Worries over Tory plan for £98 extra on Council Tax for new Southport Parish Council

Tory calls for a Parish Council to be set up in Southport have provoked concern on the part of Birkdale Lib Dem councillor Simon Shaw.

He has expressed fears that all the talk so far from local Conservatives suggests they are thinking of a high taxing body which could well copy Maghull Town Council in charging an extra £98 a year on a band D property.  This ‘precept’ is in addition to the normal Sefton Council tax.

“When senior Conservative councillor Sir Ron Watson publicly supports the idea, and the only local parish he mentions is Maghull, with its £98 a year precept, you start to get worried,” said Councillor Shaw.

“While I completely understand and share the concerns that Southport doesn’t get a fair deal from Sefton, surely the answer is a split into two separate metropolitan boroughs; one based on Southport and one based on Bootle.  That’s what the Lib Dems support, and would mean real local control over all our services.”

“I am fully in support of having a Community Governance Review as the Conservatives suggest, and letting the public have their say.  But another £98 a year on the Council Tax – no way!”

More:

https://www.otsnews.co.uk/sir-ron-tries/