Rates going up by £4.76

Welshpool residents face a Council Tax increase of just under £5 in the coming year after the Town Council confirmed its 2015/16 budgets this week.

The Town Council announced a budget of just over £750,000 and blamed the increase on the drop in grant aid from external sources which includes Welsh Government and Powys County Council and the cost of running additional services.

The figures represent an increase of 5% on the council’s own budgets and an overall increased for council tax payers of 0.8% - £4.76 for Band D payers.

“The main reason for the increase is the drop in grant aid from external sources and the protection of services for the people of Welshpool,” said Town Clerk Robert Robinson in presenting his annual budget.

“The Council takes that view that the community should be served by important local services including the public toilets, tourist information, day centre, meals on wheels and recreation.”

The Town Council at present is responsible for the Town Hall, markets, Armoury Recreation Centre, Tourist Information, public toilets, open spaces and flower beds, recreation grounds, playgrounds, country park, Motte and Bailey castle and railway docks, CCTV, station car park, offices and other minor activities.

Recently the council has agreed to take on Meals on Wheels and the Day Centre.  More services will be transferred over the coming few years on a case by case basis.

“The largest difficulty of any Mid Wales town is that the number of households in each area is

small and therefore the money raised per £1 increase is very small. In Welshpool it is just £2,700 whereas the overall budget is in excess of £750,000pa.  The precept is £274,500, “ added Mr Robinson.

“There would have seen a very small increase in Council Tax if the grant aid income had not depleted.  The precept increase this year removes, to a great extent, the reliance on grant aid and therefore it is not anticipated that any further large increases will be necessary.

“The residents of Welshpool and the Town Councillors have to accept that the choice is stark: Either you have a higher Council Tax and retain services or you reduce the Council Tax and the services cease.”