You will notice from your council tax bills received recently that the precept has gone up 59p per week (on a Band D property) and the total precept is a 39% increase on last year. The costs of running the parish including the 120 streetlights, public toilets, grounds maintenance, play area and a new community building have increased significantly in recent years. The workload involved in running these services and a new community building has also increased and we are employing an additional member of staff to help with the workload. Our new community building has provided a permanent home for Pontesbury Library and will soon provide a base for the local policing team. The community hub has already provided significant support for the community during the pandemic by housing the foodbank, providing an administrative base for the Good Neighbours Scheme and offering debt advice sessions. As we come out of lockdown the building will provide a much- needed social space with drop-in sessions led by organisations offering information and support and a venue for many exciting community events and meetings as we all begin to come together again. For many years the precept was not increased in line with the real costs of running the parish and this situation is not sustainable. The additional staff in place and the community building, we believe, will contribute to this parish being better able to meet the demands of the next couple of years, as we support our community through these difficult times. It will also ensure that we can meet the demands of the future as more services are passed to us at parish level to manage.
Please contact your local councillor if you would like more information
