Summary Council Tax and Performance Leaflet PDF 2 MB

yourguide
guide
2006-7 council services
living in tewkesbury borough
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WOrKING fOr yOu 24 hOurs a day, 365 days a yEar
Welcome
★
Take a moment to look through this
booklet and discover just where your
council tax is being spent. You may
be surprised by how many services
are provided both locally and across
the county – and just what value for
money you’re getting.
If you would like to comment on the
booklet, we’d welcome your feedback.
Contact information is provided on
page 17.
Contents
04 GETTING VALUE FOR MONEY
What are you getting for your
money in Tewkesbury borough–
find out here
08 AIMING TO BE EXCELLENT The
county council provide a snapshot
of the services they deliver
15 A to Z Handy pull out and keep
guide to useful numbers
19 POLICING PLANS The police
authority update their plans for
the coming year
22 SHOULD YOU BE PAYING LESS
TAX? How to pay, benefits,
discounts and exemptions
Win £100!
Answer these three questions - you’ll find
the answers within this booklet - for your
chance to win £100 to spend at Tesco.
Questions:
1. People who own their own homes cannot
get council tax benefit. True or false?
2.How much do you pay each week towards
educating primary school children?
3. During 2004, by how many per cent did
house burglaries fall?
send your entry to:
Tesco Competition, Now Media, Cantay
House, 60 St George’s Place, Cheltenham,
Glos GL50 3PN.
EMAIL your entry to:
[email protected]
All entries must be in by 26 May 2006.
Please make sure you enclose your name,
address and telephone number. The winner
will be drawn on 2 June 2006.
28 Where the money goes Details
of borough, county and police
spending plans
YOUR GUIDE
COMPETITION
Terms & Conditions: 1. No purchase necessary. 2. The winners
will be drawn at random on 2 June 2006 and winners will be
notified by 7 June 2006. 3. Arrangements for the receipt of the
prize will be made with the winner, proof of identity will be
required, no cash alternative available. 4. Contestants’ details
will not be passed to a third party. 5. The winner will be
published on www.tewkesbury.gov.uk after 10 June 2006.
6. No employees of Now Media can enter.
Designed and produced by Now Media 01242 260 307 E&OE
£3.13
Police
£3.12
This is what a band
D household will be
paying each week
during 2006/7
TEWKESBURY
Borough Council
£17.75
Gloucestershire
County Council
The money you pay helps to fund:
• Tewkesbury Borough Council for services such as
housing services, refuse collection, leisure,
planning, culture
• Gloucestershire County Council for services such
as education, social care, waste management,
libraries, roads
• Gloucestershire Police Authority for services such
as crime prevention, law and order
Ó
This document is available in large
print, call 01684 295 010 for details
Working together
saves money
By joining forces across the
county, we are saving on
production and printing
costs, which are also
subsidised by advertising.
Printed on paper from
sustainable forests
YOUR GUIDE WHERE DOES YOUR MONEY GO?
HOW WE SLICE THE PIE…
TEWKESBURY BOROUGH COUnCiL
BETTER VALUE
Tewkesbury Borough Council’s commitment to providing first class services that
you want is as strong as ever
We see our business as ‘Helping our communities flourish in a
quality environment’. Throughout the last year we’ve continued to refine our understanding of higher and lesser priorities
to help focus resources towards key areas. And it’s working
- our council tax continues to be the lowest in Gloucestershire
and one of the lowest in England.
Bright Future
young children represent our future. We hope everyfaCE
faCTs!
thing we do
is working towards making the borough
a better place – ensuring we do nothing to damage
our environment and that future generations inherit
an improving quality of life.
over the next four pages, we’ve highlighted
our priority areas for the next year and report on
progress already made in these areas.
accommodation for families
in need - helping to reduce
the requirement for bed and
breakfast accommodation
!
faCT
We saved £57,660 - and
many staff resources
- through issuing concessionary bus passes which were
valid for 3 years rather than
the annual bus pass.
4 WWW.TEWKESBURY.GOV.UK
!
faCT
Our expenditure on
waste collection at
Tewkesbury Borough Council
is below average and satisfaction is high at 96%.
!
Out of 354 English
Districts, Tewkesbury
Borough Council is 7th
highest for council tax
collection & 18th highest for
business rates collection
faCT
faCT
It’s a fact!
bought six hous! We’ve
es to provide interim
!
faCT
Following a rationalisation of our office
space we now rent
out space at the main council
offices to 2 organisations
- which provides income for
community projects
faCT
Homes for all
Affordable housing is a key priority and in the
last year the council helped build 42 new homes
We also made a further 10 new properties just outside the
council boundaries available to people from our waiting list
through our housing partnerships with other local authorities
in Gloucestershire. There are another 122 new homes currently
in development.
ADDED PRESSURE
We have the highest housing requirement of the County’s
districts because of the need arising from the nearby urban
areas of Cheltenham and Gloucester. This creates additional
pressures for affordable housing. We negotiate with property
developers to provide affordable homes in new housing
developments as part of the planning process.
