SEVERAL parish and town councils around Cheshire West are up in arms about the proposal that they should no longer receive a part of the New Homes Bonus.  But the public needs to see the wider picture.

This “bonus” is not new money. The government top-sliced money from all councils, and then promised to give it back only to those that agreed to and encouraged house building in their area.

This actually transferred money to the growing economies of the south.  Ironically some of the complaining parish councils have been at the forefront of resisting new house building.

Parish and town councils will clearly benefit from the extra council tax income of having new houses in their area. The New Homes Bonus has represented a windfall for them to spend on whatever they like.  In current circumstances our elected borough council rightly want to end this windfall lottery and to use the money to maintain services for everyone across the borough.  Ray McHale Cheshire