Welshpool Town Council agrees 4% rise in tax bills

The council voted to approve the financial plan for 2015/16 at its latest meeting on Wednesday night.

The four per cent increase means the average band D homeowner will see the town council portion of their council tax bill rise by £5 a year.

Town clerk Robert Robinson, Welshpool town clerk, told the council on Wednesday the rise was being proposed to ensure the council had funding to run facilities it has taken on, including public toilets and a day centre.

He said: "With the taking over of services we need to be cautious and as Councillor Brendan McWhinnie has said many times, we need to make sure we have the right backing there to do it."

"What this does is allow you do to what you wanted to do and continue with what you were doing."

He added the budget had been designed to be "flexible to take on the things coming up".

He said: "Although the bulk of reviews to services at Powys County Council are supposed to kick in in 2016 there are a few coming earlier, such as the toilets.

"We are aware of other things like the day centre which is ahead of more substantial cuts coming over after. Also we do not know about the effect clustering will have and when that comes I will be looking very carefully to make sure we are not disadvantaged because we do not have to do this. Our responsibility is to the people of Welshpool."

Councillor John Corfield backed the budget and said it delivered on the wishes of the people of the town.

He said: "It is consistent with the public, they have said they want a Tourist Information Centre, they want the public toilets, and I think they have been responsible in saying we want things and do not mind paying a bit more for them."

A statement accompanying the budget documents warned that the town council's precept may have to continue to increase in future years if it is to take on services which the county council no longer wishes to run.

It states: "The devolution of services is to become a factor which will increase the budget over the coming three years. There is no indication yet as to how these will be financed and therefore as assessment of how the budget will look at this time it is difficult to predict.

"However, it is clear that with the Powys County Council budget cuts that it may have an effect on the precept. If the town council wishes to retain services then it must be the case that the precept will rise over time."