Morecambe Town Council hits back after MP rips into 'Frontierland tax' rise in Westminster speech

Morecambe Town Council has hit back at the town's MP after he told Westminster that a massive 'Frontierland tax' rise had inflicted a 'further cost of living crisis' on residents.

David Morris ripped into the town council during a 23-minute speech - slamming councillors for ramping up its share of Council Tax to unprecedented levels to raise £1m for their plans for the Frontierland site.

Mr Morris also criticised the parish council for raising its annual staffing budget to £360,000 to fund 10 employees - the most in its history - and questioned the role of its chief officer Luke Trevaskis, who he said was paid a near-£60,000 salary for a part-time position.

The MP has called for a Government task force to investigate Morecambe Town Council and also said he has met with Michael Gove, Levelling Up Secretary, who said he would look into the issues he'd raised.

In response to Mr Morris' speech, a town council spokesperson defended the Council Tax rise for the planned Frontierland project and Mr Trevaskis' record as chief officer, and said the MP's comments about council officers were "wildly inaccurate".

The town council has now asked for a meeting with the MP to "clarify facts".

Mr Morris spoke at a Westminster Hall debate into parish and town council tax precepts on Tuesday.

He said the town council's share of Council Tax - which has risen by between 231 per cent and 237 per cent in 2023/24 - was believed to be the "highest such increase in Britain".

Here is an example of a Council Tax bill for a Band C resident of Morecambe for 2023/24.

Mr Morris said: "I have no political interest in Morecambe Town Council, because the Conservatives do not field candidates for Morecambe Town Council, as it has historically been mired in controversy and accusations of financial impropriety.

"I do not receive a bill from the town council because, thankfully, I live one street out of the catchment area. I very rarely, if ever, get involved in local politics, but I cannot not get involved in this issue of double taxation and needless spending that has inflicted a cost of living crisis on approximately 17,500 homes in my constituency, which equates to approximately 33,000 people.

"My inbox has been flooded with messages from angry constituents who are paying an extra £100-plus —in some cases, even more—but have no idea for why or for what."

The high Council Tax rise - which has been dubbed 'the Frontierland tax' - was voted through by a majority of town councillors as part of the annual Morecambe Town Council budget in February.

It will raise a million pounds from Morecambe residents for a 'Community Action Fund' related to the derelict former Wild West theme park (pictured below) which is owned by Lancaster City Council.

For more background and Morecambe Council Tax information see this story here

Related Story: MP to lead Parliamentary debate on Morecambe Town Council tax rise - Beyond Radio

The city council is in the process of seeking "expressions of interest" from would-be developers of the land, which has been disused since the fairground closed 23 years ago.

Morecambe Town Council has put in its own expression of interest and is setting up a 'community forum' of residents to push their ideas forward.

They want "to create a welcoming hub on the former Frontierland site, that fulfils multi-purpose functions to create maximum flexibility over time, encouraging creativity and free-to-access community infrastructure such as culture hubs, outdoor classrooms, a mini open-air theatre, and a community centre".

But Mr Morris said this was "a vanity project that will never get built".

"I have spoken to several town councillors—some have whistleblown to me and some have already resigned—and they all tell me the same story: they say that they voted on this budget without being given the full papers in adequate time.

"The city council, which owns (Frontierland), states that it is not for sale and already has guidelines in place for development interests.

"The town council has engaged architects, at the cost of £48,000 (for the project on) a site that the town council has no ownership of, and it has not even sought or been given outline planning permission. It is needless spending and blatant double taxation."

During his speech, Mr Morris said he'd been told that Luke Trevaskis, proper officer for the town council, has "a part-time salary (which) is now nearly £60,000".

He said Mr Trevaskis was a "serial town parish clerk: he recently claimed that he is town parish clerk to five other parish councils".

"I sincerely hope there are no expense claims by Mr Trevaskis for carrying out his duties from a spare room, as that would be subsidy to the other parish councils where he is also clerk," he said.

Referring to the town council's highest ever staffing budget in 2023/24, Mr Morris said: "There are three new officers earning less than £50,000, who are unnamed.

"There are administration and projects officers, a public realm supervisor, and six public realm operatives, including two apprentices—for what services? This is a parish council and its wages bill is now a whopping £360,000. It costs nearly as much as Lancaster City Council to the taxpayers in that small area. This is high double taxation.

"There are no names given for any of those titles, and it is rumoured that they are linked to some councillors—in short, nepotism."

See the 2023/24 Morecambe Town Council budget in full here:

Related Story: £100k for festivals and highest ever staffing costs in Morecambe Town Council budget - Beyond Radio

The MP also referred to a recent small claims court case involving Morecambe Town Council.

The council agreed to a £1,538.18 settlement with its former auditor Internal Audit Yorkshire earlier this month.

There is more on this story here.

Related Story: Judge makes ruling in Morecambe Town Council court case - Beyond Radio

"Given the recent court appearance, previous record, and any advice given that has been the cause of this debate, Morecambe Town Council should seriously question the expensive level of service and supposed expertise that Mr Trevaskis is charging the taxpayers for," said Mr Morris.

