Residents living in Sandown face a potential 47% rise in the Town Council precept this year, meaning an average Band D property will be asked to fork out an extra £69.40 a year.
Currently, the precept is set at £145.70 but from April that looks set to rise to a whopping £215.10. The massive increase makes Ryde’s 10% rise look attractive in comparison and is significantly higher than the 2021-22 UK average precept of £71.86.
That won’t be the only increase though… the precept for the fire service and policing element of the Council Tax bill will also increase, as will the amount the Isle of Wight Council asks for.
The figures have been released ahead of a meeting of Sandown Town Council on 6th February when the Full Council will decide whether or not to set the budget based on the above figures. A decision has to be made by 1st March so time is running out for any alternatives.
Despite the massive increase, a number of cuts to provisions in and around the town have been proposed including the removal of mechanical raking of the beach and hanging baskets along the Esplanade. Furthermore, only a very small budget has been allocated to the King’s Coronation (£500) and the amount of monies allocated for projects in schools and local grants has been reduced.
There has also been a reduction in money for Sandown Carnival and the town’s independent lifeboat.
A huge chunk of Sandown’s budget is being put aside for toilets – a total of £576,728. Other areas of expenditure include £146,115 for staff, £70,158 for Sandham Gardens including MUGA and skate park, £56,207 for administration, £52,970 for beaches, £27,401 for The Broadway Centre, £32,549 for civic space, £12,500 for community, grants and events, £2,481 for civic, £2,000 for councillors and £806 for adverts and publicity.
Councillor Alex Lightfoot has put an alternative budget forward, however, that would see the precept rise by even more to £218.40 meaning a Band D household would have to find £72.72 extra a year.
Councillor Debbie Andre has proposed a budget that would see the precept rise even further to £220.20, an extra £74.52 a year for Band D properties.
£500 for the coronation, really! What a waste of tax payer monies, when you see this mentality were councillors feel the the need through money away when people are in desperate need is beyond believe.
Absolutely. The guy is a multi millionaire, the public should not be funding his party, when alot of innocent children are being fed by food banks. Its a Charles dickens novel in real life.
Probably a slap up reception for councillors.
King of the WEF planning the new world order of “you will have nothing and you will be happy “ who wants to celebrate that evil pos
If everyone paid their council tax and precept then it would be affordable.
Problem and irony is, those on tax credits or universal credit avoid paying this, yet mostly they are the ones who have the most wayward children who vandalise the toilets, buildings, and parks, and so cost society the most.
These people need to pay more than others, not less or nothing.
Having children since free contraception is a choice, and others should not have to fund that choice.
No chance. Despite massive overspend, county council will add an additional £365000 to our huge bills. For those referred to in your comments.
I am on tax credits & pay full council tax, so you do not know what your talking about. Do some fact checking first before you write.
Poeple on uc and tax credits have to pay council tax
A mere token gesture sum.
I am willing to bet you don’t pay anything like a full time working neighbour nor the rent.
Add up your total income and total expenditure on c.tax, rent, school meals, uniforms, transportation to school, extra heating, free meals even when not a school, free insulation etc etc and YOU will be far better off than many working full time, and have over half the week off to enjoy it too.
universal credit and other tax credits are not payments for work completed – they are state handouts for doing nothing – you aren’t paying anything – leeches
I thought they would cap rises at the percentage they want to give to nurses pay
I wouldn’t pay 50p to live there!
The ONLY good thing about Sandown is the beach,
and now they are going to STOP cleaning it.
Freaking unbelievable !
Don’t worry. We’re going to be the only major economy to shrink in 2023 according to IMF, true, but then according to Mr. Hunt the Brexit will start to deliver thanks to its flexibility and freedoms it provides. Once all those Brexit moneys start coming in, I’m sure central government will send some to councils and lower our bill. Just 2 more weeks and we’ll see our newfound freedom bringing benefits to our lives! So I wouldn’t worry about that little rise here at all ;)))
I really wouldn’t bother with irony around here, most of the fat old gammons and Karens who frequent this site don’t have the mental capacity to understand it and probably think you are being serious.
But, yep, the only major economy (including heavily sanctioned Russia) expected to see negative growth this year.
Brexit, utter failure voted for by complete cretins who are mostly too thick to realise they have been conned by wealthy spivs
The only failure of Brexit is the total refusal/ability/willingness of our corrupt politicians to actually deliver it.
