HAGLEY Parish Council announced an average of one per cent increase in its parish precept at a recent council meeting.

Councillor Steve Colella, chairman, said the increase offers villagers “very good value for money” due to the services the parish provides.

In the past year, the council has used its precept – a tax charged on each property in the parish to fund the local authority – to keep the village library open, as well as invest in the new state-of-the-art pavilion project on Hagley Playing Fields.

During the meeting, Cllr Colella thanked fellow parish councillors for their “dedication and forward thinking” in what he described as a fantastic year for Hagley after investment and support into the community.

He said: “I’m proud to be able to say that a parish of Hagley’s size has consistently demonstrated that it has the foresight and expertise to make sound decisions that are prudent and well balanced.

“This news comes before Bromsgrove District Council and Worcestershire County Council announce their tax increases and I’m sure that we will be seeing these authorities maximising its tax rises in the coming weeks.

“The services that we’re able to support and enhance offer very good value for money.”

Lead councillor for finance Steve Collins, who announced the precept increase, added: “We've been able to hold the precept tax increase to an average of one per cent, even in a year where we've seen the parish pick up the cost of keeping the library open, agree to a second tranche of lighting upgrade, embedding the new parish boundary, as well ensuring that the community bus supports those residents who rely on it as their only means of getting out and about.”

As part of the 2017/18 precept funds, the council agreed allocate money towards new lighting, new Christmas decorations, grave renovations, allotment and cemetery surveys, website development and its neighbourhood plan.