Burgess Hill Town Council agreed its budget for 2025/2026
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
The Finance Key Area Group has recommended the increase to the Council and has acknowledged that prior to the current year there had been no increase in 2022/23 and just 1.6% in 2023/24, which was not sustainable as costs continue to rise. The Council had used reserves to meet additional costs during the worst of the cost-of-living crises when inflation was nationally running very high. The average increase in Precept over the past three years is under 3% which is well below the rate of inflation for the same period.
The Chair of the Finance Key Area Group also noted that all expenditures considered for the 2025/26 Precept involve a number of parties within the community, input from Councillors from other Key Area Groups followed.
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Hide AdThe Chairman highlighted that the Town Council needed to continue to support local community groups, invest in the public realm and continue to provide the high level of services offered by the Town Council. These are the priorities that have been recommended.


Due to the prudent diligence of the Council, resulting in a forecast budget surplus of £57k in the current year, and the effective management of reserves held, several expenditures of note are then offset against the surplus and reserves and consequently do not increase the Precept. This includes £68k to fund works for Park Centre (youth and community facility), improved digital town guides &.maps, Cyprus Hall, community engagement events, planters and more.
Included in its budget for 2025/26 are new amounts to meet the increased costs of employers national insurance, allocations for investment into the public realm, a £15,000 annual grant to support for the Burgess Hill Pantry (for the next three years), and additional £5,500 to support the Burgess Hill Bonfire Society, added funding for investment in community buildings, a new fund to save for replacement play equipment at Folders Meadow and an increase in the fund to pay for local elections.
The Council provides many services to the public including: plots at 6 allotment gardens, maintenance of street furniture in the town, Folders Meadow play park, Batchelors Farm and West park Reserve, roundabouts and verges planting, hanging baskets, Christmas Lights, organises over 50 public events a year, supports local groups and charities, provides and maintains the burial ground, runs the public drop in help point and the Town Hall, administers bookings for the Sidney West Centre , provides administration for three Charitable Incorporated Organisations and much more. Key to the provision of these services are well managed finances, risk aversion procedures and statutory compliance where the Council meets and often exceeds benchmarks. All of this is provided at £92.16 per year or 1.77 per week.
Some cost comparisons: Baker’s loaf of bread £1.80, Take away coffee £2.80, Litre of petrol £1.41, First class stamp £1.65.
The full budget papers are available on the Council website.