KEMPSEY Parish Council has managed to keep its bank balance healthy despite the pressures of anti-social behaviour and the catastrophic floods.

The financial report was discussed at this week's annual parish meeting at the community centre, Main Road.

The parish council has a balance of £73,740 for the year 2007/08 (the balance on March 31 2008).

Parish council chairman David Harrison, presenting the report, said: "We are on quite a sound footing financially.

"We have a good income coming from this building and we have a fairly substantial balance.

"With a little bit of luck we will be able to have a very small increase in council tax next time or maybe, if we're prudent, a reduction."

The parish was hit by summer floods last July and problems with anti-social behaviour which included vandalism to the cricket pavilion in Plovers Rise and widespread graffiti.

The parish council had to pay out £56,450 which included repairs to the vandalised pavilion, works on the Rocky conservation area, litter-picking, IT equipment and devising a parish plan.

The precept for 2007/08 was set at £5,0521.

David Harrison said in his chairman's report 2007/08 had been a year of "exceptional strain on resources" but there had been positive improvements including road re-surfacing, clearing of drains and gullies and high use of the community centre which was bringing in more money to the parish.

The parish also received a flood grant of £3,836 to offset the damage caused by the summer floods which caused widespread devastation throughout the region.

Savings have been made by removing dog bins and the plan is to combine them with litter bins.

The "ancient triangle" is an area of grass which the council has managed to preserve and restore at the Pixham Ferry Lane and Old Road South junction.

Improvements have also been made to public footpaths and bridleways in the parish and funding has been received for replacing old noticeboards.

Mr Harrison said council tax had gone up 27 per cent in the area and many people were asking why.

One of the problems facing the parish was that the precept had to be set so early, he said.