!
income received
through second
home council tax
has been entirely directed to
the Local strategic Partnership (LsP) so that community
projects can be delivered.
Projects like Jump start - a
scheme run by Gloucestershire rural Community Council with the aim of providing
people in rural and isolated
locations with the means to
find employment.
Services relating to
Housing Advice, the
Common Housing Register,
Homelessness and the Rent
Deposit Scheme are now
delivered by an in house
specialist team of housing
advisors. Contact housing
[email protected]
Ó
Ó IN brIEf
• Provided 119 Disabled
Facilities Grants to
help disabled people
continue to live in their
own homes
• Accepted 198 households as homeless and
helped them to find a
home
• Helped 136 people
access an affordable
home with our Housing
Association partners
WWW.TEWKESBURY.GOV.UK 5
TEWKESBURY BOROUGH COUnCiL
saVE
TEWKESBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL
Recycle more!
We all need to recycle more if we
are to hit the government targets
Every day we throw away rubbish wasting
valuable resources which could be reused or
recycled into new products. Nearly 84 per
cent of our rubbish is currently land filled, and
only 16 per cent is recycled. But the amount
of household waste that could be recycled is
around 50 per cent – so we still have a way
to go.
We are introducing a garden waste collection service for a small weekly charge, also we
are working towards increasing the frequency
of kerbside collection of recyclable materials
to include cardboard and plastic bottles, and
a move towards a fortnightly residual waste
collection.
Challenging targets
The Government has set challenging targets
for local authorities to increase the levels.
Working together with all the counties local authorities under the umbrellas of the
Gloucestershire Waste Partnership we aim to
promote sustainable waste management.
We spend less money on collection waste than
the UK average, and public satisfaction with
our service is high at 96 per cent.
Ó In brief
• The introduction of the plastic bottle
recycling scheme has seen over 49
tonnes of plastic bottles being recycled
• We’ve consulted widely with commercial waste customers to gain an understanding of their needs
• Gloucestershire Waste Partnership
attracted £4.4m to improve collection
and disposal service. We have bid for
substantially more funding
Clean, green and safe
We consider it essential to maintain a clean,
green and safe environment.
We have increased community involvement in environment management through
the volunteer litter collector scheme.
Currently we have 50 volunteers on board
throughout the borough and we will continue to engage people in caring for their
environment.
The Planning Delivery Grant is helping to
deliver a clean, green and safe environment
www.TEWKESBURY.gov.uk
The needs of the young and old continue to be
monitored. Our work with young people includes development and support for Youth Action Groups in local schools and youth groups,
we also deliver a number of sports, courses
and events such as the Gloucestershire Youth
Games. We work the county council’s youth
service and other providers to develop
programmes of activity for young people.
Throughout 2006/7 we will place greater
emphasis on community involvement through
the promotion of village design statements
and parish plans. The council’s new website
was launched in 2005 providing easier access
to borough news and information.
FUNDING SUCCESS
Tewkesbury borough council employs an External Funding and Regeneration Assistant to
advise local groups/projects on funding issues.
Examples of projects helped in 2005:
• The artdepot - a new artist led group in
Tewkesbury - received a grant of £5,000 for
‘Street Art’
• Glevum Knights Marching Band, Churchdown obtained over £7,500 for workshops
and instruments.
through supporting county-wide landscape
character assessment and the use of specialist support i.e. on-line planning.
Community safety and health & safety
are important aspects of our work. We play
an active role in the work of the Anti Social
Behaviour Group and Youth Inclusion and
Support Panel.
Our Environmental Health service minimises, and wherever possible, eliminates the
risks to health i.e. food safety and the environment, from all types of pollution including
contaminated land and protect the public
from pollution nuisances.
Ó In brief
• Our work with Gypsies and Travellers
is being used as an example of good
practice by other UK councils
• The very successful Food Festival held
in Tewkesbury is to become a regular
event
• The Priors Park Neighbourhood Project
received a grant of £19,525 from Local
Heritage Initiative for a food heritage
project which is helping the community
to come together and learn new skills
• Brockworth Sports Centre is currently
being developed following a £2m
investment
Ó In brief
• Addressed problems of Anti-Social
Behaviour in residential areas through
the ASB Group
• Mapping of hotspot crime information informed local area plans
• Introduce a child protection policy for
use in the sports centres
• Provided food safety advice at the
Food Fair to raise awareness of food
safety in the borough
www.TEWKESBURY.gov.uk TEWKESBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL
Lifelong needs
GLOUCESTERSHiRE COUnTY COUnCiL
MAKinG A DiFFEREnCE
We live in a great county. But as it continues
to grow and change, it’s important we don’t
lose sight of what matters.
That means people feeling safe in their homes; people knowing they will be looked after if they’re vulnerable; that their
children matter; and that the infrastructure where people go
about their lives works efficiently and is cost effective.
Each home in the county contributes around £20 per week
to help us deliver the services to achieve these aims. So far, the
independent government inspectors think Gloucestershire
County Council is making a good job of it. But we don’t always
get it right, which is why we’re working hard to become an
excellent council. We’re listening to you, and focusing on your
priorities. That’s why we know you want better services for less
council tax. And that’s why our increase this year is the lowest
for 11 years.
