News

At a meeting of Meltham Town Council held on the 12th February 2018, Councillors agreed by a majority, to set the precept at £105,063 for 2018/19. This means that the precept of a Band D property will be £38.04 per year – an increase of under 15 pence per week.

The Town Mayor, Councillor Jean Wrathall said:

‘The Town Council is always reluctant to increase its precept and given we have only a small budget to begin with, any increases to protect services will look large in percentage terms, but the precept for Meltham Town Council is a very small proportion of residents’ total Council Tax Bill.

In the face of significant uncertainty over the future of Kirklees Council services and the continued pressure on Town Council resources due to the need to update the facilities used by Meltham residents and rising costs, the majority of Councillors concluded this was the prudent course of action. At a total cost of less than 75 pence per week for an average property, our services continue to represent value for money’.

There are several reasons why the Council took this decision

  • Protecting Meltham Services

 As Kirklees Council cuts services, the Town Council are stepping in to protect and provide for the residents of Meltham – e.g. contributing to library services in Meltham and arranging for footpaths and public spaces to be cut back of vegetation and cleared of litter.

  • Ensuring the Town Council’s future finances are on a firm footing

 For many years the Town Council did not raise the precept, or the increases were below inflation.  However, this is not sustainable indefinitely and ultimately reduces the money available for local projects.

Over many years the Council has used its reserves to reduce increases in the precept. This year the Council has used over £17k from its reserves which would otherwise have resulted in a higher precept in 2018/19.

Taking action now will ensure that the Council is in a stronger financial position
and able to operate effectively on behalf of our community into the future as well as continuing to provide and improve the range of facilities and services to the community.

  • Keeping Meltham Safe

The Town Council took steps to install a CCTV system in Meltham which is regularly used by the police to gather evidence and which deters criminal and anti-social behaviour.  Making Meltham a safer place to live is a priority for the council –  but this important service requires continued investment.

  • Improving our area

The Council is setting aside monies for improvements to the town centre to ensure Meltham is an attractive place to live, work and visit.  We continue to make significant grants to community groups in Meltham and are planning a number of improvements to further enhance Robert Ashton Memorial Park over the coming years.

Meltham Town Council’s service provision includes: allotments, litter picking and environmental improvements, children’s play areas, park facilities and maintenance, playing fields and gardens, public toilets, and sports facilities. It subsidises the library to protect this provision and makes substantial grants to Meltham organisations to support community led activities.

Average Band D bills will rise by £7.93 to £38.04 per annum. The Town Council receives no grant assistance from central government, and therefore has to be financially self-supporting. In addition to the Council Tax precept the Town Council’s only other sources of income are allotment rentals and investment income.