2011/12
inform
Your Council Tax – what’s in it for you?
Working together
Paying made easy
Sign up for direct debit
Contents
Page
What is Council Tax?
3
Who has to pay Council Tax?
4
People with disabilities
4
Exemptions and discounts
5
Benefits
6
How to appeal
6
How we work out your Council Tax 7
Council Tax amounts for town
and parish areas
10
About Essex County Council
12
About Essex Police Authority
16
About Essex Fire Authority
20
How to contact us
24
More information
We can provide this information in
other formats, for example large print,
audio tape or another language, free
of charge. Just call Uttlesford District
Council’s UConnect Customer
Service Centre on 01799 510510.
If you use textphone, dial
18001 01799 510510.
2 | A guide to your Council Tax 2011/12
Phone us on 01799 510510 to find out
how easy it is to set up a direct debit.
Ask us about the payment dates to
choose from. Visit www.uttlesford.gov.uk
for more information.
Pay online or by phone
I Go to www.uttlesford.gov.uk to pay
online and get a receipt by email.
I Phone our automated 24-hour
payment line on 01799 510551.
Find out more about your
Council Tax online
Check out our website and find out:
I how we work out your bill
I how to pay your Council Tax
I details of any reductions you may be
entitled to and apply for them online
I valuation bands
I how to claim help with your Council
Tax or rent under the Housing and
Council Tax Benefit scheme and
apply online.
Difficulty paying?
Remember, we are here to help you.
Please contact us if you cannot pay your
Council Tax. Don’t wait until you are in
debt as this makes it more difficult to
sort the problem out.
Working together for you
In the past, Uttlesford District Council, Essex County Council, Essex Police Authority
and Essex Fire Authority have produced separate leaflets about the service we provide.
As part of a joint project, we have produced this booklet together to make it quicker
and easier to explain how we work out your Council Tax and how we use it. This is one
example of how we work together to save money and improve services.
What is Council Tax?
Council Tax is tax local authorities
charge to raise the money to pay for
their services.
Almost every household has to pay
Council Tax, whether your home is a
house, bungalow, flat, maisonette,
mobile home or houseboat, and whether
you own or rent it. The amount you pay
will depend on the valuation band in
which the Valuation Office has placed
your home. Your Council Tax bill shows
the band.
This year we need to collect £49,932,930
in Council Tax. Every £1 of Council Tax is
shared in the following way.
Essex Police
Authority
receives 9p
Essex Fire Authority
receives 4p
Parish or town
councils receive
4p (average)
Each property is put into one of eight
bands depending on how much it was
worth on 1 April 1991. Your Council Tax
bill shows the band your home is in.
Valuation
band
Band
Band
Band
Band
Band
Band
Band
Band
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
Value of property
on 1 April 1991
Less than £40,001
£40,001 to £52,000
£52,001 to £68,000
£68,001 to £88,000
£88,001 to £120,000
£120,001 to £160,000
£160,001 to £320,000
More than £320,000
We (Uttlesford District Council) collect
your Council Tax and put it into a separate
fund called the collection fund. We share
this fund with Essex County Council, Essex
Police Authority, Essex Fire Authority and
the parish and town councils.
Uttlesford District
Council receives
10p
Essex County
Council receives
73p
I Essex County Council use Council
Tax to pay for services such as social
services, highways and libraries.
I We use Council Tax to help pay for
services such as collecting rubbish,
planning services, leisure services,
developing housing and improving
facilities for our community.
www.uttlesford.gov.uk | 3
Who has to pay Council Tax?
At least one person in each household is
responsible for paying Council Tax, whether
they own the home or rent it.
In most cases the person (or people) aged 18
or over nearest the top of the following list
will be responsible for paying Council Tax:
I
I
I
I
Owner-occupiers
Leaseholders
People who pay rent
People who have a licence to occupy,
such as people who live in tied cottages
(housing relating to their work)
I People such as squatters, who live in the
property but have no legal interest in it
(that is, they don’t own or rent it)
I People who own the property but don’t
live in it.
People such as joint tenants, married people
or civil partners can be jointly or separately
responsible for all the Council Tax for
their property.
