Lowestoft Town Council
For immediate release
Press release
The Town Council has set its precept for 2019/20. The precept is its part of the Council Tax demand. The Town Council continues to deal with the challenges faced by the unilateral decision of Waveney District Council to transfer over mainly non-revenue earning assets, many transferred in poor repair and with inadequate information and funding. A considerable amount of time and money has had to be spent on determining the condition of buildings and making repairs and improvements where possible.
Lowestoft Town Council faces large bills for maintaining assets such as the Town Hall, Marina Theatre and Denes Oval due to lack of investment over a number of years. These are to ensure that the buildings do not become unsafe or deteriorate such that they become a greater liability and expense in the future.
At the start of this budgeting process, the sums identified to carry out the immediate repairs would have resulted in a 46% increase in the precept. After months of work to identify savings and different ways of financing expenditure, this was reduced by over two thirds. The Council did not want to cut public-facing services but ultimately determined a further reduction on the increase, totalling £120k. It did this through delaying some budget items to future years and making small savings across the whole budget.
Part of the Council’s strategy for dealing with the financial commitments, is to consider taking out a loan to spread the cost of needed repairs over a longer period. However, every element of the expenditure will need to be subject to individual project-plans and costings and residents will be consulted on whether to seek loans for relevant projects.
For a Band A property the increase will be £8.31 per year (16p per week) and for a Band D property the increase will be £12.47 per year (24p per week). The precept will rise by 9.62%.
The Mayor, Cllr Ian Graham, said “We are delighted that we have already been able to improve many assets under our care. Play areas, such as those at Normanston Park and Stoven Close have seen major improvements. We created a beautiful memorial garden and helped deliver successful events in our open spaces in the town. Our Town Hall has had some emergency repairs and we anticipate that we will be progressing a viability study on its future shortly. The Marina Theatre is now more secure owing to our purchase of the Box Office Building and we will be investing to keep the main Theatre fit for purpose. We made use of our leisure facilities free in 2018/19 and we were greatly encouraged by the major impact this had on usage. We are looking at new ways to incentivise improvements in use and facilities through working with the Clubs in 2019/20. Although we are faced with an unavoidable increase in the precept, in real terms the figures are low compared to the impact of the bigger budgets of Councils such as Waveney District Council. The Town Council is focused solely on delivery benefits for Lowestoft.”
Contact details for the Council: shona.bendix@lowestofttowncouncil.gov.uk Tel: 0330 053 6019
Further information on the Town Council can be seen at: www.lowestofttowncouncil.gov.uk
Read more on Press Release - The Town Council sets its precept for 2019/20
On Monday 29 January the Mayor, Town Councillors and Friends of Kensington Gardens unveiled a new plaque at the tree planted by Waveney District Council in 2002 to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. The original plaque near the west side entrance to the park had become illegible and in a poor state of repair and the Town Council is pleased to provide a replacement. A wreath of yellow flowers was laid and a silence observed to remembers all those who had lost their lives through genocide.
Next year,2020, will mark 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz. The Town Council will work with local organisations on events which will recall the role the town played when the Kinder Train arrived at Lowestoft Station and how the people of Lowestoft offered their homes to victims of the Holocaust.
This is a picture of Ness Point on Tuesday 8/1/19 at high tide. The Environment Agency and HM Coastguard Lowestoft are advising people to take care and avoid seafront areas. There are a number of flood warnings and alerts in place in East Suffolk. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings.
Lowestoft Town Council is hosting a forum for parishes in Waveney, details of which are below. If you would like to attend this session please email lauren.elliott@lowestofttowncouncil.gov.uk.
Lowestoft Town Council has three meeting rooms that are available to hire at Hamilton House, full details can be found here.
Land forming part of the northern section of Gunton Warren, Corton Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk
Notice is hereby given that Lowestoft Town Council intends to dispose of its interest in an area of open space land at the above location to Waveney District Council. The interest is the transfer of the land to the District Council which will be retained as public open space and will continue to be available with its current use following completion of transfer.
Any objections should be made in writing by Monday 17 December 2018 to Shona Bendix, Town Clerk, Lowestoft Town Council, Hamilton House, Battery Green Road, Lowestoft NR32 1DE. The transfer order can be viewed through the link on the right.
Conservation-accredited professionals are invited to express interest in submitting fee tenders to manage a repair and conversion project for Lowestoft Town Hall, a Grade II mid-19th Century listed building in a Conservation Area and Heritage Action Zone. The initial stages of the project will involve a condition survey to identify, specify, and competitively tender the most urgent repairs, but the appointed person or practice will be asked to assist in developing a creative project for the conversion of the building to offices and other community uses. Full details may be obtained by emailing admin@lowestofttowncouncil.uk or by phoning 0330 0536019. All bids to be received by 14 December 2018 at 12:00hrs.
Read more on Fee Tenders For Repairs and Conversion of an Historic Building
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