INDEPENDENT Group Leader Cllr Stuart Mann has issued a warning that Parish Councils in the borough should be ready for what could come next and that Warringtonians ‘could’ end up paying twice as the council searches for millions more in savings.
Residents across Warrington have already faced a 7.8% council tax increase while seeing many local services reduced.
Now, the Leader of Warrington Borough Council’s Independent Group is warning parish and town councils to prepare for what he believes could become one of the next stages of the Borough Council’s financial recovery.
Cllr Stuart Mann, who also serves on Winwick Parish Council and is Chair of Croft Parish Council, believes there is a very real possibility that, as Warrington Borough Council continues searching for millions more in savings, parish councils could increasingly find themselves in discussions about taking on services the Borough Council can no longer afford to provide.
His warning follows recent comments from the Cabinet Member for Finance confirming that service reviews are now underway to shape next year’s budget.
In a recent social media update, the Cabinet Member said the Council would continue delivering the services residents rely upon “within the money available to do so.”
For Cllr Mann, that naturally raises another question.
“If every service is now being reviewed, what happens to the services that can no longer be delivered within the money available? Do they reduce? Do they disappear? Or do discussions begin with parish councils about taking them on instead?”
Cllr Mann stressed he is not suggesting Warrington Borough Council has already decided to transfer services to parish councils. His concern is that parish councils should not ignore what he believes could become a direction of travel.
He believes recent discussions surrounding Woolston Community Hub should be a wake-up call for every parish council in Warrington.
Not because Woolston itself is unique but because it raises a much bigger question as to whether similar conversations could soon begin elsewhere?
Could Birchwood Town Council one day be asked about Birchwood Community Hub?
Could Great Sankey Parish Council be approached about Great Sankey Neighbourhood Hub?
Could local parish councils eventually find themselves discussing the future of Burtonwood Library, Culcheth Library, Lymm Library, Penketh Library, Stockton Heath Library or even Broomfields Leisure Centre?
And if not those facilities, what about services residents have traditionally expected Warrington Borough Council to provide?
• Community buildings
• Parks and open spaces
• Grass cutting and grounds maintenance
• Public toilets
• Street cleansing
• Play areas
• Community centres
Cllr Mann said he is not suggesting any of these facilities or services are currently being considered for transfer, but that the possibility was not simply a theoretical concern.
A 2021 report by the Local Government Association (LGA), highlights how financial pressures have already led principal councils across England to devolve services and community assets to parish and town councils.
It also acknowledges that increasing parish precepts to fund services previously provided by a principal authority can create concerns around “double taxation”, where residents pay both borough council tax and a higher parish precept to maintain local services.
The LGA report makes clear that transfers should never simply be a way of passing financial pressures to parish councils. Instead, they should be supported by transparent business cases, clear financial information, transitional funding where appropriate and the full agreement of the parish or town council involved.
“That is why I’m raising these concerns now,” said Cllr Mann.
“Across England we have seen principal councils increasingly relying on parish and town councils to help protect local services. This as a growing national trend. Is Warrington heading in the same direction?.”
Pointing to the increasing use of community-led delivery models, such as Westbrook Library, together with the growing reliance on volunteers across Warrington, Cllr Mann suggested this is evidence that the way our town’s local services are delivered is already changing.
He praised every volunteer who gives up their time to improve their community but warned there is an important difference between communities choosing to do more and communities increasingly feeling they have little alternative because of financial pressures.
“Community spirit should always enhance public services, not become a substitute for them. Volunteers can give their time, but they cannot be expected to fund buildings, pay utility bills or absorb the long-term financial responsibilities of services previously provided by the Borough Council.”
He also highlighted an important difference between Borough and Parish when it comes to finances and precept (tax)
“Unlike borough councils, parish councils are not currently subject to council tax referendum limits. That means they are free to set whatever parish precept they believe is necessary if they decide additional funding is required.
If residents are ultimately asked to contribute again through higher parish precepts to maintain services they already believed were funded through their borough council tax, I think many would see that as unfair double taxation.”
Parish councils are independent local authorities. They cannot be instructed to take on services.
They cannot be compelled to increase their precepts.
If these fundings and services conversations do come, Cllr Mann believes parish councils should demand robust business cases and fully understand the long-term financial implications.
“The danger isn’t just that services move. The danger is that the bill moves with them and once responsibilities transfer away from the Borough Council… Will they ever realistically come back?”