People with
disabilities
You may be entitled to pay less
Council Tax if you, or someone
who lives with you, has a room or
extra space, or an extra bathroom
or kitchen, or uses a wheelchair in
your property, to meet special
needs relating to a disability.
We will reduce your bill by
putting your home in the
valuation band below the one it is
now in (for example, if your home
is in band C, we will put it in band
B). If your home is in band A, we
will reduce your bill by the
difference between the amounts
charged for bands A and B.
This means that people with
disabilities don’t have to pay
more Council Tax for the extra
space they need.
Do it with a debit
Pay the easy way by direct debit
Pay by direct debit and
choose whichever of
these monthly payment
dates will suit you.
Phone us on 01799 510510.
Or visit www.uttlesford.gov.uk to download a form.
4 | A guide to your Council Tax 2011/12
Exempt properties
Discounts
You don’t have to pay Council Tax for
some properties. These are known as
‘exempt properties’ and include
properties lived in only by:
Your Council Tax bill assumes that two
adults are living in your home. If you are
the only adult living there (as your main
home), we will reduce the bill by 25%. If
your property is furnished and no-one
lives there as their main home, we will
reduce the bill by 10%.
I students
I people who have a severe mental
difficulty, or
I people aged under 18.
Empty properties are exempt if they:
I are not furnished (exempt for up to six
months)
I are owned by a charity (exempt for up
to six months)
I need or are having structural
alterations or major repairs (exempt
for up to a year)
I are left empty by someone who is in
prison
I are left empty by someone who has
moved to give someone else personal
care, or has moved to receive personal
care
I are waiting for probate or letters of
administration to be granted (after
someone has died) and for up to six
months after the probate or letters are
granted
I have been repossessed
I are the responsibility of a trustee on
behalf of someone who is bankrupt
I are owned or leased by foreign diplomats
I are empty because no-one is allowed
to live in them by law, or
I are waiting to be lived in by a minister
of religion.
Forces barracks and married quarters are
also exempt, and people living there will
contribute to the cost of local services
through a special arrangement with us.
When we look at the number of adults
living in a property, we do not count:
I full-time students, student nurses,
apprentices and youth trainees
I people who live in hospital
I people who are being looked after in
care homes
I people who are severely mentally
disabled
I people staying in some hostels or
night shelters
I 18- and 19-year-olds who are at or
have just left school
I care workers working for low pay,
(usually for a charity)
I people caring for someone with a
disability, who is not their partner or
their child (a child is someone under 18)
I members of visiting forces and some
international institutions
I diplomats and their husbands or wives
(who are not British)
I monks and nuns, and
I people in prison (except people
who are in prison for not paying their
Council Tax or a fine relating to their
Council Tax).
If you think your property should be
exempt from Council Tax or you should
pay a reduced rate, please contact us.
You must tell us straight away about
anything that could affect an exemption
or discount you receive.
www.uttlesford.gov.uk | 5
Benefits
How do I appeal?
Council Tax Benefit means that people
who get Income Support, Employment
Support Allowance or Guarantee Pension
Credit do not normally pay Council Tax,
and that other people on low incomes
pay less Council Tax.
Valuation appeals
Another scheme called Second Adult
Rebate pays Council Tax Benefit to
people who do not have a partner but
share their home with one or more other
adults who are all on low incomes.
We also pay Housing Benefit to help
people pay their rent.
Make a claim as soon as you need help.
Don’t delay as you may lose money.
Claim by phoning:
I us on 01799 510355
I Jobcentre Plus on 0800 055 6688 if you
are of working age (under 60), or
I The Pension Service on 0800 99 1234 if
you are of pension age (60 or over).
All benefits and rebates you are entitled
to should be included on your bill. Please
tell us if you think you qualify for help to pay
your Council Tax and it is not shown on your
bill, or if you need more information.
I Write to us at: Benefits Services,
Uttlesford District Council, London
Road, Saffron Walden, Essex
CB11 4ER.
I Email: [email protected]
I Visit our website
www.uttlesford.gov.uk for more
information. Under the Council Tax
and Benefits link, you will find a
benefit calculator, which may help you
decide whether to make a claim.
