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Council Confirms Lowest Council Tax for 13 Years
The meeting of Bexley’s full Council on Wednesday 7th March approved the budget recommended by the Council’s Cabinet..
Bexley’s Council Tax will increase by 3% from April - the lowest increase for 13 years.
Taken together with the increase agreed by the Greater London Authority, the overall increase for Bexley residents will be 3.5%.
The new Council Tax figures for each tax band will be
-----------------A booklet giving details of the Council’s budget and its plans for the new financial year will be sent out with Council Tax bills later this month.
The Council is reminding senior citizens and people on low incomes to check if they are eligible for help with their Council Tax bills.
Advice and information on Pension Credit or Council Tax Benefit is available by calling one of the Council’s three welfare rights providers -
The Opposition Labour Group on Bexley Council has warned of some nasty surprises in the first budget of the new Conservative administration.
• Home Care charges for the elderly have been increased by 7% and the administration has made it clear that this level of rise will continue for the next 3 years. The service is subsidised but rates have been increased from £9.90 an hour to £10.55 an hour. If this level of increase continues, rates will hit £12.80 by the end of the administration’s term.
• Car parking charges have increased 13% overall, but this is not evenly spread. In a couple of areas the price has dropped, whilst in others, such as Erith, Welling, Northumberland Heath and Bexleyheath, some of the rises are between 100% and 200%. The Labour Group argued that these increases will have a damaging effect on local parades of shops and people will try to park in residential areas to avoid the increased costs.
• Nearly £1 million has been removed from the Community Safety \ Initiatives pot. This cut is equal to 20% of the total Neighbourhood Services budget. The Labour Group argued that this cut in expenditure will cause a rise in crime, along with the fear of crime.
The Labour Group tabled an amendment which would have seen home care charges raised by 3% and car parking charges by 4%. It was proposed that this would be funded in this financial year by the £200,000 which the administration has transferred from the warranties fund to the general fund. Labour’s amendment was defeated with 53 Conservative Councillors voting for the above inflation increases in home care and car parking charges.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Chris Ball, Leader of Bexley Labour Group said:
“My colleagues and I have argued that these increases will hit elderly residents and small shopkeepers in the borough. We proposed an amendment which would still have delivered a 3% council tax increase but would have protected these residents. I am disappointed that Conservative Councillors voted for these increases and can only hope that they do not have a detrimental effect on
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