Jenny’s Wootton Bassett Blog

Thursday’s meeting was the Revenue & Resources Committee. I’m not a member of this Committee so I can talk but not vote.

After the Amenities Committee two weeks ago, Revenue and Resources now adds the rest of the budget to go to full Council on Dec 6^th. The budget proposed by the officers would lead to about a 5% increase on this year’s precept of £791,980. Conservative Councillors went through paring £500 off here and there, £1000 off grants, £5000 off provision for Station House. There was a proposal to cut in half the “climate change” budget item which is to implement energy saving and other measures. Last May the Conservatives election leaflet said “Conservative Town Councillors recognize that the town needs to take a lead in Green issues and have set a budget for this”. Despite this the proposed cut went to a vote with 4 votes for the cut and 4 against it. I didn’t have a vote but added my view that the Town Council should indeed take a lead. The Chair of the Committee, Cllr Peter Roberts, had to use his casting vote to keep his Committee to their commitment! 

The other major controversy was whether to keep the same level of budget next year for the August High Street Festival and the Christmas Lights event. The Committee had already taken a decision to employ a consultant to do a small amount of work on an independent review of services. The first thought on the Festivals was to leave the budget in and have this consultant consider the value of the expenditure. But then it was decided that Councillors could take a decision and if it was to reduce expenditure, it could be included in the budget. So a working party is to meet and make recommendations in time to take to a special Council meeting in January. As the only opposition member I will join 4 other Councillors. My thoughts at the moment are that I would want to keep the festivals but move from employing professional entertainers to encouraging more town organizations to put on demonstrations. And we can see how the Christmas event goes this year with some rearrangement of stalls and the carols back in the High Street by the tree. This year the spend for street entertainment in the summer was about £9000 and for Christmas the budget is £7,750, but this does include stage and sound equipment. What do you think?  

 It’s Council budget time again when we work out what is likely to be spent next year (April 2008 – March 2009). I was at the Amenities Committee on Thursday so we thought about plans for the facilities the Council runs.

 Firstly Bill Roberts had an item on the agenda about chewing gum removal from the High Street pavements. If we borrow the District Council cleaning machine we still have to pay for Sunday working (the only time it’s possible to do it). Members suggested that the District Council had a responsibility to clean this up as litter. I proposed we should put the money in the budget to do the cleanup if NWDC doesn’t and Linda seconded it. So its in the budget. 

 On play areas, we were considering the replacement of the fence at Otters Way. The trouble there is that because the equipment is close to the path, the fence has to go over the path. We realized it was worth the Play Area Working Party having a think whether moving the particular piece of equipment, or even replacing the whole lot might be a good plan. The working party is also looking at installing a multi-user games area (MUGA) at one of the playing fields. To keep these as possibilities the Amenities Committee is proposing that the uncommitted £42,000 in this years budget is kept in reserves and £42,500 more put in next years budget. The Working Party has written to Wootton Bassett schools asking for their views about play area development. What are your views?

 The rest of the Amenities budget is also proposed as a ‘business as usual’. But the Council will be prepared for possible changes:-

• A review of the High Street Festival to decide if the money is spent in the best way
• If the sports clubs’ plans go ahead the Rugby Club will take over the running of Ballards Ash so costs there will be reduced.
• If the Council gets Station House on the St Ivel site costs for Civic Centre will eventually switch to Station House.

 This budget will be put together with that for the Revenue and Resources Committee on 22^nd November and finally decided at Council on 6^th December. And then the amount the Council asks for from Council Tax, the Precept, will be set.