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North West council tax bills set to rise by higher than national
average at 4.4%
COUNCIL tax
bills in the North West will increase by £56 to £1,345 for a “band
D” property in 2007/08, a rise of 4.4%, according to a key
survey of local authorities in England and Wales by the Chartered
Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). The average
rise for England is 4.2%. The CIPFA survey analysed the
council tax settlements of 2/3rds of English and Welsh local
authorities. The response rate of 69% in the North West makes the
survey the most comprehensive and accurate examination of town hall
finances for the coming year.
A 4.4% increase compares to a current inflation rate of 2.7% in
England Wales according to the Consumer Prices Index. The average
council tax increase for the North West in 2006/07 was 4.3%.
The rise would have been higher nationally were it not for factors
such as the additional £926 million formula grant (3.7% increase on
2006/07) and £719 million in special and specific grants excluding
the Dedicated Schools Grant (4.7% increase) for 2007/08, and the
delivery of continuing efficiency savings as councils implement the
Gershon agenda. In setting their budgets all Councils have also been
mindful of the threat of ‘capping’. Last year, capping
applied if local tax and budget requirement increases exceeded 5%
and 6% respectively.
Steve Freer, CIPFA’s Chief Executive, said:- “This will be
regarded as a very positive result in Whitehall and in town halls
around the North West. The second lowest annual increase in council
taxes in England Wales for 13 years is a significant achievement.
There is little doubt that the threat of capping if tax increases
exceed 5% has concentrated minds. Councils simply do not want to set
a collision course with Government with all of the uncertainty and
risk which that involves.”
CHANGE YOUR LIFE –
GET INVOLVED!
A VIBRANT group of young people
is recruiting members to express their thoughts on Liverpool’s
Capital of Culture celebrations for 2008. The Liverpool
Culture Company’s Youth Advisory Group (YAG) was formed almost a
year ago and is now giving new young people a chance to get
involved. Members currently advise on major cultural plans, have
hosted fringe events at party political conferences, helping at a
2012 Roadshow with an Olympic theme, plus much more.
Liverpool City Council’s Leader, Cllr Warren Bradley, said:-
“The success of the YAG in the relatively short time it’s been
running is testament to the hard work of both the young people and
the Culture Company. It’s so important to recognise the opinions and
views of young people as they will reap the rewards of the legacy of
what we are doing culturally.”
To become a member of the YAG, all you need to do is fill in an
application form available by
email. The deadline
for applications is 29 March 2007. Please note that
available places on the YAG are limited.
The Liverpool Culture Company’s YAG co-ordinator, Diane Clayton,
said:- “Young people have approached all the consultations we
have asked them about with such enthusiasm and intelligence, that
we’re really proud of the progress of many of the members and what a
great contribution they have made to Capital of Culture plans. We
look forward to welcoming new members to carry on these great
debates about Liverpool”. |
Council tax set to rise by 2.9%
LIVERPOOL’S
council tax is set to rise by just the rate of inflation, with more
money being spent on services for the most vulnerable. The
proposed budget, which will see an increase of 2.9% in the cost of
the council’s services, includes £7 million of additional spending
on social services for children and adults. It will mean additional
resources for home care and recruiting a pool of foster carers.
Around £800,000 extra will be spent on street cleansing and
environmental services to make sure the whole city is sparkling for
Capital of Culture year. And a total of £1 million will be
used to set up the new Liverpool PLC inward investment agency and
create a subvention fund for the new arena and convention centre at
the Kings Dock so it can attract the best conferences. The measures
will help create employment and wealth for the city and exploit its
tourism potential to ensure a lasting legacy beyond Capital of
Culture year in 2008.
Council leader Warren Bradley said:- “Despite one of the worst
grant settlements in the country we have managed to put together a
budget which allows for extra spending on the most vulnerable.
We have also found additional money to make sure the city looks the
best for its year on the global stage as European Capital of
Culture. And we are investing in the future by setting up
Liverpool PLC, which will help attract businesses, investors and
employment to Liverpool.
Frontline services are being protected and there will be no impact
on any of our leisure centres and libraries because we recognise
they are valuable community resources. It is a major
achievement for the city council to be able to keep the rise so low
when other council’s that have received a far better settlement are
struggling. The budget has been presented to the Resources
Select Committee for scrutiny before it goes before the city council
next week in the interests of transparency.
I am confident these proposals will stand up to scrutiny and will
deliver value for money for all Liverpool’s tax payers.”
The free leisure passes scheme for under 17s which was launched last
April is being continued. It has led to a massive increase in the
number of youngsters using Lifestyles swimming pools, gyms and
sports pitches. And people wanting to go green by fitting
solar panels to their houses will no longer have to pay a fee for
submitting a planning application. Efficiencies will come from
saving money on transport costs and streamlining the council’s
management structure through natural wastage.
Councillor Keith Turner, executive member for resources, said:-
“We are continuing our record of keeping bills as low as possible
while at the same time improving services. Overall, bills have risen
by an average of just 1% per year since 1998 compared to 7% across
the rest of the country. We will be keeping a very close eye
on spending, monitoring every budget line and cost centre to ensure
that the savings can be achieved. Work has already started on
the medium term financial plan. By early summer we will present our
plans on how we will pay for Capital of Culture without affecting
frontline service delivery.”
When the levies set by the waste disposal authority and Merseytravel, which are beyond the control of the city council, are taken into
account, the overall rise in bills is 3.7%. This compares to an
average of 4.2% across the rest of the country. The budget
proposal will be considered at a meeting of the full council on 7 March
2007. |
