UP FRONT: In focus
Budget: Tax freeze
and investment
Watch
short video
here
Your council tax bills have been frozen for a seventh year running
as part of Ealing Council’s budget for 2015/16.
15%
less for
Ealing
13.9%
national
average
Cuts in funds
6
around ealing
Spring 2015
T
he decision has been taken by
the council to keep tax held
at 2008/09 levels, despite a
£23.2million cut in its annual
government funding from April. The
aim has been to keep council tax as low
as possible to help families, especially
because many will not have had wage
rises, or will have had low rises, in that
period – while living costs have risen.
Council tax could not realistically
have been used to counteract the
projected cuts to the council’s funding
in the coming years, because it would
effectively have meant doubling your bills
to bridge the gap each year. Therefore,
freezing bills was deemed both fair and
sensible. The government will give all
local authorities that freeze council tax a
grant. Ealing will get £1.3million towards
helping to fund the latest freeze.
REDUCTION MEANS CUTS
Last year, the council announced that it was
expecting cuts by the government, and
more in coming years, to the money it gives
the council. Funding from the government
is one of the biggest sources of money the
council has to spend on day-to-day services.
The government since confirmed it
was reducing the amount it allocates
to the council in its Settlement Funding
Assessment from £154.8million in 2014/15
to £131.6million for 2015/16. This is in
line with the council’s own pessimistic
forecast and represents a 15% reduction
on last year’s money and is a bigger cut
than the national average of 13.9%.
There is continuing uncertainty about
how much money the council will get
from the government in future years.
This £23million cut for the coming year is
just the start. The council is expecting to
have to make unprecedented savings of
£96million by April 2019. This also takes
into account rising population, higher
costs, increasing demand on services and
a shortage of housing in the borough.
This mammoth, four-year task is forcing it
to change or stop some local services.
The council has currently been
working through proposals to find the
necessary savings.
A full list of proposed savings is
available on the council’s website, at
www.ealing.gov.uk/budget
INVESTMENT STILL PLANNED
Although the financial picture looks bleak,
the council is determined to continue to
invest in the borough – see next page.
For more information visit
www.ealing.gov.uk/budget