Morecambe Town Council proposes 2.46 per cent rise in Council tax share

Morecambe Town Council has proposed a 2.46 per cent rise in its share of Council tax for 2026/27.

The town council said this is a "modest, below-inflation" increase in its proportion of Council tax - which makes up just four per cent of an overall bill - and would mean the majority of Morecambe householders paying 3-4p more per week.

The council said plans for spending its money include expanding its 'Bloom Together' planting scheme and buying new pavement planters to "provide year-round seasonal colour throughout the town".

They also plan to purchase "event infrastructure to support the safe delivery of Morecambe’s varied festivals and outdoor public events by meeting the requirements of the new Martyn’s Law legislation".

Martyn's Law, named after Martyn Huett who was killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, requires public venues, events, and organisations across the UK to adopt security measures to mitigate terrorism risks. 

The proposed budget also includes £65,000 to be awarded in grants to Morecambe events and festival organisers, £65,000 for the council to run its own events or for event partnerships, and a public realm budget of £555,520.

Councillors will meet for talks on the proposed Council tax rise and the overall budget plans on Thursday evening.

"The Morecambe Town Council precept is now more than £42 lower for a Band D property than when this administration took office in May 2023, and recent increases have been well below the national average for parish and town councils," said Councillor Clark Kent, chairperson of the town council (below).

"Through careful planning and service efficiencies, we’ve been able to propose a below-inflation increase this year, with the majority of additional income generated to be invested directly into projects that make a visible difference to people’s daily lives and to the town itself.

"With Local Government Reorganisation likely to move key decisions about statutory services even further away from Morecambe into larger, more remote authorities, it is vital that residents know their Town Council remains here, championing their interests and delivering practical, tangible improvements for the community."

Thursday's meeting will be held at Morecambe Town Hall, starts at 7pm and is open to the public.

The Bloom Together scheme – announced last year - is a multi-year plan to brighten up Morecambe, run by the town council in partnership with Lancaster City Council.

Projects last year included flower bed planting near the Eric Morecambe Statue and a ship-themed floral display near the Shrimp Roundabout named HMS Shrimp (below).

The town then won a Silver Award at North West in Bloom and a Morecambe Town Council spokesperson said the scheme "generated positive feedback from residents, providing impetus for further investment".

Year Two will see the scheme expanded to cover approximately 30 flowerbeds in Morecambe, including those opposite the town hall and in the War Memorial Gardens, with an additional ‘showstopper’ display planned for the beds outside Morecambe Railway Station.

In addition to the established flowerbeds, Morecambe Town Council plans to install up to 50 new pavement planters around the town.

This will be done in partnership with the Highways Authority, Lancashire County Council, identifying suitable locations that add colour, vibrancy, 
and biodiversity to otherwise built-up areas.

Martyn's Law means that for many events held in outdoor public spaces, such as along the Promenade, Hostile Vehicle Barriers (HVB) will be required to reduce the risk of vehicles being used as weapons against crowds. 

"Rather than leaving event organisers in Morecambe to absorb significant additional costs for HVB hire on an event-by-event basis, which may jeopardise their financial viability or limit the investment they can make into the event content, the council proposes purchasing HVBs which can then be offered to event providers in Morecambe at heavily discounted rates," said a town council spokesperson.

The council is proposing to fund 77 per cent of its 2026/27 budget via its Council tax precept.

The proposed rises per property band, are as follows:

• Band A - £69.37 total - £1.67 increase (3p per week)
• Band B - £80.93 total - £1.95 increase (4p per week)
• Band C - £92.49 total - £2.22 increase (4p per week)
• Band D - £104.05 total - £2.50 increase (5p per week)

The majority of households in Morecambe (around 70 per cent) are in Bands A-C.

"Like all other organisations, councils are exposed to increasing costs through inflation, which stood at 3.4 per cent (CPI) in the 12 months to December 2025," said a town council spokesperson.

"The Council has been able to consider a below-inflation 2.46 per cent increase this year by finding efficiencies in existing budgets and services, improving income-generating capability, and a small increase in the number of taxable properties within the town boundary."

The proposed Morecambe Town Council budget for 2026/7, projects that expenditure will be £1,362,520.

Budgeted income includes £79,734.31 from the council's weeding service delivered on behalf of Lancashire County Council, a reserves subsidy of £115,000, an anticipated underspend of £44,000 from 2024/25 and £20,000 from 2025/26, £45,000.00 in income generation and £10,000 carried forward from Morecambe Lights.

This results in a total offsetting sum of £313,734.31, making the total Council tax precept required £1,048,785.69.

The proposed budget expenditure breakdown is:

CORPORATE SERVICES

Rent/Room Hire 27,500

Staffing 350,000

Admin and Office Supplies 12,500

Professional Services 22,500

Insurance 12,000

Audits 5,000

Training (councillors) 7,500

IT Infrastructure 15,000

Civic Expenses/Councillor Expenses 5,000

SUB TOTAL 457,000

PUBLIC REALM

Equipment 15,000

Fleet Purchase 23,770

Fleet Repair 8,000

Utilities (Electricity and Fuel) 4,000

Weed Control (LCC) 12,500

Weed Control (MTC) 15,000

Software/Mobiles 5,500

Casual Staff 34,500

PPE 5,250

Public Realm Enhancements 51,000

Contingency 16,000

Planter Planting 15,000

Spring/Summer/Winter Allotments 5,000

Spring Planting 20,000

SUB TOTAL 555,520

COMMUNITY GRANTS

Grants 38,000

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

Festivals/Events (Grants Awarded) 65,000

Morecambe Lights 35,000

Equipment 20,000

Council Events/Partnerships 65,000

SUB TOTAL 255,000

COMMUNICATIONS

General Communications 16,000

Community Engagement 16,000

Tourism 5,000

Website 5,000

SUB TOTAL 42,000

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

Neighbourhood Plan 15,000

Estimated reserves at the end of the 2025/26 financial year are forecast to be £808,090.

Morecambe Town Council’s Reserve Policy states that "The Council will at all times hold no less than twenty-five percent of annual expenditure and at all times work towards maintaining a reserve equivalent to at least fifty percent of annual expenditure.".

The reserves requirement for 2026/27 is £681,260, half the forecast expenditure budget of £1,362,520.

There is more information in the Morecambe Town Council meeting agenda bundle HERE.

Lancashire residents pay the vast majority of their Council tax bill to Lancashire County Council, which is proposing a 3.8 per cent rise in its share.

Residents of the Lancaster and Morecambe District pay the rest of their Council tax bill to Lancaster City Council, which is proposing a 2.99 per cent rise, the police and fire authorities, and their local parish council depending on where they live (ie Morecambe Town Council).

In 2025/26, Morecambe Town Council raised its share of Council tax by 4.09 per cent. You can read more about this, and details of the 2025/26 budget, below.

Read more: INTERVIEW: Why Morecambe Town Council is putting up Council tax this year - Beyond Radio