Council tax hike over unfinished community centre

The new community centre at Easton has still not been completed

Villagers are facing a £50 per year increase in their council tax bill over an unfinished community centre project.

Easton Parish Council in Norfolk confirmed the 166% rise in its portion of the charge to cover the cost.

The £3.2m project has been on hold as the council cannot afford to pay contractors to finish the works.

The council told the BBC it was "relieved" it had been able to limit the increase as a result of a restructuring of a government loan, which is awaiting approval.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service the project remains hundreds of thousands of pounds short of its required budget.

Last week, the parish council agreed its share of the council tax charge, known as the precept, for the 2025-26 financial year would be £68,898.

The precept for the current year is £25,926.

The scheme was initially forecast to cost about £1.5m but had risen dramatically due to inflation pushing up the price of manpower and materials.

The council, which has largely been replaced with new members, still needs to find about £300,000 to pay outstanding fees and finish remaining works.

It originally took out a £500,000 government loan to pay for the work.

In a statement, it said: "The Parish Council have been facing significant financial difficulties arising from the construction of a new Community Centre.

"As a result of significant work, it is anticipated that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will approve the re-profiling of an existing loan over a greater time period, reducing the annual re-payment costs.

"Whilst the Parish Council recognises that the precept just set represents a sizeable increase, it is relieved that they have been able to limit the increase, on average, to just over £1 per property, per week."

Legal action

Documents obtained by the BBC also revealed legal action arising from the project has cost South Norfolk Council (SNC) £40,000 so far.

SNC is claiming it was given substandard advice by the legal arm of Norfolk County Council.

It had not been made aware that it stood to pay £1m towards the cost of the community centre, SNC said in the documents.

Neither party has commented because of the ongoing court proceedings.

Angela Hampton said a new community centre was needed for Easton

The BBC spoke to a number of residents about the increase in council tax.

One, who did not wish to be identified, said that as a pensioner with a limited income, she was unhappy at the rise.

Another, Angela Hampton, said the rise in precept was "not ideal" because of the "current financial situation for everybody" but she added that the centre was important for Easton.

"The community is growing and it does need facilities. We need to find a solution to move forward," she said.