Melksham Without to raise tax to save play areas

MELKSHAM Without Parish Council will charge residents more council tax from April, to cope with cuts being made by Wiltshire Council.

Councillors agreed  to raise its precept – the proportion of council tax paid to the parish council – to £221,000 for the 2016/17 financial year. This represents an approximately 32% rise from £166,423 in 2015/16.

This means that the average Band D household will contribute £68.94 (£1.32 per week) in the financial year commencing 1st April 2016; an increase of £15.62 (30p per week) 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.

Parish clerk Teresa Strange said, “The increase in precept is to make provision for the parish council to support the radically reduced services from Wiltshire Council in the parish, next year and in future years.

“This includes care of play areas that would otherwise fall into disrepair and eventual closure. The parish council already owns and maintains the play areas at Shaw Playing Field and in Beanacre.

“The council will take on the maintenance and eventual ownership of the play areas in the parish that are currently owned by Wiltshire Council, namely Hornchurch Road and Kestrel Court in Bowerhill and in Berryfield next to the village hall.

“The parish council acknowledges that the public toilets in town are also used by residents of the parish and therefore has budgeted to support the Market Place toilets in conjunction with Melksham Town Council.”

A copy of Melksham Without Parish Council’s budget is available to view on the council’s website www.melkshamwithout.co.uk or a copy can be obtained from the office at 7 Market Place, Melksham between 9.30am and 2.30pm Tuesdays and Thursdays.

For up-to-date information on news from the council and the parish in general, you can follow the parish council on facebook, twitter or visit the website.