Tax rise for Melksham Without residents in new budget

Melksham Without Parish Council has agreed to raise its precept – the proportion of Council Tax paid to the Parish Council – by 9% for the 2025/26 financial year, seeking to maintain services and invest in assets.

Parish councillors unanimously agreed to the rise at the full council meeting on Monday 27th January, where they also approved a budget of £285,135 for the 2025/26 financial year.

This means the average Band D household will contribute £95.65 to Melksham Without Parish Council, a £5.71 (6.35%) increase on last year.

Clerk for Melksham Without Parish Council, Teresa Strange, said, “The parish council has strived to keep the cost low for residents whilst maintaining services and investing in assets. This is a rise of 11 pence per week for the average parish household. Members commented that they were not cutting anything except the grass.”

The parish council uses the precept to run a number of facilities and services in the parish and to support various community ventures within the parish, as well as those in the town and neighbouring villages. It currently manages and maintains six play areas at Berryfield, Bowood View, Shaw, Beanacre, and Kestrel Court and Hornchurch Road in Bowerhill, with another to be taken on from developers in the Taylor Wimpey development at Pathfinder Place, Bowerhill.

Additionally, the parish council owns two playing fields – one in Bowerhill and one in Shaw at The Beeches. It has also taken on extra grass cutting in public open spaces owned by Wiltshire Council to improve maintenance in some areas and to create wildflower meadow patches.

“The parish council has two allotment sites, both in Berryfield, which have a near full occupancy of 70+ tenants at present,” said Teresa.

The parish council also collaborates on joint ventures with Melksham Town Council, including the Melksham Neighbourhood Plan, development of Shurnhold Fields mini country park, and maintenance of the public toilets in the Market Place.

“As well as joint ventures, the parish council provides grant funding – £37,700 in the current financial year, with £42,700 budgeted for next year,” said Teresa.

“These grants provide valuable funding for all the village halls in the parish – Shaw, Bowerhill, Whitley, Reading Rooms, and the new hall in Berryfield – as well as a wide range of clubs, support groups, and organisations that provide sporting activities, village publications, events, and activities for young and old.

“The grants are for organisations that benefit the residents of Melksham Without, so they are not all contained within the parish. Some are based in the town or in other villages outside the parish. Additionally, the parish council has pledged up to £12,300 to continue providing proactive support to the most vulnerable residents in the parish.

“Age UK Wiltshire provides a range of support, advice, guidance, and practical help to residents, and the established funded service is to provide additional, tailored, dedicated support in the parish and town. This project is funded by the parish council, Melksham Town Council, and the Wiltshire Council area board.”

The parish council has also received funding from the Government’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) scheme, a levy on new housing developments in the parish.

When setting the budget, the parish council decided not to allocate money to reserves for future projects that could be funded through CIL. Instead, it plans to use CIL funding for a variety of infrastructure projects, including the repayment of the Public Works Loan for building the new village hall at Berryfield.

Other uses of CIL funding include contributions to highway improvements through the LHFIG (Wiltshire Council’s Local Highways & Footpath Improvement Group), Real Time Information at bus stops and the planned car park and improved entrance at Shurnhold Fields.

Pictured: Chair of Melksham Without Parish Council, Cllr John Glover with deputy chair Cllr David Pafford