike the name suggests does not have any affiliation with any Church. Parish means ‘area’ and the powers and responsibilities of a Parish Council are the same to those of a Town Council.
The Parish Council obtains its funding via a precept which is collected as part of Council Tax.
The Parish Council is managed by 12 Parish Councillors. All Willaston Parish Councillors are Willaston residents who are un-paid volunteers elected every 4 years.
The Parish Council is advised by the Clerk / Responsible Financial Officer who ensures the legal requirements of the Council are met. The Clerk is a part-time post and is the only paid employee of the Parish Council.
What does Willaston Parish Council provide?
Amenities
The Parish Council owns the Lettie Spencer Playing Field, the Willaston Allotments and the War Memorial and is responsible for the upkeep of these. We are also responsible for looking after The Spinney area and the Book Box.
In 2024/25 Willaston Allotments needs the boundary fencing to be replaced.
Each year the Council puts aside funds to maintain and improve Lettie Spencer Playing Field. Because of anti-social behaviour, it is necessary to close the playing field each evening. To date this has been done on a voluntary basis by councillors. In 2024/25 we will employ a security company to close the park on 4 evenings a week. CCTV is to be installed in 2024.
Willaston in Bloom
The Parish Council provides the floral displays throughout the Village. Many of the displays are maintained by our contractor and other work is carried out by volunteers. The budget for 2024/25 is unchanged from the previous year.
Events
The Parish Council arranges community events throughout the year. In 2024 we plan to hold a D-Day 80th Anniversary Commemoration, a Garden Party, our regular Act of Remembrance and Carols on The Green.
Staffing & Training
The Parish Clerk is the Council’s only paid employee. Her salary remains in line with national agreements. The Parish Council actively encourages its Members to attend appropriate training.
Community Projects
Although Mike Heywood Green is a key central location and site of our Christmas Lights and Carol Singing, it is currently owned by Cheshire East Council with a management agreement in place for Willaston Parish Council to maintain this space at the Parish Council’s cost. In 2024/25, we will continue to investigate the transfer of ownership to Willaston Parish Council so we can ensure it continues to remain a village asset in the future.
There are currently 3 defibrillators in the village. In 2024/25 we plan to provide an additional defibrillator on the south side of village.
The War Memorial is the site of the Willaston Remembrance Service. In 2024/25, the Council plans to renovate the paving and replace the bench.
The Parish Council refurbishes the existing public benches and provides additional benches in the village. In 2023/24 we replaced the benches on Mike Heywood Green and are soon to install a bench at the Wybunbury Road / Cheerbrook Road / Green Lane crossroad. A further bench is be provided in the village in 2024/25.
Administration
In 2023/24 the Parish Council invested in software to manage the Council finances. As well as the costs of running the Council such as stationery, telephone and meeting rooms, in 2024/25 the Council will invest in a storage facility to store its assets.
Investing in Willaston in 2024/25
In November 2023, the Parish Council set and approved the budget for the Council year of 2024/25 which begins in April. This budget saw some increases which will allow the Council to carry out necessary works, bring some further investment to the village as well as deliver community events.
The total budget stands at £64,836. This budget will be covered by precept (81%) reserves (9%) and income (10%).
In order to achieve the amenity enhancements and activities planned in 2024/25, it is necessary to increase the total annual precept from £39,868 to £52,209.
For a Band D property, this equates to a yearly increase of £8.33
to a total precept amount of £33.21 annually.
Despite this increase, the Council is pleased it is still a relatively low precept compared to neighbouring councils as shown in the table.
We are also fortunate that Councillors will be continuing with their voluntary contributions ranging from daily management of the playing field, repairs, and maintenance around the village to extensive planning application research. This contribution brings a direct saving to the Council and all residents.
This information is published in the March issue of the Willaston Newsletter which will be delivered to all households.