Newbury Town Council - A Public Consultation - Possible increase in the Precept

[Administrator]

Newbury Town Council - A Public Consultation - Possible increase in the Precept

Newbury Town Council is consulting the people of Newbury to see if they wish to pay for services which West Berkshire Council are proposing to close from next April. The District Council has proposed cuts to a range of services next year as it seeks to find £11 million pounds worth of savings.

There are 3 key concerns directly impacting Newbury which the Town Council is considering:

• CCTV in Newbury



• The public toilets at the Wharf and Pembroke Road



• The Visitor Information Centre in the Town Hall

West Berkshire Council is proposing to discontinue each of these services with effect from April 2016 and the Town Council is considering all options which might save them.

Councillor Dave Goff, Leader of Newbury Town Council, has requested the Council to consult households in Newbury to get their views on how they value these services as the Town Council considers whether or not to take them on.  The consultation sets out the issues involved as well as the cost which would be levied on each household in Newbury, should the Town Council decide to take over these services. For instance, West Berkshire Council estimate that they will save £35,000 per annum by closing the public toilets at the Wharf and should the Town Council decide to take this over it would cost each household in Newbury 5.5 pence per week, or £2.84 per annum. 

Councillor Dave Goff said "We welcome the views of all households in Newbury who pay our annual precept as this will make us better informed when we prepare the Town Council budget for 2016-17 and beyond. These are tough decisions for the Town Council and it is important that we know how the people of Newbury feel about these services"

The consultation is now live on the Council's website, and full details can be found at http://www.newbury.gov.uk/ntc-wbc-consultation.php. Paper copies are also available to complete at the Town Hall, Market Place.

The consultation will close on Sunday 4 December.