Details

Published: 21 March 2020

Many of you will have received your Council Tax Bill from Bradford during the past few days and will have seen that the tax base for the Wilsden parish council precept has increased. If you are in a Council Tax Band D household you will pay an extra £5.09 per year. Two thirds of households in Wilsden will pay less and larger households will pay more but no household will pay more than an additional £10.18.

The reasons for requiring this increase are essentially threefold:

• a reduction in the Council Tax Support grant from central government
• potential reduction in financial support from Bradford for youth services and the library, both of which the parish council consider it important to support
• a wish to at least maintain if not to improve the appearance of the village by taking responsibility for managing green spaces.

Since the time of the parish council's setting of the precept, which was fixed by Bradford, there have been changes that would have been reflected in the calculations if they had been known at the time.

• Bradford have decided to continue funding for the library and the youth service for one further year. Library provision beyond that date is currently being reviewed, to reduce funding in 21/22.
• Current priorities of councils are focused on dealing with the outbreak of corona virus and it will be impossible to complete the necessary paperwork for taking responsibility for green spaces management. This has now been postponed until April 2021.

Please rest assured that all this will be taken account when the budget for 2021/2022 is set.

Thank you

Peter Ketley

Chairman Wilsden Parish Council