Historic tax cut agreed

Thursday February 25, 2010

Council tax will fall again this year after councillors agreed a fourth successive three per cent cut.

The historic cut was agreed at a Budget Council meeting last night (February 24) as part of Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council’s budget for 2010/11.

The council’s share of a Band D bill will be £811.78 this year – which is £25 cheaper than last year and £105 less than 2006. Meanwhile, the Mayor of London is freezing his share of the bill at £309.82 making the overall total £1,121.60p for a Band D property.

The council’s budget papers have been the subject of intense scrutiny over recent weeks – with some critics arguing that tax cuts are being paid for by hiking fees and charges – but others are welcoming the proposed tax cut.

H&F Council Leader Stephen Greenhalgh says that fees and charges in the borough are broadly in-line with similar authorities but in H&F services have officially got better – according to the Government’s watchdog – and residents’ satisfaction is at an all time high.

He says: “Some people make the mistake of believing that cutting council tax bills must result in cutting services. It does not. Our savings come from removing waste and bureaucracy. We are slashing our historic debt, introducing competition to services and selling underused assets that we no longer need.”

Cllr Greenhalgh continues: “We are spending £1.8 million a year to put more police on the streets. We are making our streets cleaner – with 93 per cent meeting Tidy Britain standards. We have improved refuse and recycling collections and parks. We have also opened the first new library in the borough for 40 years at virtually no cost to the taxpayer.”

Budget papers show an extra £2.5 million earmarked for Freedom Passes while council office costs are set to fall by a further £1.2 million a year. The council is also planning to bring in an additional £250,000 a year by fining rogue utility companies for over running road works.

Marlon Johnson, 34, an account manager who lives in Fulham Palace Road, says: “I seem to pay more council tax than my friends who live in Wandsworth so I think they should definitely be looking at doing something about it. It’s supposed to be a recession after all, so if the council can do their bit to makes things easier for people then I think it’s a great idea.”