Truro City Council has agreed its budget for the year 2025/26 after taking into account its own cost pressures as well as the cost-of-living increases being experienced by Truro residents.

The decision to raise the precept by 4.69 per cent was reached by a majority vote at Full Council on Monday, January 27. This sets the budget at £3,197,665 - an increase of 37p a week for a Band D household.

City mayor Cllr Carol Swain said the increase was lower than the anticipated 5.6 per cent. “Having been necessary to increase the precept significantly last year, Truro City Council made a firm commitment that this would not be repeated for 2025/26,” she said.

“I am pleased that by absorbing several cost increases within our existing budgets and rigorous financial management, the precept increase is lower than we estimated it would be at this point last year.”

Town clerk David Rodda added: “I joined Truro City Council just after it set its budget last year, so over the past 10 months I have been working with the council and my team to ensure any increase this year would be as small as possible.

“It is below the level necessary to keep pace with inflationary cost pressures, but I am confident that it is sufficient to enable council to provide the services that are valued by the residents of Truro.”

Most of the funding for Truro City Council is provided via the annual precept, collected through the general council tax bill. Additional funding is delivered through grants, projects and income from the hire of fee-based services such as Lemon Quay, playing fields and other event spaces, meeting rooms and the tennis courts.

Truro City Councillors meet regularly to discuss the needs of the community, both as full council and as four standing committees in staffing, finance and general purposes, parks and amenities, planning and licensing.

The council’s responsibilities include parks and gardens, play areas and open spaces, community spaces and development, the Community Library and Visitor Information Centre, the allotments and cemetery, public conveniences and sports facilities, and part funding of the Anti-Social Behaviour Officer.

It also owns and holds leases on several properties, many of which are occupied by community organisations, including The Moresk Centre and Hendra Hall.

Over the course of the 2025/2026 financial year, Truro City Council will be implementing several projects set to benefit the city.

These include the New Life for City Buildings scheme, making use of 25,000 m2 of empty space in the city centre. This fund will repurpose buildings, protect community assets and improve the energy efficiency of supported properties, in turn encouraging business start-ups, growth and diversity.

The Boscawen Park Sports Hub project, led by Truro City Council and funded by Truro Town Deal, will see a new multi-use building, incorporating new changing facilities, as well as flexible indoor spaces suitable for both indoor sports use and activities such as conferences, community and family events, workshops and training, or arts and crafts groups.