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Villagers have been hit with a 166pc council tax hike to cover the spiralling costs of an ill-fated community centre rebuild. Easton Parish Council has agreed the hefty increase to its precept due to "significant financial difficulties" arising from its village hall project. The unfinished £3m development remains hundreds of thousands of pounds short of its required budget and a lack of funds means the heating cannot be turned on, resulting in floorboards lifting and damp creeping in.
The council has turned to the taxpayer for a lifeline which will result in households paying more than twice as much as they currently do. The unfinished community centre in Marlingford Road (Image: Denise Bradley) Easton, on the outskirts of Norwich, is one of the fastest-growing villages in Norfolk with hundreds of new homes planned for the area. To meet the needs of the growing population, Easton Parish Council launched its plans to build a multi-use community centre in Marlingford Road to replace its existing village hall in October 2021.
READ MORE: Council defends budget plans in face of Norwich Western Link axe The ambitious project to construct a building around three times the size of the current facility has hit several hurdles since work began, including the original contractors going bust. This resulted in parish councillors deciding to take on project management themselves. The scheme was initially forecast to cost around £1.
5m but this has risen dramatically due to inflation pushing up the price of manpower and materials. Councillors now believe it will come to a total of £3.2m.
The existing village hall, where parish council meetings are still held (Image: Denise Bradley) The council still needs to find at least £300,000 to pay fees related to the community centre and finish remaining works before locals can get through the door, which will not be until autumn at the earliest. It could be facing further costs as suppliers for the project are bringing legal action against the council due to late payments. These pressures are requiring the council to increase the parish tax for locals, which it had previously suggested could be a hike as steep as 230pc.
However, by renegotiating hefty loan repayments to the government, the increase has been agreed at 166pc. This will result in Band D properties in Easton, which currently pay £44 a year toward the parish, paying around £117..
