Haslemere residents will see their council tax rise by 6 per cent. This comes after Haslemere Town Council finalised its 2025-26 budget, with a precept totalling £464,890. The 6 per cent increase from last year will equate to an additional £3.30 per Band D household. The budget was shaped by the council’s Budget Working Party and approved after consultation.

But the precept wasn’t the only thing discussed. A key decision was to repay the council’s larger Public Works Loan Board loan in the next financial year. Concerns about Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) funding led to a pre-Christmas meeting with the organisation, after which the working party upheld its recommended grant of £20,500. This funding will be reviewed again in autumn 2025 for potential inclusion in the 2026-27 budget.

The council considered 13 applications for revenue grants, with requests coming to a total of £94,880 against a budget of £74,000. Among the approved grants, Haslemere Food Bank and HOPPA received full funding at £7,500 each, while Crossways Counselling was awarded £4,630. Haslemere Youth Hub secured £12,500, slightly less than its request of £15,000. Haslemere Biodiversity Group was granted £5,000.

Some applications were unsuccessful. A Place To Be Youth Club, which had unclaimed funds from the previous year and sufficient reserves, was not awarded new funding. Transition Haslemere’s request did not meet revenue grant criteria and was advised to seek a Green Grant.

Smaller grants included £500 for Sport Haslemere’s bursary project and £5,000 for Visit Haslemere to support the town’s visitor economy. Weyhill in Bloom received an increased grant of £1,750 to aid summer watering efforts. A future grants pot of £7,120 was created to allow flexibility in funding applications received later in the year.