Council tax expected to be the second lowest in UK (From Witney Gazette)

Council tax expected to be the second lowest in UK

3:24pm Monday 5th March 2007 in Witney By Tim Hughes

HOUSEHOLDERS in West Oxfordshire can expect to continue paying the lowest rate of council tax in Oxfordshire - and what is expected to be the second lowest rate in the country.

West Oxfordshire District Council voted to accept a budget which will see a charge of £71.36 for someone living in an average Band D property.

This is an increase of £3.36 (4.9 per cent) on last year's rate, and equates to an average of £1.37 per week - a figure the leader of the council, Barry Norton, compared to pocket money.

The figure relates just to the district council's share of the council tax bill. Additional charges are made by Oxfordshire County Council, the police and individual town and parish councils.

Mr Norton, the Conservative group leader, said: "It is less than a quarter of the average weekly pocket money received by children in this country.

"This represents continuing excellent value for money for West Oxfordshire residents. The budget represents additional services and additional investment for only an additional 6.5 pence per week for the average Band D property."

He added: "I am confident that this will leave the council levying the second lowest charge out of the 238 district councils in England yet again, and the lowest in Oxfordshire by some margin.

"By way of comparison, the highest charge in Oxfordshire in the current year is Oxford City, at a level of £230 - more than three times our charge."

The council's budget takes into account a 3.7 per cent increase in so-called 'operating' expenditure, which rises by £470,000, to £13.2m, for the year. This includes the financial burden of paying for a national concessionary fare scheme, giving pensioners free bus travel. The scheme, which is costing the council an additional £160,000, was described by Mr Norton as 'one of the principal strains' on the budget. It also contains an extra £60,000 a year to pay for increased waste collection costs, due to population growth.

Other funding is available for the council's environmental hit squad, which is cracking down on fly tipping and fly posting. About £150,000 goes to the West Oxfordshire Citizens' Advice Bureau, and an additional £30,000 goes to fund the running of a new joint-use leisure facility in Eynsham.

Mr Norton also promised 'significant improvements' to equipment in fitness suites and leisure centres; the conclusion of a scheme to refurbish public toilets; and funding for the country park, community hall and play areas in Carterton, and the community hall and sports pavilion in north east Witney.

Mr Norton said that to balance the budget, the council would use 'a substantial portion' of its revenue reserves - £935,000.

But the leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group, Stuart Brooks, said the budget was 'complacent and unimaginative', and failed to address increasing revenue expenditure.

He said: "We have the second lowest rate, but that is like going to your boss, and saying you have got the second cheapest product in the UK, but are going out of business in three years.

"We will be effectively bust in three years' time, and there is nothing done in this budget to address that.

"We are in a vicious spiral, like water going down a plughole, and we are accelerating towards it."

He suggested making savings by investing in private finance initiative (PFI) projects, saying there would be 'superior returns', which would benefit the community.

The debate was predictably divided down party political lines. After a drawn out discussion about spending on affordable housing, Conservative Joe Walcott accused councillors of 'talking rubbish for political reasons, because an election is around the corner!"

He added: "We can be proud of West Oxfordshire."

* THIS year's budget was the last for Mary Neale, cabinet spokesman for finance, who is moving to Suffolk.

The Conservative member for Alvescot and Filkins took the opportunity to warn of tough times ahead for the council.

She said: "The budget is both realistic and prudent. We are delivering more services to our local taxpayers, yet only asking them to pay an average £3.36 a year more for this."

But added: "In the latest finance settlement from the Government, we have received only £175,000 more external support. This covers little more than the increased costs of waste collection, caused by the growth in population of the district, and the concessionary fares rises, let alone any allowance for inflation."

She said the Government was putting 'significant pressure' on local government finance, adding: "This will leave the council with no choice but to take some difficult and potentially unpopular decisions."