Wiltshire Councillor Jon Hubbard will be meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister in the new year to discuss the effect the Government’s reduction to Wiltshire’s Council Tax base will have on town and parish councils.
Cllr Hubbard announced during Tuesday’s Wiltshire Council Cabinet meeting in Monkton Park, Chippenham, that he would be seeing Nick Clegg in London on January 10 to discuss Wiltshire Council’s concerns.
The Council Tax Base is the taxable capacity for an area and Wiltshire, like other councils in the country, has seen theirs reduce for 2013/14 as those who get full Council Tax support will not be included in precept figures.
These changes were only confirmed in November when many town and parish councils had already prepared next year’s precepts.
To cover precepts requests, Wiltshire Council receives £1.1m of government funding, but Wiltshire Council estimates that for the region’s Council Tax support scheme to be unaffected, £1.4m is needed with it covering the shortfall.
Wiltshire Council Leader Jane Scott said: “This is making it difficult for parish councils to deliver community needs and I do wonder where this fits in the Government’s localism agenda.”
In preparation for Cllr Hubbard’s meeting, Wiltshire Council will provide a letter of community projects that town and parish councils have led, something they fear will no longer happen following these changes.
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