Acle Parish Council set to hike council tax by £17 a year

Acle Parish Council has launched a public consultation ahead of a proposed £17.15 council tax hike per Band D property, which is an increase of around 13pc. 

The council is planning to demolish the Fletcher Room, a mobile unit hired to the pre-school, and replace it with a larger two-room building. However, a loan of £300,000 will be needed for the project to go ahead.

The council tax hike will be necessary for the repayment of this sum, a process that would take around 15 years.

Acle Parish Council said: "We are expecting to reduce the loan amount with grants. There are many available for this type of project and we will be applying for all that we may be eligible for. 

"If the loan is not supported by the residents of Acle, we cannot apply for this, and therefore the project will not be able to happen at this time."

The Fletcher Room is a community building on Fletcher Way, next to the primary school, and its main hirer is the pre-school. 

The building has been in use since 2001 and the council says it is now "coming towards the end of its lifespan".

Basil Tibbenham, former chairman of Acle Parish Council, opens the new Acle Pre-School with the help of pupils and staff in 2002 (Image: Keiron Tovell)READ MORE: Date revealed for start of work on £47m bypass, with roads to shut for months

The rebuilding project is expected to cost a total of £350,000, which will be funded through a Public Works Loan Board loan and just over £50,000 in council reserves.

The annual council tax hike of £17.15 per Band D property would be on top of the £129.30 that the parish council already collects from these properties. 

Households across Acle have received a letter encouraging them to offer their thoughts on the project.

The consultation closes on 12 May and the results will be discussed by parish councillors later that month.