A COUNCIL tax cut was voted down amid warnings of a budget squeeze.

Eastcott parish councillor Stan Pajak called for the one per cent council tax cut.

But South Swindon parish councillors scuttled the tax cut proposal, warning that the parish would face a squeezed income over coming years – as well a growing list of responsibilities.

It came in a debate over the parish council’s budget. This year – the council’s first – has seen a £1.4million underspend, as services and facilities have not yet been transferred from the borough.

Coun Pajak proposed a reduction of £25,000 in the amount levied from taxpayers, representing a one per cent tax cut, he said. Next financial year the parish council expects to get £2.07m in income through the council tax precept.

“I think with that balance of £1.5m in the bank there are surplus funds and we could bring down the council tax without worrying about the services that we provide,” Coun Pajak said.

“I think that’s something we should go with. That’s a positive statement, in that the parish council is working well within the budget and therefore we can actually bring down the council tax.

“That would be a very positive statement to make and would be appreciated by the people we serve.”

But other councillors dismissed the tax cut proposals.

Chris Watts, chairman of the parish council, said that a support grant from Swindon Borough Council would drop from £72,000 this year to £64,000 in 2018 – and by 2020 would be gone completely.

He said: “I don’t want to be part of a process that puts the parish council in a situation where we may be capped in future and we handcuff future parish councils.

“We don’t know the full picture yet.”

Coun Neil Hopkins added: “Let’s not forget that quite a lot of the facilities that we could be taking on are quite dilapidated. They’ve not had investment.

“I think it would be very dangerous to be talking about reducing [council tax] until we see the full picture.”

However, Coun Pajak said that a council tax cut would encourage the parish to be more efficient. “It becomes a driver for us,” he argued.

Government’s move this week to let police forces levy an extra £12 per year from council tax payers added weight to the importance of a parish tax cut, Coun Pajak added

The motion was defeated by 11 votes to seven.

At the same meeting in Broadgreen Community Centre, South Swindon Parish Council quashed a motion to abolish the £375-a-year allowance available to councillors.

Coun Michael Dickinson said that money budgeted for councillors’ allowances next year should be spent on parish grants instead. This year, just £938 was claimed in allowances – out of a budgeted pot of £8,200.

“We’re here to serve the people. We’re not here as a money-making organisation,” he said. “Removing £375 from someone is not a barrier to anyone being a councillor.”

However, other parish councillors argued that it was important for the allowance to remain.

Coun John Firmin said: “I think it’s quite important that anyone can serve on this council. Councillor Dickinson may feel that [claiming the allowance] is not necessary for him to be on this body, in which case he simply doesn’t take it.

“But I think the principle of everybody being able to serve and people making their own choice as to whether they take the allowance is the right one.”

The motion was defeated.