BELOW INFLATION COUNCIL TAX INCREASE RECOMMENDED

Babergh District Council’s Strategy Committee is recommending a below inflation increase in its part of next year’s Council Tax. If these proposals are backed by other committees and then the full Council in February, the increase will amount to only seven pence a week.

“The proposed increase of 2.9% (as against the benchmark figure of September’s RPI of 3.6%) will mean that the Babergh part of the Council Tax will be £126.24 next year – or just under £2.50 per week for all the services that we provide, such as refuse collection, street cleaning and planning” explained Cllr. Nick Ridley, Chairman of the Strategy Committee.

“Once again, Babergh’s approach has been driven by the need to balance residents’ clear desire for as small an increase in Council Tax as possible with the equally pressing need to invest in key services. We are pleased that once again we have managed to do this, not least through having identified nearly £400,000 of extra savings and new income”.

“This balancing act was made all the harder when we discovered that we had to meet the £57,000 shortfall in Government funding of the Concessionary Fares Scheme which provides the over-60s with free and discounted travel on public transport” added Cllr. Ridley.

If approved the 2007/08 Council Tax level will mean that Babergh has achieved a total increase in line with inflation over the last four years – the lifetime of the Council elected in May 2003.

“What with all the competing pressures facing us during that time, this is a tremendous record of responsible budgeting, careful stewardship and targeted service delivery with which we can be well pleased” concluded Nick Ridley.

The recommendations of the Strategy Committee will now be considered by the two Overview & Scrutiny Committees before going back to Strategy Committee for final consideration in early February. Babergh’s full Council will then meet to consider and vote on the 2007/08 budget and Council Tax levels on 26th February