Penzance Council Agrees 2026 to 27 Budget with 0.3% Precept Rise

Penzance Council has agreed a new budget that will see increased investment in local services while keeping the council tax precept rise at its lowest level in more than a decade.

At a meeting held on Monday 19th January, councillors at Penzance Council unanimously approved budgets and earmarked reserves for the 2026 to 27 financial year.

From 1st April 2026, the council plans to spend almost £3 million within the parish, with £2,528,957 coming directly from the precept. Despite this level of spending, the precept rise is just two pence a week for a Band D property, equivalent to an annual increase of 0.3 percent per household.

Lowest rise in over a decade

The council says this is the second year running that it has kept the precept increase historically low, at a time when many councils nationally are cutting services or raising charges more sharply.

Stephen Reynolds, Mayor of Penzance, said the decision comes during ongoing cost of living pressures and reflects careful financial management, dedicated staff and councillors focused on community needs.

Investment in services and facilities

For 2026 to 27, the council will increase investment in local services by expanding its Leisure and Amenities Team. The additional staff will allow more maintenance and improvement work to be carried out and will also provide capacity to take on further responsibilities devolved from Cornwall Council.

Over the past decade, Penzance Council has already taken on prominent public facilities including public toilets, Alexandra Play Park and Tennis Courts, Foxes Lane Play Park and Princess May Recreation Ground.

The precept rise will also fund the refurbishment and expansion of the entrance and shop at Penlee House Gallery & Museum, with the aim of improving the visitor experience and increasing shop income to help support the venue in the long term.

Services funded across the parish

The council will continue to fund a wide range of services across Penzance, Newlyn, Mousehole, Paul, Heamoor, Gulval and Eastern Green. These include seven public toilets and the Community Toilet Scheme, an anti social behaviour caseworker, 19 CCTV cameras in Penzance town centre, Wherrytown Skateboard Plaza, Penlee Park, parish wide weeding covering around 120km of pavements, summer watering of hanging baskets, additional footpath clearance and Wellfields Car Park.

A full list of services is available on the council website under What We Do.

Grants and community funding

Alongside service delivery, the council will continue to award grants to community organisations and events that benefit residents. In the current financial year, more than £40,000 has already been awarded to a range of groups including Friends of Penzance Burial Ground Heamoor CIC, Citizens Advice Cornwall, West Cornwall Women’s Aid, YMCA Cornwall, Redwing Contemporary Art CIC and the Hypatia Trust.

Penzance Council is also the lead partner for the Golowan Festival and has an agreement with Golowan Festival CIC to deliver the event until 2027. For the coming year, £40,600 has been allocated to the festival, along with an additional £6,000 for youth provision. The festival has been part of the town’s calendar for more than thirty years.

More than £100,000 has also been budgeted for Service Level Agreements with Jubilee Pool, Pengarth Day Centre, Penzance and Newlyn Youth, and Sustainable Penzance to support community services, leisure facilities and climate related work.

What the precept means for households

While Band D is used as the standard measure for announcing precept changes, around 80 percent of households in the parish fall into Council Tax Bands A to C. This means most households will see a real terms increase of less than £1 per year, which works out at under 2p a week.

The council has stressed that the 0.3 percent rise applies only to the town council portion of the bill. Based on last year’s figures, Penzance Council accounted for around 13 percent of the total Council Tax bill, with the remaining 87 percent split between Cornwall Council and the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner.

Cornwall Council has not yet set its precept for 2026 to 27, but has proposed a draft budget including a 4.99 percent rise.

Second home premiums and new housing across the parish have increased the tax base, which the council says has helped keep the precept increase low.

Support for those struggling to pay

Anyone who thinks they may struggle to pay their Council Tax is encouraged to contact Cornwall Council’s Benefits Team to check eligibility for Council Tax Support. Further information is available on the Cornwall Council website at Council Tax Support.