Archived press release

Date Published: 09/02/07

Aylesbury Vale District Council’s share of the council tax will rise by an average 10 pence a week. The district council agreed its budget for the next financial year (2007/8) at this week’s full council meeting. This will result in a...

Aylesbury Vale District Council’s share of the council tax will rise by an average 10 pence a week.

The district council agreed its budget for the next financial year (2007/8) at this week’s full council meeting. This will result in a rise of 4.4 per cent on the AVDC element of the council tax bill.

From April, an average Band D household will pay £121.21 a year for AVDC services, which include refuse collection, recycling, leisure and recreation, planning and environmental health. The figure compares to £116.10 for the current year. And for the highest band (Band H) the bill for district council services will go up by £10.22 a year to £242.42 – an increase of 20p a week.

Staff and councillors have worked together to achieve a balanced budget, despite receiving a low settlement from the government. A stringent budget process has allowed the council to arrive at this figure – without threatening the quality of services. Savings have been identified by better housekeeping and increasing income.

The council will spend £19.43 million on services next year (up £417,000 from 2006/7), of which £7.93 million will be raised through council tax. The rest of the money the council needs is met from efficiencies and government funding. This year the government grant has risen by £269,000 (a 2.7 per cent cash increase on last year’s grant) and covers only a quarter of the annual inflationary costs needed for the council to stay as it is.

Priorities for the council over the next year include promoting more affordable housing schemes, maintaining crime reduction and anti-social behaviour activities and extending recycling schemes to help meet government targets.

Councillor Margaret Morgan-Owen, Cabinet Member for Resources, said: “We’ve always said that we would keep the level of council tax rise as low as possible and we have been able to do this without cutting services, despite receiving a low level of government grant.

“During the past year we have been faced with increasing budget pressures arising from general inflation, extra need for recycling, demand for housing benefits and rising energy and oil prices. Our own costs have risen by nearly seven per cent and in spite of major activity to deliver efficiencies and generating more income, the disappointing grant from central government means that we have to increase council tax by 4.4 per cent to maintain the present level of services.

“We have worked hard with officers to make efficiency savings. This will enable us to invest in essential services which offer best value and excellent customer service.”

The district council acts as the “billing agent” for Buckinghamshire County Council, Thames Valley Police, Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue and town and parish councils. But of the overall bill that drops through letter boxes of local residents – only around 10 per cent is kept by the district. It passes on all of the rest to the other organisations.

Added Councillor Morgan-Owen: “The final council tax increase will also include elements decided by the town and parish councils, which will vary from area to area, the county council and the police and fire authorities. These precepts are outside the control of AVDC.”

The setting of the council tax, including the elements relating to the other precepting bodies, will be completed on 28 February.