Tax to rise

HEATHFIELD and Waldron Parish Council have set their share of the council tax bill at 267,129 an increase of 7.09 per cent on last year s total.

Members of full council this week ratified the figure set last month by the finance and general purposes committee. The combined budgets from various committees would initially have put the council s budget at 285,123, an increase of 14.3 per cent on 2001/2002. However, members cut a grant to the Millennium Green Trust and withdrew funding for a new 12,000 football pitch at Sheepsetting Lane after deciding this figure would be too high for parish taxpayers.

The council approved a grant of 7,000 for the Millennium Green Trust, the same as last year s figure. Members had received an application of 12,994.

Parish chairman Cllr Tony Trick said: 'While the desire to meet all requests for financial support is strong, we considered the required increase (of 14.3 per cent) to be too large, which would result in an excessive burden on the parish council taxpayers.

Referring to the Millennium Green Trust grant application, he said: 'The Trust has achieved much in the last few years and the provision of the Millennium Green is now a much valued recreation area for the community. We felt, however, that in the coming financial year, we need to provide support for as many organisations as possible and the Trust has received a considerable amount of financial support from the council in the last few years. Whilst we would hope to be able to provide continued funding to help support the Trust, we feel this year that the grant should be kept at 7,000.

'The second area where we felt a saving could be achieved related to the bid from the recreations grounds and properties committee. Initially, that committee included an amount to enable the probable development of another football pitch at Sheepsetting Lane. Since those discussions took place, a feasibility study has shown the development to be impractical based on the perceived specifications required.

A figure of 10,000 has been included for new fingerpost signs around Heathfield and Waldron. The council is taking legal action against the contractor employed at a similar cost last year to erect the fingerposts in the area.