Residents have been landed with a massive 35 per cent hike in Filton Town Council’s share of the council tax.

It is believed the £315.28 precept for an average band D property is the highest in the country for a town or parish council, with the biggest element going towards propping up the loss-making leisure centre’s finances.

Added to the amounts charged by South Gloucestershire Council, which makes up the bulk of the council tax, and the police and fire services, final bills landing on Filton householders’ doormats for 2020/21 will exceed £2,000.

Conservative Cllr Chris Wood, who represents Filton on both the Tory-run unitary authority and Labour-led town council, said: “This is an extremely disappointing decision and one that I strongly oppose.

“The town council’s callous attitude towards offering any form of value for money to residents borders on sheer negligence.

“It was bad enough when we thought the precept would be increasing by 26 per cent, but for them to increase it to this level, making us one of the highest precepts in the country, exposes the shocking level of inefficiency residents are being lumbered with.

“While no doubt this decision will not be welcomed in the court of public opinion, I want to see a formal investigation launched to get to the bottom of this.”

Cllr Wood said that despite such a vast tax hike, services would see a minimal increase in financial support, with an overwhelming majority of funds going towards keeping the aging leisure centre afloat.

He said less than 0.5 per cent of its budget currently goes on its parks and public open spaces, with less than four per cent on community services.

But Labour Cllr Adam Monk, who is also a South Gloucestershire and Filton town councillor, said: “Nobody thinks the precept increase is acceptable but the leisure centre is a much-loved community asset.

“It is not the case that people want to close it down.

“Residents are annoyed about the precept increase and so are councillors.

“It’s really important to recognise there is an options appraisal under way that is looking at what can be done differently in the way the facility is managed.

“That could be putting it into a co-operative, handing it over to a charity or just closing it down, which I would not support.

“But it cannot carry on the way it’s currently working and no one is remotely proposing that.”

Cllr Monk said South Gloucestershire Council cuts were also responsible for the high charges.

“It is not as simplistic as just the pool, you have to look at the entirety of what makes up the precept,” he said.

“In South Gloucestershire the Conservative administration has cut services that Filton Town Council now has to pick up.

“The town council now pays over £3,000 for grass-cutting, it pays for services like North Bristol Advice Centre and summer playschemes.

“It pays £3,500 for community enhancement which South Glouceshire ran and £3,000 for Christmas lights.

“So as much as the leisure centre is the biggest thing, there are other services that used to be provided by South Gloucestershire but are now the burden of Filton Town Council, including £17,500 for youth centres.

“We do not have a knife crime problem in Filton but the biggest single problem in that regard in London is the lack of youth centres, which means children have nowhere to go and hang out on the streets, which creates a gang problem.

“South Gloucestershire Council is not providing any youth centres in Filton but, like all these services, they are still needed, so the town council has to pick that up in the precept.”

At present, the town council’s charge for band D residents is £233.69, which means it will go up by £81.59 from April.

Filton leisure centre is the only one in the district to be run by a town or parish council.