WE face a huge change in local government funding in future years, as we see more financial pressure on large local authorities such as Wiltshire Council, we will see Wiltshire Council try and offload more and more services to large parish councils such as Chippenham Town Council. 
This, in turn, will allow our Chippenham council to grow over the next few years, but without much public consultation on the services they will take over from the county council and if we will receive value for money or, more importantly, how much Chippenham Town Council’s budget will increase.
As one of the largest parish councils in the country Chippenham Town Council can increase spending without any control from national government, or can take over services from Wiltshire Council without financial restraint. The pressure then falls on Chippenham council taxpayers rather than spreading the cost of services over the county.
We must ask ourselves, is this a tax increase by the back door, and will Chippenham Town Council grow into a district council? We may see history repeating itself and end up with two large council systems as pre-Wiltshire unitary authority.
I don’t think the average council tax payer realises what is going on, and the massive financial effect these changes will have on their council tax. 
Chippenham Town Council is set to grow at an alarming rate over the next five to ten years and residents should be kept informed of how this will affect services and how much it will cost them.
DAVID POOLE
Rowden Hill
Chippenham