Stroud Town Council

Council Tax Precept set for 2012-13

An average Band D council tax payer will pay £96.98 in town council tax, which represents an increase of 12p per week per household.

The town council precept makes up around 6 per cent of the overall council tax bill.

“Taking into consideration what the town council achieves and the new projects we have taken on in the past few years, this is a relatively small increase,” said Steve Hurrell, chair of the town council finance committee.

In 2010, the council purchased Lansdown Hall, saving it from closure. The council had to carry out urgent repairs to prevent the building from deteriorating further and is now investing significant sums to upgrade it to create a first class community venue.

This is just one of several extra projects that the town council has funded in recent years. The purchase of The Long Ground is one example of the council's commitment to preserving open and green spaces for the residents of the parish.

It has also updated play areas, provided an annual subsidy to keep Slad Road Post Office open and helped fund new play equipment at Summer Crescent, as well as investing resources in preserving Stroud's cemetery as an important nature reserve.

At the meeting of council on 9th January, it was unanimously agreed to set the total precept for the council at £447,840 for the next financial year.

The increase is just under 7 per cent for the average B and D council tax payer. Last year the town council precept increased by less than 4 per cent and the previous two years it remained frozen.

“We listen very closely to what people want. Our decisions on what services to focus on reflect residents’ views from our regular surveys,” said Mr Hurrell. “We are committed to looking after the town and its community activities, some of which are already suffering from cuts in other funding. We also need to maintain our reserves and ensure we are prepared for the future.”