08 February 2012Last night (Tuesday 23 February 2009) Sevenoaks District Council set its budget for the coming year, which sees its share of the Council Tax increase by 2.9%, the lowest increase for 15 years.
The budget was set against a below national average increase in Government grant and reduced income.
From April 2010 for the next year, the Council is planning to spend £16.7 million on local services. As part of setting the budget, the Council has been forced to make savings of £1.2 million to balance its books.
This is because the Council is faced with increased costs combined with reduced income from the Government and its services.
The grant increase from the Government is the lowest nationally. From next April, Sevenoaks will receive £6.3 million towards the cost of local services, an increase of half a percent. The average national district council increase is nearly three times that of Sevenoaks at 1.4%.
Next year's budget includes a combination of savings, generating additional income, which includes providing services for neighbouring councils and increasing parking charges, but crucially finding more efficient ways of working.
Sevenoaks District Council’s average Council Tax annual increase is £5.13 for the year or an additional 10p a week.
From April, Sevenoaks District Council’s average Council Tax charge (at band D) will be £181.89 a year or 50 pence a day.
Cllr Brian Ramsay, Sevenoaks District Council's Cabinet Member with responsibility for finance, says: "Next year's budget has been a particular challenge as we are faced with, yet again, the lowest increase in grant of any district council in the country combined with reduced income from our services. Despite making more than a million pounds in savings, we have endeavoured to keep the impact on our front line services to a minimum whilst setting the lowest Council Tax increase for 15 years."
