New Year's Message

Nettleham Parish Councillor, Giles McNeill, writes:

"Firstly let me begin with wishing you a Happy New Year.

"Recent years have been tough; tough on all of us. It is my hope that 2012 will be the year we turn the corner and get back to something like ‘business-as-usual’; even if it is somewhat anaemic.

"There is plenty to look forward to: I’m sure our community will rally together for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, already events are being planned, and I suspect in my own street we will be having a street party. The Olympic touch will pass through West Lindsey at Saxilby on its way to London 2012 games. I feel there is a lot to be optimistic about.

"In 2011 I began a four-year term as a Governor of Nettleham Infants School, already I have had a hand in making changes for the better, new provision of hot meals in the school should greatly improve the quality and dining experience of local children – gone are the plastic trays and real crockery and cutlery will be the order of the day. I expect there to be big changes in the school in 2012 and beyond.

"Serving on Nettleham Parish Council, I continue with my calls to keep local taxes low. It is my understanding that the Parish Council will be taking an extra £3.05 in tax from the average Band D property in 2012; pushing the Parish Council’s component up to £88.21 for the average household, I am also saddened that the lowest paying band, Band A, will this year pass the level the average Band D were paying when I joined the Parish Council in 2006. The increase in the tax households are pay to the Parish Council represents a massive 52.4% since 2006. I am convinced that once again Nettleham Parish Council will be out of step with other local authorities – the district & county councils – who will keep their portions of the Council Tax frozen. There are of course reasons why they can do this, support form the Conservative-led coalition government means that an increase of 2.5% or less is absorbed by the Department of Communities and Local Government. Nettleham Parish Council can not qualify for this funding; nevertheless the increase is greater than 2.5%. In a poll conducted on this blog, 58% of respondents said that raising the Parish Council’s portion of the council tax was the wrong decision.

"As Chairman of the Mulsanne Park Users Committee I have watched with interest, over the boundary hedge, in recent months, the earthworks being undertaken at the new Lodge Lane home of Lincoln Rugby Club. The earthworks appear complete and seed will no doubt be planted in the spring.

"Politically, with the change at West Lindsey District Council to elections every four years, I was expecting 2012 to be a quieter year. However, across the county, we will all be back to polling stations on Thursday, 15th November to elect Lincolnshire’s first Police and Crime Commissioner. Coming from a family of Policemen – father, grandfather, great-grandfather – I was surprised by this in the Conservative Party’s 2010 manifesto. I think there are potentially great benefits to having a directly elected person responsible for policing locally – Ken Livingston and Boris Johnson (the Mayors of London) have to some extent proved this, but the supporting role of interrogative committees, consisting solely of councillors from local authorities, seems a regressive step, back to the post-war era of the 1950s.
"I wish each and all health, prosperity and happiness for the coming year."

West Lindsey Extend Business Rate Relief for Small Business

With Small Business Rate Relief eligible ratepayers pay no rates on properties with rateable values up to £6,000, with a tapered relief of between 100% and 0% for properties with rateable values between £6,001 and £12,000.

In the budget on Wednesday, 23rd March 2011, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the extension of the temporary small business rate relief to  Sunday, 30th September 2012 which was previously due to end on Friday, 30th September 2011.

The measure doubles the usual rate of relief so that ratepayers with rateable values below £6,000 pay no rates at all for the period, while ratepayers with rateable values between £6,000 and not more than £12,000 receive tapered relief from 100% - 0%.

There are no other adjustments to the scheme. For example, the eligibility criteria remain the same. There will be no changes to the multiplier so those businesses that do not fall within the eligibility criteria of the scheme will see no change in their bills. The government is making this change to the Small Business Rate Relief scheme to provide help with the fixed costs of starting and running a small business as the economy starts growing again.

Once the legislation has been put in place all those who currently receive small business rate relief will receive revised bills. In the meantime small businesses will need to carry on paying thier instalments. Current collection and enforcement procedures will continue to apply to ratepayers who miss scheduled instalments.

For more information you can phone the Business Rates Team on 01529 414424.

Anger at Parish Council's 14% Council Tax Hike

Local residents of Nettleham have been reacting angrily to the arrival on their doormats of Council Tax bills showing 14% increases in the portion of Council Tax taken by Nettleham Parish Council. One local resident described their reaction as 'astonishment'.

Whilst other local authorities that cover Nettleham, such as the Police Authority, and the Conservative-controlled County and District Councils, have managed to freeze their portions of the Council Tax.

Another local resident enquired:

"I wonder if you could explain to me why Nettleham have a 14% increase in the Parish precept this year after an 8% rise last year? It does seem an unusual increase, considering the austerity measures being taken by district Council."

The 8% rise last year was not an increase in the amount of precept requested from by the Parish Council (full explanation here). In the Spring 2011 edition of the Nettleham News the Parish Clerk, explains that:

"This represents an increase of less than £9 per annum per household (1,570 households). This increase is due to the loan repayments for the re-roofing of the village hall, the removal by West Lindsey District Council of the ‘per capita’ subsidy (£3,021), Parish Elections costs (£2,000) due to WLDC decision to implement Whole Council Elections in 2011 (despite the fact that Nettleham held parish elections in 2010), the Parish Council’s decision to set aside an additional allocation to project reserves of £3,500 and necessary inflationary increases on utilities."

