CHIPPENHAM Town Council has vowed to fight plans by the Government which it feels would effectively stop it from functioning and being able to improve the town.

The Government are currently holding a consultation on plans which would put a cap on town and parish councils across the country, forcing them to hold a referendum if they wanted to put up their precepts by more than two per cent.

A proposal was put forward by Councillor Sandie Webb at the Chippenham Town Council meeting last Wednesday (September 28), which urged the Government to retract its plans. It said: “This council urges the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to reconsider its proposal requiring local councils to cap the revenue raising ability of local town and parish councils.

“We contend that this move is in direct contrast to the spirit of localisation and will result in damage to communities and local services as well as undermining the role of local councillors.”

Speaking at the meeting, Chippenham chief executive Sue Wilthew said: “I attended a meeting of the DCGL as the clerk representative to put a balanced view forward about the effect capping would have on the parish sector. The meeting was disheartening and they are making the parishes toe the line, but Wiltshire Council are coming in very strongly in support of the parishes.

“Small parishes cannot get complacent, maybe not next year but in a short number of years a lot of parishes around this county are going to be affected potentially by capping.”

According to Mrs Wilthew, holding a referendum would cost Chippenham Town Council between £40,000-50,000, which is approximately one per cent of its budget.

Wiltshire Council leader Baroness Jane Scott has said the level of precept should be decided locally and not by the Government.

She said: “I am sure that this will cause some concerns for towns and parishes. They receive no government money and are accountable to their residents and therefore, to put it bluntly, The level of precept should be decided locally and not by Government. “As far as a referendum is concerned this would impose extra costs on the town or parish that chooses to have one, putting additional pressure on the precept.

I feel very strongly that capping of town and parishes is not acceptable and will lobby personally on this.”

The consultation runs until October 28.