Parish Council Financial Matters

The Parish Precept is the sum collected by South Gloucestershire Council via Council Tax, and paid to the Parish Council to enable it to carry out its functions.  

The precept is paid to the Parish Council in two instalments on 30 April and 30 September each year. Downend & Bromley Heath Parish Council calculate its budget requirements and apply for this funding annually by the end of January.

Downend & Bromley Heath Parish Council prides itself on delivering low taxes but with exceptional value.

How do we spend the Precept?

D&BHPC funds and maintains many services in the local area, including:
  • Open Spaces and Play Areas: we are maintaining and developing many of the open spaces and playgrounds around the Parish so they are safe, clean and available 365 days a year.
  • Grass Cutting: we maintain the verges and other grass areas to ensure our outside spaces are clean and well presented.
  • Downend & Bromley Heath in Bloom: we provide funding for creating attractive flower displays around the Parish, helping to revitalise the High Street and surrounding areas.
  • Transport Initiatives: we promote safe transport in the community by providing funding for cycle stands, bus shelters and the 462 bus service. 
  • Community Groups: we support many essential community groups, which are providing excellent services for all age groups.
  • Support for Friends Groups: we are funding friends groups who are actively working with the community to provide essential services.
  • Footpaths: we are maintaining footpaths in the area so they are accessible and safe for all users.
  • Community Events: we organise local events, ie, the World War 1 Beacon of Light event and the Christmas Sing-Along.

As well as spending the Precept, your D&BHPC acts as a community voice.  We regularly raise issues with South Gloucestershire Council and Avon and Somerset Police to help ensure Bromley Heath and Downend is a great place to live.

What has changed?

As part of the cost saving measures introduced by South Gloucestershire Council, many of the services that were paid for and delivered through your South Gloucestershire Council Tax are being, or have been, transferred to D&BHPC.  Many of these services are vital for our community and we as a Parish Council want to protect local services for local people.

After a strong response from local residents, we have now taken over King George V, Badminton Road and Bromley Heath playing fields. We believe that sporting and recreational facilities are at the heart of our community and bring so many benefits to all ages.

The Localism agenda is likely to see responsibility for many services devolved to D&BHPC.  The library provision in our area has been reviewed and we await South Gloucestershire Council’s decision on other services.  We as a Parish Council want to be prepared for the upcoming years by ensuring we are best placed to meet the changes to local services.

What are we doing?

We are:
  • Ensuring every pound of tax payer’s money is spent for the maximum benefit of the Downend and Bromley Heath community.
  • Engaging with South Gloucestershire Council to protect vital local services.
  • Canvassing views of local residents to ensure that D&BHPC’s actions represent the views of the community.
  • Preparing for the future by creating a business plan to ensure all our spending is tightly focussed on our long term objectives.
  • Working with the business community to promote our High Street and other businesses.

What does this mean for the Precept?

We took the difficult decision to raise the Parish Precept in 2016. We needed to prepare for the future so that we can continue delivering the essential services that our residents require. The Chair of the Parish Council at that time, Councillor Janet Biggin, said:

“Downend & Bromley Heath Parish Council has resolved to raise the precept for 2016/17.  The increase is primarily as a result of the Parish Council undertaking to preserve the local green spaces of the Parish, and to underpin its business plan.”

We look forward to your continued support of D&BHPC in our pursuit of making Downend and Bromley Heath the best place to live in South Gloucestershire!

Community Infrastructure Levy

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a charge on new planning permissions for developments. Under the legislation, South Gloucestershire Council has a duty to pass a percentage of CIL funds received onto the  Town and Parish Councils from the areas where the funds are generated.  CIL funds can be spent on the provision, improvement, replacement, operation or maintenance of infrastructure or anything else that is concerned with addressing the demands that development places on it. D&BH PC has a duty to report details of CIL receipts annually, please see our latest report below.

Financial Documentation

All invoices received for payment are authorised at a meeting of full Council.  These payments can be viewed by following the appropriate link below. From April 2019, the lists of payments are contained at the end of the Council Minutes. For further information on any financial matters, please refer to the Parish Council Minutes or contact the Clerk to the Council.

D&BH Financial Documentation

Including; Annual Returns, Balance Sheets, Income & Expenditure, Supporting Statement & Profit & Loss.
Local Council Award Scheme (LCAS)