Job goes and grass cutting stops - so why are Skegness residents facing 7.55% precept rise?

In a decision that has divided councillors, a proposal to increase the precept by 7.55% was passed by eight votes to five at last week’s meeting – but not before some councillors expressed their disgust the figure was double the rise announced by East Lindsey District Council and still required a member of staff to be made redundant.

Mayor of Skegness Coun Pete Barry said the council had been faced with tough decisions. “It is never good to see a job go but we felt we couldn’t expect the public of Skegness to pay any more when we know with the cost of living rises there are some having to go to food banks,” he said.

"We agreed to cut the grass verges when Lincolnshire County Council reduced the cuts to three in 2017 – and we invested in staff and equipment to do so.

"But we can no longer afford to do it and so we have handed the responsibility back to the county council.”

Gloves were out in November when town councillors were called on to vote again on whether they should carry on cutting grass verges.

A Special Motion calling for the recission of a previous decision by Skegness Town Council to hand the responsibility for cutting the verges back to Lincolnshire County Council to save an increase on the precept failed at Wednesday night’s meeting – but not before a debate that saw the Chamber once again divided.

It was presented by a group of nine Conservative, Labour and Independent councillors, who said they were calling for the ‘rethink’ to save a street team job and to keep the town ‘looking tidy’.

Amongst the five councillors voting against the precept was Conservative Coun Dan Kirk. He said: “I can’t support a budget that is above inflation and means cutting services – that is what we are doing.”

Coun Steve O’Dare questioned making a member of staff redundant was a sensible thing to do when the council was “in financial dificulty”.

Labour’s Coun Mark Anderson also asked why the recept rise was so much. “I have said for years we should look at our assets such as our meeting room?

"Why are people using other venues? Maybe we should charge more.

"We should not be putting this burden on the public’s shoulders.”

Town Clerk Steve Larner said there had been many council meetings to discuss the challenges of this year’s budget due to a rise in costs because of inflation.

Last year there was also a lack of income due to a problem with the ticket machine at the East Lindsey District Council car park they took on, he said.

He said: “We are in the position where we are having to recover money.”

Deputy Mayor Coun Adrian Findley pointed out initially the rise could have been as high as 10%.

"Every councillor has had the opportunity to suggest ways of bringing it down," he said. “If we could have done it we would have.

"I think the Town Clerk has done an excellent job to get the precept to 7.55%.”