Okehampton Town Council has set its precept — the amount of council tax it asks from residents — for the year ahead.

The council voted at its meeting last Monday (January 27) to set its budget for the year from April 1 at £286,702. This is a 14.8% increase on the previous year, or 33p extra per week for the average Band D household.

The budget includes the running costs of a CCTV system for the town and Simmons Park.

The installation costs of the long-awaited CCTV system are coming from council earmarked funds, general reserves and a grant from the police and crime commissioner, to be topped up by other grants the council has yet to apply for.

Cllr Jan Goffey said: ‘I think it is about time we seized the nettle,’ she said. ‘We have been going round and round the houses about CCTV for more years than I care to remember.’

The council has undertaken a tendering process for the provision and installation of the system but has not yet appointed a contractor.

Once the finer details have been finalised, it hopes the system will be up and running within the year, to tackle anti-social behaviour and graffiti in the town.