The Band E Barnt Green Parish Council Precept has risen from £46.75 to £75.18 – an increase of nearly 64 per cent.
This is at a time when both the District and County councils, the Fire Service and Police Authority have been restricted to an increase of 5 per cent – itself twice the rate of inflation – in order to avoid capping by the Government. The residents of Barnt Green deserve an explanation for this.
Some of the other parish councils in the district fare no better. The Hunnington precept is up by 40 per cent Belbroughton up by 32 per cent, and the Lickey and Blackwell Parish precept has increased by an inflation-busting 18 per cent.
Have these parish councils gone totally out of control?
I must end, however, by congratulating Lickey End Parish Council which is sticking to its guns by imposing a zero precept for another year whilst waiting for its disbandment.
Nick Psirides
Bromsgrove Independents