Council rules out cutbacks (From Witney Gazette)

Council rules out cutbacks

6:37am Tuesday 29th January 2008 in Headlines By The Page Turner

COUNTY council leaders have promised no major cuts in services - despite a council tax increase of just below four per cent.

Oxfordshire County Council's controlling Conservative group has proposed an increase of 3.8 per cent, with the budget due to be ratified at a full council meeting next month.

Across the country, council tax bills will go up by an average four per cent - or 85p a week - in April, according to an early survey of proposed budgets.

The Local Government Association, which represents councils up and down the country, said the increase - based on responses from more than 150 councils and police and fire authorities - would take the average household's annual bill to £1,145.

But in Oxfordshire, County Hall has promised to safeguard services for the elderly, an area that the opposition Labour group had highlighted as cause for concern.

Charles Shouler, the cabinet member for finance, said: "As a group we promise low taxes.

"We can rule out cuts in services with one proviso - that directorates with financial pressures who want to increase spending will have to find their own efficiency savings."

Mr Shouler said care for the elderly was one of the council's biggest financial pressures, due to an ageing population, but added that services for the elderly would be maintained.

"The council is facing financial pressures, but we have a budget of £350m and there will not be major cuts and changes," he added.

Last week, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust's chief executive, Trevor Campbell Davis, claimed the council lacked the "political will" to reduce the problem of bed-blocking. Patients waiting for community care were occupying the equivalent of four Oxfordshire hospital wards because the county council was failing to deliver support services in the community, he said.

Labour leader Barbara Gatehouse said: "The Tories are burying their heads in the sand about demography.

"Their plans for social care spending in future years are totally inadequate to meet the needs of an ageing population.

"These plans would put vulnerable people at risk, to fulfil irresponsible promises on council tax."

Local Government Association chairman Sir Simon Milton said: "Nobody likes paying more council tax, but this year town halls are making enormous efforts to keep bills down. It is a testament to the determination of councils that the average rise is likely to be close to the rate of inflation.

"Keeping council tax down has been made harder by several Government departments shifting extra costs on to councils while limiting funding from central Government to a real terms one per cent increase.

"Council tax would have been a lot lower with a more realistic central Government grant."

Oxford city councillors have not yet finalised their tax proposals but Jim Campbell, the executive member for finance, is not expected to suggest an increase of more than two per cent in its share of bills - the same as last year.