CINDERFORD residents will offset the cost of Cinderford Town Council’s purchase of the town centre Triangle with an increase in its council tax precept.

Councillors voted unanimously at a meeting last Tuesday to agree to a budget that kept last year’s expenditure of £210,920 intact.

Households however would see an increase of around £20.80 to the town council’s council tax precept based on Band D properties in order to pay for the £50,000 remaining for the purchase of the Triangle from Forest of Dean District Council.

The town council called it a ’standstill budget for the cost of delivering services for the coming year’.

“I hope this shows our continued strong commitment to deliver a good quality service without adding unnecessary financial burden to residents,” said council chairman Lynn Sterry.

“The Triangle is the heart of Cinderford and it is right for this to be owned by the town.”

Mayor Max Coborn said: “It’s great that we’re able to continue to invest significantly in our town and still offer one of the lowest precepts in the Forest. Our precept will likely be under half that of Lydney yet again.”

The wrangle over the triangle began in 2015 when the district council, who had owned the site since 1971, carried out a condition survey that found that repair work would cost around £5,000.

The town council leased the triangle for a peppercorn rent, but months of negotiations led to it being purchased in July.