Councillors to receive update on Victoria Park café plans tonight (Mon)

It is hoped the £485,000 facility will be open by spring 2021

NEWBURY town councillors will receive an update on plans to build a new community café in Victoria Park when they meet on Monday.

If proposals are approved, it is hoped that the carbon neutral café will open in spring 2021.

The council will also be setting its budget for the forthcoming financial year at the meeting

The Lib Dem-controlled town council is proposing to increase its precept – the part of the council tax bill it collects – by 8.7 per cent to help fund a number of improvements to the town.

If approved, it will represent a rise of £6.85 a year, or 13 pence per week, for the average band D property.

The council says the increase is necessary to help pay for improvements, to cover lost income from the market and inflationary and IT increases.

In return, the council said it will spend £2.165m – 20 per cent more than last year – on supporting its four-year strategy and achieving its aim of ‘making Newbury a town we can all be proud of’.

The draft budget was approved at a policy and resources meeting on Monday night.

Also at Monday’s meeting, Chris Foster – chairman of the Climate Change Working Group – will present an update on the council’s Carbon Reduction Plan.

The meeting will take place in Newbury Town Hall at 7.30pm on Monday.