THE portion of the council tax levied by Holsworthy Town Council is set to increase by 96p a month for a Band D property.

At the January meeting of the full town council, members agreed to a precept of £234,300 in the coming financial year to pay for the ongoing running costs of the town council.

It represents a smaller rise than last year’s, which saw a rise of £2.08 for a Band D property with the council stating it is committed to finding savings and keeping expenditure down while continuing to improve the services it provides.

Not all will see their town council precept rise by 96p with approximately, 76 per cent of the properties in the area in tax bands A to C meaning the amount raised will be lower.

Holsworthy Town Council own and manage most of the recreational green spaces as well as five public footpaths in the town while it also runs and organises several community events throughout the year.

The local precept covers the upkeep of Stanhope Park along with Badock and Rowland Gardens, as well as the management of events including the successful ‘Christmas Lights Switch-On’.

Projects to be funded in the new budget include maintaining the playpark equipment and pathways in Stanhope Park, a grand opening of the newly renovated community sunlounge in Badock Gardens and creating a community allotment.

Cllr Jon Hutchings, mayor of Holsworthy, said: “I am pleased the council has been able to set a balanced and responsible budget that protects the services we provide locally. At a time when many households are under financial pressures the council have kept the increase to a minimum.

“With devolution just around the corner, we must prepare to take on some of the local services which may be lost, which will come at an additional cost to the town council."