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the county council has a new administration. Whilst many of the priorities
remain the same we want to achieve
them in a more cost effective way
- with better end results. over the next
few pages we have outlined some key
areas where we will spend your money.
INVEsTMENT
85,000 children and young people are currently being educated in Gloucestershire’s
schools. We’re investing £xxx million educating the nurses, mechanics, carpenters,
vets, firefighters... and entrepreneurs of
the future. And it’s working. our children
continually achieve well above average
results - in all stages of their school lives
- compared with other uk counties.
WWW.GLOUCESTERSHiRE.GOV.UK 9
GLOUCESTERSHiRE COUnTY COUnCiL
RESULT!
We live in a fair society where we all
deserve to be treated as equals
At some point in our lives, most of us will need the use of
the extensive support services offered by the county council.
Disadvantaged adults - young and old - are a sector of our
community that need our help, but on their terms. That means
listening, and responding, with practical solutions that address
their needs.
Help at home for elderly
More than 100 residents in Cheltenham and Tewkesbury have
been helped by a new service which allows elderly people to
stay in their own homes longer. The Basics Needs Service can
offer older people shopping, benefits advice, general support
and simple repairs.
One client who lived in a sheltered housing scheme had help
from Basic Needs with:
• Meals on Wheels delivery
• Claiming Benefits
• Laundry Collection
• Moving house
• General handyman repairs elderly people to live more independently, to improve their safety and wellbeing and to build
up their confidence.
Ó THE LIBRARY
Libraries are at the heart of
every community used by
young and old alike.
More tunes than an i-pod
from Stravinsky to Scissor Sisters we have over 25,000 CDs.
More books than Amazon
over one million in the county, and
access to 117 million nationwide.
FACT
GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Valuing people
!
We’ve just completed building a new state-ofthe-art library in Dursley at a cost of nearly £1m.
10 www.GLOUCESTERSHIRE.gov.uk
We want people to feel safe in all aspects
of their everyday lives
It’s not just anti-social behaviour that can make people’s lives
a misery. It’s also drunk and speeding drivers; unscrupulous
traders selling faulty products, even the threat of a terrorist
attack. These and many more areas can impact on all our
lives, and a significant proportion of our annual budget is
directed to provide services to address these issues.
Home is where the heart is
People want to feel safe in their neighbourhoods. So,
although police numbers in the county have increased as a
total, it is important for many people that they can see these
police in their own neighbourhoods.
We are working with the districts and the police to help deliver this. We are funding an additional xx community support
offices so that dedicated officers are helping to provide local
solutions to local problems.
Most people who are killed on our roads die because of one of
these reasons...
1 Speeding
2 Not wearing seat belts
3 Drunk (or drugged) driving
4 Use of mobile phone
We aim to halve the number of killed and seriously injured
road casualties in Gloucestershire by the year 2010. We will
achieve this by a combination of public road safety awareness initiatives and traffic calming measures like speed
bumps.
!
£20 mn extra
will be spent
in the next 3 years
on fire safety. Three
new community
fire stations will be
built for the growing
population of the
county, and a Life
Skills Centre will
be established for
children and adults
to learn about safety
related situations.
FACT
The Fatal Four
www.GLOUCESTERSHIRE.gov.uk 11
GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Safety matters
GLOUCESTERSHiRE COUnTY COUnCiL
TRAnSPORT THAT WORKS
Travel and transport is always a hot topic. That’s
why we’ve been consulting widely with the
public during the past year.
Ó ThE PlaN
our new Local transport Plan
covers the next five years. it
has six main priorities:
1 Keeping our roads
well maintained
2 Safer roads
3 Less congestion
4 Easier access to
public transport
5 Better air quality
6 Improving quality of life
Local people have had the chance to give their views on transport at a number of roadshows. We’ve listened to what you
have to say and it has helped to form our strategy.
two immediate priority areas are:
RESTRiCTiOnS On LORRY ROUTES
Lorry traffic can have a serious environmental impact yet it
plays a significant role in the efficient movement of
freight. We will be working with partners to develop rail
freight opportunities and greater use of water transport
for freight.
iMPROVE THE COnDiTiOn OF ROADS
There is a £130m backlog of highway maintenance
schemes. By increasing our spend in this area, we can reduce the backlog, and at the same time improve conditions
for more vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists and
1 WWW.GLOUCESTERSHiRE.GOV.UK
GLOUCESTERSHiRE COUnTY COUnCiL
RECYCLE! iT’S EASY As a county we have never recycled more,
but we have strict targets to meet
!
The county is
running out
of space to dispose
of our waste - we all
need to recycle more
faCT
Gloucestershire continues to have a growing problem finding ways to dispose of all
the waste collected from
households and we would like
everyone to recycle more.
The county council works in
partnership with the districts.
Under the umbrella of recycle
for Gloucestershire has
worked hard to encourage recycling. Information has been
provided on what, how and where to recycle, using posters,
leaflets, a helpline, advertising features and a website.
