BRAMSHOTT and Liphook Parish Council revealed another large precept increase in their draft budget for 2017/18 at their first finance and policy committee meeting of the year.

Following a 15 per cent increase two years ago and a 10 per cent increase last year, the parish council is planning to increase the precept by 13.62 per cent for 2017/18, which amounts to a £10 rise per Band D household.

According to parish council chairman Jane Ives, the increase is mainly due to up-front costs of £35,000 for the neighbourhood plan, which has been included in the draft budget.

Outstanding maintenance costs, replacement of equipment, a tree survey and repairs to the Millennium Centre have also played a part in the sharp increase in the precept proposed.

She also pointed out that a neighbourhood plan was a future investment for Bramshott and Liphook and would bring substantial amounts of money back into the parish, quoting the Lowsley Farm phase two development of an additional 175 houses, which now comes under the community infrastructure levy.

Without a neighbourhood plan the parish council would only receive 15 per cent in community infrastructure levy, but with a plan in place it will increase to 25 per cent, which is paid by developers to help with infrastructure and community facilities.

Parish councillors voted in favour of a neighbourhood plan in 2015 and set aside £15,000 to get it started. But it took almost another year before a committee of volunteers was formed and chairman Susan Garnett, also a parish councillor, was appointed.

The neighbourhood plan committee recently took over the old police beat office at the Millennium Centre, which the parish council bought back at a cost of £12,700 after Hampshire Constabulary surrendered its lease.

Councillors also agreed grant applications made by a number of organisations and charities, including six new ones, granting automatic approval to any application up to £500.

These included £100 for Victim Support to pay for security items for victims of crime, £100 for Liphook Carers Group for room hire at the Millennium Centre and advertising costs, and £200 for the parish plan steering group for printing and postage of the parish plan report.

Of the past recpients, The Royal British Legion was again awarded £250 toward the veterans’ annual service lunch on Canada Day, while HomeStart Wey-Water, received £450 toward volunteer expenses.

Bramshott War Memorial Trust was given £250 toward maintenance and cleaning of the war memorial and the Jubilee Sailing Trust, which currently supports 16 residents, received £300 in contributions toward voyages for disabled people in the parish.

In order to retain £1,000 in reserves, other grant applications had to be reduced from £27,698 to £20,000 to meet the allowed grant budget of £21,000.

Although councillors agreed the new Ark Nursery at the Church Centre was important and badly needed in the parish, due to a lack of spaces they felt that the application of £4,000 for fitting out the nursery toward a total project cost of £34,000 was too high and agreed a grant of £2,000.

The nursery is also expected to receive a district councillor grant and funding from the county council.

But both grant applications by Age Concern Liphook for £520 for the costs of sign writing of the minibus and £1,000, for a contribution toward costs for providing a directory for all ages of local services and activities, were refused by the parish council.

Councillors argued a hard copy of a directory was not the best way to provide information and the parish council offices or a website would be better alternatives.

Age Concern Liphook chairman Robin Young explained that since not all residents were able to get to the council office and because some did not have access to a computer, a hard copy – which would include 291 organisations – was badly needed, and it would be updated every two years and be delivered to every household in the parish.

But Mrs Ives claimed the parish council found there was no evidence for the need of such a directory and because advertising space would be sold to local businesses it was not a project that could be supported at this stage.

She added that more specific details were required about the advertising income of the directory and the parish council could perhaps revisit the application at a later date.

The grant application for signage for the minibus was refused because it had been sponsored by a number of organisations, including the parish council, and was deemed unnecessary.

Bramshott’s St Mary’s Church received £2,800 instead of £3,600 for maintenance of the church yard and Citizens’ Advice, open at the Millennium Centre for three hours per week, was given a contribution of £4,000 toward running costs having asked for a grant of £5,000.

Liphook In Bloom, which has a large volunteer base, as well as sponsors, received its full grant application of £1,700 to pay for plants.

A new application by Petersfield-based Kings Arms Youth Centre for £1,383 was granted £1,038 for costs of a qualified youth worker to run a lunch club for young carers at Bohunt School for a year.

The shortfall in the grant amount is expected to be made up by a donation from a local business and, according to Mrs Ives, could be topped up by the grant reserves, should it become necessary.

Bramshott and Liphook Arts and Cafts Society put forward a grant application for £1,200 to part-fund running costs of after-school art workshops for parents and children.

Despite offering to match fund the project and conduct other fundraising activities during the year, parish councillors felt that since the craft society was not a charity and already received large discounts as well as free exhibition days at the Millennium Centre, it should be turned down.

Liphook Carnival Committee received its full grant requested for £2,300 to meet increased costs in insurance and signage for the biggest annual event in the village.

The group also receive grants from East Hampshire District Council as well as Hampshire County Council.

Liphook Day Centre and The Peak Centre Trust applied for a grant of £3,000 toward the replacement of carpets at the centre and materials used to care for clients, which was fully approved.

The centre’s ongoing fundraising effort for the three-day facility for the elderly in the parish was applauded.

A district councillor grant and one from the Percy Bilton Trust was used for recent kitchen improvements.

Liphook Tennis Club, which applied for £1,900 toward replacement fencing on its two lower courts, received £1,000 toward the costs of £5,808, and will also be seeking additional funding from the Hampshire Playing Fields Association.

Liphook Youth Club again received a contribution of £1,650 toward the cost of hiring the Millennium Centre.