Brent freezes council tax

A council tax freeze leads Brent Council's budget proposal for this year (2010/11) as the council presses ahead with its Improvement and Efficiency Action Plan, designed to increase efficiency and enhance services across the council over the next four years.

If the budget is agreed at a council meeting on 1 March 2010 the Band D council tax for Brent from 1 April will be £1,058.94, which is the same as the previous 12 months. Brent currently has the fourth lowest council tax out of the 20 outer London boroughs.

This year sees extra resources for child protection and the environment, including organic waste collection. The budget includes £1.5 million added to offset the impact of changes to the funding of the Freedom Pass scheme and all previously eligible residents still qualify. Schools get an extra 4.7 per cent per pupil.

The recommended overall budget requirement for 2010/11 is £266.6 million across all council services. The Government grant is 1.5 per cent higher than last year at £164.5 million, which means that the council must raise £102.1 million from council tax. The capital programme is set to fund over £100 million of new investments in schools, parks, sport, housing and libraries.

Cllr Paul Lorber, Leader of Brent Council said:
"We are very pleased to offer a freeze in the council tax, the first ever at Brent. We felt it was important to help residents in these difficult economic times, but investment continues towards our key priorities of Regeneration, Young People, Sustainability and a Safer Brent.

"There is an additional £1.2 million in the budget for child protection on top of £1 million last year and funding continues for 16 police community support officers on Brent's streets so our residents feel safer. We have maintained investment in libraries to increase their stock and make them easier to use.

"The council has been able to protect frontline services, finding £10 million of growth while freezing council tax through an improvement programme that is delivering efficiencies and improving services."

Councillor Bob Blackman, Lead Member for Resources, said:
"We are honouring our promise to freeze the Council Tax in Brent for the forthcoming year. In this budget we are investing additional resources in front line services, making efficiency savings and conducting a dramatic transformation programme. This year in Brent services will continue to improve and the amount people pay will remain the same."

Council tax payers in each London borough also help to fund the Greater London Authority (GLA), which includes the Metropolitan Police, the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, Transport for London, the Olympics levy and the GLA itself. The GLA will meet on 10 February to consider the Mayor of London's proposal to freeze the GLA Band D contribution for 2010/11 at last year's level of £309.82. If this is accepted the overall council tax at Band D in Brent would be £1,368.76, the same as in 2009/10.

Source: Brent Council

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