As a result, more people say they are using their kerbside
collection services and fewer people say they never recycle.
But we must do more. We need to increase recycling in the
county by a further xx per cent this year in order to meet our
national targets.
Ó OPEN fOr busINEss
Inward investment into Gloucestershire
helps us to maintain low unemployment
there are some key sectors in the county that we
intend to focus on in the next year to help maximise
their contribution to the local economy. Farming and
food production is one of them, the other is high tech
industries.
WWW.GLOUCESTERSHiRE.GOV.UK 1
We want every child, whatever their background or circumstances,
to be healthy; stay safe; enjoy and achieve; and make a positive
contribution to the community.
We’ve changed the way we organise our services for children by teaming up in new ways
with other organisations that have an impact
on children’s lives like hospitals and the police.
By working together and sharing information, we can help protect children and young
people from harm - and encourage them to
achieve what they want in life.
Children and young people will have far
more say about issues that affect them as
individuals and collectively.
Quicker adoption process
More children are finding permanent loving
homes and adopters are being approved more
quickly in the county. In the last six months 21
children have been adopted by loving homes,
with the process now taking as little as eight
months from start to finish.
But there are still children who need permanent homes and we are working hard to
encourage adopters from all walks of life to
consider this challenging but rewarding step.
And forget your preconceptions - adopters can
be single, unemployed, male or female.
faCT
GLOUCESTERSHiRE COUnTY COUnCiL
EVERY CHiLD MATTERS
!
anti-bullying guidelines
Bullying can have devastating and
far-reaching effects on people’s
lives. That’s why we’ve launched
new guidelines for teachers,
youth workers and others to access all the information, support
and guidance they need.
We’ve worked with the primary schools meals service Sodexho, to ensure
we’ve achieved new government standards in healthy eating one year early.
14 WWW.GLOUCESTERSHiRE.GOV.UK
Ó
Pull out and Keep
A
Abandoned vehicles – report
an abandoned vehicle
01684 272 186
Adoption
01242 532 597
Adult & Community
Education
0800 542 1655
Adult help desk
01452 426 868
After School Care
0800 542 0202
Churchdown Advice
& Information Centre
01452 550 644
Churchdown Sports Centre
01452 855 994
Cleeve Sports and Arts Centre
01242 272 091
Commercial Waste Disposal
01684 295 010
Community PALS (Patient
Advice & Liaison Service)
08000 151 458
Consumer Advice
08454 040 506
Air Pollution
01684 272 168
Coroner
01452 305661
Asbestos – remove of
01242 680 010
Attendance & Truancy
01452 550 505
Council Direct - answers to
all your questions on county
council services
01452 505 345
Council Tax Benefits /
Enquiries
B
Benefits
01684 295 010
Crime stoppers
Blocked Drains or Sewers
01684 292 191 /
292 189
D
Blue Badge Scheme
01452 426 868
Dangerous Structures
Brockworth Advice
& Information Centre
Brockworth Sports Centre
01684 295 010
0800 555 111
01684 272 084
01452 544 115
E
01452 863 518
Education
01452 425 300
Emergencies (out of hours)
Tewkesbury Borough Council
01684 293 445
Environmental Protection /
Safety
01684 295 010
Building Control
01684 272 084
Bullying at School
01452 425 300
Business Rates
01684 272 132
Bus Timetables
0870 608 2608
F
Fair Trade
08454 040 506
01452 386 283
Flooding
01684 272 200
Car Parking Permits
01684 272 063
Fly Tipping
01684 295 010
Cascades Swimming Pool
& Health Suite Complex
01684 293 740
Fire & Rescue – for general
enquiries and advice
C
Carers
Child Care helpline
Children & Families help desk
0800 542 0202
01452 426 565
Food Safety
Fostering
01452 753 333
01684 295 010
01242 532 597
YOUR GUIDE 15
A - Z SERVICES
A to Z services
essential contact information
A - Z SERVICES
Pull out and Keep
Ì
G
R
General Enquiries –
Tewkesbury Borough Council
01684 295 010
Green Garden Waste
Collection
01684 295 010
Gritting (roads & paths)
01452 425 500
H
Recycling
01684 272 185
Records Office
01452 425 295
Refugees and Asylum Seekers
01452 426 868
Refuse – domestic or bulky
01684 272 187
Road and Pavements
01452 425 500
S
Housing Advice / Register
and Homelessness
01684 272 212
01684 272 164
Home Care Support
01452 426 868
Housing Benefit
01684 295 010
School Admissions
01452 425 407
School Transport
01452 425 408
Sheltered Housing
01452 426 868
Street Lighting – report
a problem
0800 542 1890
Housing Grants
01684 272 230
Housing – Rent Guarantee
& Rent in Advnace Scheme
01684 272 279
Housing Standards
including disrepair
01684 272 176
Housing Strategy
and other enquiries
01684 272 230
I
Incapacity benefits
0800 882 200
L
Tewkesbury Sports Centre
01684 293 953
Tewkesbury Tourist
Information Centre
01684 295 027
Tourism Enquiries
01684 272 095
0845 230 5420
01452 425 607
Tree Preservation
01684 272 061
Licensing
01684 295 010
Litter & Street Cleansing
01684 272 186
Local Development Plans
01684 272 088
N
V
Voluntary Organisations
01452 230 5420
W
01684 295 010
P
01684 272 151
0845 090 1234
Pot holes – reporting
01452 505 345
Public Rights of Way
01452 425 577
16 YOUR GUIDE
T
01452 426 201
Libraries
Police – non-emergencies eg.
