Councils Show Their Concerns

摘要

It is unlikely that pensioners will be out on the streets with placards thanking their local council for keeping tax rises down to their lowest levels in a decade. And it is equally unlikely that the tabloids will be flagging-up this achieve- ment in between their Taxpayer Alliance-inspired diatribes against senior salaries. But achievement it certainly is. For, despite facing big drops in income, local authorities, according to the LGA this week, are managing to keep their rises down to an average 3%, a drop of 0.5% since its last survey in January. A report this week from consultancy EC Harris predicts that councils face a fall of ￡8bn in income from planning gains, Section 102 agreements and for social housing elements, due to the collapse in the development sector. This comes on top of falls in revenue arising from lower use of services which make a charge, such as swimming pools, gyms, car parking, and catering. The LGA estimates a fall of ￡2.5bn next year. Furthermore, there has been an increase in the use of council services, such as benefits, and homelessness and debt advice, and it is likely collection rates of council tax will also drop.