Remember, if we reduce your Council Tax
bill or you are getting Housing Benefit,
you must tell us as soon as your
circumstances change.
6 | A guide to your Council Tax 2011/12
If you think your home should be in a
different valuation band, please write to
The Valuation Office Agency at London
House, New London Road, Chelmsford,
Essex CM2 0QL.
They will tell you your rights and how to
appeal, if you are entitled to do so.
Other appeals
You can also appeal to us if you think you
should pay less Council Tax, or none at
all, for example because:
I you do not live in or own the property
I you feel the property should be
exempt
I you believe we have made a mistake
working out your bill
I we have not given you a discount, or
I we have not reduced your bill because
you or someone you live with has a
disability.
If you want to appeal, you must write to
us first so that we can look at the case.
If you have applied for Council Tax
Benefit and you disagree with our
decision, you can ask us to look at it
again. You can also appeal against our
decision within one month of us making
it (you must appeal in writing).
If you are still not happy with our
decision, you can take your case to an
independent appeals tribunal by writing
to tell us that this is what you want to do.
If you make an appeal, you must
continue to pay your Council Tax until
your appeal is decided. If your appeal is
successful, we will repay any Council Tax
you have overpaid.
Uttlesford District Council
How we work out your Council Tax
The table shows how much we plan to
spend on each of our main services.
We collect some of this money through
Council Tax, but we have two other main
sources of income – the Revenue
Support Grant and shared business rates.
The Government pays us the Revenue
Support Grant out of the taxes it collects.
We collect business rates and pay them
all to the Government, which then repays
some of them to us. You can see a full
explanation of how Council Tax is calculated
at www.uttlesford.gov.uk/counciltax
2011/12
Gross
expenditure
£000’s
Community Services
1,134
Corporate Services
4,899
Democracy
629
Environmental Services
951
Housing (non-council) and Housing Benefit 14,677
Licensing
131
Local Tax and Council Tax Benefit
4,852
Planning
1,889
Recreation and Tourism
1,471
Refuse Collection
3,033
Council Housing
13,190
Uttlesford District Budget
46,856
Revenue Support Grant
Distribution from NNDR pool
Collection Fund adjustments
Council Tax for District purposes
Capital expenditure
Council Housing
All other services
Financial Reserves (unearmarked reserves)
The reserves of the Council are estimated to be:
General Fund
Housing Revenue Account
Gross
income
£000’s
-871
-1,646
-61
-166
-14,194
-187
-4,507
-1,249
-707
-1,910
-13,190
-38,687
2010/11
Net costs
£000’s
264
3,253
568
78
484
-57
345
640
763
1,124
0
8,169
-757
-2,449
-42
-3,248
Net costs
£000’s
477
3,413
606
847
506
-91
455
748
755
1,250
0
8,965
-550
-3,585
23
-4,112
4,921
4,853
2,511
2,411
4,922
3,096
2,688
5,784
31 March 2012 31 March 2011
3,272
1,036
4,308
3,443
837
4,280
www.uttlesford.gov.uk | 7
Band
A
B
C
D
£
98.28
114.66
131.04
147.42
Band
E
F
G
H
£
180.18
212.94
245.70
294.84
This table shows Uttlesford District
Council’s charge for each property band.
The total Council Tax you pay is this
district council charge plus the charges
for the county council, the police and fire
authorities and your town/parish council.
Facing cost increases
The table below shows why our spending has gone up. Government policies and the
state of the national economy affect our spending in general, and also affect some
particular services, such as paying benefits.
£000’s
District requirement 2010/11
District requirement 2011/12
8,965
8,169
-796
Decrease in net costs summarised
Unavoidable cost increases eg electricity and gas; inflation in contracts
Change in circumstances eg services transferred from district
to county council; changes in Government funding
Investment in services
Reduction in services
Efficiency savings identified by the Council
Reduced use of reserves
Transparency
Uttlesford District Council believes it is
very important for people to find out
how the council is spending public
money.
There is a special section on our website
to help people do just that.
Uttlesford was one of the first councils in
the country to publish details of all its
spending over £500 and that is just one
of the pieces of information available in
the Transparency section.
