According to the local Labour Party leaflet, South Gloucester Council plans to ask us if we want a parish council. Again. They asked this question a decade ago and we said “no”.
Actually, I am in accord with the Labour Party on this one. They are urging another “no” vote on the grounds of cost and unnecessary extra bureaucracy. They estimate anything between £86 and £154 extra on the council tax to pay for it – based upon what has happened in those areas that do have a parish council.
No only would a parish council be an extra layer of amateur politicians they would be taking on activities that South Gloucester already does and already charges us for in our council tax. The new parish would take up the baton and pay for it and charge us for the privilege, but South Gloucestershire wouldn’t be going away – a parish council will be as well as South Glos, not instead of it. Not only that, the whole caboodle of the consultation carries a cost – in excess of £30,000 apparently. What is it with these people that they are so free with our money?
So… I am to be asked if I want to vote for a rise in my council tax bill. Tough call, that.
Labour voting against cost and bureaucracy? Have they read the manual? What’s going on?!!!
Depends on your circumstances I think. We have a village parish council, and in our case I think it does serve a purpose – the main council is rather dominated by the various urban areas, and having the parish council does provide us with a voice that we might not otherwise have.
Though granted, you do sometimes wonder if there is point – for example, when you’ve spent 2 years convincing the local council to block a windfarm, only for an appeal officer from the other side of the country to turn up, spend less than a week in the local area and then overturn the decision (actually not just ours but 3 others in the surrounding area as well).