The Covid-19 Lockdown
I must admit I have been a bit slow in starting this month’s Melton Messenger article, time has been passing in a most strange way for us all in these unprecedented times. Each day feels almost the same as the last.
I must firstly thank our local shops such as the Premier Store in Warwick Avenue, Melton Produce (Springside), the Spar shop at the garage and McColls in particular that are doing a terrific job in supplying the community with food and to the locals for keeping to the guidelines.
Also I must mention the exceptional work being done by the Melton Good Neighbour scheme and Melton Primary School. In these difficult days, there has been a huge village effort to pull together and keep us safe.
So far Suffolk has seemed to have fewer cases than many other places but we must not drop our guard and let complacency creep in. Let’s hope that things will return to normal in the next few months without taking undue risks. I think the whole country is doing its bit so let’s hope that much of the good stuff will continue long after this dreadful phase is over.
Some of the things going on are:-
- Melton WI keeping in touch with all our members – my wife Maggie is keeping them all amused and updated with amusing emails
- Tributes to all the NHS and care workers who live in Melton- applause for you all at 8pm every Thursday
- Thanks to all those key workers keeping essential services going (including Melton Councillor who is working flat out – Phil Groom)
- Melton MPC website is a useful source of information
- Paul Hambling for on-line Melton Messenger and his work carried on over Easter despite the church being closed
- Thanks to all our residents for sticking to the guidelines with courtesy and cheerfulness and neighbourliness
- Chance to enjoy the spring sunshine, the weather has been kind to us etc.
- Walkers out exploring and discovering new footpaths around the village
- More composting as the green bin collection has been suspended by ESC
MPC Councillor Vacancy
Following the resignation of one of our councillors we now have a vacancy for a councillor at MPC. Please consider joining us and let us know by emailing myself or the clerk – clerk@melton-suffolk-pc.gov.uk.
MPC Interim Management Committee
Obviously we have been unable to have meetings on a face to face basis and won’t for a good while to come. A new committee has been formed from the Chairs and Vice Chairs of the council and the committees. We hold a telephone conference call every 3 weeks so that the business of the council can continue as far as we can in these difficult times. The agendas and minutes are on our website.
Annual Parish Meeting
The Annual Parish Meeting scheduled for 29th April was obviously cancelled. I have put the report on the council website, just search for Annual Parish Report and you can find it. Maybe we can have a gathering later in the year if it is safe to do so.
Pavilion Roof
I was walking in the field a few weeks ago and was amazed to see the felt missing from the pavilion roof. I first thought it was vandalism until I saw the felt wrapped around the play equipment. Our village maintenance officer has done a great job in patching it up temporarily. In the long run we hope to demolish and replace it but at the moment that is obviously on hold.
St Audrys Bowling Green and The Sports & Social Club
Hopkins Homes appealed the decision to make the former bowls green as asset of community value. After a review that decision was upheld by the appeal. We shall see what happens next. Meanwhile St Audrys Sports & Social Club are also looking to apply for Asset of Community Status.
New Dog Poo Bins
Two new dog poo bins have recently been installed in Melton, one at Wilford Bridge and the other at Old Malting Approach/New Quay Lane. We are aware that someone cut through the metal straps attaching the bin at Old Malting Approach when it was first installed but it has now been reinstalled!
MPC Precept Comparison
Our financial wizards Cllr Bill Banks and Pip Alder have been looking at the precepts of comparable local towns and parishes as we thought it would be of interest, bearing in mind the larger than usual increase this year. We still remain one of the cheapest around. There are some notes below and the table of comparison follows that.
- To make the 2020/21 Precept/Band D comparison more relevant for Melton, the comparator group has been drawn from all medium to large parish and town councils in East Suffolk (the 2019 comparator group was limited to the Suffolk Coastal area and included some very small parishes).
- A “medium to large” sized council is defined as being one that has a precept of more than £60k.
- Melton is most akin, in spending terms, to councils that have a precept/net budget of around £100k. This is because, although Melton’s precept is only £87k, its budgeted spend is about £15k higher.
- The comparator table shows that for 2020/21 Melton has the second lowest Precept/Band D rates in East Suffolk. Beccles has the lowest Precept/Band D rate by a wide margin. Examination of the Beccles budget shows that it benefits from historic property ownership/rights, resulting in zero office costs (apart from business rates) and property rental income of £70k+. Its low precept is, therefore, down to exceptional circumstances rather than it being hugely more efficient (or lower spending) than other councils.
- So to compare with Woodbridge Melton’s Precept per Band D is less than half of Woodbridge’s; in fact Melton’s is only 45.83% of Woodbridge’s precept. Less than half.
|
Ordered by Precept Band D |
|||
|
Precept (£) |
Precept per Band D (£) |
Population * |
|
|
Beccles |
116,852.00 |
36.44 |
10,357 |
|
Melton |
86,948.17 |
47.71 |
3,965 |
|
Rushmere St Andrew |
123,000.00 |
47.79 |
6,278 |
|
Martlesham |
140,497.00 |
61.18 |
5,793 |
|
Kesgrave |
302,000.00 |
63.07 |
14,823 |
|
Oulton Broad |
213,981.00 |
65.83 |
9,616 |
|
Halesworth |
116,641.15 |
67.83 |
4,942 |
|
Felixstowe |
600,570.00 |
70.87 |
24,590 |
|
Bungay |
124,997.00 |
76.61 |
5,122 |
|
Kessingland |
119,688.57 |
83.82 |
4,332 |
|
Wickham Market |
73,000.00 |
89.23 |
2,319 |
|
Woodbridge |
325,828.00 |
103.45 |
7,863 |
|
Framlingham |
157,196.00 |
105.31 |
3,705 |
|
Southwold |
120,000.00 |
109.59 |
937 |
|
Aldeburgh |
215,000.00 |
114.14 |
2,423 |
|
Saxmundham |
224,500.00 |
143.28 |
4,483 |
|
Lowestoft |
1,837,731.00 |
144.91 |
48,782 |
|
Rendlesham |
146,637.00 |
156.09 |
3,312 |
|
Leiston |
305,000.00 |
171.63 |
5,743 |
|
*2018 estimate taken from Suffolk Observatory |
