Storm breaks out over extra Council Tax levy

This week the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Groups on Bradford Council agreed a budget for next year with new Council Tax figures set to be ratified at a meeting today.

For the first time the figures include an extra precept which will only be paid by residents of Ilkley, Burley-in-Wharfedale and Menston.

This will mean householders will pay an extra £5-a-year if they live in Band A homes, £9 if they live in Band E and an £12 if they live in Band G.

The precept will mean Ilkley Parish Council will have its own money to spend for the first time ever. And the figure, around £80,000, will be used to make grants to fund local projects to improve the area.

But the move is seen as the first step in the parish council devolving more power from Bradford Council and taking over responsibility for some local services.

But the precept idea has not won universal backing. District Councillor Chris Greaves (Con, Rombalds) said that villagers in Menston and Burley-in-Wharfedale would lose out.

Coun Greaves said: "We had a neighbourhood forum about it and the general feeling was not very positive. The feeling is that Menston and Burley will lose out because the bulk of the money will go to the town centre.

"Over a period of time we are bound to be losing out to Ilkley. We will be subsidising Ilkley so we are not happy about it.

"People in Menston and Burley are already generous to charity but they don't like having other people decide whom they are giving the money to."

Coun Greaves also criticised the figure of four per cent which will be used for administration of the fund. He said another layer of needless bureaucracy was being created.

He also said that the imposition of the precept was unethical because parish councillors had not mentioned it when they were campaigning to be elected.

Coun Greaves said: "I think if they had mentioned it, a lot of them would not have been elected. We are being stealth taxed by the Parish Council - it is totally ridiculous."

Ilkley Parish Council chairman Michael Gibbons denied that either Menston or Burley would lose out in the allocation of grants from the funds.

He said that the awards panel had been deliberately chosen to include parish councillors from Menston and Burley so the villages would be properly represented.

Some of the bodies which would receive grants from the fund would not be charities, said Coun Gibbons, they would be groups running projects which would benefit the whole community.

Projects funded by the precept cash could include improving toilets and other environmental initiatives such as clearing litter.

But the bulk of the money could only be used on things that Bradford Council is not obliged to provide. Such projects could include youth provision, flood relief work, meals on wheels, playgroup places and other social welfare projects.

As for the administration costs, Coun Gibbons said that up to four per cent would be made available but it had not been concluded whether as much as that would be spent.

He said the present figure provided by Bradford Council did not cover all the hours worked by the Parish Clerk. If an hourly rate was worked out it would be a 'pittance', said Coun Gibbons.

He added that the parish council had been discussing the idea of a precept for the last year and had carried out a survey of residents' views.

"I think we have the backing of a very large proportion of the Ilkley electorate," said Coun Gibbons.

And he accused Coun Greaves of trying to mask a large rise in Bradford's Council Tax by blaming a very small parish council precept. He also accused Coun Greaves of sharing an antipathy towards the parish council because members often asked awkward questions of City Hall.

Coun Gibbons said: "I don't think district councillors like the parish council because we are a thorn in their side and raise some uncomfortable issues. I think they would be glad if we went away and no-one questions what they did."

Ilkley District and Parish Councillor Anne Hawkesworth said: "I have never favoured extra taxation. I have always said that we should not put an extra precept on residents. I believe residents already pay enough in ordinary taxation.

"I did not see why they should have to pay extra and I have a natural caution about increasing people's taxes."