Hexham councillors row over precept rise

The council's new budget was discussed at a meeting of the full council on Monday, January 9 and while most members agreed with the precept rise, two Conservative councillors spoke out against it.

Last year, the town's precept rose by a significant 28 per cent, taking the amount a family living in a Band D property would pay in council tax to the town council each year from £77.94 to £99.79.

At the time, the council said they were looking to bring the precept more in line with some of its neighbouring towns across Northumberland after it was discovered that residents were paying significantly less than people living in other areas, including Morpeth. Families living in a Band D property there paid £125.18 last year.

This year, Hexham Town Council's budget will require a precept of £482,900, an increase of 10 per cent from last year.

The precept will rise by 8.8 per cent for those living in a Band D property meaning they will now pay £108.61 a year.

Conservative town councillor Stephen Ball voted against the increase and told members it was "absolutely the wrong decision to make in putting the precept up after putting it up by 28 per cent the year before", particularly during the current cost-of-living crisis.

He added that Morpeth Town Council is not increasing its precept further this year.

Conservative councillor Stephen Ball (Image: Stephen Ball)

Fellow Tory councillor Tom Pearson also opposed the rise. "It's a significant sum for people so on that basis I will be opposing it," he said.

All other councillors supported the 2023/24 budget, except for Cllr Lee Williscroft-Ferris who abstained from the vote. Cllr Trevor Cessford was not at the meeting.

Cllr Suzanne Fairless-Aitken said it had been a "hard decision to make" due to the rising household costs people are facing.

But the Liberal Democrat councillor added: "We look after the community and in order to do that it has to be a reasonable budget.

"All the people who we support look at us to continue to do so."

Councillor Suzanne Fairless-Aitken (Image: Suzanne Fairless-Aitken)

She said their budget last year allowed them to put on a series of popular events, including the bandstand sessions, and support some of the town's vital organisations and various initiatives including the town's warm hub scheme.

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Those sentiments were echoed by Cllr Penny Grennan.

"It's absolutely crucial that we support all these agencies that do that amazing work," said the Labour councillor.

Cllr Ginnie O'Farrell added: "We are making tremendous progress and I really want us to continue to do that."

She also told councillors that "not one single person" had complained to her about last year's precept rise.

However, last year Cllr Pearson told the Courant that "most people" he had spoken to were "appalled at the unnecessary rise".

Mayor of Hexham Derek Kennedy said: "Hexham's precept is still considerably less than others, for example Morpeth's is at £125 and Blyth's is at £130."

"We have really thought this out," he added. "This is the right thing to do for Hexham.

"£108 a year is not very much for the services we present."