Melksham Without Parish Council set its Precept at its full council meeting held on Monday 22nd January.
The council agreed to set its Precept – the proportion of Council Tax paid to the parish council – at £190,091.74 for the 2018/19 financial year, which is a rise of £12,091.74 (6.81%) on last year’s Precept.
This means that the average Band D household will contribute £74.97 to Melksham Without Parish Council, a rise of £4.78 (40p per month) on last year. Band D properties are used as a measure of the national average, and some households will see a smaller or bigger increase, based on their Band rating for Council Tax.
The council has taken on a lot of additional responsibility in the last couple of years (Wiltshire Council play areas, cleaning of bus shelters including those of Wiltshire Council, supporting public toilets in town and the decision to take on the ex-George Ward playing fields in a joint project with the town council, which will also be funded by grants). Plans for expenditure in 2018/19 include the replacement of the safety surfacing at Hornchurch Road play area in Bowerhill and an extension to the footpath in the public open space there, flood alleviation work in Shaw & Whitley, play area equipment replacement in Beanacre, additional street furniture and highway improvements.
The parish council will receive additional funding from the Government’s new CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) scheme which is a levy directly on new housing developments in the parish. The council, when budget setting, have not put money into Reserves for future projects that could be paid for from CIL, and will look to use the CIL funding for a variety of infrastructure projects including the development and kitting out of a new village hall in Berryfield in association with the approved planning application of 150 houses on land to the east of Semington Road, and a new community centre in association with the approved planning application for 450 houses on land to the east of Spa Road.
A copy of the parish council budget is available to view on the council’s website www.melksham without.co.uk or a copy can be obtained from the office at Crown Chambers, First Floor, 7 Market Place, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 6ES during the public opening hours of Tuesday and Thursday 9.30am to 2.30pm.
For up-to-date information on news from the council and the parish in general, you can follow the parish council in the following ways: • On facebook Melksham Without Parish Council or Teresa Strange (clerk) for additional community news; • or on twitter @melk shamwithout; • on Instagram melkshamwithoutpc • or visit www.melksham without.co.uk.