Feck’s sake, you really are a gullible old trout, aren’t you?
It was never, ever, EVER, going to be “delivered” because it was based on a tissue of lies.
Typical old Karen, self entitled old bag who thinks the world should be like her fantasy world rather than cold, hard reality.
I think you left the ‘y’ off the name? Your presumption of me based on one statement says far more on your nonsense than it does my stance.
Agree, but you forgot to mention mainstream media, who are hell bent on destroying the ideology of Brexit before it starts.
Absolutely. Mainstream media have been shameful in their coverage of Brexit, Lockdowns and Covid. I think Sky is one of the worst as well. Just compare the Sky UK website with the Sky Australia website. The same company yet wildly different reporting.
misogony at it’s finest and by you don’t come across as the most intelligent to be honest.
So we have a very small town council putting the precept through the roof, can they justify it, not on any level, three councillors wish to increase it even more, do they not talk to each other, or did tthey they all get asked to come up with some stupid figire then add another 50 per cent, this is not politics this is just a group of possibly well intentioned but ultimately unqualified fools spendong as much of our money as they can.
Hold on Barnie, those Brexit benefits the island voted for are coming any day now! Don’t forget the Island Deal that Boris promised too. Sunlit uplands are just round the corner…
It’s about time all the free loaders were made to pay Council tax Why should they be given a free house and pay nothing towards it and be given free money to blow on smack and swill? People are already struggling to pay to keep warm and eat, and these sh*ts deliberately make it even more difficult screwing us out of even more money for their own gain. I bet all the ones who want the raise aren’t struggling are they?
BREAKING: ISLE OF SHITE RESIDENTS TO BE SCREWED MORE COUNCIL TAX TO SUBSIDIZE ALL THE SHITE PAYING NOTHING
Divide and Conquer……….The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.
TAX CORPORATE GREED…….!
Feel sorry for the residents. They have to fork out hundreds of thousands for new toilets then have to pay again to use them. That’s progress!
its robbery, been without decent toilets in this town for a good couple of years. how many toilets are they talking? scrapping hanging baskets that are the small bit of eye candy against the derelict buildings. …. honestly! do a bit of joined up thinking. the town is a real mess and its only because of the great effort VOLUNTEERS put in that this town has anything. Given up hope. And i feel you are taking advantage of their good nature. Hoping they will pick up these cuts
With all the eyesore in Sandown, who wants to pay any extra.
Absolute and purely council greed, people can’t afford it, when will they realise this. I guess the courts will be busy with people unable to pay it, when it comes to the choice of food, heat and light, or further giving money to this corrupt council system here. I think the council will lose out this time around. PEOPLE CAN’T AFFORD IT!!
Well its not ask its you will pay what the f is a precept..whhhhoooo
Did the council apply for levelling up for sandown?
I think they actually applied to have Sandown levelled…
Ryde Town Council staff bill £455000.00. Quite a lot considering the last census only showed 33000 residents.
Extremely disingenious post with no context. Ryde Town Council fund the Island’s only youth service, which needs staffing and is sorely needed. They also employ staff to clean toilets, which actually saves money over contracting it out. Then there is the Marina, which generates significant income for the town. And don’t forget these are much needed jobs for locals, many of whom will live in the town.
And what exactly has this got to do with Sandown Town Council anyway?
Anyone know if there’s any way to challenge that increase?
47% on top of what is already one of the highest precepts on the island is beyond a joke.
Control the low life tax credit kept child vandals, and costly drug and alcohol addicts, all funded by us then Also all the clearly ‘recent arrivals’ skulking about have to all be paid for.
Stop ‘paying’ people to have children, then and ONLY then loved for the child not the easy lifestyle children would be born here.
Can’t we borrow some money from Bembridge ?
There loaded.
I am afraid i have little sympathy for the Sandown residents, you voted these clowns into power either directly or by not voting, think about this at the next election of town council and try to get people who actually care into power.
The precept is a dirty ,underhanded and unfair tax.
Just a way around the maximum 5% increase in council tax.
Same goes for all the other precepts.
SANDOWN residents are paying all this money for Council Tax……… why? I know, because they are having to constantly pay for damage to fix street fixtures and God knows what else, the bloody ferral, out of control kids that roam the streets are doing.
Wouldn’t mind paying well over the odds,but for what ,sandown has been derelict for years and getting worse and nothing gets done about it