WELCOME to Spring and with it the old age pensioners nightmare known as the council tax demand. A pension increase of 2 per cent against a council tax demand increase of 11.9 per cent means that pensioners will once again have to draw from their savings which get little in the way of interest these days. As usual those who wished to be independent and saved for their old age are penalised.
A letter in a Sunday newspaper from a Somerset gentleman complained about his council tax having risen by 44 percent since 1997. Lucky man! The following are the increases for a Broadway Band D property for the same period: Worcs CC 83.94 per cent; Wychavon 41-40 percent; Broadway Parish 52.30 per cent; West Mercia Police 164.22 percent. Over a 14 year period the Broadway parish precept has increased by 300 percent from £11,000 to £44,000, an annual increase of 21.42 per cent.
By the way Broadway residents, don't forget that applications for the parish council election must be in by March 31, so far I have only seen it published on the local High Street board.
REG STOKES, Station Road, Broadway.
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