Archived press release

Date Published: 22/01/07

Council tax payers face an average increase of 10 pence per week for Aylesbury Vale District Council services in the coming year, it was announced this week. Members of the council’s cabinet recommended a budget which will result in a 4.4 p...

Council tax payers face an average increase of 10 pence per week for Aylesbury Vale District Council services in the coming year, it was announced this week.

Members of the council’s cabinet recommended a budget which will result in a 4.4 per cent increase in the district council tax for 2007/8. If this budget is adopted by the full council next month, band D bills for AVDC services will go up by £5.11 to £121.21.

This will mean that the average household in the Vale will be paying a modest £2.33 per week for the full range of district services.

The cabinet recommendation is the result of the hard work and commitment of councillors and staff determined to keep the council tax increase low whilst continuing to deliver value for money services.

The proposed budget sets out how much money will be spent next year on services provided by the district council, ranging from refuse collection and street cleaning to planning and environmental health.

It avoids any cuts in services and aims to continue meeting the council’s key aims: achieving safe, active, healthy communities and providing accessible services; managing the built and natural environments in a sustainable way; and developing and promoting the local economy to establish Aylesbury Vale as a vibrant economic centre.

The council is planning to spend £19.43 million on services in 2007/8, of which £7.93 million will be raised through council tax. This is an increase of £417,000 over the 2006/7 budget.

The extra money raised will ensure that the council can continue with activities such as promoting more affordable housing schemes, maintaining crime reduction and anti-social behaviour initiatives and extending recycling schemes to help meet government targets. 

Although the council tax increase has been kept to a minimum, the council faces many unavoidable costs in the coming financial year. The disappointing government grant increase of £269,000 (a 2.7 per cent cash increase on last year’s grant) covers only one quarter of the money required to cover annual inflationary costs just to maintain a standstill position.

The extra money required to balance the council’s budget above that provided from the council tax increase and the additional government grant is being generated from savings and efficiencies.

Councillor Margaret Morgan-Owen, Cabinet Member for Resources, said: “The cabinet has been clear right from the start of the budget process that we wanted to deliver a modest council tax increase. But we wanted to do it without unsustainable savings, without irresponsibly raiding the reserves, and without putting off unpleasant decisions to future years.

“Whilst we have delivered on our promises, there are concerns over the additional demands being placed on local government without the financial support. We have made our claim for better funding from the government, but in the absence of a positive response, we have worked hard to present a budget that delivers efficiency savings whilst providing good quality services. I am pleased to recommend a prudent budget that shows we are investing in our priorities, and still keeping council tax low for the people of Aylesbury Vale.”

AVDC collects the council tax on behalf of Buckinghamshire County Council, Thames Valley Police, Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue and town and parish councils. However, the district council only retains around 10 per cent of the total council tax bill.

The council’s budget will be formally set at a meeting of the full council on 7 February. The setting of the council tax, including the elements relating to the other precepting bodies, will be completed on 28 February.