Author: FVCA

Council Tax to Rise: 2026-27

Parish Precept to increase by 6.67%, as well as other elements of your Council Tax

At January’s Parish Council meeting, Councillors approved the increase of the Parish Precept, which is used to fund the Parish Council by £10000 for the year 2026-27 to £80000. It is understood that in the year 2025-26, the current fiscal year, the amount was £75000.

According to the Parish Council minutes:

“Approve the precept for 2026/2027 – After a robust discussion about the finances and the changes that will be occurring in councils, it was approved for the council to increase the precept to £80,000. This will mean an increase of £3.48 per year on Band D property.”

https://belbroughtonandfairfield-pc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BFPC-MINUTES-FROM-MONDAY-5th-JANUARY-2026-1.pdf

Currently Band D properties pay, as part of their Council Tax, a Parish Precept of £60.22 per year, an increase of £3.48 per year is equivalent to an annual rise of 5.79%.

According to the 2024/25 published Annual Accounts, the Parish Council has, excluding land assets, balances and reserves totalling £380,064. In addition to the precept, the Council received additional income of £29,918. The Council generates an income from land/property rental charges. https://belbroughtonandfairfield-pc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Completed-and-signed-AGAR-2024-2025-1.pdf

According to a BBC News report, published today (27 February), the County Council element of the Council tax is set to rise by almost 9%, adding about £145 a year to Band D bills. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y68r40yzgo

Currently a Band D property pays a County Council element of £1,615.71 per annum.

The District Council element of the Council Tax that residential properties will have to pay will increase by 2.99%. District Councillors agreed the increase at their meeting on Wednesday 25^th February.

According to the District Council:

“The rise will mean the council’s part of the average Band D Council Tax will cost £265.18”. https://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/news/posts/resilient-budget-agreed-for-bromsgrove

Currently, the District Council element of the Council Tax charged to Band D properties is £257.48.

The precept set by the Police and Crime Commissioner will rise by 5.15% (£15.00 increase) for a Band D Property for the 2026/27 financial year. The precept proposed is £306.50. https://www.westmercia-pcc.gov.uk/transparency/statutory-information/decision-making/decisions-2026/decision-notice—setting-the-precept-2026-2027

We currently do not know what the Council Tax element for Hereford & Worcester Fire & Rescue Authority will be. For the year 2025/26 is was £ 102.22.

Bromsgrove District Council collects the whole bill on behalf of Worcestershire County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner, Fire and Rescue Service and parish councils.

Due to a delay in the County Council’s setting of its precept, an extraordinary meeting of the District Council will be held on March 6. This is to incorporate the County Council’s agreed increases to complete the final council tax setting position and enable council tax billing to be generated.

Then the whole bill can be collated and send out to residents.

Safe and Found: Caring for the Vulnerable

Do you care for an elderly vulnerable person and worry they might go missing?

Please save this booklet – either in electronic format or handwritten – in a place where it can easily be found if the person it refers to goes missing.

https://www.westmercia.police.uk/notices/af/herbert-protocol/

Nominated Neighbour Scheme

The Nominated Neighbour Scheme is a community initiative designed to protect vulnerable individuals from unwanted and unverified callers. It involves a trusted neighbour, friend, or relative who can check the identity of callers and accompany them to the homeowner’s address if necessary. This scheme aims to enhance safety and reduce the risk of scams and burglaries by ensuring that genuine callers do not have to speak to the homeowner directly.

To participate in the scheme, individuals can nominate a trusted neighbour or offer to be their Nominated Neighbour. The nominated neighbour will then be able to handle any unrecognised callers on behalf of the homeowner, ensuring their safety and security. The scheme is particularly beneficial for elderly or vulnerable members of the community, providing them with peace of mind and protection from potential threats.

For further information: https://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/residents/keeping-safe/nominated-neighbour-scheme/

8 Hills Regional Park Update

Following consultation with neighbouring local authorities, there is now a new proposed boundary for 8 Hills. This revised area includes parts of Dudley, Birmingham and Solihull, covering approximately 58 square miles.

The project to establish the 8 Hills Regional Park is being led by the National Trust, with the support of various stakeholders, including Fairfield Village Community Association, representing Fairfield, Wildmoor & Stoneybridge.

