Tuppence a week (From Ledbury Reporter)

Tuppence a week

2:40pm Monday 27th February 2012 in Letters

TUPPENCE extra a week.

That is all the money the Malvern Hills Conservators (MHC) are asking of Band D taxpayers in my area in 2012/13. How can this be?

Last year the MHC precept fell by 1.4 per cent and the previous year it also fell by 1.1 per cent.

Of course the price of fuel still goes up and salaries, vehicles need servicing and equipment replaced.

So this year the MHC voted for an increase that is the average of a number of inflation indices to arrive at 5.4 per cent.

In reality this will actually translate into something like a 4.2 per cent charge to taxpayers, due to the increase in housing stock.

This is why the previous years ended with a reduction in the precept paid by the taxpayers, as the MHC had not voted for any increase in the total annual precept.

So what is the actual impact on the taxpayers? The precept in my area is £26.27 pa. This is roughly 50p a week.

So a 4.2 per cent increase that is the likely outcome is just over two pence a week.

The first rise in three years, with an annual average of 1.8 per cent per year over this time.

Cheap for an organisation that own and manage 3,000 acres of countryside, with amazing biodiversity and archaeological and geological artefacts.

The Malvern Hills (recently quoted as the fourth best view in Britain) attract a lot of visitors who bring benefits the local economy.

The Malvern Hills Conservators have an incredibly important role in ensuring the hills and commons are managed and maintained for the benefit of people.

Some correspondents do have strange ideas; thinking that the Malvern Hills District Council or perhaps the Malvern Town Council has any control over the Malvern Hills Conservators.

These are completely separate organisations.

I always felt it would be nice if the Malvern Hills name could be registered for copyright by the Conservators and charge all organisation that use it!

The MHC are governed by a number of Acts of Parliament – you can see these on the website.

So please pay your tuppence extra a week to ensure that the Malvern Hills remain an outstanding attraction for everyone to visit and enjoy.

PETE WATSON
Malvern Hills Conservator Priory Ward