Billing Information 2025/26

How much do you have to pay?

You will be receiving a letter before April 2025 with your new council tax bill information. In the meantime, you can always check here: Council Tax Advert 2025/26 (PDF, 73 KB)

What do we spend it on?

Torridge District Council plans to spend £32.595m (£34.048m 2024/25) this year on providing services. £27.441m (£29.258m in 2024/25) of this comes from income we receive from grants, fees and charges which leaves a Council Tax Requirement of £5.154m (£4.79m 2024/25).

Torridge is pleased to be able to balance its Budget for 2025/26 without any major impacts on the levels of services provided.

The Council is pleased to announce its largest ever level of capital investment in the district. Projects are progressing with the development of the Appledore Clean Maritime Innovation Centre, as well as a state-of-the-art Operational Services Centre. The Operational Services Centre is expected to be completed and fully operational by the end of this year, while construction of the Appledore Clean Maritime Innovation Centre is set to begin this spring. Improvements are also being made to leisure and public facilities, including the decarbonisation of Holsworthy Leisure Centre and renovations to the old Bideford Library. The Council is dedicated to investing in and modernising its services to improve efficiency, uphold our commitment to net zero and support the community.

Second homeowners in the Torridge district have received letters informing them of changes to Council Tax charges for their properties. Beginning 1st April of this year, a 100% premium will be applied to properties classified as second homes, where no premium was previously charged.

Due to investments and efficiencies made in temporary housing, spending has decreased from approximately £800,000 in 2023/24 to a forecast of around £500,000 in 2024/25. This is direct result of the Councils efforts to increase the amount of space in its hostels and other forms of accommodation. This area remains a key focus for delivering savings in the coming years.

The graphics below illustrate how Torridge spends its share, and which council gets how much of your council tax.

Torridge District Council as the billing authority is responsible for collecting Council Tax, however the vast majority of Council Tax collected is on behalf of its Preceptors. For every £1 collected in Council Tax:

• 8 pence is kept by Torridge District Council (for waste and recycling, housing, environmental protection, economic development, street cleaning, leisure, etc.)
• 4 pence goes to Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority (for fire prevention, fire and rescue).
• 4 pence goes to Town and Parish Councils (for local amenities)
• 12 pence goes to Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner (for law and order and crime reduction)
• 72 pence goes to Devon County Council (for education, roads, care for elderly, care for disabled, child protection, public health, libraries, recycling centres, waste disposal)

The percentage of the Council Tax retained by Torridge Council for 2025/26 is 8%. Torridge Council Tax for 2025/26 has increased by £5.67 per Band D Equivalent (2.99%). The value of Council Tax retained by Torridge Council has been in long term decline due to the following factors:

Devon County Council has, in recent years, been allowed to raise an additional social care precept which has seen their share of Council Tax rise. Devon County Council increase per Band D Equivalent (4.99% in 2025/26).

Town and Parish Councils unlike Torridge Council are not subject to referendum limits and have raised their Council Tax by an average of 7.43% in 2025/26. There have been similar increases in recent years.

Devon & Cornwall Police Commissioner have been allowed to increase their Band D Council Tax by above inflation in recent years. The increase for 2025/26 being 4.99%.

You can read more information on what Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority, Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner, Devon County Council spend. 

Statement concerning adult social care funding required by statute

The following wording is required by the Council Tax (Demand Notices) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020:

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has made an offer to adult social care authorities. ("Adult social care authorities" are local authorities which have functions under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, namely county councils in England, district councils for an area in England for which there is no county council, London borough councils, the Common Council of the City of London and the Council of the Isles of Scilly.)

The offer was the option of an adult social care authority being able to charge an additional "precept" on its council tax without holding a referendum, to assist the authority in meeting its expenditure on adult social care from the financial year 2016-17. It was originally made in respect of the financial years up to and including 2019-20. If the Secretary of State chooses to renew this offer in respect of a particular financial year, this is subject to the approval of the House of Commons.

Adult Social Care in Devon

The government assumes in its calculation of core spending power that all local authorities will increase Council Tax by the maximum amount in 2025/26 (that is, 2.99% plus the increase in the adult social care precept). Councils with adult social care responsibilities are able to increase their Council Tax by a further 2%, on top of the core principle, to be spent exclusively on adult social care. For 2025/26 Devon County Council's precept included a 2% increase for adult social care. For more information and an explanation of how the adult social care component is calculated can be found on the link below. 

Adult social care 2025/26 - Devon County Council

May 2025 Elections 

You now need photo ID to vote at a polling station.  Please find detail in the following leaflet. Election Information (PDF, 754 KB)

Other useful information about Council Tax can also be found in this section of the Council's website together with information about the new Council Tax Support scheme.

Related Downloads

2025/26 How to pay your Council Tax (PDF, 136 KB)

2025/26 Billing Continuation Sheet (PDF, 383 KB) 

2025/26 Waste & Recycling Council Tax Insert (PDF, 4 MB)

2025/26 Devon and Cornwall Police Funding (PDF, 573 KB)