Okehampton Hamlets Parish Council battled last week (January 3) to lower council tax for the coming financial year following concerns that the initial draft could see it rise by over 30%.

Parish councillors discussed ways of reducing the precept — the parish council’s share of the council tax — at the latest meeting and agreed to reduce costs on signage, footpath repair and interpretation boards, meaning that residents will now face a rise of only 3.41 percent.

As a result, parish councillors have managed to reduce next year’s precept from an initially proposed £35,150 to £27,850 per annum and will mean that a Band D property will pay £1.40 more per annum as opposed to £53 as initially calculated.

Vice Chairman Martin Littlejohns described it as ‘useable’ though admitted it was a slightly larger increase than last year when the precept rose by just over three percent.

However, the decrease has come at a cost. As part of the proposed precept, councillors agreed to forego money allocated for the upkeep of interpretation boards, which provide information about visitor attractions, and the purchasing of new noticeboards as it was felt that they would withstand another year with minimal maintenance.

Other possible expenses were also slashed including the £500 set aside to provide more allotments following a discussion with Okehampton United Charities, the organisers of the allotments, during which the Okehampton Hamlets parish clerk was informed that the allotments were proving successful but that extra money was unlikely to be needed.

A previous suggestion to collect money in order to afford a community building for the east side of Okehampton has also been put on the backburner as councillors agreed that it seemed unlikely to happen in the near future.

The council will also halve the amount of money provided to the town council for the upkeep of Okehampton’s cemetery which lies within the town council boundary, and has also agreed to reduce expenses on footpath repair and signage.

All this comes as not just families and individuals battle through the cost of living crisis, but councils fight to keep costs as low as possible.

Okehampton Town Council is also facing rising costs and councillors have agreed to proceed with building plans, such as the installation of extra CCTV cameras in town, before contractors’ quotes rise again.

In a meeting at the end of last year, town councillors suggested closing the Market Street public toilets because they were so expensive to maintain

Councillors argued that those toilets were not necessary as there were also toilets at Fairplace

But, following an outcry of opposition at the suggestion, the town council is now asking residents’ opinion on whether or not the public toilets should remain open.

Any comments should be sent to [email protected] or posted to the Town Hall by January 20, 2023. Comments left on social media may not be picked up and will not be taken into consideration.