Loss of Services; Higher costs?

Loss of services; Increasing costs

Some things to ponder on Whitchurch residents share of the Council Tax through the Town Council's 'precept':

• Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council are wanting to close its Public Toilets in Whitchurch (and elsewhere) and has asked if the Town Council might take them over (and of course the costs).

• BDBC also want to either cease safety checking the Play Areas or to introduce a charge to Whitchurch Town Council for doing so.

• On top of this BDBC are proposing to introduce Car Park charging in Whitchurch as well as raising Residential Parking Permit fees...

• ... and introduce charges for Disabled Spaces in Council Car Parks where they are currently free.

• BDBC are planning to cut grass cutting in urban areas by nearly half, from 13 to 8 times a year so our Whitchurch verges will be looked after less, but we will still be paying the same.

• ... and jobs are being cut in the Borough Council too.

All of these issues, and others, could place further burdens on our increasingly strapped Whitchurch residents. 
AND our BDBC Council Tax will still go up. 

Double Taxation

What disturbs me most is that we are already paying for the Public Toilets and those Play Area safety checks through our ever-increasing BDBC Council Tax and now we are being asked to pay again through our local 'precept' – effectively Double Taxation. But don't get me wrong, I am aware that finance to BDBC has been drastically cut by central government; however they are a very well-off Council.

Is this fair? is it right?

These continuing cuts/charges are going to have a considerable effect on us at possibly the worst time ever for many.

A tough time ahead – what about the Town Council charges?

The next few years are going to be extremely tough. Many are losing livelihoods and jobs; incomes are being frozen; employment and inflation is rising. Businesses are collapsing and many individuals and families are suffering the devastating personal effects of Covid-19. All this needs to be recognised in how the Town Council sets its Precept for its own services along with keeping our own Town Council charges value for money. It is massively difficult for local Councillors.

Earlier this year I felt I could not support our Town Council's budget for 2020/21 as I felt the Administration element was out of proportion to what we were providing. When the final proposals for next year are collated and presented for 2021/22 in January, I really hope it will not be the same.

The future is going to be very hard on many and as a LOCAL Town Council my opinion is that we need to reach out, listen to, and help our LOCAL residents wherever we can. 

Perhaps it is clichéd but ..... We are all in this together.