Increased council tax for Stotfold residents?

The Fairfield Community Action Group (FCAG) wants to create a new community council for residents living in Fairfield Park, Stotfold, but Stotfold Town Council is opposing the move.

A formal Community Governance Review is currently under way at Central Beds Council after members of FCAG collected more than 1,200 signatures from Fairfield residents who are in favour of the proposal.

A public consultation period is due to finish on November 7.

The town council is fighting the proposals after figures released by Central Beds Council showed that if the new council were to be formed Stotfold residents would pay a £107.83 annual precept, compared to £81.30 at the moment.

Stotfold mayor Councillor Brian Collier said: “The increase would be quite steep and would mean that we would either have to charge residents the extra £26.53 a year or we would have to cut our services by about a third.”

But FCAG chairman Barrie Dack believes that Fairfield Park residents are currently paying a significant amount for facilities and services in Stotfold that they never use so a breakaway council would be fairer for everyone.

He says the town council also gave misleading figures in a recent leaflet delivered to homes which based council tax predictions on the basis that there are only 722 homes in Fairfield Park.

But Mr Collier said: “It is important to make clear that that figure is based on Band D properties only.

“We are well aware that there are more than 1,000 homes but some of these will be second homes, will be unoccupied or will have a single occupant who will be entitled to a discount.”