£1 gate fee to be dropped by Barnard Castle Town Council

BARNARD Castle Town Council is to end its practice of demanding a licence fee from residents whose properties open out on to playing fields.
There are 21 houses with gates which allow access onto town council-run play areas and residents affected have been charged £1 for a 12-month licence for the privilege.
The town council’s services committee was told six people had still not paid for the 2016/17 gate licence.
In the past, this had resulted in the council wiring up the gates to deny access to the playing fields – but in such circumstances, residents had simply cut the wire.
Members agreed that it cost far more in officer time and effort to enforce the rules than was collected in licence fees.
Cllr Belinda Thompson said that with the council planning to scrap the licence fee, no action should be taken against those who still owe for 2016/17.
From the next financial year, gate licence holders will simply receive a letter from the town council granting permission for access onto the play areas. The gate licence was attacked by residents in 2011 after they were told they would face legal action if they refused to make the payments. The £1 fee was branded “stupid”.