"To sum up, since I became the MP 13 years ago, Morecambe and the surrounding area has prospered. We have had hundreds of millions of pounds in Government investment. Just to scratch the surface, there is the link road, sea wall defences, the prestigious Eden Project North and, very recently, more millions to finish off the majestic Winter Gardens. That is without going into public service upgrades, new builds and business partnerships.

"That has not been easy, and the antics of the town council put all that at risk, with its ongoing legacy of super-taxation, which is causing a cost of living crisis that is unique to my Morecambe constituents. I call for a Government taskforce to investigate this matter urgently."

GOVERNMENT MINISTER'S RESPONSE

Speaking directly after Mr Morris, Lee Rowley, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, said:

"Council Tax is set by local authorities—in this instance that includes a town council—and they decide what level of Council Tax they need to raise. The Government set referendum principles for some, but not all, councils each year. Where councils set excessive increases, they have to go to referendum. Increases are usually within the bounds of around five per cent for other council tiers.

"We have not traditionally applied referendum principles to town and parish councils, but we have said very clearly that all tiers of council should exercise restraint when they are setting Council Tax increases. This was made clear in the consultation for the local government finance settlement for 2023 to 2024. We stated that the Government continuing to not set referendum principles was contingent on town and parish councils taking all available steps to mitigate the need for Council Tax increases and the Government seeing clear evidence of restraint.

"It is the case that the thousands of town and parish councils will face different challenges and perform different functions, but it is also the case—I want it to be clearly noted in this debate—that we expect town and parish councils to be restrained in their Council Tax increases.

"I agree, having had a superficial look at the budget—which he has kindly provided—that there are a number of relatively odd things happening here.

"The vast majority of town and parish councils do incredible work, as do councils of all tiers, day in, day out, to ensure that local residents and communities thrive and improve. In any system with thousands of different entities, that cannot always be the case, and where there is challenge, problems and poor behaviour, that absolutely should be raised. It is absolutely the case that light should be shone on it and that transparency ultimately wins the day."

MORECAMBE TOWN COUNCIL RESPONSE

Following Mr Morris' speech, a Morecambe Town Council spokesperson said:

"The council has requested a meeting with David Morris MP to clarify facts.

"This year, following an overwhelming response to a public consultation, the council raised a one-off community action fund through Council Tax to fund the development of a community hub.

"Accusations of councillor misconduct is nothing more than unfounded conjecture.

"Following a recent independent review by the National Association of Local Councils, Morecambe Town Council is delighted to have been recognised nationally for its high standards in transparency, responsible governance, and exceptional community impact. Being the first council in Lancashire to receive a Quality Gold Award for its achievements in the last two years, the town council is grateful to have such a dedicated team of officers working tirelessly with members to achieve positive outcomes for residents.

"The town council’s precept is the only part of a Council Tax bill that is solely spent on local projects within Morecambe's boundary. This means that, unlike all other tax levies, any money collected by Morecambe Town Council will not be spent elsewhere in the district or county and will remain solely for the benefit of local people.

"The council has also increased its annual budget to safeguard £100,000 for local events, £25,000 for community grants, and it is investing a further £150,000 to enhance local recreational facilities and open spaces. The council has additionally ring-fenced £80,000 for Morecambe’s 'Baylight Weekend’.

"A Community Forum of local residents has been set up to lead a community development on Frontierland and the council is excited to work closely with the townspeople who are at the heart of this project.

"The strength and resilience of our neighbourhoods should not be underestimated and Morecambe Town Council is committed to firmly returning power to the hands of people, so residents have a voice in their future, increased control of public finances, and empowerment to do things their way. The council hopes to work closely with Lancaster City Council to achieve its vision, which has been locally coined as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build community wealth and social capital.

"The assertions made by David Morris MP regarding officers are wildly inaccurate. There are no employees of the council related to (or associates of) councillors, the council does not provide any home office allowances for employees who work from home, and all levels of remuneration are in line with nationally agreed rates of pay. It is quite common for officers of parish and town councils to work for multiple authorities - it helps to reduce overheads and enables costs for training to be shared across more than one council.

"For much of the council’s existence prior to 2020, it employed three officers to facilitate its core administrative functions, with an annual staffing budget of up to £66,690.00. Following a re-organisation in 2020, the council recruited a part-time chief officer to undertake the three core administrative roles, which reduced annual staffing expenditure by 32 per cent.

"Under the stewardship of the new chief officer, the council has experienced significant improvements in efficiency and outcomes, and this has resulted in continued core cost savings, alongside the generation of additional income streams.

"Last year the chief officer secured approximately £50,000 from external grant funding streams, and oversaw events that raised a further £20,000. Success has continued into this year, with £73,000 additional income secured from tenders and grant opportunities, and a further £91,000 expected to follow in the coming months.

"This additional revenue has helped the council to offset costs, and create new job openings for local people, making improvements to service delivery which will have an overall positive impact on the wellbeing of our residents across the town."

Earlier this month, an auditor completed an investigation into Morecambe Town Council for the 2021/22 financial year following a complaint by a member of the public, and said the information they reviewed was "in accordance with Proper Practices and no other matters have come to our attention giving cause for concern that relevant legislation and regulatory requirements have not been met".

Related Story: https://www.beyondradio.co.uk/news/local-news/auditor-completes-investigation-after-complaint-about-morecambe-town-council/