YOUR COUNCIL TAX!

At the Parish Council Meeting on the 19^th December 2022, Members resolved to set the precept at £30,474.  For anyone not familiar with council ‘jargon’, the precept is that part of your Council Tax allocated to the Parish Council to spend on your behalf.   The precept is used to fund the various projects and village services managed by the Parish Council on behalf of the residents – i.e. playground maintenance, private security company etc .  Members considered many plans and projects including whether to increase the precept by a sum in the region of an additional £67,000 being the first instalment of a £1.2M Public Works Loan if applied for, to fund the build of a new village hall, preferring instead to concentrate on other projects, including the provision of replacement play equipment.  The Parish Council wishes to make it clear that whilst Members are in favour of a new village hall, they are not comfortable in unilaterally imposing an increase to the council tax payments of every resident in the parish to fund the loan especially given the current economic climate.  The monthly increase for a Band D property would have been in the region of £11.00 per month as opposed to 63p.  Furthermore, the Council would be restricted over the next 49 years as regards what other projects it would like to consider (49 years being the term of the loan).  However, to show support for the hall, the Council holds in reserves an amount of £16,322 which will demonstrate to other sources of grants it supports the project.