A PENARTH councillor said on Monday that he was “horrified” at what he thought was a “grossly misleading” headline – “Rates Up 1s. 3d.” – in last week’s Penarth Times.

But another councillor said he considered the report a fair one.

“The fact is that the general rate is up by 1s 3d, and the newspaper is entitled to print it,” he said.

The council confirmed the recommendation of last week’s special meeting, that the general rate will go up by 1s 3d to 16s 4d.

Domestic ratepayers will pay 15s 6d – 10d more than last year.

Cllr Harold Green told members: “I was horrified at the headline in the Penarth Times.

This should have read that rates are up 10d for the vast majority of people, who are domestic ratepayers.”

Cllr Green explained that an extra 1s 0d had been passed on by the County Council, so that in fact the local (Penarth UDC) rate had been reduced by 2d.

“I have been looking at some figures,” he said. “In 1963 the rates were 12s 0d, of which 7s 8¾d went to the County, and 4s ¼d to Penarth.

“The latest figure for domestic ratepayers is 15s 6d. Of this 16s 10¾ , goes to the County, and 4d 7¾d from Penarth. I think the headline was grossly misleading.”

But Cllr WR Jeffcott replied: “The general rate which was levied, is up to 1s 3d.

“What happens to the domestic rate because of support from the Government is incidental, and the newspaper is entitled to print it.

“I was quite pleased with the general treatment of the report. I thought it was fair reporting.”

Cllr Harold Green interjected: “It was accurate but misleading.”

Cllr Jeffcott retorted: “I don’t know how you can say that.

“The fact is that we increased the rate by 3d, but we had help from the Government by way of grants. The rate did go up.”

The editor commented: “I can understand Cllr Greens’ natural desire to put Penarth’s case in as good a light as possible. It is a fact that County rates are the fly in the ointment, though Penarth would themselves have been worse off but for useful Government Grants.

“One grim fact however, is inescapable – the rates are going up and we have to pay them and it is no use looking at things through rose coloured spectacles or even GREEN ones.”