Buckingham Town Council agreed this week to restrict the Town Council’s portion of the Council Tax bill to a 1.43% rise which is a £2.47 a year increase (or 5p a week) for a Band D household. This means that the average household will pay £175.74 a year for all the Town Council’s services.
The Town Council provides a wide range of services, including the Brackley Road Cemetery, Allotments, Bourton Park, Chandos Park, the Tourist Information Centre, the Lace Hill Community Centre and pitches, street markets, Flood, River and Tree Warden schemes and Shopmobility; as well as being responsible for the Buckingham Community Centre building. The Council also carries out works for Buckinghamshire Council under a devolved agreement, including cutting grass verges throughout the town.
This year the Council will be reviewing the Neighbourhood Plan and continuing to defend the plan to ensure developments in the town are in line with the agreed views of residents. Plans for the new cemetery and allotment site off Tingewick Road are well under way, and it is hoped that this year we will see works beginning on site.
The Town Mayor, Margaret Gateley, said:
“As we plan for the next financial year and beyond, we are conscious of the pressure on low income households. We have therefore agreed a below inflation increase in Buckingham Town Council’s precept, which we believe balances the need for a cautious approach with our aim to provide good services, amenities and events for the people of our town”.