Of the 16,074 houses in Ilkeston, 9,376 are in Band A and would pay £10 per year. Those in the 3,226 homes in Band B would pay £11.66 per year, in fact of the 16,074 houses in Ilkeston, 14,499 would pay less than £15 per year and only 1,128 would pay £15 per year.

Leaving only 447 houses in Bands E, F, G and H that would pay over £15 per year.

I would like to make it clear that my figures are my estimates for guidance only, after the Leader of Erewash Borough Council quoted the ridiculous sum of £40 per year.

The above would also qualify for a 25 per cent single person discount if only one person is living in the property. I stress that these are my figures and that a Town Council would set the budget for 2011/2012 and change accordingly.

They may require less than £150,000 and so the precept would be less.

I would like to move the debate on costs. I accept that they are very important, but a Town Council is about what it can do for the people of Ilkeston. The people would benefit from having control of their own expenditure, which they could spend on the wellbeing of people in our town.

I hope that people want a Town Council. If so then they must fill in the forms they had in the post and return them to Ilkeston Town Hall, or fill in the online form on the Erewash Borough Council website.

This is your town and now it's your chance to have a say on it's future.

Councillor Tim Moloney
Old Park Ward,
Ilkeston