RESIDENTS will soon see their payments to Knutsford Town Council cut as it prepares to lower its precept.

The town council hiked up its portion of council tax by 37 per cent following its dispute over 60 King Street – the former home of La Belle Epoque.

But from April, Knutsford Town Council's precept will fall by 11 per cent.

It means that residents in a Band D property will pay £78.61 to the town council over the 2021-22 tax year – £9.41 less than the £88.02 paid in 2020-21, although still £14.66 higher than the payment of £63.95 made in 2019-20.

In a statement, clerk Adam Keppel-Green said: "Knutsford residents will see the council tax paid to Knutsford Town Council decrease from April as the council honours its commitment to reduce the precept as part of the 2021-22 budget.

"Residents in Knutsford will pay the seventh lowest precept of the 13 towns in Cheshire East – lower than Nantwich (£174.79), Congleton (£91.09), Sandbach (£83.88), Poynton (c. £83.21), Holmes Chapel (£82.79) and Alsager (£79.46).

"The town council is close to concluding negotiations for the re-letting of 60 King Street and we expect to make a further reduction to the precept in the 2022-23 budget."

The council’s budget for 2021-22, worth more than £660,000, includes £13,000 for by-elections in the Nether and Bexton wards, and additional spending to support the recovery of the town centre following the impact of Covid-19.

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It also includes two larger grants – £2,420 to Knutsford GROW to support the reinvigoration of the charity and £15,520 to The Welcome to fund counselling to older residents following the impact of lockdown and self-isolation.

There is also provision for reviews of the five conservation areas in Knutsford, which have been delayed due to coronavirus, and cash for the Nature Action Plan tree planting programme which starts in March.