Charges for 2023/24
Breakdown of 2023/24 charge
The full amount of Council tax you pay consists of five individual charges known as ‘precepts’ from five separate authorities:
- Mid Devon District Council
- Devon County Council
- Devon & Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner
- Devon and & Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority
- Your local Town or Parish Council.
Every £1 of Council Tax you pay is split in the following way for Services delivered by the above Council’s:
The figure for Town and Parish Councils is an average. What you pay will depend on your own Town or Parish Council’s precept. The following table shows the total amount charged by each authority and the average cost to a Band D Council Taxpayer:
| Precept | Average Band ‘D’ charge | * Increase (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Devon County Council (Includes 1.99% for Adult Social Care) | £1,634.13 | 4.99 |
| Devon & Cornwall Police Crime Commissioner | £261.56 | 6.08 |
| Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue | £96.79 | 5.45 |
| Mid Devon District Council | £225.40 | 2.99 |
| Town and Parish Councils (Average) | £77.44 | 7.65 |
| Total | £2,295.32 | 5.02 |
*On the council tax bill the increase is rounded to 1 decimal place.
Although Mid Devon District Council have increased our share of Council Tax by 2.99% for 2023/24, our overall proportion has decreased from 10.0% in 2022/23 to 9.8% for 2023/24.
| Property Band | Proportion |
|---|---|
| A | 6/9ths (two-thirds of the full charge) |
| B | 7/9ths |
| C | 8/9ths |
| D | 9/9ths (the full charge) |
| E | 11/9ths |
| F | 13/9ths |
| G | 15/9ths |
| H | 18/9ths (twice the full charge) |
How does this compare to last year?
The following chart shows how our gross spending plans for 2023/24 compared to 2022/23:
Mid Devon District Council – 2023/24 Budget Overview
Hot on the heels of the Covid-19 global pandemic, a Cost Of Living Crisis has dominated 2022/23 both nationally and locally. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has played a key part in the significant increase in gas prices and has a knock-on impact on electricity and fuel prices. To afford the increase in these utilities, wages have also risen leading to the highest levels of inflation in over 40 years. The government are trying to mitigate this with financial support for households with the utility bills, and the Bank of England have increased the underlying Bank Rate in each of its last 10 monthly meetings and now stands at 4%: the highest level since the 2007 Financial Crisis, further stretching household finances.
However, during 2022/23 the Council has seen some recovery in its key income sources towards pre-Covid-19 levels, particularly leisure and car parks. It has also been required to divert resources in continuing to deliver various Government support schemes, such as the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and various grants, such as the Energy Support payment to all households in Council Tax Bands A – D, or those homes that use “off-grid” energy.
During 2022/23 we have invested in carbon reduction schemes, particularly in our leisure centres; a good step towards our corporate goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. We continue to provide a rolling programme of upgrades and enhancements to our key property assets. Unfortunately, we have twice been rejected in our Levelling-Up bids to unlock economic growth leaving key infrastructure projects hanging in the balance. The roll out of Bin-It 123 has been achieved that will further help our carbon reduction and increase recycling rates.
Nationally, the way local councils are funding remains a challenge. The long overdue review of funding mechanisms, known as the Fair Funding Review, initially promised in 2016, has now been delayed into the next Parliament. With an accrued loss of around c.£5m in Government funding since 2010, continued additional requirements placed upon us and reductions in service income levels which appear to be the “new norm”, setting the 2023/24 budget has been the hardest year yet.
The 2023/24 budget includes significant increases in expenditure budgets resulting from the inflationary pressures highlighted above. This has required a full review of our fees and charges which have also had to increase to offset the pressure on the budget. The 2023/24 budget and projected future year budgets also include plans for significant growth in social housing across the district providing high quality housing that can be an exemplar of modern living.
The wider financial outlook for Councils continues to be uncertain. Central Government have confirmed that the long-awaited changes to how Councils are funded, through proposals within the Fair Funding Review, Business Rates reset and New Homes Bonus, will now not be considered until after the next General Election, in 2025 at the earliest. Therefore, the sector only has clarity over funding level for one year, making planning for future service delivery practically impossible. However, the Council is a strong financial position due to good track record of robust financial management, effective budget management, the achievement of planned cost reductions/efficiencies and healthy levels of reserves.
Looking to the future, Local Elections in May 2023 will be a significant driver for change for the Authority. New Councillors with new ideas will set the strategic direction of the Council over the coming four years. We look forward to delivering the new vision.
Town and Parish Council precepts
Below is a list of this year's charges. To find out how much you will pay, find the Parish that you live in the left column and the band that your property is in along the top row. The amount shown is the full charge for the financial year 2023/24 includes all five authority’s charges added together.
Full list of this year's charges
Budgets for organisations with expenditure over £140,000