SALTFORD Parish Council has decided to increase its council tax precept for 2026/27 by 25%.
This means the cost for an average Band D property will be £40.20 per year, a rise of £7.76 per year, compared with 2025/26. Because of changes to Saltford’s tax base, the increase will be shown as 23.9% on B&NES Council’s council tax letters.
The parish council said it recognises that any increase is of concern to residents, particularly in the current economic climate, but it cites three main factors for the rise.
The first is the fact that B&NES Council is to start charging parish and town councils for the cost of running elections. The indicative cost to Saltford is £4,700 for scheduled elections (from May 2027) and £6,600 for any by-elections from April 2026.
The second reason is the cost of essential maintenance at St Mary’s churchyard.
During the current financial year, a partial wall collapse and associated repairs, plus routine maintenance such as tree works, is set to have cost the parish council about £9,750, well over the original budget of £2,500.
In view of this, the churchyard maintenance budget has been increased to £6,000 for planned repairs in 2026/27, with an additional £2,000 earmarked for emergency repairs if required.
The parish council said: “Further maintenance is expected to be required in 2026/27 and likely in future years, to ensure the ongoing safety of the churchyard walls.”
The third reason for the council tax increase is that the parish council has agreed to introduce a new annual budget of £5,000 (around £3 per household) to support its ongoing work to protect and defend Saltford’s green belt from development in the context of the B&NES Council Local Plan and from any speculative planning applications that may threaten the green belt.
The parish council said that any spending from this budget would be discussed and formally resolved at future council meetings, ensuring transparency and that, as always, members of the public are welcome to participate during ‘public time’ before any expenditure decisions are made.
The council said that, despite the 25% increase, its average Band D precept is expected to remain one of the lowest in the B&NES area, “reflecting careful financial management while meeting essential responsibilities.”
The total figure for a Band D property in Saltford – including parish, police and fire precept – was set at £2,239.13 for 2025/26. B&NES Council will decide on its element of the council tax for 2026/27 in due course.
Pictured above, St Mary’s churchyard
Saltford council tax precept up by 25%
