Plans to put freeze on town's council tax (From This Is Wiltshire)

Plans to put freeze on town's council tax

9:30am Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Latest News By David Wiles

COUNCIL tax for services provided by Swindon Council could be frozen in the next financial year with the help of a £2.1m Government grant.

Swindon Council has set out plans to save about £15m to cope with £12m worth of extra costs in the next financial year – mainly due to increased demand for services – and reduced overall funding of about £3.3m.

The proposals include abolishing 120 council posts to save around £3.1m, re-engineering the way services are delivered, reducing funding to some organisations and generating more income from its facilities.

However, the administration proposes to keep the borough charge at the same level for the next financial year – £1,130.27 for a band D property – to help residents during these hard economic times.

The council will instead take up an option to receive a council tax freeze grant from the Government of £2.1m, which is equivalent to a 2.5 per cent tax increase.

Council leader Rod Bluh said: “It’s been our local strategy to go for the freeze at the current time.

“We cannot go for freezes indefinitely but we do feel, when people are at their most pressured – when people are on part-time working and reduced earnings – we don’t want to impose any more pain.”

The budget proposals were partly formed by consultation events during September, which involved focus groups of 70 residents of different ages and backgrounds.

The proposals went out for public consultation after a scrutiny committee meeting in November. They will come before Cabinet on February 15, before the budget-setting meeting on February 23, when all councillors will be involved.

Coun Jim Grant, leader of the Labour group, said: “I agree that the council tax should be frozen this year.

“I am angry because the Tories have racked up such astronomical debts, the council will have to pay £11.5m in debt charges next year.

“The administration is also wasting around £1.3m each per year on consultants, £400K on Wi-Fi and £600K on the housing ballot.

“This is money that could have been used protecting our elderly and young people and switching on our streetlights.

“The Conservatives’ proposed cuts to Sure Start Children Centres, bus services and to the services that protect vulnerable elderly residents from rogue traders are deeply concerning me.

“I sincerely hope that the effects of these cuts aren’t as bad as I fear.

“What infuriates me is that this Conservative administration is still wasting millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on things like consultants and debt charges.”