Glastonbury residents will pay the highest town council precept in the area in 2026–27 after councillors approved a £1.13 million budget, pushing the Band D charge to £332.31 a year.

That figure is more than £100 higher than neighbouring Street, where the Band D precept will be £215.01. Shepton Mallet sits close to Glastonbury at £323.96 a year, while Wells has confirmed a 6p-a-week rise but has not yet published the full Band D total.

At first glance, the difference looks stark. But the gap is driven less by overspending and more by how local government works — who does what, who owns what, and how many households are paying the bill.

Why the numbers look so different

The single biggest factor behind the variation is tax base size — the number of Band D-equivalent properties each council can spread its costs across.

Street serves a large population with a comparatively high tax base, meaning the cost of running services is shared more widely. Glastonbury and Wells have smaller tax bases, so similar services cost more per household. Shepton Mallet sits somewhere in between.

In simple terms: even modest spending can look expensive when fewer homes are paying for it.

Assets, services and long-term costs

There is also a major difference in what councils actually run.

Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet both own and operate multiple assets — including community buildings, toilets, markets and event infrastructure. That brings income, but it also brings staffing costs, maintenance liabilities and future repair bills.

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Glastonbury's budget includes funding for four public toilet blocks, youth services, the Tor Bus, markets, cultural events and nearly £200,000 in planned investment in play areas. The council also runs income-generating services such as car parks and venues, earning more than £500,000 a year to offset some costs — though the precept still has to cover the rest.

Shepton Mallet funds parks, CCTV, toilets, allotments, flower beds and more than £95,000 in grants to community organisations, alongside maintaining landmarks like Collett Park and the Market Cross.

Street has historically taken a leaner approach. It funds CCTV, the library, play areas, markets and events, but owns fewer high-cost assets and employs fewer staff. That strategy has helped keep its precept low — though it also limits how much the council can absorb if costs rise sharply.

Wells funds civic buildings, events and local services, but with a narrower service footprint. Without the full Band D figure, a like-for-like comparison is not yet possible.

The hidden shift: services moving downwards

These budgets are being set against a backdrop of continuing financial pressure at Somerset Council, which declared a financial emergency in 2023.

As a result, town and parish councils are increasingly taking on services to prevent them being cut altogether — including toilets, CCTV and youth provision.

While this protects local services, it also transfers long-term risk. Once a town council takes something on, the cost does not disappear next year. Inflation, repairs and staffing pressures are locked in, and precepts rarely fall again.

This helps explain why councils like Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet are seeing higher sustained charges than areas that have taken on fewer responsibilities.

Explained: what makes up your Council Tax bill

Your Council Tax bill is not set by one organisation. It is made up of several separately set components, collected together by Somerset Council.

Key parts of the bill include:

• Somerset Council general expenditure, which funds services such as highways, education, libraries, waste collection and planning
• Adult Social Care precept, a ring-fenced charge added to the Somerset Council share to fund care for adults
• Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset, which funds local policing
• Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, which funds fire and emergency services
• Local parish, town or city council precepts, which pay for hyper-local services such as parks, toilets, events, markets and CCTV
• Somerset Rivers Authority, a specific charge included within the Somerset Council portion to fund flood prevention and water management

Each body sets its own charge independently. Somerset Council collects the money but does not control the parish or town precept element.

Why Band D doesn't tell the whole story

All councils quote Band D figures because they are the national benchmark — but most households are not in Band D.

Across Somerset, the majority of homes fall into Bands A to C, meaning many residents will pay significantly less than the headline figures.

This is particularly relevant in towns like Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet, where lower bands dominate. The Band D figure is useful for comparison, but it is not what most people actually pay.

What budgets don't show

One final missing piece is reserves.

Councils can choose to dip into savings to hold tax down, or build reserves for future projects and liabilities. Two councils can set similar precepts while making very different long-term choices — something that is not always obvious from headline budget figures.

All councils are required to publish their accounts and are audited annually, but understanding the full picture often requires digging beyond the top-line numbers.

The bottom line

Street residents pay less, but their council runs fewer high-cost services. Glastonbury residents pay more, but receive a broader range of locally run facilities and events. Shepton Mallet sits close behind, reflecting a similar service model. Wells' final position will only be clear once its full Band D figure is published.

The differences are real — but they are driven by structure, responsibility and long-term risk, not simply by how much councils choose to spend.

More local stories:

• Somerset roads closed as council warns of more flooding
• Wells Town Hall to host free prostate cancer testing day in February
• Shepton Mallet doll signed by Coldplay to raise cash for air ambulance appeal

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Wells | Shepton Mallet | Glastonbury