CELEBRATIONS to mark the Millennium in Ilkley could mean an extra rates bill for residents.

Parish councillor Roy Fox, who is in charge of the town's millennium celebrations, said he was in favour of adding a precept to the Council Tax to pay the bill.

"I think we should set a one-off precept to raise money - we are only talking about a few pence at the end of the day," said Coun Fox.

At a meeting of the Parish Council finance and general purposes committee, Coun Fox outlined possible proposals to mark the end of the millennium.

Suggestions include the creation of a Darwin Gardens - to mark the seminal naturalist's stay in the town at the time his book The Origin of the Species was published, the minting of special coins or medals to be handed out to children in the area, a commemorative mug, or a millennium garden to be created on former convalescent hospital land on The Grove.

Coun Fox said the council had to come up with ideas to fund whichever project was chosen.

There were only two choices: fund-raising activities or adding a one-off precept to the Council Tax.

Councillor Rowland Hill said: "I agree with a precept in principle. I think it will be something people appreciate."

Coun Fox said if the precept was set at one pound for houses in Band D, with subsequent adjustments for houses in different bands, the total raised would be in excess of £10,000, more than enough to fund the millennium celebrations.

During the meeting, councillors noted that people in villages such as Burley-in-Wharfedale were already going ahead with their own proposals for the millennium and might feel angry at having to pay, through a Council Tax precept, for Ilkley's as well.

But Coun Fox said ideas such as the millennium coins or medals would be be distributed to all the children in the area, not just Ilkley.

After the meeting, Ilkley district and parish councillor Anne Hawkesworth said she was not in favour or precepting in principle.

She said it would allow Bradford Council to avoid the responsibility for the upkeep of public amenities in the town.

A one-off precept should only be used for a project that would bring substantial benefits to people in the town.

She said that a one-off precept could be used to provide closed circuit television cameras in the town, to make it safer for residents to walk the streets.

"I am not in favour of precepting unless it makes a fundamental difference to the town," said Coun Hawkesworth.

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