Billing Information 2024/25
How much do you have to pay?
You will be receiving a letter before April 2024 with your new council tax bill information. In the meantime, you can always check here: 2024/25 Council Tax Charges (PDF, 73 KB)
What do we spend it on?
Torridge District Council plans to spend £34.048m (£33.772m 2023/24) this year on providing services. £29.258m (£29.218m in 2023/24) of this comes from income we receive from grants, fees and charges which leaves a Council Tax Requirement of £4.790m (£4.554m 2023/24).
Torridge is pleased to be able to balance its Budget for 2024/25 without any major impacts on the levels of services provided.
This year's budget setting round has been quite challenging for the Council due to various factors such as inflation, the demand for services, and the ongoing housing crisis. While many Councils are cutting back and raising Council Tax above inflation, Torridge District Council's council tax increase remains below inflation.
In addition to the challenges of the revenue budget, the Council is pleased to announce its largest ever level of capital investment in the district. This investment involves the development of the Appledore Clean Maritime Innovation Centre, a state-of-the-art Operations Centre, as well as improvements to housing, leisure, and public facilities. The benefits of this investment will be felt by residents for many years to come, as the Council modernises assets and develops more efficient services.
The Council has been proactive in investing in additional capacity to residents in need of temporary accommodation bringing a new hostel and 6 self-contained units into service during 2023/24 and reducing spend from around £1.3M in 22/23 to around £800k in 23/24. This remains a key area for future savings deliveries over the next 4 years.
The graphic 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 2024/25 is 8%. Torridge Council Tax for 2024/25 has increased by £5.50 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 2024/25).
Town and Parish Councils unlike Torridge Council are not subject to referendum limits and have raised their Council Tax by an average of 6.08% in 2024/25. 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 2024/25 being 4.95%.
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 2024/25 (that is, 2.99% plus the increase in the adult social care precept). Councils with adult social care responsibilities will be able to increase their Council Tax by a further 2% in 2024/25, on top of the core principle, to be spent exclusively on adult social care. For 2023/24 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.
May 2024 Elections
You now need photo ID to vote at a polling station. Please find detail in the following leaflet: Elections Council Tax Insert (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
2024/25 How to pay your Council Tax (PDF, 136 KB)
2024/25 Billing Continuation Sheet (PDF, 383 KB)
2024/25 Waste & Recycling Council Tax Insert (PDF, 4 MB)
2024/25 Devon and Cornwall Police Funding (PDF, 1 MB)