THE PRECEPT charged to residents in Woodley is “far too high” and is the fault of the Liberal Democrats, according to the town council’s leader.
Last week, it was revealed that Woodley’s council tax precept – the amount parish councils charge residents for their services – is still the highest in the borough. Band D residents will be asked to pay £105.65.
The figure is £28.21 higher than what residents in Wargrave, the next dearest parish, will pay and a staggering £86.45 more than Swallowfield, the cheapest parish.
This means that people living in a Band D property in Woodley will pay £1,628.58 a year in Council Tax, while Swallowfield residents will pay just £1,542.13. The average charge is £1,579.50.
Councillor Keith Baker, the leader of Woodley Town Council, told The Wokingham Paper: “It is far too high and we’re doing everything in our power to reduce it and raise our income. You can cut costs, raise income or do both. We’re trying to do both.”
He explained that the reason for the town council’s large precept is both historic and due to the number of services it provides, including Woodford Park, Woodford Park Leisure Centre and the Oakwood Centre.
“The high precept goes back to the previous administration,” he said. “Liberal Democrats were in control of the council for 40 years. They had finance issues: they said we didn’t mind facilities making huge losses, we can change the precept to pay for them.”
Cllr Baker said that the leisure centres were losing “big numbers” and roughly 50% of the precept, which has been frozen at the same rate as last year, goes towards their costs.
“The precept was pushed up and up. When we took control one of the first things we did was say this was not right and we’ve set about withdrawing those subsidies or lessening them,” he said.
[textblock style=”2″ width=”20%”]Parish precepts
These sums are added on to your Council Tax
Swallowfield £19.20
Ruscombe £20.62
Finchampstead £21.86
Twyford £22.89
St Nicholas Hurst £23.98
Charvil £28.33
Winnersh £28.36
Barkham £29.39
Sonning £43.00
Wokingham Without £46.80
Wokingham Town £49.74
Shinfield £66.30
Earley £66.54
Arborfield & Newland £69.73
Remenham £70.08
Wargrave £77.44
Woodley £105.65[/textblock]
Beth Rowland, the former Liberal Democrats leader hit back at Cllr Baker’s claims.
She said: “Woodley is one of the largest town councils in England – the town council behaved much like small district councils in that they provided services for the community, that is the whole community not just those that could afford to pay.
“Services were supported from the centre to enable both rich and poor to access them.
“The belief of the Liberal Democrats was that Woodley should be a community, not a group of people who happen to live in an area.”
Ms Rowland added that during its 40 years in charge of the town council the Liberal Democrats “rescued” services from closure.
“Bulmershe Swimming Pool would have been closed if the town council had not intervened,” she said. “[It’s the] same old story, Wokingham would not spend money in Woodley then as it does not now.
“We provided cricket and football pitches, and The Inn on the Park. Sadly the Tory administration at Woodley were unable to get their act together in time to look at the lease.”
Ms Rowland also criticised the current adminstration for changing ownership of the Oakland Centre’s cafe, which had previously provided people with additional needs an opportunity to get on the employment ladder.
She said: “The council also provided the Just in the Park café – a CIC – community interest company where young people with special needs could get vital work experience that would enable them to get jobs in the future.
“The café will now be run by Brown Bag rather than the previous profit sharing arrangement that put thousands into the council funds.”
