North Walsham council tax bills set for hike with Wetherspoon’s arrival WE MUST ATTEND THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING North Walsham Town Council offices. Wetherspoon’s arrival in North Walsham is highly likely to mean bigger council tax bills for residents North Walsham Town Council has been given notice to quit its home to make way for the pub chain, which wants to convert the New Road building into a restaurant and bar at a cost of £1.6m, creating up to 50 full and part-time jobs. But town mayor Richard Sims has warned that the cost of a new council base will have to be shouldered by local council-tax payers. And, if the town council decides to buy instead of rent, the hike will be even greater. The town council has been paying its landlord, North Norfolk District Council (NNDC), just over £7,000 pa for its base which the district is selling to Wetherspoon. That sum, according to Mr Sims, was a “bit of an anomaly” and the town council would expect to pay a higher, commercial rent, for a similar property. The town council and other users of the site - the CAB and North Norfolk Community Transport - have all been given until December to vacate the site, although an NNDC spokesman said: “We are hoping for a mutually-convenient date in advance of then.” Mr Sims said there was a shortage of alternative suitable space in central North Walsham. Councillors had already rejected the former health centre, on Northfield Road, as too expensive and too far from the middle of town. The Market Place shop once occupied by electrical firm Hughes had also been thrown out because it would have cost too much to convert. “We have got to be responsible about how much we pass on to residents,” said Mr Sims. “We don’t want to be at the mercy of a private landlord and have to move every five years - costing residents’ money each time. “For that reason we are also considering purchasing permanent premises but, if we did, it would mean a larger cost to be passed on.” Mr Sims said the town council was holding “positive talks” with NNDC which was helping it look for a new home. He was also hopeful that NNDC would contribute towards the town council’s estimated £20,000-£25,000 moving costs. About £10,000 had recently been spent installing town-centre CCTV monitoring equipment in the town council’s offices. “It will all have to be taken out and re-installed in the new premises, at a cost,” said Mr Sims. The town council currently has the use of a council chamber, three offices and storage space. It runs a successful Information Centre from the building, staffed by volunteers, and its facilities are also used for meetings and storage by the Christmas lights committee, and North Walsham in Bloom. Town council clerk Nick Clancy said a number of options would be discussed at Tuesday’s town council meeting as the council prepared to set its budget for 2015-2016. Each North Walsham household pays £46.09 to run the town council as part of the 2014-2015 council tax bill. Draft contracts between NNDC and Wetherspoon are being prepared. Wetherspoon would be expected to submit a planning application for the site within 20 days of the sale.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 21:50:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015