Visit www.uttlesford.gov.uk and click on
the Transparency link.
8 | A guide to your Council Tax 2011/12
493
-722
378
-308
-777
140
-796
How much do you have
to pay?
We work out how much Council Tax we
must collect by adding together the
money each of the four authorities
needs. This year, the total Council Tax we
have to collect is £49,932,930.
We work out how much Council Tax the
properties in each valuation band should
be charged in line with the amount that
households in band D will pay. So, if your
home is in band D, your Council Tax for
this year will be £1,432.71 plus an
amount you have to pay your local
parish/town council (see pages 10 and 11
for details).
Parish and town council spending
2010/11
Net
spending
£
527,050
19,500
(22,000)
22,000
27,800
33,300
(53,050)
500
70,000
70,100
32,200
5,000
10,800
(110,000)
633,200
2011/12
Saffron Walden Town Council
Administration/establishment
CCTV
Cemetery
Christmas decorations
Grants to organisations
Grasscutting and maintenance work
Markets and rents
Miscellaneous
New capital equipment
Playing fields and open spaces
Public halls
Street lighting
Tourist information centre
Uttlesford transfer grants
Gross
spending
Gross
income
Net
spending
£
£
£
574,590
15,500
7,000
12,000
23,100
33,000
6,850
0
0
55,300
71,750
0
109,600
0
908,690
0
0
20,000
0
0
0
64,800
0
0
9,600
42,000
0
96,250
40,000
272,650
574,590
19,500
(13,000)
12,000
23,100
33,000
(57,950)
0
0
45,700
29,750
0
13,350
(40,000)
Precept (amount needed from Council Tax)
636,040
You can get more details from the Town Clerk, Saffron Walden Town Council,
11 Emson Close, Saffron Walden, Essex CB10 1HL. Telephone (01799) 516501.
2010/11
Income
2011/12
Spending
£
£
50,371
13,520
46,073
6,795
70,669
8,662
196,090
384,941
581,031
110,097
22,011
179,461
2,246
153,432
229,417
Income
Great Dunmow Town Council
Memorial Hall
Dourdan Pavillion
Recreation areas and facilities
Cemetery
Administration/establishment
Other services/grants etc
Precept (amount needed from Council Tax)
696,664*
Spending
£
£
50,652
9,017
17,024
7,000
74,040
7,410
165,143
422,892
588,035
110,170
22,115
161,075
2,325
165,725
126,625
588,035
Note* Includes projects the cost of which is to be met from earmarked reserves
You can get more details from the Town Clerk, Great Dunmow Town Council,
Foakes House, 47 Stortford Road, Dunmow, Essex CM6 1DG. Telephone (01371) 872406.
2010/11
2011/12
Income
Spending
£
£
6,001
1,500
22,430
147,500
17,000
0
0
0
194,431
46,772
0
103,150
0
23,800
1,500
15,250
2,500
Stansted Mountfitchet Parish Council
Open spaces – general
Burials
Administration
Precept (amount needed from Council Tax)
Other
Capital projects
Police community support officer
Youth centre – contribution
Income
Spending
£
£
6,001
1,500
22,630
163,000
17,000
0
0
0
210,131
53,500
1,000
113,025
0
22,400
1,500
15,860
2,750
210,035
You can get more details from the Parish Clerk, Stansted Mountfitchet Parish Council, Council Offices,
Crafton Green House, 72 Chapel Hill, Stansted, Essex CM24 8AQ. Telephone (01279) 813214.
www.uttlesford.gov.uk | 9
Council Tax amounts for town and parish councils
The table shows how much Council Tax you have to pay, depending on where you live
and which valuation band your home is in. Parish and town councils need extra money
to pay for things like community centres, footpaths and street lighting.
