There will be no extra funding to improve Welshpool’s Christmas lights in 2021, the town council has decided, with the grants to good causes and £10,000 earmarked for a potential new 3G pitch also being axed from the final budget.
It was also revealed last night that it could cost 20p a time to use the public toilets in future as the council cuts its cloth accordingly to ensure there will be no increase in their council tax precept.
This year’s downsized Christmas display drew criticism on social media, with the town council explaining that health and safety issues forced their arm as to what they could provide.
But councillors leapt to their defence at last night’s budget meeting by deciding to remove £10,000 from the 2021/22 budget that had been proposed to provide a better display.
“Don’t be taken in by the chatter on Facebook,” said Cllr Richard Church. “I think they are reasonable.”
And Cllr Estelle Bleavas added: “I can’t see anything wrong with our lights.”
As councillors did their best to ensure their budget did not go up for tax payers, they also withdrew a proposed £10,000 grant towards a potential new 3G pitch on the town’s current rugby pitch.
Cllr Steve Kaye said it should be removed because “we are providing significant support” in other ways, including making the pitch available to be converted.
With the project expected to cost towards £1 million, other councillors pointed out that their £10k would be a “drop in the ocean” but proposed continuing their non-financial support.
Cllr Bleavas added that “Powys County Council should be approached for replacement pitches” for not delivering yet on their apparent promise to deliver like-for-like pitches to compensate for building the primary school on Salop Road fields.
The town council’s annual grants for good causes of up to £5,000 in total were also axed to contribute to an overall saving of £25,000 on the budget. However, expected increased hours worked by the part-time town clerk, Anne Wilson, over the coming year saw an extra £10,000 added, and reduced income was expected once again from the Tourist Information Centre, which is considering a click-and-collect service as the Covid-19 pandemic continues.
But further revenue could come from renting out parts of the, now closed, Day Care Centre, with the an interested party already negotiating with the town council.
Councillors also heard that the public toilets should not be costing the town’s tax payer more than £24,000 this year. It was not clear at last night’s budget meeting how they would be run but it was mentioned that a company would be taking them over and a 20p charge could be made for using them in future.
The good news for the Welshpool tax payer is that the town council’s precept will not be increased, with the average band D property contributing £218.67 towards the town council budget of £592,307. The Powys County Council and Dyfed-Powys Police precepts have not been revealed yet.