Community Infrastructure Survey

 Tell us your priorities for Ludlow


CCTV, Pelican Crossing, Footbridge, Community Hall or something else?

Ludlow Town Council, like any other town or parish council, is the most locally focused tier of government.

Ludlow Town Councillors represent seven wards in Ludlow.

Tell us what you think about the issues effecting Ludlow and make your views known to Shropshire Council.

Budget & Precept 2018 / 19


At Full Council on Monday 29 January 2018, Ludlow Town Council approved the budget for the next financial year 2018 – 2019.

 

COUNCIL TAX


 

The Town Council’s portion of council tax for 2018/19 is £545,166.00

This will increase band D Council Tax bill by £27.77 a year, which is an increase of 53 pence per week.

 

The amount will be slightly less for lower Council Tax Bands A-C

 

Summary of Ludlow Town Council’s budget for 2018 / 19:

 

Budget Expenditure:   £862,549.00

Budget Income:   £317,383.00

Precept amount:   £545,166.00

Income total:    £862,549.00

 

Local Services Provided by Ludlow Town Council


The annual budget enables the continuation of local services & facilities including:

 

  • Service provision and facilities management of Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross; The Guildhall Offices; Ludlow Market; Henley Road Cemetery – burial services and grounds maintenance; The Linney Recreation Area, Jetty & Toilets; Wheeler Road Skate Park, fenced ball games area, smaller children’s play area & Ludlow Boxing Club building; Houseman Crescent Play Area; Castle Gardens; St John’s Gardens; Town Centre Public Toilets; Riverside Life Buoys; Town Centre benches; Bus shelters; Ludlow Mayfair; and Websites & Newsletter

 

  • Provision of Local Community Grants, Ludlow Calendar of Events leaflet, Public Meetings, Planning Consultee - Local Representations to Shropshire Council, Street Trading; and Christmas Lights & Tree – putting up, maintenance and storage.

 

  • Event management of Civic Events – Remembrance Sunday with local partners, Mayor Making, Mayor’s Sunday, Christmas Lights Switch-On, Senior Citizen’s Christmas, Kid’s Corner Craft and Fun Activities Event

 

                         Staff


Running these local services gives employment to 20 full and part-time staff, which equates to 15.4 full time members of staff (FTE)

           

Public Consultation


Prior to agreeing the budget, Councillors hand delivered consultation forms to households in Ludlow. There was a good level of response – seven hundred and thirty-one in total.

 

Six hundred and nine paper consultation forms were returned to the Guildhall, Mill Street, and one hundred and twenty-two people completed the consultation online.

 

Nearly seventy percent of residents who replied expressed support for the Town Council to provide local services cut by Shropshire Council and agreed to an increase in Council Tax.

 

New Services being developed & Local Grants Awarded in 2018 / 19

Ludlow Town Council has already opened Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross in 2016 and is investing in developing this new tourism service with assistance from Shropshire Council.

 

A new grant of £5,000.00 has been allocated to support Visitor Information Services in Ludlow.

 

A new small grant has also been allocated to assist Friends of Corve & Teme  to develop a robust flooding strategy to support vulnerable locations and residents.

 

The town council have increased local community grants to £33,850.00 in 2018/19.

 

Ludlow Town Council and Shropshire Council have progressed talks regarding the Town Council taking on and maintaining twelve recreation grounds and play areas in Ludlow. The 2018 / 19 budget includes provision for this increase to local service provision.

 

Financial Planning:


The Town Council has planned and budgeted for works to the Guildhall; refurbishment of The Linney toilets; development of the cemetery paths, and replacement of older machinery.

 

The Town Council is growing to meet the extra demands required to support the recent improvements to service provision, large projects, and changing from an organization under pressure from of lack of resources into a resilient organisation.

 

Statement of Reserves


General Fund Reserves:   £380,453.00
Allocated Reserves:    £199,895.00 
Allocated Reserves are existing funds for future projects / works or unspent project funds.

Remaining Reserves:   £180,558.00

                                               

Other Projects 


 
The Guildhall Grade I listed building – this project will be completed in 2018 /19 using existing funds.

The Town Walls Repairs: Ancient Scheduled Monument - the Town Walls Trust have funded the first phase of the works; and grant funding will be sought for phase two and three. There will be some costs to the town council in relation to professional and legal fees and provision for these is included within the 2018/19 budget.

 

Leading Ludlow’s Community Led Plan to create a new forward looking 5 – 10 year plan for Ludlow. The second stage consultation questionnaire will be released in February