Town councillors meet today (Monday) to decide what to do with more than £100,000 of taxpayers’ money it didn’t spend last year.

Newbury Town Council takes £62 a year from local households to pay for things like park maintenance and cemetery repairs. As its share of the bill has already been agreed, the Policy and Resources Committee is expected the £116,000 surplus will be added to the budget starting in April.

Councillors to vote for pay rise

Two lucky councillors are set to get a £3,000 a year ‘pay rise’ tomorrow (Tuesday 1st March). West Berkshire Council is planning to merge its four area planning committees into two. The four chairmen currently pick up £7,000 a year, but the new structure will see the two new chairmen collect £10,000 a year. However, councillors are set to freeze their own allowances.