Keynsham council tax precept to rise by 12%

KEYNSHAM Town Council has decided to increase its council tax precept for 2026/27 by 12%.

This means the cost for an average Band D property will rise by 27p per week to a new annual total of £132.44 for town council services.

A meeting of the full council voted to accept the increase recommended by the finance and policy committee, which will result in a deficit of £48,000 being funded from reserves.

They rejected the advice from the responsible finance office (RFO) and town clerk for a 17.7% increase to create a balanced budget – one where income covers all expenditure.

The RFO, Amanda Hazell, said that the council supports a community of 19,300 people, runs eight parks, a cemetery, five football pitches, and an in-house youth team with a small budget.

Even with a 17.7% rise, the council’s precept would be lower than that of comparable councils such as Yate, Frome, Nailsea and Chippenham for the services it provides, she said.

But Hal MacFie (Liberal Democrat), chair of the finance and policy committee, said that councillors and officers had already spent a lot of time discussing the issue and he proposed the 12% rise that was accepted.

Cllr Souzan Leach (Lib Dem) questioned why more of the council’s reserves, which amount to about £849,000, could not be spent to mitigate the increase, instead of “hoarding cash”.

The meeting was told that the council had agreed a policy last October of keeping £445,719 in reserve as a minimum to ensure it could pay its running costs for six months in the event of a financial crisis. That policy cannot be revisited until October this year.

The RFO said that the council’s reserves were gradually coming down.

Cllr Dave Biddleston (Labour) said the budget process has been exceptionally thorough this year, leading to a much better understanding among councillors.

As well as the council tax rise, councillors at the meeting approved the council’s budget of £1.239 million for 2026/27.

Members agreed to an amendment proposed by Cllr Martin Burton (Labour) that the council identify funding sources, including from reserves, to ensure high-quality play facilities for children and young people in Keynsham.

He said there is a concern that no more Community Infrastructure Funding (CIL) will be available for extra infrastructure projects, including the refurbishment or upgrading of play areas.

There is a particular need in Keynsham South, he said, where almost half of the town’s children aged up to nine live and about 14% of residents are aged under 10.

Town clerk Dawn Drury said a feasibility study for play areas has already started, involving a review of health and safety documents to categorise them.

The total bill for a Band D property in Keynsham – including parish, police and fire precept – was set at £2,325.10 for 2025/26. B&NES Council will decide on its element of the council tax for 2026/27 in due course.