Council tax is frozen for third year in a row after budget is agreed

Jan 28 2010 by Debbie Hall, West Lothian Courier

COUNCIL tax bills were frozen this week for the third year running.

The Band D figure for 2010/11 will remain unchanged at £1128 when the new tax year starts in April.

The freeze was agreed at Tuesday’s council budget meeting, which also rubber-stamped a number of “re-prioritisation measures” to help West Lothian through the economic downturn.

Council Leader Peter Johnston said: “After a decade in which the local council tax rocketed by 94 per cent under Labour I am delighted that, for the third year in a row, this administration has, despite having £4.1 million removed from our budget, been able to freeze the tax and at the same time deliver vital service improvements in key areas for our community.

“By planning to work in a more efficient manner the council have enabled £5.419 million of current spending to be re-prioritised and put into important local services such as schools, young people with additional learning needs and residential and nursing care for vulnerable adults and older people.”

Councillor Johnston said that during 2010/11 the council are aiming to make progress in delivering key commitments agreed between local authorities and the Scottish Government.

These include £466,000 to expand the coverage of class size reductions, £217,000 for support to carers, £124,000 for kinship care, £240,000 to implement breakfast clubs in 24 schools, £40,000 to enhance nursery provision and the continued development of services for West Lothian’s growing older population.

Council-wide budget re-prioritisation measures include staff reductions through natural wastage, a reduction in training, conference and seminar budgets, continuous improvement of savings on council contracts, such as energy suppliers, efficiencies through the introduction of mobile and flexible working which will reduce overtime payments and a centralised administration.

Councillor Johnston continued: “Despite very difficult times for the public sector, the council have managed to increase spending in 2010/11 whilst agreeing to freeze the council tax at 2009/10 levels.

“This has been achieved through careful management of council finances, including agreement of a £5.419 million programme of re-prioritisation measures and by building on our partnership working with our community planning partners and the Scottish Government.

“Our focus will continue to be ensuring council tax payers are provided with modern, value-for-money services.”

However, Graeme Morrice, leader of West Lothian Council’s Labour Group, said in an amendment tabled at the meeting, that the Scottish Government was “bribing” councils into freezing council tax.

And he called on the Scottish Ministers to provide additional resources to councils to assist with overspending in winter maintenance budgets due to the recent bad weather.

He said: “West Lothian Council Labour Group expresses their concern that this coming year’s Local Government Finance Settlement remains one of the tightest budget settlements since devolution was introduced, where the increase in the local government percentage budget share compared to the overall total managed expenditure is a mere 0.1 per cent.

“Yet the Scottish Government will receive an additional £600 million in cash terms from the UK Government for 2010/11.

“Moreover, SNP promises made at the last election remain underfunded in the ‘Concordat’ that local councils are expected to deliver.

“We note the SNP’s conversion to a council tax ‘freeze’ yet, when in opposition, the SNP proposed council tax increases in West Lothian of 71.1 per cent in total during the 12-year period 1995/96 to 2007/08.

“We note further that £210 million of local government’s money is being top sliced by the SNP Scottish Government to continue to bribe councils into freezing their council tax – money which should be coming to local councils anyway.”

l A NEW £41.3 million housing budget was also approved at Tuesday’s meeting

Also agreed was a four per cent increase in rent as part of an already agreed four-year strategy – given the go-ahead last February.

The average weekly rent in West Lothian for 2010/11 will be £57.68 a week.

Garage rents will be frozen for a second year with the intention of keeping them capped until 2011/12.

Executive councillor for communities, Frank Anderson said the rent increase would help meet the council’s commitment to bring all West Lothian houses up to Scottish Housing Quality Standards by 2015.

The first phase of the 248 new-build council houses is nearing completion and a further 550 houses and flats are also being built during phase two.

Travelling persons’ site rents will increase by four per cent and service and support charges for sheltered housing properties will also increase by four per cent.