Band
Town or parish
Parish
Band D £
A
£
B
£
C
£
D
£
E
£
F
£
G
£
H
£
Arkesden
40.73
982.29 1,146.01 1,309.72 1,473.44 1,800.87 2,128.30 2,455.73 2,946.88
Ashdon
41.40
982.74 1,146.53 1,310.32 1,474.11 1,801.69 2,129.27 2,456.85 2,948.22
Aythorpe Roding
22.24
969.97 1,131.63 1,293.29 1,454.95 1,778.27 2,101.59 2,424.92 2,909.90
Barnston
48.64
987.57 1,152.16 1,316.76 1,481.35 1,810.54 2,139.73 2,468.92 2,962.70
Berden
32.33
976.69 1,139.48 1,302.26 1,465.04 1,790.60 2,116.17 2,441.73 2,930.08
Birchanger
33.28
977.33 1,140.21 1,303.10 1,465.99 1,791.77 2,117.54 2,443.32 2,931.98
Broxted
47.13
986.56 1,150.99 1,315.41 1,479.84 1,808.69 2,137.55 2,466.40 2,959.68
Chickney
-
955.14 1,114.33 1,273.52 1,432.71 1,751.09 2,069.47 2,387.85 2,865.42
Chrishall
51.73
989.63 1,154.56 1,319.50 1,484.44 1,814.32 2,144.19 2,474.07 2,968.88
Clavering
21.09
969.20 1,130.73 1,292.27 1,453.80 1,776.87 2,099.93 2,423.00 2,907.60
Debden
38.75
980.97 1,144.47 1,307.96 1,471.46 1,798.45 2,125.44 2,452.43 2,942.92
Elmdon &
Wenden Lofts
34.28
977.99 1,140.99 1,303.99 1,466.99 1,792.99 2,118.99 2,444.98 2,933.98
Elsenham
47.12
986.55 1,150.98 1,315.40 1,479.83 1,808.68 2,137.53 2,466.38 2,959.66
Farnham
32.21
976.61 1,139.38 1,302.15 1,464.92 1,790.46 2,116.00 2,441.53 2,929.84
Felsted
46.94
986.43 1,150.84 1,315.24 1,479.65 1,808.46 2,137.27 2,466.08 2,959.30
Flitch Green
25.58
972.19 1,134.23 1,296.26 1,458.29 1,782.35 2,106.42 2,430.48 2,916.58
Great Canfield
23.21
970.61 1,132.38 1,294.15 1,455.92 1,779.46 2,103.00 2,426.53 2,911.84
Great Chesterford
71.38 1,002.73 1,169.85 1,336.97 1,504.09 1,838.33 2,172.57 2,506.82 3,008.18
Great Dunmow
Town
117.29 1,033.33 1,205.56 1,377.78 1,550.00 1,894.44 2,238.89 2,583.33 3,100.00
Great Easton
& Tilty
41.22
982.62 1,146.39 1,310.16 1,473.93 1,801.47 2,129.01 2,456.55 2,947.86
Great Hallingbury
32.13
976.56 1,139.32 1,302.08 1,464.84 1,790.36 2,115.88 2,441.40 2,929.68
Hadstock
43.51
984.15 1,148.17 1,312.20 1,476.22 1,804.27 2,132.32 2,460.37 2,952.44
Hatfield Broad
Oak
51.67
989.59 1,154.52 1,319.45 1,484.38 1,814.24 2,144.10 2,473.97 2,968.76
Hatfield Heath
24.87
971.72 1,133.67 1,295.63 1,457.58 1,781.49 2,105.39 2,429.30 2,915.16
Hempstead
36.76
979.65 1,142.92 1,306.20 1,469.47 1,796.02 2,122.57 2,449.12 2,938.94
Henham
55.70
992.27 1,157.65 1,323.03 1,488.41 1,819.17 2,149.93 2,480.68 2,976.82
10 | A guide to your Council Tax 2011/12
Band
Town or parish
High Easter
High Roding
Parish
Band D £
A
£
B
£
C
£
D
£
E
£
F
£
G
£
H
£
28.17
973.92 1,136.24 1,298.56 1,460.88 1,785.52 2,110.16 2,434.80 2,921.76
-
955.14 1,114.33 1,273.52 1,432.71 1,751.09 2,069.47 2,387.85 2,865.42
Langley
45.38
