The Precept

The Precept

The Darwen Precept

The precept is the share of council tax collected on behalf of Darwen Town Council. It’s a small amount — but every penny stays in Darwen and goes towards making the town a better place to live.

Each year the Town Council agrees a budget that sets out how the precept will be spent. The budget is published, and all spending decisions are minuted at our public meetings.

This year’s precept

Total raised: ~£122,000
Per Band D household: [Add £x.xx per year] Approved: [Add date] Financial year: [Year]–[Year]

Where the money goes

Every line of the precept budget is spent on Darwen. Here’s a typical breakdown of how the year’s funds are distributed.

[xx%]

Town events
Darwen Live, Christmas Lights, Brass Band Competition and more

[xx%]

Parks & green spaces
Sunnyhurst Woods, Bold Venture Park improvements

[xx%]

Community Awards
Grants to local groups, sports clubs, charities

[xx%]

Civic & Mayoral
Mayoral duties, civic occasions, remembrance

[xx%]

Administration
Clerk’s salary, insurance, audit, hall hire

[xx%]

Reserves
Savings towards future projects

Replace [xx%] placeholders with actual figures from the latest approved budget.

How the precept is set

Each autumn, the Town Council reviews:

The current year’s spending and any underspends
Anticipated income (interest, fees)
The cost of confirmed activities and grants for the year ahead
Any new projects the Council wants to fund

The total budget is then divided across the number of council-tax-paying households in Darwen to give a per-household figure. The proposed precept is voted on at a public meeting before being formally requested from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, who collect it as part of your annual council tax bill.