As part of the project a pipeline of footpaths are being created and we would like to hear your suggestions, email chair@fvca.org.uk. It is hoped, working with local landowners, permissive footpaths can be created, with the landowner receiving a Payment for Access, funded by Cotswold Outdoors; landowners being fairly compensated based on the number of people using the path, ensuring that both the community and the landowner benefit from improved access to nature. Cotswold Outdoor has produced a short film for their social media channels, highlighting their role in the Payments for Access paths and how their sponsorship is being used: CLICK HERE

As an active partner in ReNEW, the Cultural Compact for North East Worcestershire, we look forward to collaborative working with 8 Hills community and local creatives to develop a cultural identity for the 8 Hills Regional Park which celebrates local people’s connectedness to the landscape. This will inform the production of a public art gateway that will act as the first physical marker for access to the regional park. Once further information is known we look forward to people in our community being part of this initiative.

Planning Application – Bluebell Barn, Dordale Road

The following planning application is available to view and comment on. Please use this
link to take you to the home page of Public Access
https://publicaccess.bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk/online-applications/ which is the tool for
viewing applications and making comment electronically.

Click on the link above
Type in the application number and click, this will take you to the summary page of Public
Access.
When at the summary page
To view the documents you will need to click on the tab, then
the .
To make a comment click on the tab,
Fill out your details and make your comment and press submit, this will go straight to the
relevant planning officer and be immediately viewable in the comments tab.
If you have provided an email you can request a confirmation email.

APPLICATION REFERENCE :	26/00106/FUL
APPLICATION TYPE:	Full Application
DATE ACCEPTED:	05.02.2026
LOCATION:	Bluebell Barn , Dordale Road Bournheath Worcestershire DY9 0AJ
PROPOSAL:	Change of use from agricultural barn to residential annexe
APPLICANTS NAME:
PARISH COUNCIL:	Belbroughton Parish
WARD:	Belbroughton And Romsley Ward
CASE OFFICER:	Laura Russ
TELEPHONE:	01527 534122
EMAIL	l.russ@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk

Nearly a Premier for Fairfield

From Everlock Productions, the feature length documentary ‘Our Planet, The People, My Blood’ will be having one of it’s first public UK screenings at Bromsgrove Arts @ Fairfield Village Hall on the 8th and 15th March 2026. The screening on the 8th will be joined by a select few participants from the documentary who will be available for a Q&A session after the screening.

After 3 years of filming, Director, Daniel Everitt-Lock is proud to present this global expos? of the effects of nuclear weapons testing.

Logline: “Alan Owen, a descendant of an Atomic Soldier, has fought tirelessly for the rights of those affected by Nuclear Weapons Testing around the world. Through global first hand accounts, we follow Alan on his journey, as he takes on the UK’s Ministry of Defence, in a landmark legal battle that seeks recognition and compensation for millions.”

The film was recently sponsored by Sir John Hayes, CBE MP, and Rebecca Long Bailey MP, for a special parliamentary screening on the 13th January, that saw the UK’s Atomic Test Veterans, who are the main subject of the documentary, gain cross party recognition and support from multiple MP’s.

Sir John Hayes said: “This outstanding film chronicles a decades-long campaign for the recognition of those who witnessed the first nuclear tests. Recognition must go beyond a medal, it must include acceptance of the effects of radiation on them and their descendants. The work addressed in this film will, in the end, deliver what these people deserve: justice.”

The film took Daniel and his team 3 years to complete, travelling over 100,000 miles across the USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. They interviewed over 50 people with first hand accounts of the effects of nuclear weapons testing. Though most testing ceased in 1996, Trump and other have condoned a restart to testing.

Daniel is quoted as saying: “The injustice that these people have suffered by multiple governments for decades, cannot be left unnoticed any longer. It is my hope that this film brings to light the plight of these people, and the strength they have had to endure such suffering for so long. In the UK particularly, the nuclear test veterans have been denied justice and compensation for almost 70 years. Something needs to be done!”

The film will be beginning its theatrical run in March 2026.

For tickets: https://bromsgrovearts.org.uk/event/our-planet-the-people-my-blood/

The production company will donate 50% of the ticket sales to LABRATS International, an organisation that represents nuclear veterans, atomic veterans, scientists, civilians, and their families across the world who have been affected by the Atomic / Nuclear Testing program.

Skills for Life – First Aid

If we organised another BASIC EMERGENCY FIRST AID course, on a Wednesday evening, 6pm – 10pm, with a course cost, to be confirmed, likely £55.00 to £65.00, would this be of interest to you?

If yes, which of these dates would best 15th July, 22nd July, 26th August?

Please email admin@fvca.org.uk to register your interest and your preferred date(s).