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Coffers ready for homes battle

Posted on December 06 2011 at 9:23:17 0 comments

Barnt Green Parish Council is preparing for the financial implications of a possible battle with Banner Homes and Bromsgrove District Council over plans for 88 homes at the foot of the Lickey Hills.

The full council considered whether it should increase its money in reserve by raising the precept – the part of the council tax that goes to the parish council – in the spring to cover any costs.

Parish chairman Alun Davies told colleagues: “We have about £64,000 in reserves, but we may have some quite large expenditure to come.

“I would like some guidance; should we consider putting up the precept, or say we have got quite a lot in reserves and be prepared to spend our reserves if necessary and put up the precept later.”

Coun Susan Whitehand said: “We just can’t know what is going to happen as far as Banner Homes is concerned and we have to take some guidance from the public meetings where people are 99.99 per cent concerned.”

She asked what they should do if they received legal opinion that said “you have got a good case”?

Coun Davies said: “At that point we have a public meeting where we say, ‘You have got to give us something, or we can’t go ahead’.”

Coun Rachel Banner pointed out: “If we put the precept up, it would be a fair distribution of the costs.”

Coun Davies said: “If we do spend the money, perhaps we claw it back by raising the precept next year.”

They agreed to keep the reserves at the recommended level of around one year’s precept.

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