Cllr Colin Parker: Chair of Newton Abbot Town Council Finance and Audit Committee, writes:

I normally refrain from responding to any article directed at the Town Council and/or individuals but I feel that as Chair of the Council’s Finance and Audit Committee and being personally referred to in one instance I feel I have to respond to the recent letters in your paper.

In my opinion these letters of retort never show the ‘Council’ or any organisation in a good light even though we all do our utmost for ‘little or no reward’ for the people and areas we represent.

Comments have been made in respect of the increase in precept for the Newton Abbot Town Council for 2018/19 and quoting changes in recent years. A number of factors play their part here.

Our Town Council along with other parishes are at the bottom of the rung when it comes to Funding. For many years Services have been cut and Funding, has been and continues to be, slashed by Central government with the ever reducing Revenue Support Grant (including the Council Support Grant which was amalgamated into it to) currently going to TDC disappearing from 2019/2020.

A cut in the Council Tax Support Grant to the Town Council has taken place for this next tax year with warnings of further reductions in next few years and ongoing. Some Local authorities do not pass on Council Tax Support to any degree.

This has many effects but a key one is to put extreme pressures on local Town and Parish councils and their communities.

Our Local authority has diversified of late for example in the purchase Market Walk. One cannot disagree with this action because it is designed to improve our town centre area but it has also been entered into to provide the Local Authority with an ongoing Income stream something it needs due to impending loss of most of its grant funding as explained above. It is of course fortunate that the local authority had the millions in reserves to enter into such a venture.

Unfortunately no such luxury is possible for the Town Council with the main recourse for us to fulfil the public wishes and to attempt to provide what limited services we can being through the hard pressed residents, and we Town Councillors are included here, in the form of the Council Tax.

Taking these factors into account our Town Council has taken the proactive step to plan ahead in the only way we can much like the District Council has done with its Market Walk acquirement. Due to impending likely loss of the Council Tax Support Grant we have concluded it would be the right thing to have the foresight to put in place an incremental increase over the next three years rather than attempting to raise the likely lost grant all at once.

Newton Abbot being the principal place in Teignbridge has a great obligation to its residents and surrounding hinterland. To enlarge on this in many surveys and reports Newton Abbot is referred to as having a population in excess of 90,000 when in effect the town itself has something like 26,000 residents. This is because it is given that Newton Abbot provides Services, Shopping, Leisure, Entertainment and Administration etc for many of the surrounding communities. We take this responsibility very seriously.

We are being affected significantly, in my opinion, more than most of this district, especially with the continuing growth in the town. The decisions have been extremely difficult over several years now as to whether we let some services disappear in our Town or try to incorporate them within the Town Council’s remit at least to some degree.

Just to highlight below some of the responsibilities, statutory or otherwise, relinquished by the local authority (TDC) and Devon County:

Highway Grass Verge Cutting (Increased as requested by the Public from 4 to 6 cuts per year), CCTV (Security Trust Contribution), Some Public Conveniences (Refurbishment and responsibility for), Floral Displays and Funding for Town Development Manager (where would this Town be without that post?).

In addition this Town Council has also always endeavoured to carry out the aspirations/ambitions of its residents:

In response to the peoples’ wishes highlighted in the Newton Abbot Community Plan 2008, Regeneration Study 2010, Teignbridge Local Plan 2013, Newton Abbot Neighbourhood Plan 2016 we have taken on various projects such as:

Golden Lion Square-Funds contributed for purchase, revamp and maintenance,

Town Quay-Renovation project and continued upkeep,

Victoria Gardens-Rejuvenation and Care of,

Buckland Skate Park-Complete overhaul (Part Involved and maintain)

The Major project which has and is taking much of our focus at this time is Newton’s Place (Community Space, Museum, Town Hall etc). This Development is costing in broad terms two and a half times our current yearly precept involving purchase, Planning, Immediate and urgent maintenance issues and Development. National Lottery Funding/Grant we have been awarded is on a match funding basis.

Essential costs to date include:

The well-publicised Pigeon Guano removal, cleaning and prevention measures.

Water Ingress (Rainwater issues including Blocked Drain on the Highway)

Asbestos Survey and removal, Roof Slates, Static Ramp, Netted ceiling, other Professional items etc etc.

Ongoing costs to complete this project have also been factored into our future financial planning and is incorporated within those plans.

The overwhelming support we have received in respect of this venture is extremely gratifying. There has not been one dissenter in respect of this ambition from within our Council in fact most have strongly forced these plans forward. Our residents have, almost completely, ardently insisted we must provide what the Public have asked for.

In addition to the above there are things ongoing such as the many successful and Crowd attracting Events (Christmas Lights etc), Funding of Museum and Community Interest Company and contribution to Tourist Information Centre. Ongoing maintenance of St Leonards Tower, War Memorial, Footpaths, Allotments and many others. I could go on. The above listings have obviously involved both Capital and Revenue spending.

Newton Abbot Town Council representatives have taken many of the costs and pressure issues affecting our Town Council and others to Westminster and discussed them with a Communities and Local Government Minister. It was recognized that at this time Town and Parish Councils must have the flexibility to look after themselves to some degree due to what we perceive as the lack of funding, services being cut and wished for projects.

This is not the first time myself and others have praised what our Town does for us but it is right to remind and repeat what the whole community gets for its money in the form of its PRECEPT and voluntary councillors.

What Newton Abbot gets is an Attractive, Vibrant, Growing and Prosperous Town in comparison with many others and we are trying to look after the Well Being and enjoyment of its residents and visitors alike.

All the details, financial and otherwise, are available within the Town Council’s accounts and minutes and are Transparent.

To finish I would just like say that it is a common thing to hear the Public refer to the ‘COUNCIL’ but as we all should know there are several layers of officialdom who deal with different aspects of Public Life. It is sometimes hard to decide who is responsible for what.

In respect of our Community I would to urge us all, each Council and Organisation within to work together. We should help each other and not criticise the attempts of our Town Council, trying in the only ways it can with the only means available to it, to make our town a better place in every respect.