Simon Reevell, MP for Dewsbury, is one of the sponsors behind a ten minute rule motion which would require town and parish councils to hold a local referendum on precept rises which exceed 2%, bringing them into line with district councils.
Town and parish councils currently hold statutory responsibility for maintaining allotments, although they often do additional work on behalf of the communities they serve. The Parish and Town Councils Precepts (Referendums) Bill seeks to ensure that expensive projects are not funded through excessive precept rises without local knowledge and consent.
Simon said “This is a sensible measure to take at a time when many households and publicly funded bodies are having to cut back and town and parish councils need to understand that they are not an exception to the rule. At the moment no-one is holding these organisations to account and it is important that local communities are given both information about why a rise in the precept has been proposed and an opportunity to express their opinions about it”.
MPs agreed to take The Parish and Town Councils Precepts (Referendums) Bill forward to the Second Reading stage without a vote earlier this week and the proposal will now be debated in the House of Commons at the end of April