reporting a burglary, theft etc
01452 425 395
Trading Standards
01684 272 091
Planning Applications
Student Finances
01684 272 200
Traffic lights – report
a problem
Leisure Enquiries
Noise – report a noise
nuisance
Sandbags for land drainage
& river flooding
Winchcombe Advice
& Information Centre
01242 609 238
Winchcombe Tourist
Information Centre
01242 602 925
Y
Youth Offending
01452 547 540
Youth Services
01452 425 420
Z
Zebra Crossings
01452 425 600
Tewkesbury Borough Council
Council Offices
Gloucester Road
Tewkesbury
Glos GL20 5TT
01684 295 010
www.tewkesbury.gov.uk
Gloucestershire County Council
Shire Hall
Westgate Street
Gloucester
GL1 2TG
01452 425 000
www.gloucestershire.gov.uk
FREE TRAVEL IN
TEWKESBURY BOROUGH
Apply now for your Tewkesbury
Borough Council Free Gloucestershire Bus Pass, valid from April 2006.
If you are aged 60 or over, Disabled
or Blind you are entitled to apply for
the Free Bus Pass.
Application forms can be collected
from the Council Office in Tewkesbury or one of the Advice and
Information Centres in Churchdown,
Brockworth and Winchcombe. Or
ring 01684 295 010 and ask for
Customer Services and have an
application form sent to you.
Details of the Tewkesbury Borough
Council Free Gloucestershire Bus
Pass, together with application
forms can also be found on our website at www.tewkesbury.gov.uk.
School Term Dates 2006-7
11 April 2006 – 27 May 2006
6 June 2006 – 21 July 2006
6 September 2006 – 21 October 2006
2 November 2006 – 20 December 2006
4 January 2007 – 10 February 2007
20 February 2007 – 31 March 2007
YOUR GUIDE 17
A - Z SERVICES
Ó Contact details:
AD
POLICE
WWW.GLOUCESTERSHIRE.POLICE.UK • WWW.GLOUCESTERSHIRE.GOV.UK/POLICEAUTHORITY 19
POLICE
20 WWW.GLOUCESTERSHIRE.POLICE.UK • WWW.GLOUCESTERSHIRE.GOV.UK/POLICEAUTHORITY
POLICE
WWW.GLOUCESTERSHIRE.POLICE.UK • WWW.GLOUCESTERSHIRE.GOV.UK/POLICEAUTHORITY 21
ABOUT YOUR COUNCIL TAX
ABOUT COUNCIL TAX
Which band?
Next step
Appeals should be made to:
▶ The Listing Officer, Valuation Office Agency,
Ley Court, Barnett Way, Gloucester GL4 7RT, tel:
01452 360 200
Your property has been assessed for council
tax in one of eight valuation bands (A-H)
according to its estimated sale value at 1 April
1991.
The table below shows council tax payable
for each band for 2005-6. We have also highlighted the percentage increase for the police
and county council.
Appeals
If you need further clarification please contact the council tax enquiries line.
Unable to pay?
There are very few circumstances in which
appeals against banding can be made and are
restricted to:
• an increase in the property value resulting
from building work
• a decrease in the property value due to
part of it being demolished, the physical
deterioration of the surrounding area or an
adaption for use by a disabled person
• the balance between domestic and business
use changes
If you are finding it difficult to pay your council
tax, contact us now rather than leaving it
until it is too late. You may be able to claim
council tax benefit or we may be able to give
you more time to pay. Contact the recovery
team on 01684 295 010.
Making an appeal does not allow you to withhold payment of council tax.
BanD
PROPERTY VALUES
(as at 01/04/91)
INCREASE
BOROUGH
POLICE
COUNTY
TOTAL
4%
3.9%
3.9%
3.9%
A
up to £40,000
108.13
108.60
615.33
832.06
B
£40,001 - £52,000
126.16
126.70
717.89
970.75
C
£52,001 - £68,000
144.18
144.80
820.44
1109.42
D
£68,001 - £88,000
162.20
162.90
923.00
1248.10
E
£88,001 - £120,000
198.24
199.10
1128.11
1525.45
F
£120,001 - £160,000
234.29
235.30
1333.22
1802.81
G
£160,001 - £320,000
270.33
271.50
1538.33
2080.16
H
Exceeding £320,000
324.40
325.80
1846.00
2496.20
22 www.TEWKESBURY.gov.uk
Home Alone?
