TOWN councillors in St Austell have been told the council remains in a healthy financial position and provides good service levels with a council tax level lower than most comparable towns in Cornwall.

This conclusion was given in a report written by town clerk David Pooley who also said the council has managed some large projects during the last financial year and had successfully delivered these within its overall budget.

The council owns and manages 17 parks and open spaces, and leases and manages the Priory and Tregonissey Lane End car parks, the House youth centre, the town library and offices at the Stable Block at Pondhu House off Penwinnick Road.

In addition, the council maintains grass verges, roundabouts, closed cemeteries, footpaths and a number of parcels of land under an agreement with Cornwall Council.

Mr Pooley said: “2024-25 was a good year for the council with further progress in a number of areas, several significant projects completed and a surplus generated at the year-end.

“Achievements in the year included: the replacement and repair of play equipment and safety surfacing at the Meadows and Landrew Road Park; the replacement of safety surfacing at Prince Charles Park; the installation of more seating at the Woodford Road play area; the redesign of Lostwood Road gardens to reduce anti-social behaviour; acquiring large garden games and a trailer to support a programme of events; planting 25 trees in parks and open spaces; redesigning Mount Charles Roundabout; resurfacing part of Priory Car Park and improving floral displays in the car park; increasing biodiversity by introducing wild areas in Jubilee Meadows and Polmarth Close; and maintaining a high quality service and organising various events at the library.”

Mr Pooley went on to state that the council had helped to fund extra town centre security guards and had used a redeployable CCTV camera to improve two anti-social hotspots.

He said the council had also managed the town centre revitalisation partnership and had attracted funding to undertake feasibility and design work in preparation for future funding opportunities.

Mr Pooley reported that the council’s spending surplus at the end of the financial year was £38,675.22 and that its total earmarked reserves stood at just over £743,000.

The council’s total income was around £1.741-million, while its outgoings amounted to around £1.702-million. The money coming in from the precept, the council tax set by the town council, was nearly £1.178-million, while car park income was in the region of £265,360.

Included in the earmarked reserves total is a repairs and renewals reserve of nearly £440,000. This reserve will be used to help fund the cost of replacement and major repairs to play equipment

Mr Pooley said: “The council’s play equipment has an estimated replacement cost of over £1-million and significant units will require replacement or substantial repairs within the next five to seven years.”

A projects reserve of more than £268,000 includes money for earmarked specific projects as well as £80,000 for a community project yet to be determined.