Council tax relief (From Stroud News and Journal)

Council tax relief

EBLEY Mill's slice of council tax should rise by just 2.5 per cent next year after council budget masters were ordered to tighten their purse strings.

Cabinet members quashed fears of inflation-busting tax hikes when the proposed budget was unveiled at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, December 16.

Council leader Chas Fellows (Con,Chalford), said the low rise was due to a 2 per cent savings regime within Stroud District Council.

"We asked budget holders to identify savings - I am very grateful to them for doing so," he said. "This has enabled the cabinet to set a low increase in our element of the council tax, whilst improving services identified by citizens."

If the cabinet proposals are ratified by the full council in January it will mean SDC's charge on an average Band D property will rise by just £4.01 from £160.58 to £164.59.

Finance and regeneration cabinet member Stephen Glanfield (Con, Amb & W'Chester), also unveiled an extra £174,000 of spending on public services - but revealed the council will also raise rent for council tenants by 2.8 per cent.

Cabinet members were also shown details of the council's medium term financial plan, which sets out spending until 2009 and includes a proposed £34.5 million programme of housing and regeneration projects.

Among the planned schemes are £1 million of spending for the canal regeneration, £140,000 towards a new sports centre at Maidenhill School and, next year, an £80,000 hydroelectric power project outside Ebley Mill.

In preparation for the budget the council quizzed 400 residents and Stroud District Youth Council to ask them their spending priorities. Nearly half (48 per cent) of residents questioned said they could not afford to pay increased council tax and more than a third (36 per cent) chose affordable housing as their top priority

The budget will now go through the council's scrutiny committee before coming before full council on Thursday, January 27.