It can be a little complex, but the simple story is that it costs money to run the local council and that cost is paid by Orchard Park residents through the Council Tax...

In June 2009 a new Community Council will be created for Orchard Park - that local council will be responsible for a number of duties, including maintaining all the public facilities (community centre, sports pitches, public open spaces, play areas etc), verges and streetlights, litter bins as well as responsibilities for representing Orchard Park residents with the District and County councils, reviewing planning applications, taking part in major developments such as the the Guided Busway and the A14 widening. The council is also responsible for leading community development and the provision of sports, entertainment and public art.

Whilst the council in Orchard Park will eventually receive some money from Gallagher towards the maintenance of the facilities (eg community centre) that they will transfer to the Council's ownership once they have been built, this money is intended to cover the maintenance costs, not the management/administration costs, developing use of the facilities, or developing the facilities themselves, such as upgrades, replacement etc.

Nor will this money cover all the other council costs - so the council has the power to raise its own money through taxation, through the Council Tax process in fact. And that process is remarkably simple - the Council decide how much money they want, divide it by the number of homes in their community, and then ask the District Council to add that amount to the Council Tax charge for each home. This charge is called the "precept" and in the current year, that charge is just under £70 pounds.

So the real question is how does the council decide how much money they want?