PLAYGROUNDS, cleaning and car parks are among village items to be controlled by Pewsey Parish Council after Wiltshire Council approved a raft of asset transfers.

The village will now look after all play areas, tree and grounds maintenance and all street cleaning services.

North Street car park East and West including the toilets and the rear of Hallgate Street Car Park has been handed over by Wiltshire Council as Pewsey becomes the third area behind Devizes and Chippenham to see a devolution of services.

Chairman of Pewsey Parish Council Curly Haskell said parish councillors had been split about welcoming the extra control because it will not bring in extra cash for the parish but could drive up council tax.

Pewsey’s first bill will be £50k to Wiltshire Council to take over the contract with maintenance company IdVerde.

the contract lasts until June 2020.

The Council will save £35k per year by giving control to Pewsey Parish Council.

£119k in Section 106 from housing developers will be transferred to the Parish to be invested into community projects.

Cllr Richard Clewer said: “North Street car park is non strategic so we don’t charge for and there is no prospect to charge in the future.

"I think it would be unfair to charge for it given nature of Pewsey High Street. This will give the Parish land to hold events and drive the future of the village.”

Cllr for Pewsey Jerry Kunkler: “It’s been difficult one.

"A number of councillors feel very uncomfortable with this but the decision has been made by the majority and I would like to support and wish them the best of luck.”

He added that parish councillor felt the area was better run when the council was split into rural borough councils.

Cllr Jane Scott said: “We are in different world from when rural district councils were in place, we had a lot more money then and people required more services.

"I think by working together it’s better to keep it and work together than lose it.”

Parish Council chairman Curly Haskell said: “A Village has no income whereas a town has income so we are entering something totally new for us. We are not in the luxurious position where any of the assets will immediately make money for us. That’s our biggest challenge and we are ready for it.

Other land to be freehold transferred includes land at corner of Prospect Farm, land rear of Smiths Close and land at the entrance to Fordbrook Business Centre.

Wiltshire council cabinet unanimously approved the devolution package to Pewsey Parish Council.