Published on Wednesday 03 December 2025
Councillors have set out recommendations for the establishment of three new town councils in Broadstone, Poole and Bournemouth.
There are more than 10,000 parish and town councils in England. They can provide and maintain amenities like parks, playgrounds, and community centres and improve services like street cleaning, lighting and local events.
To be able to deliver these services, the proposals cover the arrangements needed to make sure the new councils are legally compliant and operational in time for their launch on 1 April 2026.
Recommendations include the creation of shadow councils to help oversee the recruitment of some staff who will help set up the new councils and details on the anticipated cost (precept) of each of the new authorities. The proposals come after BCP Council voted to establish the three new town councils in October.
These authorities will replace the existing Charter Trustees in Bournemouth and Poole as a separate tier under BCP Council and will have responsibility for setting their own budgets and priorities.
A Task and Finish group, a politically balanced, cross-party group of 10 councillors, appointed by BCP Council, was requested to look at the assets and services that would need to be moved to the new bodies, calculate the projected costs of operating the new councils, and recommend an anticipated precept requirement for the first year.
Cllr Oliver Walters, Chair of the Task and Finish Group, said: “The decision to establish new town councils in Broadstone, Poole and Bournemouth, was reached following a full and thorough democratic process including a vote by Councillors at Council on 14 October 2025.
“The anticipated budgets for Broadstone, Poole, and Bournemouth town councils represent a significant opportunity for each community. With dedicated funding, these new councils will be uniquely positioned to support local groups, events, and projects that matter most to their communities supporting community groups, enhancing local amenities, and funding initiatives that bring people together, helping to build vibrant, connected communities.
“It is important to make sure that the new town councils have everything in place to hit the ground running from 1 April 2026. These recommendations will put in place arrangements to deliver everything that’s needed promptly and to recruit qualified clerks for the new councils.”
The group have recommended the setting up of shadow councils to recruit clerks for each new body and organise all that is needed so that the new town councils can immediately get to work. Once in post, the new clerks will manage the transitional activities and recruitment of any additional staff.
Millie Earl, Leader of BCP Council, said: “These next recommendations are important as town councils can deliver amenities and services for their communities that BCP Council simply cannot because of more than a decade of relentless cuts to local government funding.
“We know people want more community events and festivals, improvements to high streets, more Christmas lights, and more activities for young people.
“Town and parish councils will enable communities to do this – they will allow people to shape and influence how money is spent locally, making sure it aligns to what people want to see happen in their neighbourhoods and towns and be a strong voice on local planning matters.”
Precept
The precept is the amount of money town and parish councils require from council tax in their area.
The Task and Finish group have provided estimated precept costs for each new town council. These costs have been based on evaluation of other parish and town councils and shared knowledge of existing parish clerks and includes a contingency supplement and general reserve provision.
This estimated precept includes both the cost of the services being transferred and the operational costs required to run the councils.
The estimated Council Tax charge for a Band D property is:
- Broadstone Town Council, £60.41 per year, or £5.03 per month
- Poole Town Council, £32.59 per year, or £2.72 per month
- Bournemouth Town Council, £29.51 per year, or £2.46 per month
Anticipated precept totals for the new Town Councils are:
- Broadstone Town Council, £296,560
- Poole Town Council, £1,896,970
- Bournemouth Town Council, £1,981,980
Residents currently exempt from paying annual council tax will also be exempt from paying the Town Council precept.
The new councils will be able to use the money raised to deliver on their priorities. and it will be up to the town councils to decide what they need to spend to meet the needs of their communities.
The indicative draft budgets identify key operational spend and set up costs recommended in the first year for each council including holding elections in May 2026.
Provision has also been made for general spend for each area in the first year of £98,270 in Broadstone; £609,400 in Poole; and £634,810 in Bournemouth which can be used to support local initiatives, community groups and projects as the new town council’s see fit.
Many of the initial set up and operational costs will be reduced in year two onwards, releasing additional spend for each area. This estimated spend in Year two will be in the region of £212,000 in Broadstone; £1,443,000 in Poole; and £1,536,000 in Bournemouth.
The paper also considers which services need to be transferred from BCP Council to the new bodies with allotments being the one service legally required to be moved.
To minimise service disruption and provide more time to determine workforce requirements, the Task and Finish group recommended that BCP Council continue to deliver allotment services until 31 March 2027.
BCP Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Board will examine the recommendations on 8 December before the paper is discussed at full Council on 9 December.