THE chairman of Salisbury City Council has issued a statement after last week's controversial Parish Meeting. 

It comes after it emerged that the requirements for a city-wide poll on the controversial city council tax increase were not met during the meeting.

Residents believed they had voted for a poll to be held. 

Now it emerges that the vote had actually been held on the motion itself. 

The motion was:

Do Salisbury residents support: 

a. A limit on any proposed increase to the parish precept by five per cent per year

b. If an administration wants to increase the precept by more than five per cent then a parish poll should be required.

The Chairman of Salisbury City Council, Cllr Tom Corbin, has said: "Most of the residents present at this meeting agreed with this motion.  A vote was held and there were 58 votes for, 10 votes against and two abstentions.

"I am content that this was the debate of those present and supported by the majority of those at the meeting."

There will now be a SECOND parish meeting on the matter, after six electors called for another meeting. 

The city clerk intends to ask the electors to sign the notice for the meeting at the beginning of next month. 

An email seen by the Journal states that if the notice is signed by six or more electors by March 3, then a meeting can be held on Wednesday, March 15, at 6pm, again at the Guildhall. 

Confirmation of the new meeting is expected this week. 

At a full council meeting in January, Salisbury City Council agreed a rise in the precept of £102 per year.

This means that those who pay Band D tax council will pay £335 per year (an increase of 43.8 per cent), and those at Band C will pay £297.78, Band B £260.56 and Band A £223.33. 

The council says that within Salisbury 60 per cent of properties are Band D and below, with the most numerous band being Band C.