TALKS will be held to see if a parish council tax in part of Swindon can be driven down.

Council taxpayers in Stratton pay a parish council bill of more than £104 a year - on top of their annual council tax bills.

That makes their bills £20 to £70 higher than bills paid by people in other parts of Swindon.

Now borough councillors want to work with parish councillors to see if, between them, they can drive the costs to taxpayers down.

At a full meeting of Swindon Council the plan for joint working was approved.

"This is an invite to the parish council to come and work with us to provide solutions," said councillor Russell Holland (Con, St Margaret), pictured. "We have experience of how to find efficiency savings and improve services.

"I think we should share this experience with Stratton Parish Council.

"There may also be other joined up ways of working."

Coun Glen Smith (Con, Covingham and Nythe) said: "The residents I represent regularly ask us why they're paying through the nose for the parish council, particularly in Covingham and Nythe because all the services offered by the parish council are at the other end of the parish where they seem to focus the money.

"The parish council says it's the largest in the country but the residents say it is taking money out of their area."

Not all councillors agreed with the idea.

Coun Kevin Small, leader of the Labour group on Swindon Council, said: "It is for the people of Stratton to decide who governs their parish. It isn't for this organisation to do this.

"We have our own responsibilities, and if there is a problem with where services are, it is a problem for the people of Stratton to deal with electorally."

Conservatives disagreed. Coun Justin Tomlinson (Con, Abbey Meads) said: "Over the past few years parish councils have become less political.

This effort to look at this issue is non-political and if the parish council is keen to work with us on this then it can only be a good thing." And Coun Mark Edwards (St Margaret) said: "It is time to get rid of the unnecessary hot air and take a holistic approach and find ways of working together."