Precept update 2025-26

Precept update - 2025-26

The WCC were successful in getting the grant funding for the community centre. The implications of this, is that there is an underspend which can be put against the next financial year's budget.

The WCC will not be asking RMBC to raise any precept for the financial year 2025-26 in their council tax bill. This is a one-off, zero precept. Residents will still get a council tax bill for their portion of costs from Rotherham Council, fire and police services.

The WCC did ask RMBC if we could return some of the underspend to residents. This is more complicated than it seems. First off, there is no legal power for the WCC to return precept monies. Secondly Rotherham Council's IT systems are not set-up to do this, and the costs of making the changes would be likely to be higher than the returned funds, plus it would take more of RMBC's resources. Finally, some residents have moved away, and some have moved into Waverley. It would be difficult to allocate funds to the correct residents in this situation.

Residents have asked for an indication of the following year's precept to help them forecast their financial commitments. Based on the information we have now, it is likely that in 2026-27, the precept request will be approximately £100 for the year, for a Band D home.