Hounslow Conservatives Slam Rise In Council Tax

Claim Labour ignoring manifesto pledge not to raise 'unless absolutely necessary'

Conservative Party councillors have accused Hounslow Council of "ignoring" its May 2018 manifesto pledge not to increase council tax “unless absolutely necessary”

They said, "Hounslow’s Labour Administration raised council tax by 4.99% on Tuesday evening. The largest increase possible without triggering a local referendum.

"Labour maintained that the increase was forced upon the Council by the Government’s commitment to austerity. This explanation flies in the face of the clear evidence of additional Government funding for key areas and the fact that the Council’s 2019/20 budget represents an inflation busting increase in total expenditure from £574m to £609m. An uplift of 6%.

"The budget papers reveal that Hounslow’s woes are in fact due to the Labour administration’s own failure to deliver on planned cost savings agreed in previous budgets. In the last year the Council overspent against its own departmental budgets by nearly £17m. This dwarfs the approximately £5m that the increase in council tax will raise.The solution is in their own hands.

"Your Conservative councillors believe that the ongoing failure to properly manage the Council’s finances results from a debilitating lack of corporate will to implement decisions that all parties have agreed are necessary. The absence of any Lead Member speaking in favour of the areas of the budget that they are responsible for speaks volumes. Can we really expect Labour to deliver on their departmental budgets? What is the point of approving a balanced budget at a Borough Council meeting if it stands no chance of being delivered?

"If you wish to know more about the state of Hounslow’s finances or make suggestions on which areas of expenditure or income collection should be prioritised contact us at
www.haveyoursay.lbhconservatives@gmail.co."

Hounslow borough residents this year are faced with a nearly 5 per cent increase included in the forthcoming budget, the maximum allowed for a Council to impose and the second increase in two years. Last week's Borough Council meeting on 26 February, approved an increase in Council Tax of 2.99% for 2019/20, plus a further 2% social care precept.

This increase will add an extra £58.27 for a typical Band D property (excluding the Greater London Authority precept). The social care precept is ringfenced to protect adult social care services for the most vulnerable families from further cuts.

Hounslow Council says it is effectively losing about £9m compared with 2018 in real terms.

Last February (20 February 2018) councillors agreed a four per cent rise for 2018/19. This added an extra £44.91 for a typical Band D property (excluding the Greater London Authority precept). Half of this was ringfenced to protect services for the most vulnerable families from further cuts. At that time the Council said it had to reduce spending by £27.4m to balance the books in 2018/19

Cllr Shantanu Rajawat, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services, Hounslow Council, said ( February 5th); "Continuing financial pressures as a result of significant continuing austerity and cuts to the council’s budgets by the Government have meant that Council Tax in Hounslow is recommended to rise this year to protect essential services. With the cessation of the Revenue Support Grant from Government to Hounslow and Business Rate Growth retention reducing from 100% to 75%, Hounslow Council is effectively losing about £9m compared with 2018 in real terms.

“Despite implementing savings and efficiencies over the last eight years to protect frontline services, the ongoing cuts to our budgets puts even more pressure on our capacity to provide essential services. The recent Local Government Financial Settlement has confirmed that Hounslow will face further cuts in funding in the coming years.”

Cllr Steve Curran, Leader of Hounslow Council, said: “Hounslow has a prudent approach to financial management and there are robust plans in place to ensure we live within our means. As in any well-run organisation, we will keep a firm lid on spending and ensure our services are being run as efficiently as possible, so they deliver value-for-money.

“Public services are still in a period of austerity, and the challenge of continuing to provide services in the face of declining budgets remains, but I can assure you that we will continue to invest in the priorities that matter to our residents.”

He added that it should be remembered that Hounslow’s Council Tax was not increased between 2006 and 2016 and was in fact cut by 0.5% in both 2013 and 2014.

March 1, 2019