Residents in Radcliffe on Trent are set to see a sharp increase in the parish council element of their council tax from April 2026, following a decision by Radcliffe on Trent Parish Council to significantly raise its precept as part of a major financial reset.
The parish council has written directly to residents acknowledging the scale of the increase and setting out why it believes it is unavoidable, after years in which local tax levels were kept unusually low while costs and responsibilities continued to rise.
For many households, the change will be immediately noticeable. For a Band D property, the parish element of council tax is expected to equate to around £5.83 per week, or approximately £23.30 per month. This year it’s around £2.13 per week (£9.25 per month ).
While this is only one part of the overall council tax bill, parish precepts are often the most visible element because they fund services and assets residents interact with daily, such as parks, play areas, community buildings and village facilities.
The council says the increase marks a decisive shift away from what it describes as decades of under-funding, short-term budgeting and the gradual erosion of financial resilience.
According to the parish council, the precept has remained exceptionally low for around 20 years. In roughly half of those years there was no increase at all, and in the remainder rises were modest. While this helped keep bills down in the short term, the council says it meant income failed to keep pace with inflation, rising energy prices, staffing costs and the growing burden of maintaining a large portfolio of community assets.
In recent years, the gap between spending commitments and income from council tax was bridged by drawing down reserves and by assuming income that ultimately did not materialise. The council now accepts that approach was unsustainable and left it increasingly exposed to financial risk.
A review of the council’s finances over the past year has revealed the scale of the challenge. For the first time, the parish has compiled a full asset register, showing that it owns and is responsible for approximately £6 million worth of land, buildings and facilities on behalf of residents. These include recreation grounds, play areas, community halls, toilets, pavilions, landscaped areas and other public amenities across the village.
Historically, maintenance budgets were largely based on what had been spent the year before rather than on the condition, value or remaining lifespan of assets. The council says this led to under-maintenance, deferred repairs and visible deterioration in some locations, with examples including play equipment and fencing that has fallen into disrepair.
The new budget adopts what the council describes as an asset-based approach. Routine maintenance spending is now linked to the value and condition of individual assets. Money is being set aside each year into earmarked reserves to fund major repairs or replacement in the future, such as roofs or playground equipment, spreading costs more evenly over time rather than relying on sudden large increases or emergency spending.
At the same time, the council is rebuilding its general reserves to a level it considers prudent and compliant with national guidance, providing a buffer against unexpected costs or emergencies.
The council argues that this approach is fairer to residents in the long term. Rather than allowing assets to deteriorate and passing on mounting problems to future councils and taxpayers, today’s residents contribute towards the upkeep and eventual replacement of facilities they currently use.
Crucially, the council insists the increase is not driven by an expansion of services or discretionary spending. Instead, it says the new precept reflects the true cost of maintaining what already exists, correcting previous budget errors and putting parish finances on a legally compliant and sustainable footing.
Behind the headline rise is a significant correction to last year’s budget. The 2025/26 budget set expenditure at £847,300 but calculated the parish precept at just £351,800. This shortfall was bridged by assuming more than £350,000 in grant income that was not secured, and by allocating Community Infrastructure Levy funds to cover everyday operating costs such as grass cutting, which is not an allowable use of that money.
An interim spending review halted the use of CIL for these purposes, preserving it for future infrastructure projects as required by law. By that point, the council estimates it was facing future spending of nearly £587,000 within the year, which would have significantly depleted general reserves.
The council states that even a corrected precept of around £700,000 last year would only have allowed it to meet basic expenditure, without addressing long-standing maintenance issues or saving towards future asset replacement.
For residents, the effect of the new budget will be a higher parish council charge, but the council says this should now reduce the risk of repeated sharp rises in future years. By planning ahead, setting aside reserves and basing spending on the actual condition of assets, it hopes to avoid emergency repairs, asset closures or sudden financial shocks.
The parish council says it recognises that any increase in council tax is unwelcome, particularly at a time when household budgets are under pressure. However, it maintains that setting a realistic precept now is the only way to protect community assets, meet legal obligations and ensure Radcliffe on Trent’s facilities remain safe and usable for the long term.
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Budget explained: what the parish council is actually doing with the money
The parish council’s total proposed budget for 2026/27 is approximately £1.15 million, funded primarily through the parish precept, which accounts for just over 86 per cent of income. The remainder comes from self-generated income and transfers from existing reserves.
Of this total, around £542,000 is allocated to day-to-day operational costs, including administration, staffing, utilities, insurance, contracts and routine services. A further £276,000 is directed towards maintenance spending linked directly to the council’s expanded asset register.
One of the most significant changes is the transfer of approximately £298,000 into earmarked reserves. This money is not being spent immediately but saved gradually to fund future replacement or major refurbishment of assets when they reach the end of their useful life. Until now, the council had just over £30,000 set aside for asset replacement, representing around half of one per cent of the total value of parish-owned assets.
In addition, around £40,000 is expected to be added to the council’s general reserve to help it reach a minimum target of three months’ operating expenditure, in line with national guidance for larger parish councils. The general reserve acts as an emergency fund for unforeseen events such as flooding or sudden financial shocks.
The council is also reviewing alternative sources of funding and is preparing proposals for the future allocation of Community Infrastructure Levy funds, which are legally restricted to infrastructure projects rather than day-to-day costs.
Together, the council says these measures represent a reset of parish finances after years of low taxation, incomplete asset planning and unrealistic budgeting assumptions. Whether residents accept the scale of the increase or not, the decision marks a fundamental change in how the parish council plans, funds and manages Radcliffe on Trent’s public assets.
