Second Salisbury City Council parish meeting called

The first meeting took place on Wednesday, February 22, and ended in confusion. 

The meeting was supposed to result in a call for a city-wide referendum on whether the council can increase its council tax precept by more than five per cent in any future year. 

It was called because of a 43.8 per cent increase in the city council tax precept for band D properties. 

But the requirements for the poll were not met.

Councillor Tom Corbin, who chaired the meeting, 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 are wider issues'

Cllr Tom Corbin. Picture by Spencer Mulholland (Image: Newsquest)

Cllr Corbin later told the Journal: "The meeting I chaired was called and led by six electors. After two hours of debate a motion was read out three times and a vote taken and no challenge to the final motion nor the result of the vote was forthcoming.

"I am very disappointed to hear that some of these same people have been senselessly attacking myself and others on social media suggesting that they had achieved a different outcome to that, that they had led and then claiming this was orchestrated in this way. This is all simply untrue.

"There are wider issues that relate to the usefulness of such antagonistic meetings being called where there is no recourse to correct issues that arise and that are incorrectly treated as a meeting of the council which they are not."

'Utterly depressing state of affairs'

Cllr Eleanor Wills, who was one of the people who called the meeting, said: "The actions of the administration in their handling of this has been deeply damaging to the reputation of the City Council and the overall health of local democracy in Salisbury.

"As the Salisbury Journal's live blog noted during the previous meeting, members of the public clearly called for a vote on the poll while discussion during the debate frequently referenced the pros and cons of carrying out the poll, including by the Chair himself. The whole process regarding the vote was poorly managed.

"This is an utterly depressing state of affairs straight after the 44 per cent precept rise. The only positive we can take from this is that residents wrote in to the City Council to request that the poll still takes place and to call a second meeting, meaning the views of local people will still be heard.

"The administration have got to get a grip and they absolutely must respect the outcome of the poll as well."

The second parish meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 15, at 6pm at Salisbury Guildhall.

A parish meeting is a meeting of the Salisbury residents. It is not a meeting of the Council.

The meeting will consider the following items as set out in the notice which is published today.

1. To be discussed

To discuss a precept cap of five per cent on future Salisbury City Council budgets, and obligation to call a parish meeting if an administration wants to increase the precept by more than five per cent.

2. Poll

a. To consider the demand for a poll on item 1. 

b. To agree the question for the poll.

If you have any queries regarding this meeting, contact the City Clerk on 01722 342860, email corporate@salisburycitycouncil.gov.uk or visit go to salisburycitycouncil.gov.uk.

Click here to view the agenda for the meeting.