People with disabilities
Your bill may be reduced if you or anyone living with you is disabled and needs the use of:
• a special room or extra kitchen or extra
bathroom
• extra space indoors to use a wheelchair
lf you qualify your council tax bill will be
reduced by one band. For example, if you live
in a band C property, you will be charged at
the band B rate. If you live in a band A property
you can still apply for an equivalent reduction.
The full council tax bill is for households where
there are two or more adults living in a property. If you are the only adult (over 18) living
in the property, you can claim a 25 per cent
discount. Also, if you are living in a property
with someone in the list below, and there are
no other adults living in the property, you may
be entitled to a 25 per cent discount.
• full time students, student nurses, apprentices, youth training trainees
• 18-19 year old (at or just left school)
• hospital/hospice patient (permanent)
• residential care/nursing home resident
• persons for whom Child Benefit is paid
• severely mentally impaired
• hostel/night shelter resident
• members of religious communities
• full time carer (excluding those caring for
husband, wife, partner or child)
• persons in detention
• members of International Headquarters
and Defence Organisations
• visiting forces
• spouses of students who are not British
• diplomats
In extreme circumstances the council has
discretionary powers to reduce the council tax
payable for individual cases.
If you think you might qualify, or would like
more information, please ring the council tax
helpline.
☎ COUNCIL TAX HELPLINE
01684 295 010
[email protected]
www.TEWKESBURY.gov.uk 23
DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE
DISCOUNTS
DO WE OWE
YOU MONEY?
There are thousands of pounds going
unclaimed in Tewkesbury. If you have to pay
rent or council tax, and are on a low income,
then maybe some of it should be yours.
OR
YOU?
ARE YOU SURE WE
CAN’T HELP WITH YOUR
RENT OR COUNCIL TAX?
BENEFIT
FRAUD
Help us to make sure
we only pay benefit to
those who are entitled
Call the confidential
benefit fraud hotline
Pick up a leaflet, email
[email protected], visit our
web page at www.tewkesbury.gov.uk
or call our helpline on 01684 272 137
for further advice.
0800 289 361
WWW.TEWKESBURY.GOV.UK 5
IS YOUR PROPERTY EXEMPT?
Exemptions
Is your property exempt?
Some properties - both occupied and unoccupied - are exempt from council tax. If you feel
your property falls into one of the categories
below, then contact us for more help and
advice.
Property unoccupied because:
A it requires or is undergoing structural
alteration or major repair (exempt for up to
12 months)
B it was last occupied by a charity (exempt
for up to six months)
C it is unfurnished (exempt for up to six
months)
D the owner/tenant is in prison
E the owner/tenant is receiving personal care
permanently in a hospital or home
F it was formerly occupied by a now deceased person
G it is forbidden by law to do so
H it is awaiting occupation by a minister of
religion
I the owner/tenant is living elsewhere to
receive personal care
J its owner/tenant is living elsewhere to
provide personal care to another person
K its owner/tenant has moved to become a
student
L it has been repossessed by a mortgage
lender
Q it is the responsibility of a bankrupt’s trustee
R it comprises a pitch or mooring unoccupied
by a caravan or boat
T it comprises a self contained unit which
cannot be let separately from the main
property without breaching planning conditions
Property occupied by:
M students in hall of residence
N other qualifying students
O members of the armed forces in MOD accommodation
P members and dependants of visiting forces
S person(s) under the age of 18
U the severely mentally impaired
V people with diplomatic privilege or immunity
W elderly or disabled relative living in self
contained unit of the main property
Second homes
Second homes are properties that are furnished but where no one lives as their main
residence. 10 per cent discount is granted in
respect of properties in this category.
Long term empty properties
Long term empty properties are unoccupied
and unfurnished properties, which do not
qualify for an exemption. No discount is granted in respect of properties in this category.
☎ COUNCIL TAX HELPLINE
01684 295 010
[email protected]
26 www.TEWKESBURY.gov.uk
SPENDING PLANS
Service
2004-5
2005-6
£000
£000
Central services to the public
1,128
990
Corporate & democratic core
2,323
2,568
1,534
1,294
Environmental services
2,848
2,873
Planning & development services
1,482
1,017
161
-53
728
908
Cultural & related services
Highways, roads & transport
services
Housing general fund
Other services
NET COST OF SERVICES
-481
-150
9,723
9,447
Transfers to/ from reserves
-13
0
Contingency
75
50
3
3
Interest & financing adjustments
-2,189
-2,249
Use of balances
-1,107
-451
Parish precepts
844
897
7,336
7,697
Revenue support grant
2,084
2,246
National non domestic rate
2,106
2,119
31
26
3,115
3,306
Drainage board levy
BUDGET REQUIREMENT
Funded by:
Collection fund surplus
Which leaves council tax
payers to fund
The level of council tax
The council tax you will pay this year for
services provided by the Borough Council has
increased by 5 per cent from £76.34 at Band D
to £80.15. This increase equates to seven pence
per week.