This explanation, whilst not inaccurate, does attempt to muddy the waters. Most people care about the percentage increase in the bill not the specifics in cash terms and a decision was taken to omit the '14%' figure from the release to the Nettleham News. Secondly, the per capita subsidy had been introduced many years ago to ameliorate the fact that Gainsborough did not have it's own Town Council. This changed in 1993 when Gainsborough Town Council was established. There is broad cross-party agreement that at that time the per capita subsidy had come to the end of it's natural life and should have finished. Thirdly, since 2005 the Parish Council has precepted £2,800 for Election costs, yet has only spent £404 on election costs in the same period. The £2,000 put into the 2011/12 budget could have been taken from reserves and the £2,396 which has been accumulated has gone into the general reserves. At the start of February the Parish Council's General Reserve stood at £29,934 and had £74,935 in Capital Reserves.

A significant number of incumbent councillors voted, earlier in the year, to approach West Lindsey District Council and extend their term of office to five years. Whilst other councillors took the principled view that election should not be avoided.

Nettleham Parish Councillor, Giles McNeill said:

"I understand local people's anger. I am proud to say that I opposed the budget for 2011/12. I also put forward my own proposals which would have achieved all the aims my colleagues identified - such as re-roofing the Village Hall - and would have led to a slight reduction in your Council Tax bill.

"Some of my colleagues it seems just don't get finance; in the 2010/11 budget I managed to ensure that we didn't put tax up any more to cover the cost of the burial ground and at our last meeting I was vindicated as the figures showed for the year to date the site had generated income.

"I have long felt that a number of my colleagues are profligate with public money and have a 'the village can afford it attitude'.  But I think of the little old lady, living on her state pension, alone, having to find extra money, I know that is wrong.  Many residents would no-doubt be shocked to learn that the Parish Council often has a surplus at the end of the year. This year a surplus of £5,600 (5.5%) is expected.

"I hope that if there is a contested Parish Council election this year people will take it seriously and consider what they really want from the people who serve the local community on Nettleham Parish Council."

Home Recycling Growth Means Extra Sites Can Close

Expensive to run recycling sites throughout West Lindsey are set to close now that the district council has extended the range of materials that can be recycled from residents’ homes.

Recycling sites at places including supermarkets and village halls have been successful in the past for collecting paper, glass and cans, but now all of these materials can be recycled in blue domestic wheelie bins or plastic sacks, the authority has seized the opportunity to save £18,000 a year.

National cuts in Government funding have hit councils throughout the country and West Lindsey has been left with a funding gap of £2.5 million over two years.

West Lindsey On Track For Balanced Budget

West Lindsey District Council already has a lean budget, thanks to changes made by Conservatives who took control in May 2008. It is now apparent that most of this year's spending will be balanced by efficiency savings and income, with no services being scrapped.

The authority currently has one of the lowest charges in the country and is also debt free.

Leader of the Council, Cllr. Burt Keimach, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward), said:

"We received the worst district council settlement on government funding in Lincolnshire and among one of the worst in the country, but we are proposing no council tax rise.

"We still have a lot of work to do, but early indications show we will be able to balance our budget for this financial year without impacting on key services, making expensive redundancies or increasing council tax."

The council needs to save £2.5m over the next two years and another £250,000 as a result of other pressures, such as inflation. Although the council's budget will not be officially agreed until Monday, 7th March 2011, there is cause for optomism.

Budget 2011: WLDC Consultations

West Lindsey District Council would like to offer all residents and local businesses the opportunity to have your say on how you think the Council should spend its budget for 2011/12.

 

As you will no doubt be aware, times are challenging for local government. With reduced budgets from central government it is critical that we direct our resources in a way that benefits our residents and meets their needs and priorities.

 

The Council will shortly be setting the Council Tax for 2011/12 and, as part of this process, we want to weigh up which services or areas should be prioritised in terms of spending. We would therefore like to invite you to take part in an event which will be used to feed in your views on how you think Council Tax should be spent over the next year.

 

As always, it is important that we hear from all members of the community, so we hope that you can spare about 2 hours of your time to attend one of these events. You do not need any specific knowledge of the Council to take part.

 

The event will take place in a friendly group atmosphere on the following dates and locations:

• Monday 29th November 2010 at Scotter Village Hall at 3:00pm .
• Tuesday 30th November 2010 at Saxilby Village Hall at 6:30pm.
• Tuesday 7th December 2010 at Caistor Town Hall at 3:00pm.
• Tuesday 7th December 2010 at Caistor Town Hall at 6:30pm.
• Thursday 9th December 2010 at Guildhall, Marshall’s Yard, Gainsborough at 3:00pm.
• Thursday 9th December 2010 at Guildhall, Marshall’s Yard, Gainsborough at 6:30pm.
• Tuesday 14th December 2010 at Old School Hall, Nettleham at 6:30pm.

Attached below is the poster advertising this event. If you have any questions or queries please contact Katy Allen on 01427 675149 or on katy.allen@west-lindsey.gov.uk.

 

Nettleham Parish Council Receives Grant From Star Energy

Nettleham Parish Council has recently applied for funding from Star Energy to help provide some equipment and fencing for the Bill Bailey's Memorial Field.

The council has been successful in being granted £6,000 towards a total expenditure of £10,000 to fence off the play equipment area. Unfortunately Star Energy have not given any grant to the purchase of new play equipment. Other sources of funding are also being investigated.

Member of Nettleham Parish Council, Cllr. Giles McNeill commented:

"I was, and remain, very much in favour of expanding the council's attempts to get more revenue from grant sources, the Parish Council has received virtually no grant income over the past five years, so this is a very welcome developement. I must praise the Council's staff who work very hard on delivering these achievements."