It came after a petition demanding more control over local services
Big changes could be coming to the areas around Broughton Park.
People in an area of Salford are ‘infuriated’ after it emerged they may have unwittingly landed themselves with an extra council tax charge.
Part of Broughton and Kersal has been earmarked to become the new ‘Town of Broughton Park Council’ and will be voted on by councillors in Salford in January.
It came after a petition was handed to Salford council signed by around 1,000 people calling for changes to how the area is being run.
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But it has now emerged that if passed, the called-for change may be funded by an added council precept charge.
If approved, the new parish council could be given powers over some local services, such as grass cutting, litter bins, street lighting, parks and playgrounds, community buildings, and allotments.
Information about the proposal on Salford council’s website states that there are ‘additional costs’ to run a parish council, which could be covered with a precept charge.
Salford council says the average precept charge in England is £79, a fee which could be added to people’s annual council tax bill.
But some in the community are worried about the potential fee.
An image showing the boundaries of the proposed Town of Broughton Park.
“People are infuriated about it,” said Suzanne Delaney who lives in the area of the proposed parish council.
The 51-year-old added: “It is causing tensions in the community. People would really struggle to pay something like £79 a year. My dad gets a pension and he couldn’t afford that.
“I’d rather have this money in my pocket to pay for anything else.”
In June, some people living around Broughton Park said setting up a new parish council could help tackle some of the issues facing the area.
They said there are problems with the frequency of bin collections. Domestic waste is removed from Salford’s black bins every three weeks, and some want to see more frequent collections.
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But Ms Delaney said she thinks giving residents another charge to pay is not the answer to the issue.
“The bin situation here is disgusting and it can’t continue, we’re getting rodents because of it, but people need educating [about recycling] rather than giving us another bill,” she said.
“The area has never looked as bad, ever. I am continuously complaining to the council about bins and recycling, we have seen people just throwing rubbish in the wrong bins.
“The rubbish is out of control because some people aren’t recycling, and it’s causing friction.”
Broughton councillor John Merry is against the plan for a new parish council in the area, and said it would leave people facing higher charges.
“There will be an extra charge if it went through for the cost of whatever the parish council is providing,” he said.
“People are worried about this and they’re right to be. This is exactly why we’re opposing it. Residents have expressed concerns to us, and we share those concerns”
However, Kersal and Broughton Park independent Coun Andrew Walters said in May that there are large families living in the area who do want to see more control over local services.
“The Salford average household size is about two, ours is five times that, and yet we’re given the same three-weekly [black] bin collections,” he said at the time.
“That simply doesn’t work, it leads to overflowing bins, fly-tipping, and health hazards, then we get blamed for the mess.”
Surjit Tour, Salford council’s city solicitor and statutory monitoring officer, said the proposals are following the legal process and will be decided by councillors in January.
“In response to a proposal to create a parish council for this area and a petition submitted to the council, the council is legally required to undertake a community governance review to consult with local people on the proposal before a decision is made.
“We have now begun the consultation with residents, which will follow the appropriate legal and democratic process. To address any concerns, the council is writing to residents to provide clarity on recurring themes and to reassure residents that their feedback is valuable.
“Senior members from the team responsible for the community governance review will be available to answer questions at the next information event on Tuesday, August 19 at Broughton Hub.
“A decision will be made on the proposal by all councillors at a full council meeting in January 2026 with recommendations based on feedback from the consultation with residents, as well as a range of considerations from community cohesion to operational and financial issues.”