RESIDENTS came out in force on Thursday evening to have their say on whether their parish council should take on even more responsibilities.

Stratton St Margaret Parish Council held a poll asking residents the question: “Should the Parish Council take on additional responsibilities such as grass cutting, hedge cutting, flower beds, street cleaning and litter picking which are currently the responsibility of the Borough Council?”

The poll comes amid a plan drawn up from Swindon Borough Council to devolve some services - including grass cutting and graffiti cleaning - to parish councils. In areas where a parish council does not already exist, a new council would be created. This would include areas such as West Swindon, Central Swindon, Old Town, Lawn, as well as Walcot, the Parks, Eldene and Liden.

Stratton St Margaret Parish Council called on residents to share their views on this proposal, warning that in order to carry out these services the parish would need to increase its precept by around £100,000 over the next four years each year – or £25,000 each year.

A spokesperson for the parish council said: “The Borough is providing a sliding scale of transitional funds towards this service and by year four the services are expected to be met fully by the Parish Council. The total amount of transferred funds is to cover the current level of Borough Council maintenance.”

Speaking after casting his vote at the Grange Leisure Centre, Yiewsley Crescent resident Derry Grumbridge described the proposal as “a liberty”. He said: “They [the borough council] want to shove the responsibility on to the parish council. We will still be paying the same amount of money to the council and they are passing on the responsibility and work.”

Chris Macgowan of Grange Drive said the parish council had enough on its plate without taking on any additional expenses.

Fellow Grange Drive resident Dave Parsons agreed that the responsibility should remain with the borough council. He said: “If this happens we will be paying twice for it, we pay enough as it is. Whether this vote will do any good, I don’t know, because if they have made their minds up that’s it.”

Iris and Bryan Yeates, also of Grange Drive, expressed their concerns at the proposal. Mr Yeates said: “They are getting double bubble but we are getting nothing more. It just seems unfair.”

Jean Ayres of Yiewsley Crescent said there could be a benefit to the jobs being carried out by the parish. She said: “If it means the streets are going to be cleaned as well as the gardens are maintained by the parish council then I am all for it because the council do a really good job of maintaining the gardens. So I am all for it, even if we have to pay a little bit more.”

Grange Drive resident Andrew Martin said the responsibility should not fall at the parish council’s door. He said: “It would probably improve it as this parish does things very well. But if [Swindon Borough Council] does not have the money to do it they should be asking George Osborne for it. Democracies work by pushing things upwards. If the people at the top don’t do it, they should go.”

After the votes are counted the transfer of services will be considered at the full council meeting on Tuesday at 7pm.