Cash totalling £40,000 has been set aside for the much-awaited redevelopment of Woolbrook skate park.

Money from the Sidmouth Town Council budget has been earmarked for a number of projects and schemes such as Sidmouth in Bloom, the Hopper Bus and the regeneration of Port Royal – to name a few.

A presentation was given on the authority’s planned yearly spend at its annual town assembly on Monday.

The council’s annual precept for 2018/19 has been set at £488,467 which approximately represents £69.54 per household at council tax band D. In total, £136,100 will go on council services, £103,200 on staff, £99,800 on discretionary expenditure, £80,955 on other property and £34,890 on Woolcombe House. A further £23,800 will be spent on office expenses, £8,800 on members and £5,535 on trust property.

The authority will also be given £4,613 from a council tax support grant.

A report by Councillor Paul Wright, who has the special responsibility for finance, detailed the authority’s yearly spends. It said the budget reflected their desire to maintain and improve the appearance of the Sid Valley for both residents and visitors.

Among the notable planned spends was a £5,000 cash injection for the redecoration of Sidmouth Information Centre and £8,000.

Money was needed to pay for the grass verges to be mowed, which was previously covered by grants and Devon County Council. The town council will be footing the £8,000 bill for this as well as a further £1,500 for additional weeding on the main roads. The authority will also be awarding £3,000 to Sidmouth in Bloom to show its support of the organisation’s ‘fantastic’ work.

A pot containing £40,000 has been put aside to help move along the project to replace the skatepark at Manstone Recreation Ground, which is in need of modernising and updating. A further £30,000 will be given to Youth Support Services at the Youth Centre.

A pot of cash, containing £10,000, has also been set aside for regeneration of Port Royal, including the enhancement of the areas managed by the town council. Other notable charges include an additional £1,500 towards the Christmas lights, an extra £10,000 to the hopper bus reserves and an extra £2,000 towards the town council staff salaries and pensions, as it is expected that the Government may remove the public sectors pay cap in the near future.

The tourism promotion budget has also been increased by £5,000 to offer 50 per cent matched funding towards a project to create signed walks in and around Sidmouth.

Other areas of expenditure have been reduced where possible, including internal council service cost.

Visit sidmouth.gov.uk for more information about the town council budget.