Truro City Council has agreed its budget for the year 2025/2026 after taking into account its own cost pressures as well as the cost-of-living increases being experienced by the residents of Truro.
After careful consideration of a number of options, the decision to raise the precept by 4.69% was reached by a majority vote at Full Council on the 27th of January 2025.
Consequently, the budget for the year 2025/2026 is set at £3,197,665 leading to an equivalent increase of £0.37p per week for a Band D household.
The increase to the budget is below what is required to keep pace with inflation and recent increases in National Insurance; which on its own requires an increase in the precept of 1.6%.
Cllr Carol Swain, Mayor of Truro, commented that “Having been necessary to increase the precept significantly last year, Truro City Council made a firm commitment that this would not be repeated for 2025/26. Therefore, I am pleased that by absorbing several cost increases within our existing budgets and rigorous financial management, the precept increase is lower than the 5.6% we estimated it would be at this point last year. I am also confident that it will enable Truro City Council to continue to deliver its valued services”.
Town Clerk, David Rodda, stated that “I joined Truro City Council just after it set its budget last year so over the past 10 months I have been working with Council and my team to ensure that any increase this year would be as small as possible. The increase of 4.69% is below the level necessary to keep pace with inflationary cost pressures but I am confident that it is sufficient to enable Council to provide the services that are valued by the residents of Truro.”
Most of the funding for Truro City Council is provided via the annual precept, this is collected through the general council tax bill; additional funding is delivered through grants, projects and income from the hire of fee-based services such as playing fields, Lemon Quay and other event spaces, meeting rooms and the tennis courts.
Truro City Council understands the financial burdens faced by many residents and it strives to deliver the best possible service to the people of Truro. This is why the City Council have sought to achieve an increase to the precept that is as minimal as necessary to deliver the services, facilities and amenities for the community and its visitors. Over the next 12 months, this includes the delivery of the new Community Sports Hub building at Boscawen Park and ensuring that our levels of financial reserves return to recommended levels by March 2027.
The increase agreed at this week’s meeting relates to the City Council element of the council tax. Cornwall Council and Devon and Cornwall Police have not yet decided on their precepts.
How does Truro City Council deliver on this precept?
Truro City Councillors meet regularly to discuss and debate the needs and wants of the community. To achieve this, there is the full council meeting which occurs ten times annually, and there are four standing committees combined these meet 39 times annually, which are as follows –
- Finance and General Purposes
- Parks and Amenities
- Planning and Licensing
- Staffing
Truro City Council is responsible for providing the following facilities, services and amenities –
- Parks & Gardens
- Play areas and open spaces
- Community spaces and development
- The Community Library
- The Visitor Information Centre
- Visit Truro
- Allotments
- Cemetery
- Café
- Public conveniences
- Sports facilities
- Events
- Part funding of the Anti-Social Behaviour Officer
The City Council is also the owner and holds leases on several properties within Truro, many of which are occupied by community organisations, these are as follows –
- Lemon Quay
- The Municipal Building and Clock Tower
- Hendra Hall
- Coosebean
- The Community Library Building
- The Moresk Centre
- Zebs
- Idless Plant Nursery
The year ahead
Over the course of the year 2025/2026, Truro City Council will be implementing several projects set to benefit the city.
One of these is the New Life for City Buildings scheme, aiming to make use of 25,000 m2 of empty space within Truro City centre. This fund will repurpose buildings, alongside protecting community assets and improving energy efficiency of supported properties— in turn encouraging business start-ups, growth and diversity.
Led by the City Council and funded by Truro Town Deal, the Boscawen Park Sports Hub project will see a new multi-use building, incorporating new changing facilities, as well as flexible indoor spaces suitable for both indoor sports use and other activities such as conferences, community and family events, workshops and training or arts and crafts groups.
Truro City Council would like to thank the people of Truro for their past, present and future support with delivering effective services that benefit Truro and its residents.
To view the agenda for the meeting and the complete budget report please follow this link – 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚 – 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟕𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 – Truro City Council
