St Ives

ST Ives councillors have changed their council tax precept for the third time in little over a month.

Members attended an extraordinary meeting last Wednesday where mayor Councillor Debbie Townsend admitted that the monetary figures she quoted in the previous meeting of a 7.05 per cent rise was not accurate.

The council had in fact elected for a 13.53 per cent increase to keep the town’s budget at £658,092 as agreed in the December budget meeting.

Members were forced to rethink after it was announced that changes in local Government legislation meant that the town was facing a funding cut of £47,000. Huntingdonshire District Council is recompensing St Ives with a one-off grant of just under £46,000, which councillors had previously agreed to put into reserves to have capital ready to spend when the Government introduces precept capping for parish councils.

After a recorded vote was tied on using £40,000 from the HDC grant to reduce the precept, Cllr Townsend voted in favour of the increase. Band D properties will pay an extra £6.98 - making a total of £112.24 per home.