985.39 1,149.63 1,313.86 1,478.09 1,806.55 2,135.02 2,463.48 2,956.18
Leaden Roding
23.58
970.86 1,132.67 1,294.48 1,456.29 1,779.91 2,103.53 2,427.15 2,912.58
Lindsell
-
955.14 1,114.33 1,273.52 1,432.71 1,751.09 2,069.47 2,387.85 2,865.42
Little Bardfield
21.20
969.27 1,130.82 1,292.36 1,453.91 1,777.00 2,100.09 2,423.18 2,907.82
Little Canfield
20.22
968.62 1,130.06 1,291.49 1,452.93 1,775.80 2,098.68 2,421.55 2,905.86
Little Chesterford
18.05
967.17 1,128.37 1,289.56 1,450.76 1,773.15 2,095.54 2,417.93 2,901.52
Little Dunmow
68.76 1,000.98 1,167.81 1,334.64 1,501.47 1,835.13 2,168.79 2,502.45 3,002.94
Little Easton
72.73 1,003.63 1,170.90 1,338.17 1,505.44 1,839.98 2,174.52 2,509.07 3,010.88
Little Hallingbury
31.71
976.28 1,138.99 1,301.71 1,464.42 1,789.85 2,115.27 2,440.70 2,928.84
Littlebury
42.65
983.57 1,147.50 1,311.43 1,475.36 1,803.22 2,131.08 2,458.93 2,950.72
Manuden
17.14
966.57 1,127.66 1,288.76 1,449.85 1,772.04 2,094.23 2,416.42 2,899.70
Margaret Roding
43.04
983.83 1,147.81 1,311.78 1,475.75 1,803.69 2,131.64 2,459.58 2,951.50
Newport
59.69
994.93 1,160.76 1,326.58 1,492.40 1,824.04 2,155.69 2,487.33 2,984.80
Quendon &
Rickling
44.14
984.57 1,148.66 1,312.76 1,476.85 1,805.04 2,133.23 2,461.42 2,953.70
Radwinter
31.37
976.05 1,138.73 1,301.40 1,464.08 1,789.43 2,114.78 2,440.13 2,928.16
Saffron Walden
Town
106.42 1,026.09 1,197.10 1,368.12 1,539.13 1,881.16 2,223.19 2,565.22 3,078.26
Sampfords, The
32.00
976.47 1,139.22 1,301.96 1,464.71 1,790.20 2,115.69 2,441.18 2,929.42
Sewards End
41.84
983.03 1,146.87 1,310.71 1,474.55 1,802.23 2,129.91 2,457.58 2,949.10
Stansted
65.10
998.54 1,164.96 1,331.39 1,497.81 1,830.66 2,163.50 2,496.35 2,995.62
Stebbing
52.25
989.97 1,154.97 1,319.96 1,484.96 1,814.95 2,144.94 2,474.93 2,969.92
Strethall
-
955.14 1,114.33 1,273.52 1,432.71 1,751.09 2,069.47 2,387.85 2,865.42
Takeley
50.58
988.86 1,153.67 1,318.48 1,483.29 1,812.91 2,142.53 2,472.15 2,966.58
Thaxted
67.75 1,000.31 1,167.02 1,333.74 1,500.46 1,833.90 2,167.33 2,500.77 3,000.92
Ugley
23.69
Wendens Ambo
69.38 1,001.39 1,168.29 1,335.19 1,502.09 1,835.89 2,169.69 2,503.48 3,004.18
White Roding
32.48
976.79 1,139.59 1,302.39 1,465.19 1,790.79 2,116.39 2,441.98 2,930.38
Wicken Bonhunt
970.93 1,132.76 1,294.58 1,456.40 1,780.04 2,103.69 2,427.33 2,912.80
-
955.14 1,114.33 1,273.52 1,432.71 1,751.09 2,069.47 2,387.85 2,865.42
Widdington
42.73
983.63 1,147.56 1,311.50 1,475.44 1,803.32 2,131.19 2,459.07 2,950.88
Wimbish
27.58
973.53 1,135.78 1,298.04 1,460.29 1,784.80 2,109.31 2,433.82 2,920.58
www.uttlesford.gov.uk | 11
Essex County Council
This has been one of the toughest
financial years for local government.
