Council Services Twice the Price for Rural Residents

5.58.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 9th Feb 2007

Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats say that it is unacceptable that rural taxpayers are expected to pay twice if they want to see a playscheme in their area

Rural taxpayers are being asked by Bedford Borough Council to pay twice for certain services, Liberal Democrats have revealed.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Nick Charsley asked the Council's Executive at this week's full council meeting to explain why Parish Councils have been asked to pay extra for playschemes and Police Community Support Officers (PCSO's) in their area. Rural residents pay for playschemes and the Borough Council's contribution to PCSO's via their council tax as all residents of the Borough do, yet Parishes are being asked to pay again if they want to see these popular services in operation in their local area.

All parish councils have received a letter from the council asking for money to help run playschemes in their area, while parishes are invited to contribute towards the cost of a PCSO in the area.

Commenting on the issue, councillor for Harrold , Cllr Charsley said:

"This is a clear case of rural residents being asked to pay twice for services, and this is unacceptable.

The PCSO's that the Council part-funds and the playschemes that run across different parts of the Borough are already paid for by rural taxpayers just as they are by taxpayers in urban Bedford. Why, then, should rural residents be told that they will need to pay twice before they see these services in their local area?"