CAMELFORD Town Council discussed its precept for the coming financial year at its most recent full council meeting.

Despite a reduction of £2,000 in grant income from Cornwall Council, Camelford Town Council is continuing with plans to preserve and develop services in Camelford town.

The town council is currently exploring its most financially significant project in its history — the Library and One Stop Shop.

Following several public consultations, 97% of the public wanted to save the library from closing and gave the town council take this service over. As a result of this, and costs of maintaining the existing free services — toilets, playground, car park etc — and progressing existing projects such as the cemetery in Lanteglos, the council has had to raise the precept (council tax).

Although the library itself will cost the council over £32,000, due to financial management and taking into account some funds from its reserve the council has only had to raise tax by a total of £26,055 — which is 46p per week for a band D property.

The most common property banding in Camelford is band A, which will see a real increase of 31p a week or about £16 per year.

The town council said it ‘is one of the most forward-thinking town councils in Cornwall’, having undertaken quite a few extra services over the last couple of years, including: major flood defenses in Enfield Park, re-working Market Place car park to make it safer and improve the look, installing a new bus shelter at Clease Road and improving disabled access while maintaining the historic kissing gate by the surgery.

For more information, visit the council’s website www.camelford-tc.gov.uk