Essex County Council has worked hard
to ensure that Council Tax has remained
frozen, as we know the economic
situation is difficult for our residents.
For the last few years we have been
transforming the way we provide our
services, saving nearly half our target of
£300 million. This savings programme
has meant we have been in a good
position to meet the challenges we now
face and to continue investing as much
as we can in the services we know you
want.
Over 2,000 of you responded to our
‘Changing Essex’ questionnaire in 2010
and it was clear that you were keen for us
to focus our spending on the county’s
vulnerable people, highways and
transport infrastructure, and on schools,
community safety and recycling. So this
is what we will aim to do over the next 12
months with our EssexWorks pledges.
Our pledges for 2011/12
We are entering the fourth year of our
EssexWorks programme, which has
delivered 224 school maintenance and
refurbishment projects, improved 120km
of roads and footways, increased the
recycling of household waste to over
45% and provided free telecare
equipment to 4,176 older people in their
homes, enabling them to live safely and
independently.
This year we will:
I put our customers first by increasing
the volume and scope of customer
transactions carried out on-line by
more than 20%
I deliver value for money by saving
£50 million from back office and
procurement processes in 2011/12
I support vulnerable adults by
protecting the independence of
people with dementia or their carers
by increasing the uptake of personal
budgets or use of technology by a
minimum of 20%
12 | A guide to your Council Tax 2011/12
I make communities safer by enabling
them to reduce anti-social behaviour
and fear of crime through 12 local
community engagement schemes and
projects
I promote sustainable economic
growth by investing at least £1 million
to help Essex firms create jobs and
take advantage of new market
opportunities, including supporting
250 new apprenticeships
I enhance the environment and
reduce and recycle waste by holding
100 ‘Love where you live’ events with
local communities to create a cleaner,
greener Essex
I support vulnerable children by
increasing the proportion of children
in care who are supported in a family
environment
I increase educational achievement
and skills by working with and
supporting schools to help them
deliver sustainable improvements in
English and Maths at all age ranges
I maintain and improve the transport
network by investing £4 million to fix
potholes and other damage to restore
our road network to its pre-2010/11
winter condition
I promote public health and
wellbeing by providing 150 more
sport and health-related activities for
30,000 young people in both schools
and their local communities.
And throughout all of next year, we will
continue to cut red tape, while
streamlining our operation so that we
can give you better services and
continued value for money.
For more on what we have delivered
over the past year and our work in the
year ahead, go to essex.gov.uk
The Clear English Standard does not apply to pages 12-13
essex.gov.uk | 13
Council Tax
We have set Essex County Council’s
charge for a band D property at £1,086.75
for 2011/12, the same as last year.
Band
A
B
C
D
£
724.50
845.25
966.00
1,086.75
Band
E
F
G
H
£
1,328.25
1,569.75
1,811.25
2,173.50
The tax base (number of homes) for
Council Tax purposes has increased by
0.6% to 532,492 in 2011/12, providing
Council Tax income of £579 million.
Financial overview
We began to prepare the 2011/12 budget
in July 2010 against a forecast of tight
financial constraints. This helped us deal
with the severe cuts to our funding from
central government. We then had to make
some difficult decisions, but with support
from a one-off grant we have been able to
freeze our Council Tax charge.
This year we plan to spend £2.1 billion
on delivering services. Some of this will
be supported by grants for specific
purposes and other income including
fees and charges, leaving a net revenue
budget of £864 million:
£m
£m
2010/11 2011/12
Total expenditure1
2,180
2,126
Income and grants
-1,358
-1,262
Budget
822
864
This is paid for by:
Council Tax
575
580
Formula grant2
247
284
Budget
822
864
1
Includes payments we have to make to the Environment
Agency (£1.3 million), Lee Valley Regional Park (£1.6 million)
and Kent & Essex Inshore Fisheries & Conservation
Authority (£0.4 million).
2
This is distributed by the Government using a national formula;
there are no restrictions on what we can spend this on.
