Following the decision to build many more houses, the borough council are carrying out a Community Governance Review, looking at adjusting ward boundaries. I suggested they consult residents to see if there is support for a Parish Council (PC) for Moreton Hall. In the MHD October edition, Mr Warby gives us his opinion that I consider, at best, misleading. To explain,
There are three tiers of local government for Bury:
Suffolk County Council; Social Services, Highways, Education, Public Protection etc.
St Edmundsbury Borough Council; Waste collection, Planning, Parks, Museums etc.
Bury Town Council; the smaller services such as allotments, war memorials, grants to local organisations etc.
The current precept we pay to Bury Town Council is £13.50 per annum for a Band D. Lower bands will pay slightly less and higher bands will pay slightly more. There is no reason it would not stay the same if Moreton Hall had a PC. Mr Warby says it could go up to “about £50 a year” but he’s simply scare-mongering. The amount would be a local decision but one thing is certain; it would be spent on Moreton Hall rather than just feeding into Bury Town Council where much of it is spent on staff and premises costs.
He goes on to say that creating a Moreton Hall Parish Council would be “another layer of council.” Untrue. The residents of Moreton Hall would just pay their £13.50 per year to our parish council instead of the town council.
It’s worth putting some numbers on this. The town council was created in 2003 and as there were slightly less houses then, I’ll round the figures down. Approximately 3400 houses on the estate, paying on average £13.50, equals £45,000 per year. Multiply that by the 12 years existence of the town council and it comes to £500,000 paid by Moreton Hall residents. What have they got out of it?
I am simply asking that you are consulted on whether you think that money could be better used on our own estate; for example, in supporting our many groups and clubs, improving facilities or anything else that’s local to us.
Yes, the parish council would need a part-time clerk but I see no need for a finance officer. The cost would be nowhere near the £25,000 he quotes.
However, this is not about what I want or any of the politicians want; it’s about what Moreton Hall residents want. I think you should decide if you want some control over this small element of your taxes. Not more taxes, not another tier of government, just a little more say as democracy continues to erode. You should be able to make that decision without erroneous input from someone who’s done a U-turn on the subject.
In the January edition, Mr Warby tells us that the borough council has voted to not consult but I am advised that could change when a final decision is made in in the summer.
Trevor Beckwith
Independent County Councillor
Eastgate and Moreton Hall Division
