Archived press release

Date Published: 02/03/06

Aylesbury Vale residents will pay an average 4.95 per cent more for the services provided by AVDC, Buckinghamshire County Council, Thames Valley Police and Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority next year. AVDC last night (1 March) set ...

Aylesbury Vale residents will pay an average 4.95 per cent more for the services provided by AVDC, Buckinghamshire County Council, Thames Valley Police and Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority next year.

AVDC last night (1 March) set the council tax for 2006/7 and gave the go-ahead for around 68,000 bills to be printed. Parish and town council sums raised through council tax will also be added to the bills, which will be delivered to residents before the end of this month.

The average Band D council tax for 2006/7, including parish and town council precepts, will be £1287.08 a year. The figure for the current year (2005/6) is £1221.32.

The district council’s share of the council tax bill for 2006/7 is only nine per cent of the total bill, with the rest made up of county council, police authority, fire authority and town and parish council requirements.

AVDC’s tax increase is 4.7 per cent which means an increase of just 10 pence per week – less than the price of half a pint of milk.

This increase will put an annual Band D bill for district council services up £5.26 to £116.10 – which is well below the average charged by the other 237 district councils in the country, where in 2005/6 the average charge was already £145.

AVDC has managed to keep the increase to just 10 pence per week by looking at ways in which it can make savings and make good use of its reserves. Some £1.3 million worth of savings and increased income has been generated within the council.

The district council has agreed a net expenditure for the coming year of £18.6 million. Included in the budget is £405,000 to allow the over 60s and people with disabilities to travel on buses free of charge, more than £100,000 for staff to promote rural housing provision and £50,000 to allow AVDC to respond to any opportunities the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics may have for the district.

Councillor Margaret Morgan-Owen, Cabinet Member for Resources, said the council had faced difficult decisions in reaching its budget. “We looked long and hard to identify savings and ensure value for money,” she said. “I am pleased to say that front-line services will not be affected and we will continue to develop, where possible, all essential services to improve our district.”