Annual Report

In the summer, the Council produces an Annual Report of its activities for the preceding year. This includes an overview of the year from the Chairman of the Council for that year, and reports from each of the Portfolio Holders and Committee Chairmen. A Summary of the Council’s accounts for the year just ended is also included, as well as contact details for all Councillors.

The Annual Report is distributed inside the Holme Valley Review newspaper. If you would like a hard copy, please contact the Clerk and one can be posted to you. Alternatively, the latest copy can be downloaded by clicking here - Annual Report 2022-23. 

Budget

90% of the Council’s planned expenditure will be funded by its precept. Formulating the budget is, therefore, crucial to its day-to-day operations. Without adequate funding, the Council will not be able to meet its financial obligations.

The Budget is prepared by the Council’s Responsible Financial Officer, following discussions by each of the Committees. Recommendations are then made to the full Council and the Council, as a corporate body, takes the formal decision to approve and adopt the Budget.

The Budget for the Council year ahead is approved at a Council meeting in February of each year when the Parish Council also approves its Precept Demand to be made to Kirklees Council. Details of the Budget/Precept 2023-24 can be downloaded here.

Precept

The Council has the power to levy a tax on property owners and residents within the parish. This tax is referred to as the parish precept and is based on the Parish Council’s budget for the next financial year.

The amount of the precept must be submitted to the principal authority (also known as the billing authority), i.e. Kirklees Council, in early February every year. Kirklees Council undertakes the calculations and the Parish Council’s precept is included in the overall Council Tax bill sent to householders and residents (who do not have to be registered electors). It is the duty of Kirklees Council to ensure that all those eligible to vote are registered, because having a large number of unregistered residents can cause a distortion in the calculations.

Once the Parish Council has prepared its budget, the precept figure will be the difference between the Council’s forecast expenditure, less its forecast income and use of any reserves.

At the heart of the calculations by Kirklees Council is the concept of the Band D households and the Council Tax Base. The Council Tax Base is calculated by Kirklees Council by equating the number of Band D equivalent properties in each Parish/Area after taking into account such things as the number of properties in each band during the year (i.e. including the results of changes and appeals), disabled relief, discounts and exemptions, provision for bad or doubtful debts, and allowance for growth). The Tax Base figures are expressed as Band D equivalents in accordance with the relevant regulations. This means that a property in Band B will be expressed as being equivalent to 7/9ths of a Band D property, whilst a property in Band H will be expressed as two Band D properties. Kirklees Council sets a Council Tax payable for a property in Band D and properties in other bands therefore pay the appropriate proportion of that amount. 

For 2023-24 Kirklees Council calculates that the Holme Valley has 10482.86 Band D equivalent properties.

It should be noted that the number of Band D equivalent properties will vary each year, as a result of new homes being built and old ones being demolished. The number is also affected by the levels of people eligible for discounts (e.g. disability relief).

It must also be noted that the Band D or equivalent charge is per property, not per person. 

All additional funds are specifically identified to support community assets in the Valley.

Local Government Transparency Code

As guardians of public money, there is an expectation that local councils are expected to be as transparent and open as possible. Transparency and openness are fundamental principles behind everything local councils do.

Holme Valley Parish Council wants to be fully transparent and open with our administrative and financial documents. This is something which has been echoed by the government. They have made transparency and openness a key priority for local government and highlighted their ambition to increase democratic accountability to empower communities and make it easier for them to contribute to the local decision-making process.

With this in mind, the government has introduced two transparency codes to help drive their ambition. The codes apply to larger councils with an annual turnover of above £200,000 and smaller councils with an annual turnover not exceeding £25,000. As a council with a turnover above £200,000, Holme Valley Parish Council follows the code for larger councils. You can find our records for the last financial year here. You can find our records for the current financial year here.