TWO of the main towns in west Wiltshire - Bradford on Avon and Westbury - have now approved their budgets for 2021/22 and set their precepts.

Melksham and Warminster town councils will meet on Monday (January 18) and Trowbridge on Tuesday (January 19) to approve their budgets and set their precepts for the next financial year.

In most cases, they are trying to ensure they can pay for assets and services being transferred to them by Wiltshire Council.

In Bradford on Avon, the town council last week approved a precept the same as last year after agreeing an annual budget of £1,174,150, compared to £885,590 previously.

The council's budget has been increased with £73,100 coming from reserves and £215,460 from income. Band D equivalents will pay a precept of £216.90 a year as their local share of the annual council tax.

In Westbury, the full council met on Monday (January 11) to approve a £918,313 annual budget, a £36,655 (4.16 per cent) rise on the previous year's £881,658.

This means the precept for an equivalent Band D property will rise by £5.75 (3.33 per cent) from £172.45 in 2020/21 to £178.20 for 2021/22. The weekly increase is 11.02p.

In Trowbridge, the annual charge could rise to £167.46, which is less than £3.22 per week. This is 1.5 per cent higher than the £164.98 charged last year for a Band D property.

The full council is being recommended to approve an extra £2.48 on a Band D property for their Council Tax charge from next April.

In Melksham, the council has yet to receive a recommendation for full council to consider on Monday.

In Warminster, the council is recommended to approve a precept of £1,275,599 for 2021/22. This represents an increase of £94,933 (8.04 per cent) to maintain a balanced budget.

The town's tax base has reduced, so the increase per Band D equivalent, is equal to £16.34 a year or 31p a week.