Tempers soared at Kendal Town Hall this week as house-holders quizzed council leaders over double-figure Council Tax rises.

Old-age pensioners struggling to pay bills, couples concerned about the cost of living and parish councillors turned out to get the facts first hand and air their views.

Public toilet closures, Cumbria County Council senior staff pay rises and consultants' bills all featured high on the agenda.

South Lakeland District Council chief executive Philip Cunliffe, SLDC director of finance Jack Jones and leader of SLDC Coun Colin Hodgson took questions and criticism in equal measure from the dozen residents at the meeting.

This year SLDC has backed an 11 per cent tax rise while CCC, which takes the lion's share of tax, is asking for 12 per cent increase.

A Kendal resident, who refused to give his name to The Westmorland Gazette, said there was a lot of anger in the town especially among the elderly who were struggling to pay increasingly higher bills on a fixed pension.

He said: "The perception out there is that you do not know what you are doing. I feel very, very strongly about his. I am upset about it."

He told the meeting there were clearly too many councillors in the region, which was all costing tax payers' money.

Director of finance Mr Jones explained the cost of running the 650-employee council was becoming increasingly high as Government brought in new statutory demands while grants were not increased to match.

He said that left the authority little choice but to look to Council Tax payers or make savings.

SLDC council leaders stressed that criticisms about pay rises and consultants' fees should be directed at CCC and were not relevant to their authority.

But news that SLDC was to spend £27,000 on investing in IT for councillors was met with mumblings of "it's a disgrace" from the small audience.

Vernon Wrigley, a former Helsington parish councillor, said: "I feel the Council Tax is too high and it must be brought down. I would like to see a decrease in the bill next year rather than another increase."

Chairman of Kirkby Lonsdale Parish Council Alan Day said many residents were ignorant about who their council tax bills were paid to.

"Many people are blaming the increase on SLDC because you collect it.

"People do not understand. If they came to meetings or read some of the literature they get through the post they may understand better."

April 11, 2003 09:30