Hexham Town Council is set to raise taxes to fund repairs for a vandalized play park, aiming to enhance community facilities.
Hexham: The town council is gearing up to vote on a tax hike to fix up a beloved play park that’s seen better days, thanks to some pesky vandals.
They’re looking at a 15% increase in the precept, which means an extra £14 a year for local households. It’s not a huge amount, but it could make a big difference.
What’s cool is that this plan has support from all sides of the council, even though no one party is in charge. They all want Hexham to catch up with other towns like Morpeth.
The mayor, Derek Kennedy, pointed out that Hexham is lagging behind places like Morpeth and Alnwick. He believes this extra cash will help the town invest in itself.
He mentioned that people often wonder why Hexham isn’t as nice as Morpeth, and a big part of that is the lack of funds for improvements. This money will go straight into the town.
One of the main focuses is on the children’s play parks, which used to be managed by Tynedale Council. Now, they need some serious TLC after 15 years of wear and tear.
With this increase, the council expects to bring in an extra £60,000 for the play parks. Conservative councillor Stephen Ball is on board with the plan, even though he usually opposes tax hikes.
He said it’s a tough choice but necessary due to the extensive damage at the Sele play park. He doesn’t want to see community grants cut just to avoid raising taxes.
Labour councillor Penny Grennan echoed his sentiments, saying they’ve had a tough time with vandalism and need to replace the park rather than just patch it up.
She noted that when they took office, they were at the bottom of the funding list, but now they’re getting closer to towns like Morpeth.
Liberal Democrat councillor Suzanne Fairless Aitken also supports the increase, stating that the inherited play parks are in terrible shape and they’re trying to be responsible with the town’s funds.
In the end, it’s all about making Hexham a better place for everyone, especially the kids who love the parks.
