Reference was made recently, to the amount of "Parish Tax" which is paid by residents of our Parish in comparison to other Parishes. This is properly known as the "Parish Precept" and is the amount of money collected through Council Tax by the District Council on behalf of the Parish Council, who are required to formally request the amount of our Precept from Shepway District Councils principal accountant, after first agreeing a budget for the ensuing year.

Finances must be held in reserve to deal with a number of unpredictable circumstances. For example, trees on Parish Council property by law are subject to an inspection by a properly qualified arborist every seven years - although obviously emergency tree work can be required at any point in time. If it is decided that remedial work is necessary, funds must be available to deal with the situation.

The Parish of Brookland is one of the few Parishes responsible for its own cemetery. This means that we are legally bound to provide the cost of insurance and to pay for the regular grass cutting and maintenance, which includes the cemetery wall and the memorial gates, for which provision must be made regarding the cost of repair and maintenance.

Mrs John Paine kindly allows the Parish the use of the recreation field adjoining the village hall. This is done under a licence agreement with the Parish Council, and again, entails the cost of regular mowing and maintenance plus the cost of insurance.

Yet another item which the Parish Council have to provide insurance for, is the youth area behind Salthouse Close. There is also a provision to be made for ongoing maintenance, possible repair and replacement of certain apparatus plus an annual ground rent to be accounted for.

Over the past three years, the Parish Council has also supported the village football team and the youth club known as "The "B" Team" by paying their rent for the use of the village hall for example. This youth club is not in operation at the moment. It has been overseen by Karen Allon and helpers, with enthusiastic dedication and provided a useful facility for the youngsters of the Parish.

It is entirely possible that provision may be needed to fund a similar enterprise if the Parish Council are approached by someone with the necessary C.R.B. clearance, the support of others and a workable plan.

The Parish Precept has been maintained at the same level for the past three budgets, this supports our known commitments and any unforeseen circumstances.

The Parishes Financial Accounts are inspected annually and monitored by both "internal" and "external" auditors to ensure that there are no irregularities.

Colin Hill - Chairman

Copyright © 2009-2011 Brookland Parish Council
Last revision: 24-Jun-2011