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C/O Legion House, Church Lane, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 7AD

Home Accounts

Accounts

Please use the links below to find out more about the Town Council’s finances. 

Expenditure

The Town Council is obliged to publish all expenditure over £500 and contracts over £5,000 and this is updated on a monthly basis.

Annual Accounts

The links below will open the documents containing the Annual Accounts for the last five years, including a statement of the income and expenditure of the Town Council. Please note that the financial year runs from 1st April to 31st March.

Annual Governance and Accountability Return

Each year the Town Council’s Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) needs to be reviewed by an external auditor appointed by Smaller Authorities’ Audit Appointments Ltd. The audited AGAR was published on Monday 9th September 2024 and can be viewed below. 

The Notice of Conclusion of Audit was also published on Monday 9th September 2024 and can be viewed below. The Town Council is pleased to receive a clear audit. 

The period of the Notice of Public Rights and Publication of Unaudited Annual Governance and Accountability Return was 26th June 2024 to 6th August 2024. However, the Notice can still be viewed below, along with the associated financial documentation. 

Please click on the following files to access the information regarding the 2023-24 unaudited annual accounts of the Town Council:

The Town Council’s Internal Auditor is:

Darkin Miller Limited
24e Deverel Road
Charlton Down
Dorchester
DT2 9UD

The Town Council’s External Auditor is: 

BDO LLP
Arcadia House
Maritime Walk
Ocean Village
Southampton
SO14 3TL
+44 (0)23 8088 1737
www.bdo.co.uk
councilaudits@bdo.co.uk

Previous financial years:

2022-23

2021-22

2020-21

2019-20

2018-19

 

How is the Town Council funded?

The Council Tax paid by Blandford Forum households includes the spending requirements of the Dorset Council, Dorset Police and Blandford Forum Town Council. The Dorset Council is responsible for collecting the Council Tax. Many people do not realise that the Town Council does not receive any revenue support from central government, unlike the Dorset Council, neither does it receive any funding from local businesses and retailers via their payment of the non-domestic rate. 

Each year the Town Council calculates the money it needs to raise to provide its services.  Then we deduct income which we expect to receive from fees and charges such as the hire of sports facilities, lettings of the various halls, etc, to leave the amount we require to spend on the services and any capital projects which are planned for the year ahead. This sum, called the precept, is the amount we levy on the Dorset Council and which is collected by them as a proportion of the total Council Tax paid by Blandford’s households. 

Precept (council tax) and Budget Consultation

Councillors approved a precept of £921,873 for the 2025/26 financial year, which was agreed at the 16th December 2024 council meeting. This equates to a 3% increase on the 2024/25 budget, which, in turn, amounts to an increase for a Band D property of £7.38 over the year from 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026.

At the council meeting held on 18th December 2023, the Town Council confirmed the precept for the 2024/25 financial year at £880,115.  This is a 6.12% increase on the 2023/2024 budget, which amounts to an increase for a Band D property of £14.22 over the year from 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025. Please click on the link to view the Budget Summary 2024-25. 

Examples of expenditure from 2021 to present (ongoing running costs for office and grounds staff to carry out their work have not been listed however specific information can be provided on request):

  • Resurfacing of Balmer Road play area.
  • The Neighbourhood Plan Version 2 has been made and is now being referred to when deciding on Planning applications. A modification review is now completed. 
  • Continued engagement with the public through social media and newsletters.
  • Arranging free parking in Dorset Council car parks on various days throughout the year to benefit the local community, shops and businesses.
  • Organisation of Remembrance events for 2021, including the rededication of the war memorials.
  • Lobby glazing in the Corn Exchange has been replaced.
  • Town Hall façade lighting has been installed and is lighting up the Corn Exchange every evening.
  • Free summer holiday events returned, the Skate Fest in Blandford Skate Park and Jamie Jigsaw in Woodhouse Gardens.
  • Sale of the Old Bath House has been finalised.
  • A table tennis table has been installed at Larksmead Recreation Ground.
  • Expenditure has been approved for replacement play equipment at Larksmead play area.
  • Expenditure has been approved for replacement equipment and ramp surfaces at the Blandford Skate Park.
  • Rent relief extended to the sports clubs during the pandemic.
  • Grants and SLAs totalling £29,000 paid to local organisations including Treads, Tourist Information and Blandford museums.
  • The community fridge is now in operation, which will help to reduce food waste.
  • Ongoing work with Persimmon Homes to complete transfer of Phase 3a and Phase 3b at Badbury Heights so that play areas can be installed and maintenance can be carried out by the town council.
  • Application submitted for reaccreditation of the Quality Gold council award scheme.
  • Working with Dorset Council to extend the lease to the skate park land so improvements can be made to the equipment.
  • Consultants appointed to work on the realisation of the Town Hall/Corn Exchange project.

Residents are invited to discuss suggestions for the budget at any point throughout the year, but a full consultation takes place in September at the Community Expo in the Corn Exchange, which is fully advertised to all.

Please let us know what you think about the budget and if you have any suggestions.

If the information you are looking for does not appear on the reports published online, then please do not hesitate to contact us.

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