Tewkesbury Borough Council has again set
the lowest council tax in Gloucestershire. This
has been achieved thanks to an increase in
Government funding of £175,000, an inflation
freeze on base budgets which amounted to
£120,000, increased levels of income totaling
£416,500 and savings on base budgets of over
£450,000.
Despite these savings the council will still
offer the same high level of services.
IMPROVED SERVICES
We plan to improve a number of services,
including: Housing standards and enabling,
clinical waste collection and the addition of
further information and advice centres at
premises in Bishops Cleeve and Winchcombe.
PROJECTS
The council plans to implement a number of
projects in 2005-6 including the provision of
litter bins throughout the borough, enabling
vulnerable households to improve energy efficiency and the appointment of Officers to deal
with issues such as community development
and youth development.
The council also has an extensive capital
programme. It is estimated that the council
will spend £2,750,000 in 2005/6 on capital
schemes including sports centre improvements, affordable housing, community centres
and town centre regeneration.
ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
The council has over £30m of external investments, the interest from which helps support
the budget and keep council tax down.
The council owns fixed assets valued at over
£8m.
How many staff we employ
The council expects to employ 301 full time
equivalent staff in 2005/6 compared with 297
in 2004/5.
A full breakdown of the budget is available
in the council’s budget book online at www.
tewkesbury.gov.uk, or at the council offices.
YOUR GUIDE 27
SPENDING PLANS
TEWKESBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL
SPENDING PLANS
Town & Parish Councils
When a town or parish sets a precept greater than £100,000, we have to let you know how they
are going to spend their money.
TEWKESBURY TOWN COUNCIL
For further details
please contact the Clerk
to Tewkesbury Town
Council
01684 294 639
£2006-7
Admin - staff, property & misc
201,844
Leisure & Recreation
3,290
Community
18,355
Environment
1,050
Grants & Donations
5,300
Other
5,298
Contingencies
6,000
Gross Expenditure
241,137
Income and use of reserves
Precept
-61,137
180,000
BISHOPS CLEEVE PARISH COUNCIL
For further details
please contact the Clerk
to Bishops Cleeve Parish
Council
01242 674 440
Admin - staff, property & misc
53,287
Leisure & Recreation
37,700
Grants & Donations
15,200
Other
Capital
Contingencies
Gross Expenditure
5,500
154,568
2,000
268,255
Income and use of reserves
-145,255
Precept
123,000
CHURCHDOWN PARISH COUNCIL
For further details
please contact the Clerk
to Churchdown Parish
Council
01452 713 528
Finance & Admin Committee
69,005
Amenities Commitee
58,565
Highways Commitee
17,310
Contingencies
5,000
Gross Expenditure
28 YOUR GUIDE
149,880
Income and use of reserves
-10,200
Precept
139,680
BUDGET REQUIREMENT
2004-5
2005-6
£000
£000
Constabulary
Police and civilian staff
How our budget compares with last year
BUDGET COMPARISON
£000
Budget 2004-5
92,024
66,938
71,846
Inflation
3,071
Police pension costs
13,520
12,786
Pension costs
1,066
Other running costs
15,678
17,488
Full year effect of 2004-5 development
892
1,610
Capital financing
Expenditure
97,028
103,730
Interest and other income
-1,188
-1,979
Less efficiency and other savings
Specific grants
-4,411
-5,639
Budget 2005-6
91,429
96,112
Net expenditure
Police Authority costs
Total budget
Transfer to/ from reserve
NET BUDGET REQUIREMENT
546
563
91,975
96,675
49
-747
92,024
95,928
Funded by:
Home office grant
36,225
37,862
Revenue support grant
14,953
14,026
7,722
9,235
99
176
33,025
34,629
National non domestic rate
Collection fund surplus
Which leaves council tax
payers to fund
The level of council tax
The band D council tax you will pay this year
for services provided by the Police Authority is
£162.90, which is £6.19 more than last year, an
increase of 3.9 per cent. The amount we will
spend on services will increase by 4.2 per cent.
Cost increases, including nationally agreed
pay awards, adds £4.1m. Essential developments, including compliance with new legislation, amount to £3.8m, but this cost has been
met by efficiency and other savings of £3.7m.
The majority of funding for the budget,
about two thirds, comes from Government
grants and this funding has increased by 3.8
per cent for next year. Although this is less than
the required budget increase, the increase in
the number of properties during the year has
helped to keep the council tax increase below
four per cent.
911
Commitments and improvements to service
Specific grant changes
3,785
-1,228
-3,701
95,928
INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE
The Authority plans to spend £8.7m in 2005-6
on capital schemes to improve operational
effectiveness and service delivery. This will
be paid for from Government grants, the
proceeds of sales of property and borrowing.
The annual repayment of loans with interest
and the running expenses of new projects are
provided for in the revenue budget.
How many staff we employ
At 1 April 2005 the budgeted staffing level of
the Constabulary is 2,112 staff comprising 1,284
police officers and 828 civilian support staff. A
further 44 staff will be recruited during 20056 taking the total to 2,156 by 31 March 2006.
▶ For further information on the budget
please write to The Treasurer, Gloucestershire
Police Authority, Shire Hall, Westgate Street,
Gloucester, GL1 2TG.
