Swindon Borough Council is planning to divide Swindon into areas to be governed by Parish Councils. One of these new parishes would include Eastcott, Kingshill and the Town Centre. The new arrangements would be in place by early 2017. This is a major change in the structure of local government which no one in the area has asked for.
The Borough Council would make the parishes responsible for delivering some of the services currently provided to the whole town. In addition to a 4% rise in council tax already announced for 2016/2017, a new parish precept would lead to a rise in your council tax bill of at least £120 and probably more. The parishing proposals are designed to prevent the Borough Council being blamed for large council tax increases. Not only will taxpayers end up paying more but the level of service delivery will vary according to where you live.
As your local candidate, I am calling for a referendum on these proposals.
To find out more about why the Council intends to parish your local area, and what this change would mean for you, please come along to the public meeting on Wednesday 17th February at 7.00 p.m. at Commonweal School.