RESIDENTS in Bude are set to pay more for their council tax after Bude-Stratton Town Council reveal an increase of 4.62 per cent for 2025/26.

At the latest full council meeting, members of Bude-Stratton Town Council discussed the precept for the coming year. After extensive discussion, councillors settled on an increase of 4.62 per cent.

This rise will see a weekly council tax increase, for Band D properties of 27p, which equates to an annual hike of £13.82.

The council has also requested a precept of £1.37-million. The precept is the amount of resident’s council tax that is allocated specifically to Bude-Stratton Town Council. Cornwall Council is responsible for setting the overall council tax rate, which includes contributions for various local services such as police, fire services, waste collection, and more. The town council precept is included within this overall bill, and it funds essential local services like park maintenance, public toilets, and the library.

This is the second year in a row which has seen the town council increase council tax, however, 2025’s rise is significantly lower than 2024’s which was to the sum of 20.51 per cent. Bude-Stratton Town Council has suggested that this is due to ‘careful budgeting’.

A spokesperson said: “This careful budgeting aims to manage rising costs while minimising the impact on residents.”

However, the full picture of 2025’s council tax is not yet known, as Cornwall Council has not yet set it budget. However, regional councils are limited in the amount they can increase council tax by, capped at 4.99 per cent.

Once Cornwall Council has submitted its budget, residents will receive their council tax bill, which will include the local precept alongside the contributions for other services.