No council tax precept rise on the cards for Ludlow
People in Ludlow are set to have welcome news with the town council looking like it won’t be increasing its precept.
A policy and finance meeting will be held on Monday (January 19) to set the budget for the 2026/27 financial year. It will then be recommended for approval by full council the following week.
Last year, the town council increased its precept (the contribution it receives from council tax) by 9.8 per cent, which saw an annual increase of £22.75 for residents living in a band D property.
For the current year, 2025/26, the council says it has looked at ways to increase income as well as reducing expenditure.
This, it says, has resulted in increasing its annual income from interest by £25,000. Therefore, the town council is not proposing to increase its precept beyond £946,655.
It added that it is continuing to build total reserves to ensure the council can manage both short-term operational risks and long-term capital obligations.
Members are being asked to approve a general reserve increase from £355,813 (equivalent to three months of the precept) to a level that is equivalent to up to 12 months. This, the council says, will provide a balance between flexibility and prudent risk management.
Meanwhile, the town council holds a total investment of £1,923,925 in the Public Sector Deposit Fund. This is made up of the current year fund, the general fund reserve, and earmarked reserves.
The budget will deliver local services such as Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross, Ludlow Market, CCTV, public toilets, open spaces, play areas, events, benches, bus shelters, Henley Road Cemetery, and the council’s projects action plan.
The fees for 2026/27 have also been agreed. Some have been increased by an inflationary 3.6 per cent, while some such as parking at the Linney, public toilets at Castle Street, and Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross, remain unchanged.
