Ludlow Town Council sets seven per cent council tax increase, 're-igniting long-standing row'

It will mean council tax payers in the town paying £198.13 of their bills for town council services, which is added to the demands of Shropshire Council, the police and fire service to find a total amount.

It marks an annual increase in Ludlow of £13.49 - 26p a week - and allows the council to raise £708,607 from the precept.

Councillor Robin Pote, the Mayor of Ludlow, said: "The Town Council wishes to reassure residents that while the estimated annual repayments to cover the repairs to the town walls are considerable, the council has worked hard to keep the impact on residents to a minimum, and the annual increase to band D council tax will be 26p a week, which is an annual increase is £13.49."

The council has also set a budget of £983,501 and rounded up its various fees and charges to the nearest 10p. The council's income has been badly hit by the pandemic, with market fees being impacted over the last couple of years. The council's expected income from fees and other sources is £274,894.

For Councillor Andy Boddington it reopens their "Ludford Question" where the parish just over the border sets a much lower council tax but whose residents use Ludlow services.

Councillor Boddington said: "It will reignite the row over Ludford parish, which surrounds Ludlow to the east and south.

"It charges less than £40 a year but most of its residents are reliant on Ludlow services.

"This is known as the Ludford Question. It may eventually be tackled though the community governance review that is underway."

Last year Councillor Boddington calculated that Ludlow would have an extra £90,000 a year if the expansion of Ludlow into Ludford could be counted in the town's remit.

"That would provide more resources for schemes in and around Ludlow or it could lead to a cut in a precept which is one of the highest in the county," said Councillor Boddington.

The annual budget provides local services including community grants, Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross, Ludlow market, grounds maintenance and burial services at Henley Road Cemetery, maintenance of public parks and play areas including, the Linney Riverside Park, Wheeler Road Skate Park and recreation area, Houseman Crescent play area, St John’s Garden, Castle Gardens, and the Garden of Rest at St Laurence’s Churchyard.

The budget also includes provision for repairs to the town wall at St Laurence’s Churchyard, at present these figures are estimated based on the final report from the structural engineers. Costs will be reviewed in line with actual costs. The estimated repayments of a 25 year loan are £180,000 per year for a total estimated expenditure of £4million at a fixed 2.29 per cent interest rate.