Your priorities are already shaping our plans
In 2025, we asked residents, businesses and community groups what they thought Welshpool Town Council should focus on. We received more than 1,000 comments.
Your feedback helped shape our Interim Strategic Plan 2025–2028 and its five main themes:
That plan now helps drive the Council's work programme, and the work programme helps us decide what needs to be included in the budget.
What does Welshpool Town Council do?
Welshpool Town Council provides and supports a range of local services, facilities and events across the town. These are separate from services provided by Powys County Council.
We also manage other Council assets, support local organisations and projects, represent the interests of Welshpool and work with partners to improve the town. The choices in this exercise cover only some of the Council's budget — many costs relate to existing services, contracts and commitments that must continue.
Your starting budget
The simulator starts with the underlying draft budget before the additional choices shown later. Those choices can then be added positively. Some spending is supported by grants, so total expenditure is not the same as the amount the Council has to fund.
Existing services
Would you change the level of any existing service? Where a reliable saving is not yet known, your preference is recorded but does not alter the total.
Playpark fencing — £10,000
A reduction would phase or defer planned fencing work to our Playparks.
Christmas lights — £15,100
The existing hire arrangement for the cross-street features has come to an end. Our draft budget includes £3,500 to replace those features, alongside £11,000 installation and £600 electrical testing.
Town Hall evening and weekend bookings
Restricting out-of-hours bookings could reduce staffing requirements, although it may also reduce hire income. For this exercise we have used a nominal £1,000 net saving.
Special Projects budget — £8,000
The Council keeps a Special Projects budget to provide flexibility if a new project or opportunity comes up during the year.
Town centre bunting and flags — £2,500
Our draft budget includes £2,500 for bunting and flags around the town. This could be reduced to £500 to provide flags only, with no bunting (like 2026).
Charges and income
Council Tax is not the Council's only source of income. The Council also receives income from room hire, markets, events and charges for some services. Increasing income can reduce the amount that needs to be funded through the Council Tax precept, although higher charges may affect people who use those services.
Allotments
We are expecting £800 income against £900 of direct water and maintenance costs.
Town Hall hire charges
The Council hires rooms in the Town Hall to individuals, community groups and businesses. Based on current bookings, an inflationary increase of around 5% is estimated to generate approximately £750 additional income each year.
Market stall charges
The Council operates Welshpool's markets and costs have not changed in a few years. An inflationary increase of around 5% to stall charges is estimated to generate approximately £750 additional income each year.
Public toilets — £33,160 expenditure
Public toilets are currently free to use. Introducing a charge would require payment infrastructure and would therefore have an initial cost to the Council. The actual income and infrastructure cost are not yet known, so this exercise uses a nominal £1,000 net income figure.
Parking at Maes y Dre
Parking is currently free all day including overnight. One option would be to retain free short-stay parking but introduce a charge for stays over 2 hours. As detailed usage and operating costs are not yet known, this exercise uses a nominal £1,000 income figure.
Fireworks — £3,825 expenditure / £2,500 income
Our draft budget leaves a £1,325 net cost. For this exercise, an appropriate admission charge is estimated to generate around £3,000 income. This is an illustrative estimate and can be revised after the 2026 event.
Additional choices
These items are not included in your starting budget. Add the ones you think the Council should provide.
Free Saturday parking
The Council can pay to make Church Street Car Park free to use on Saturdays, helping people visit the town centre and local businesses. The Council trialed this in 2026.
Town Centre Ranger
A dedicated Ranger would provide extra capacity in the town centre for weeding, cleaning around street furniture and planters, looking after the additional assets being installed and dealing with minor maintenance issues. This would help keep the town centre presentable and inviting.
Enhanced Carnival
The Council can increase its Carnival budget to introduce new and exciting activities and events, or we can stick to lower level enhancements.
Enhanced Winter Festival
The Council can increase its Winter Festival budget to introduce new and exciting activities and events, or we can stick to lower level enhancements.
Tour de France
The starting budget retains £5,000 of general provision. A further £5,000 can be added. Separate grant-supported activity is included elsewhere in the budget.
General efficiencies
Set a £2,000 savings target. Specific reductions would still need to be identified before the final budget.
Reserves
Our draft budget includes £20,000 to add to General Reserve. Reducing this lowers the 2027/28 requirement but rebuilds reserves more slowly; it is not an ongoing service saving.
Your budget
You are currently matching the starting budget.
Your priced changes
- No changes yet.
Anything else?
No name or email address is required. Please submit one response per person.