Council Tax Rises in Chudleigh

The Town Council has taken the decision to increase the precept to £75,000 for the year 2010/11. This equates to an £8 increase in the council tax payment made by a Band D household - which is two pence per day per household. This means that a Band D household will pay £45 per annum for the services provided by Chudleigh Town Council.
This is still rather less than Band D households pay in other town council areas in Teignbridge.This year the precept was £61,700. There are a number of reasons why this increase is necessary:

1) The Town Hall is a hub for many activities and community groups. It is a listed building and, as such, requires regular maintenance. For some years now only the most basic of maintenance work had been undertaken and it had reached the point where the condition of parts of the building were below the standard that our hirers have a right to expect. Consequently, the Town Council has spent some £25,000 on maintenance and refurbishment over the past six months. Several areas of the hall have been redecorated, most of the carpets on the ground floor have been replaced and all the flooring in the kitchens and toilets have been replaced. This programme of refurbishment needs to continue and the Council expects to spend a similar amount next year. This is a sound investment in that it makes the Town Hall a much more attractive prospect for hirers. Indeed, we anticipate our income from this activity increasing by some 40% year on year.

2) In April 2005 the Town Council's reserves stood at £91,700. By April 2010 the reserves will have dropped to around £34,000. Over this period the town Council has used its reserves to minimise council tax increases. However, the reserve in 2010 will equate to just 3 months of Town Council running costs. This is the absolute minimum level of reserve that town and parish councils are recommended to maintain by the National Association of Local Councils. This precept increase will allow us to stabilise the reserves.

3) The Council's land holdings have greatly increased over the last three years. We now have responsibility for maintaining the green spaces at Culver green, Millstream Meadow and Two Oaks together with the play parks and skate park in these locations. Whilst it is important that these facilities are under the direct control of the town it does come with a significant financial liability.

 John Carlton - Town Clerk 

http://www.chudleigh-tc.gov.uk/