Thatcham precept to rise by 2%

At a meeting of the full council on Monday evening, councillors agreed a budget of 806,926 with £631,900 to be raised via council tax which equates to an average household (band D) paying an annual precept of £74 – compare to £72.55 last year.
Leader of the town council, Lee Dillon (Lib Dem, Thatcham North), argued that the council had managed to keep the rise small despite West Berkshire’s Conservative-controlled council voting 34 to 11 in favour of not transferring money to parish and town councils at the end of last year.
Thatcham Town Council was one of the worst hit by the decision which left the council with a spending shortfall of around £59,000.
West Berkshire Council has argued that that central government has not made it clear whether it had received the same specific grant that it did last year and as a result is unable to pass any money on to the town and parish councils.
Mr Dillon said: "The £59,000 that the government intended to be passed down to this council has been withheld by the Tories despite the Government Minister again reminding them that this money was meant for the town council.
"West Berkshire Council had their budget cut by 18 per cent yet we have had our grant reduced completely, which is unfair to the people of Thatcham.
"If we had a similar reduction we wouldn’t have had to increase the precept at all.
"Despite this removal the Liberal Democrat run council have still passed a budget that allows for investment in many of the things that the residents hold as important."
He said that the budget meant that the town council was still able to contribute financially to projects and community facilities such as the Neighbourhood Wardens, Henwick Worthy Sport Ground and the Kennet Leisure Centre.
However, the Conservatives on the town council failed to agree the precept rise.
Roger Croft (Con, Thatcham South and Crookham) said that West Berkshire Council had made efficiencies and that it was now Thatcham Town Council's turn to take on some extra burden.
Referring to the council’s plan to transform the redundant Priory building in Church Lane into new council offices and a community building, Mr Croft said that he would not be supporting a proposed budget where money was being spent on "swanky new council offices".
Fellow Conservative councillor, John Horton (Thatcham North), added: "Very few of us have had a two per cent pay rise so I think it's difficult to ask our populus to pay two per cent when they have not had that pay rise.
"I think two per cent is too much."
The precept was passed through on a vote of 13 to four.