▶ For further information on the Constabulary, please visit their website at www.
gloucestershire.police.uk and for further details of the Police Authority, please visit www.
gloucestershire.gov.uk/policeauthority
YOUR GUIDE 29
SPENDING PLANS
Gloucestershire Police Authority
SPENDING PLANS
Gloucestershire County Council
BUDGET REQUIREMENT
Service
Children & Young People
2005-6
2006-7
£000
£000
58,138
58,971
Schools
263,759
280,585
Community & Adult Care
102,817
110,843
45,117
45,770
18,449
18,186
Environment
Fire & rescue and Emergency
management services
Community services
3,150
3,573
Corporate & Support services
29,602
30,037
Capital financing
28,066
29,182
482
282
549,580
577,429
Flood defence levies
NET BUDGET REQUIREMENT
Funded by:
Revenue support grant
-89,535
14,935
Dedicated Schools Grant
262,327
282,817
Business Rates
179,581
77,795
Collection fund surplus
Which leaves council tax
payers to fund
999
196,208
201,882
Listening to your views
Before setting the budget for 2006/7 we
consulted widely to inform both our key
priorities and budget preparation. Consultees
have included members of the public, our
partners, the Gloucestershire 2000 Citizen
Panel, and business ratepayers.
Councillors also took part in a series of road
shows across the County to talk to local people
around Gloucestershire about the service
priorities, the budget and council tax.
There is broad support for the low level of
council tax increase and widespread support
from schools for their budgets. We have taken
account of these views when agreeing the
budget and our aim remains to get the most
from every pound we spend and to maintain
and develop services in line with your needs.
We will continue to seek your views on our
future spending plans and services and will let
you know how you can get involved in this.
30 YOUR GUIDE
The level of council tax
The council tax will increase this year by 3.5 per
cent, representing an increase of £32 per band
D household. This is the lowest increase in
council tax since 1996/97. We have managed
to keep the council tax down despite pressures
on services and the relatively low level of grant
we receive.
The budget of £296.8m represents an
increase of £11m or 4 per cent. Increases in
spending on services are as follows:
•£0.8m for Children and young people, not
including schools.
•£8m for Community and Adult Care. We
have not been able to meet all the demands
for spending we would like to, particularly
for older people.
•£0.6m for Environment, of which £1m is for
waste disposal.
•£0.4m for Community Services to fund
additional Police officers.
To limit the council tax increase we have made
further efficiency savings. Over the last 3 years
we estimate that some £10m of efficiencies
have been made. We have also had to make
some hard decisions about limiting spending
in some areas.
Gloucestershire remains comparatively
poorly funded despite in 2005/6 receiving a
better than expected increase in government
formula spending share. This share is more
in line with the average and although we
received above average amounts for Education
and capital financing, other services have not
fared so well.
Service priorities The council continues to have clear service
priorities and wants to significantly improve
the county’s infrastructure. While good
progress has been made and although we
have increased our budget it has not been by
as much as some vital services need.
Our staff
The council expects to employ 9,599 full time
equivalent staff in 2005/6 compared with
9,464 in 2004/5.
How our budget compares to last year BUDGET COMPARISON
£000
Budget 2005-6 (1)
285,821
Inflation
8,521
Other cost increases
Improvements to service
17,092
Repayment of government grant
Less efficiency and other savings
Budget 2006-7
750
-15,340
296,844
(1) The approved base budget for 2005/6 was
£549.58m. From 2006/7 this will be funded
from a special Government grant called the
Dedicated School Grant. As a consequence the
non-schools base is reduced to £285.821m.
▶ A full breakdown is available in the Council’s budget information at www.gloucestershire.
gov.uk. You can also see copies in libraries or in Council offices. You can get further information
about the Council’s budget by writing to Stephen Wood, the Executive Director of Resources,
Gloucestershire County Council, Shire Hall, Westgate Street, Gloucester GL1 2TG.
Environment Agency
A proportion of council tax is payable to the Environment Agency for flood defence. For further
information please visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Midlands Region
2004-5 £000
2005-6 £000
42,858
49,022
Net Expenditure
2,558
2,890
Levies Requirement
2,688
Gross Expenditure
Council tax base
Changes in levies requirements due to:
2,890
2,770,463
2004-5 to 2005-6
Inflation (including economies and efficiency savings)
1,071
Changes in quality or quantity of service
5,093
Funding capital from revenue
Differences in income received or expected
(5,832)
Changes in net expenditure
332
Change in use of reserve from 2004-5 to 2005-6
(130)
Changes in levy requirements
202
YOUR GUIDE 31
SPENDING PLANS
Investment in the future
The county council plans to spend £120m on
capital projects (including schools, libraries,
roads and bridges, integrated transport
schemes and day centres) in 2006/7 of which
£76m represents spend on schemes that
have not yet started. This will be paid for by
borrowing, grants, contributions, and from
the proceeds of sales of land and property. The
annual repayment of loans with interest and
running expenses of new projects are included
in the revenue budget.