Kirklees parish councils face subsidy cut

PARISH councils in Kirklees face bills running into tens of thousands of pounds if the borough council presses ahead with plans to cut subsidies for office space.
Parish councils in Kirklees will have to pay thousands of poundsParish councils in Kirklees will have to pay thousands of pounds
Parish councils in Kirklees will have to pay thousands of pounds

Kirklees Council is arguing that it is unfair that taxpayers across the authority are helping to meet the costs of parish councils which only serve parts of the district.

If Kirklees councillors agree to remove the subsidies it could save the authority more than £100,000 a year.

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But parish councils using space in Kirklees Council buildings will face the choice of paying new charges or leaving.

Holme Valley Parish Council is in line to be hit the biggest charge at £27,840 a year with the parish and district councils covering Denby Dale, Meltham and Mirfield also facing five-figure bills.

Coun Graham Turner, Kirklees Council’s cabinet member for resources, said: “At this time of austerity we must ensure that our scarce resources are made available to benefit the residents of Kirklees as a whole, ensuring we can deliver essential services to the most vulnerable people in our society.”

Coun Turner said town and parish councils could raise money through taxes so ot was “only fair that we remove this funding”.