South Shropshire town's council tax precept to increase by nearly 20 per cent

On Monday night (February 2) Cleobury Mortimer Town Council approved its budget and precept for the 2026/27 financial year.

The precept – the amount the authority receives from council tax to deliver services – has been set at £234,000.

That will cost a band D property £191.80 for the year – an increase of 19.8 per cent. However, the draft budget for 2027/28 shows the precept being lower at £220,000.

In total the forecast income for 2026/27 is £277,800, while the town council’s expenditure is £257,355.

This includes £92,000 going towards salaries and £25,000 to HMRC and National Insurance contributions.

Meanwhile, £15,000 will be spent on Cleobury Sports Centre, £8,500 on street light maintenance, £7,250 on office supplies and services, £6,720 on grass cutting at the cemetery, and £5,500 on CCTV.

The only remaining Shropshire town council that has yet to set its precept is Shifnal, due to a tied vote at a recent meeting. The recommendation was that it should rise by 16.73 per cent, or £26.73 for a band D property.

However, members failed to agree. Therefore, an extraordinary meeting will be held on Monday (February 9) in hopes of finalising the figure.