Charter trustees could vote to increase council tax in these Scarborough areas

Scarborough’s charter trustees – councillors representing the town’s unparished areas – could vote to increase the council tax precept needed to fund their work.

At an upcoming meeting on Friday, December 15, the councillors will be asked to approve an eight per cent increase which would see the Band D precept rise to £1.85.

Residents living in the unparished wards of Castle, Falsgrave and Stepney, Northstead, Weaponness and Ramshill, and Woodlands would be affected by the increase.

The charter trustees were established in April – when Scarborough Borough Council was abolished and North Yorkshire Council created – to ensure the continuation of Scarborough’s civic, historic, and ceremonial traditions.

If approved, the total budget of the trustees, who are unpaid, would rise to £22,900 next year from £20,980 this year.

Most of the funds in the budget – £18,600 – have been allocated to pay for officer support from North Yorkshire Council.

Other areas of expenditure include £1,700 for events attended and organised by the charter mayor Coun John Ritchie and deputy charter mayor Coun Janet Jefferson.

The other charter trustees are councillors Eric Broadbent, Rich Maw, Liz Colling, and Tony Randerson and they will continue their work until Scarborough Town Council is created.

North Yorkshire Council had originally planned for Scarborough Town Council to be created next year but a controversial third public consultation on the plan was approved by North Yorkshire councillors earlier this year.

Harrogate is the only other town in the county with unparished areas and its charter trustees have also been asked to approve a budget increase.

According to a report prepared for the Scarborough meeting: “The budget is essentially a rollover from 23/24 with figures updated for appropriate inflation.”

It adds: “These have been inflated by six per cent in line with expected price increase for these services.”

The charter trustees will meet at Scarborough Town Hall on Friday, December 15 at 10am and members of the public will be allowed to speak if they email [email protected] by midday on Tuesday, December 12.