A Town Council for Pontefract?

In 1974 the Borough Council was subsumed by a local government re-organisation which created WMDC.

I went to a public meeting in the Nelson Room at the Town Hall this evening where a group of people of good standing in the community are looking to bring in a Town Council under the Parish Council Rules.

I want to understand their motives and plans so listened with interest to their outline.

One thing that concerned me was that whilst they are high on the ceremonial benefits of forming and the civic pride that they will generate, over half of the budget of £327,000 pa appeared to be dedicated to administration. The other services proposed broadly depend upon the District Councils consent and ratepayers face a double charge through a precept for some of these items. (This power to impose an additional tax currently is unlimited and whilst it was pointed out that the Secretary of State has powers to cap an overspending Parish/Town Council, this has not been done since the power was enacted in the 1970s.

Also they were making a big point about the rights of consultation that they will have. Consultation is hugely important, but there are a number of other bodies that get consulted already when there are issues that can impact Pontefract. Most of the people involved are already active consultees because of that, so I am puzzled.

If this group are to succeed then they will need to gain over 2,500 signatures from registered electors in the Town so that a referendum may run, but when they explain that they will be levying an extra charge on local Council Tax payers, I suspect that this will be quite a challenge. We shall see.

UPDATE: I am hearing reports of people collecting signatures telling members of the public that it will not cost them anything. Either they have not been briefed properly and do not understand what they are doing or they find it difficult to explain what is going on.