Nantwich Town Council is proposing to raise its portion of Council Tax by 8% in 2025-26 to help fund improvements to the town’s market.
Councillors have agreed to put the proposed budget out for public consultation until December 9.
The rise would result in £162.40 (annually) per household for a Band D property, which is a £12.02 increase on last year’s precept for a Band D property.
It’s hoped the rise will help generate more funds to implement a “Market Action Plan” to carry out improvements.
The plan, shaped by input from market traders and the community, includes extended opening hours and more family-friendly events with activities like face painting and balloon making.
It also includes better marketing by employing a new marketing officer to promote the market’s visibility and engagement.
And it aims to expand to increase the number of stalls, expanding it along Churchyard side to accommodate more vendors.
The budget for 2025-26 also aims to boost the council’s “general reserves” pot to around £475,000 by the end of 2025-26.
By law, town and parish councils must have a certain amount in reserve, usually around 4-6 months’ worth.
The council currently has £278,584 in its “capital reserves” and there are currently no plans for capital projects.
The report was discussed at the town council meeting on Thursday (November 7).
Residents can view more details on the budget proposals and air their views during the public consultation, by visiting https://www.nantwichtowncouncil.gov.uk/proposed-town-council-budget-2025-26/
The current 5% cap on increases in Council Tax does not apply to The Town Council. Cheshire East receive cross subsidy in a number of key areas from the Town Council. The Town Council has deliberately raised the precept to fund Cheshire East Council. The Library is just one case that comes to mind. I am sure there will be others. I would recommend detailed request Under The Freedom of Information Act to reveal exactly what financial liabilities have been passed from Cheshire East to the Town Council.
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A business has to to be self financing , it includes all the commercial costs and expenditure. The Council Tax Payer should not be used to fund ailing and failing businesses which operate in Nantwich Market. Stall holders should pay a rent which covers the commercial cost of operating the Market. If not close the market, The site could be re-developed tastefully, both sympathetically and empathetically in conjunction with the historical nature of Nantwich.
Lets get real if businesses are not profitable the tax payer is not there to prop them up.
It is sad the world moves on.
Nantwich Market is not a wonderful architectural building. Shops open and close in the streets in the town.
Tell me what makes the market so special.
If the citizens of Nantwich want a market they should make it viable and spend their money in the market and the stallholder should not expect, anticipate subsidy by the Council Tax Payer.
Bavo! I have been saying this for years Ian. This “Dabber-nostalgia” costs all of us money and these stalls, that we subsidise, selling cheap-Chinese rubbish and pseudo-antiques add nothing to Market or the town.
Has nobody told Nantwich Councillors that the government have put a cap of 5% on council tax increases for 2025/26 ?
It says a lot about Cheshire east when the Labour office has closed in market street Crewe.
Putting up rates is an easy option to fund a white elephant problem, but the cost should lie with stall holders.
If I’m going to run a business I want it to sell and make income and a prophet not to be bailed out by rate payers.
There’s so much mistrust with Cheshire east council and not being open and honest.
In reality how much did it really cost to build the multi storey car park in Crewe,
They say 11 million I beg to differ.
I bet if the true figures were known we could be looking at a figure in the region of 15 million.
Nantwich is a lovely place to visit especially on the square you can sit and enjoy tranquility.
It’s also nice when you see a busker trying to earn a shilling or two, sometimes they could be students or the likes these people are self dependent and don’t ask for help.
If you want to run a business then compete if your struggling then ask yourself what is wrong with what I’m doing or selling.
This also applies to Cheshire east council,
They should cut their cloth to suit don’t always think the easy way out is MAKING THE RATE PAYERS COUGH UP MORE ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
For a start getting rid of contractors doing work for Cheshire east,
Bring the work back to the employers of Cheshire east cut out the middle man think of the savings, no back handers?.
Yes it is a common known fact you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.
CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER.🧐
Paying more and more but we recieve less and less all to cover the incompetence and miss management of Cheshire east. The building of a huge carpark for one,only used mainly by council staff because crewe has no shops anymore and wait till the next money saving scheme 3 weekly bin collections .
If I mismanaged public funds like they do I would be in prison…. shocking incompetence
Nantwich market needs to finance itself, if not then it should be closed and the building sold. The market is truly awful and stuck in the dark ages. I understand the sentimental value for many in and around Nantwich but frankly it’s not a reason for it to stay open. The Tuesday and Thursday markets are shocking poor and the Saturday market marginally better usually so because other retail activities happening in the square. Time move move on
I suggest that the market hall should be run like any other business. If the premesis needs a facelift then the leaseholders/stall holders should fund the improvements themselves.
Some of us don’t even use the market because of the tat that a lot of the stall holders sell.
Perhaps the rent for the stalls should be increased if it is not self funding.
Stop throwing our money at failing enterprises!!
I have read the Action Plan for Nantwich Market. I have never read such a load of rubbish. No mention of maximising the potential income from the asset. No reference to increasing the return on the capital advanced. If Face Painting and such twaddle is all you can come up with. I suggest you should all resign .
Nantwich Town Council has a responsibility for maintenance of numerous buildings. Building Maintenance is broken down into short term annual costs, medium term say up to five years , them long term. Surely any organisation effectively managed would earmark income revenue towards meeting these cost out of income by placing monies in a reserve account. All homeowners face this challenge as part of being home owners. Houses do not maintain themselves.
The question is what has Nantwich Town Council being doing. Any organisation can spend money. It is spending tax payers money prudently. Management is about planning, supervision, control; and delivering prudent value for money with what is Tax Payers Money.
Sadly Cheshire East Council and Nantwich Town Council appear to fail in so many areas .
Can any Town Councillor have the courage to inform the citizens of Nantwich what policies and actions fulfil this very simple principle.
The answer will no.
It is similar to Cheshire East Council who will not disclose the revenue cost of their latest white elephant, that is the multi story car park in Crewe.
There is no accountability within local government.
When you discus these issue with fellow citizens they all agree. Sadly nothing gets done to redress the issues.
Inflation is running at under 2 percent and the Town Council Think it is in order to raise the precept by 8 percent.
I hope the people of Nantwich peacefully communicate their feedback.
Why would extended opening hours be warranted on Tuesday, half the stalls inside are closed and foot traffic is very light. Face painting and Balloon making would surely pay for their stalls, so the question is why extra funding? If the market is run on a business footing it should be paying for itself.
Householders are being asked to pay more tax to, quote:
“more family-friendly events with activities like face painting and balloon making”.
You’ve got to be kidding right? Get a proper plan for the market that involved serious vendors who dont sell numerous lines of tat.
The market needs an overhaul – extend opening hours is a good thing – but get some ideas from somewhere like Altrincham and even Crewe where the market has become a proper destination.
I object to having to pay more than inflationary rises
Incompetence yet again from The Town Council. run by idiots who can not operate within a budget.
In 2021 Nantwich Town Council increased it’s council tax by 42%. We were told this would be a temporary measure as they had to cover the loss of income from the Civic Centre due to COVID.
So how come this massive increase was never reversed? It was after all a temporary measure and COVID is in the past.