There is a need to treat us equally

I REFER to the headline in The Crow last week on the letter from Cllr Lynda Needham: Policy is to treat all communities equally. I am pleased Cllr Needham and the Corporate Plan is now addressing the issue of equality of treatment across the district. U

I REFER to the headline in The Crow last week on the letter from Cllr Lynda Needham: "Policy is to treat all communities equally."

I am pleased Cllr Needham and the Corporate Plan is now addressing the issue of equality of treatment across the district.

Until this financial year some effort was made to ensure equality by way of a measure known as "special expenses".

This was an additional tax paid to the district council by the residents of Baldock, Letchworth and Hitchin to offset some of the costs of services provided in the three towns which in the parishes and Royston were provided locally and paid for by their parish and town precepts.

The advisory leaflet that arrived with our council tax for this year made the claim that tax for North Herts had risen by 14 pence-a-week; plus for the parishes and Royston there is the additional local precept to pay.

If we are to have equality then services provided locally by parishes - which in the three towns are provided by the district council - should only be charged to residents in the three towns.

Considering Royston, the town council precept includes charges for:

# Allotments

# Civil halls - town hall and Market Hill

# Christmas lights

# Royston and District Museum

# Maintenance of the plantations

All these services are provided by the district council in Baldock, Letchworth and Hitchin and Royston residents are paying for them. If we are to be treated equally, the question is why?

Cllr ROD KENNEDY

Town Councillor

Royston Heath ward