Sources of Income

The WS Council receives money from a number of sources to cover its expenditure. These include:

• The precept, which is paid to the WS Council in two instalments,
• Halls lettings,
• Grants.

• Section 106 money, which is money that developers pay to MK Council when permission for development is approved. The approval will stipulate the amount that the developer will need to pay and the purposes that it will fund. A portion of this money can be passed on to the WS Council for community based projects that are included in the S106 agreement.

The Precept

The WS Council have the powers to raise a Precept, or tax, from the community to pay some of the costs of running the town.

The amount of the Precept is decided by the Councillors and is calculated to cover the needs of the Budget which is produced each year. The Budget details how the WS Council intends to spend the Precept money, for example, to maintain the various halls and other facilities available in the town.

The Woburn Sands Precept is added on to the MK Council Tax and is shown as part of your Council Tax bill. The WS Council must keep Accounts showing the Expenditure of the Precept and an Audit is carried out each year to ensure that there are no financial irregularities.

Section 106 Contributions

All building developments over 10 dwellings in size carry with them a requirement to pay a S106 contribution to Milton Keynes Council. This money is set as an amount per dwelling to be paid by the developer. It must be used in a way that benefits the community affected by the development, that is relevant to the proposed development and which supports the local infrastructure. MK Council has a number of fixed “pots” into which this money is paid, for example into health facilities, education, crematoria and graveyards, highways, community facilities, emergency services and leisure facilities. MK Council then allocates the money, ideally in discussion with the Parish Council.

Over the years, Woburn Sands Town Council has been able to negotiate with MK Council for S106 monies to pay for: the conversion of The Institute into a library; for St Michaels, our Parish Church, to improve its graveyard facilities; for Asplands Medical Centre to extend its premises and refurbish the waiting rooms; for improvements to the allotments and for the refurbishment of The Summerlin Centre. In the near future, S106 money will be supporting the provision of a Sports Hall. In recent times most of this money has come from the development of Parklands which has also contributed money towards the hospital, crematorium, highways improvements and other Milton Keynes facilities that are used by the whole community.

Section 137 Expenditure

Included in the budget are a number of items listed as S137 expenditure. This is expenditure for items not covered by other categories in the budget as defined in the Local Government Act 1972 (amended in 1989 and 2007). This limited sum is largely concerned with grants and donations to local organisations or other specific payments that benefit the town and local residents. For example, in 2017, an S137 donation was included in the budget for the Gravel Pit Close Charity to commence some refurbishment works to The Old Fire Station Building and Grounds.

Budget Information

 Money has been set aside in 2019/20 to rectify damage of flooding under the stage in the Memorial Hall.  Money set aside for staff salaries have been increased to bring staff up to the National Living Wage.  It was agreed to carry out some consultations with businesses etc. regarding the cost of maintaining the public WC this year.  

Details of our approved budget can be seen at the Town Council offices via the Town Clerk or the link below for the appropriate year.

Actual Income/Expenditure accounts for the previous three years are given in the links below.