Many residents will be aware that the Parish Council has been the defendant in litigation re perceived nuisance caused to two nearby households by public activity in the Memorial Park (which the Council owns). Dates are set for further court hearings during 2024.

Irrespective of the final outcomes, the Council will have a liability to pay legal costs for both itself and the complainants. These will together total a 6-figure amount, albeit the amount will not be clear for a while yet. Our total expenditure in a normal year is around £320,000, so these legal costs represent a big increase from that amount. 

We need to set our budget for the financial year starting on 1 April 2024. It is unlawful for a Council to set a budget in which the income (plus use of the Council's reserves) is insufficient to cover the expected expenditure for the year, and thus our budget, which was agreed at the Parish Council's 6th February meeting, incorporates:

(i) the Council taking out a £230,000 loan, repayable within 36 months, and

(ii) an increase in the Parish Council element of residents’ Council Tax bills from 1 April 2024. This increase (for a Council Tax Band D property for example) will be £4.11 per month per household. 

The Parish Council has been striving hard to minimise the effect on residents of the litigation, and we shall continue to do so. We're disappointed that this increase in Council Tax is nevertheless necessary, and we're grateful for your understanding in these unusual circumstances.