14 | A guide to your Council Tax 2011/12
This year’s budget appears to be £42 million
more than last year’s. Yet the Government’s
significant funding adjustments do not allow
a like-for-like comparison. The Government
has calculated an alternative notional
budget for 2010/11, which for Essex County
Council is £899 million. When we compare
the 2011/12 budget to this amount, the
year-on-year drop in our budget is £35
million or 3.9%. This decrease is the net
result of:
I a rise of £109 million for new
investment, other pressures and pay
and price inflation
I a fall of £98 million for efficiencies and
savings
I a rise of £8 million as a contribution to
reserves
I a fall of £54 million for reductions in
government grants.
Gross expenditure on services
£75m
£137m
£72m
£47m
£337m
£942m
£516m
Educating and supporting pupils in Essex
Caring for older people and adults
with disabilities
Looking after Essex children in care
and early years provision
Maintaining Essex roads, streetlights
and public rights of way
Protecting the Essex environment,
waste disposal and recycling
Other community services and
financing items (including depreciation
and borrowing costs)
Providing libraries, educating adult
learners and protecting our heritage
Meeting the challenge
To meet this challenging budget, it has
been more crucial than ever that we
spend taxpayers’ money efficiently.
Our Transformation Programme has
been helping us become more
streamlined and efficient. This massive
task has changed the way we think about
providing our services, challenging us
to ensure they give value for money.
The programme is forecast to achieve at
least £300 million in savings by 2012/13.
By the end of 2009/10 it had saved more
than £60 million and is on course to save
nearly £150 million by the end of 2010/11.
Capital investment
Creating new assets and improving our
existing ones is vital. However, the
funding cuts have meant we have had to
set new priorities in our capital works
programme. As a result, we have set an
overall capital programme of £221
million for 2011/12 (see chart below)
compared to £384 million for 2010/11.
We will continue to invest in education,
£106 million this year. In 2011 a new
primary school will open in Hutton and a
secondary school in Harlow. Both are
eco-friendly, energy-efficient and
sustainable buildings, providing much
better surroundings for learning.
In January 2012, Columbus School and
College, Chelmsford is also due to open,
providing a world-class learning campus
for students aged 3 to 19 with a wide
range of profound disabilities. A good
education will be a vital step towards
independent living.
In July last year, residents told us in
questionnaires, workshops and focus
groups that spending on the county’s
highways and transport network is a
priority. We will be investing £52 million
on major transport schemes to aid
economic growth and regeneration across
the county, including completion of the
A13/A130 Sadler’s Farm junction. We
also plan to spend £33 million in 2011/12
maintaining and updating our transport
network and acting to cut congestion.
£31m
£105m
£85m
Education – Improving the learning
environment
Maintaining, updating and improving
our transport network and reducing
congestion
Other major projects
essex.gov.uk | 15
Essex Police Authority
Essex Police Authority Council Tax –
details for 2011/12
Essex Police Authority is responsible for
making sure you (the people of Essex)
have an efficient and effective police
service in the areas covered by Essex
County Council and the two unitary
authorities of Southend and Thurrock.
There is a separate Council Tax charge
on all properties in this area to pay for
policing services. The following
information summarises the police
authority’s plan for policing in 2011/12
and how it will be funded.
Essex Police’s vision is to make Essex the
safest place in the country with the best
policing. We will achieve this by reducing
crime and anti-social behaviour and
reassuring the public.
The coming year will be very difficult
because of budget cuts across our
services. This will mean that the force has
to reduce the number of staff and
officers that are employed. However, we
will continue to make the best use of our
resources so that we give the best
possible service to the people of Essex.
Policing Plan for 2011/12
The Policing Plan sets out the local
policing priorities for 2011/12 and shows
how we will achieve these.
Essex Police Authority and Essex Police
have identified your views and concerns.
The areas you want us to focus on are
reflected in our priorities for the coming
year. These include reducing crime,
tackling anti-social behaviour and disorder
and combating drug-related crime.
Essex Police will continue to reduce
those crimes that cause most harm to
local communities. We will also develop
our existing partnerships with other
forces and agencies, as this will
strengthen our capability to tackle the
most serious crimes and incidents.
Essex Police is committed to giving a
high standard of service that meets the
needs of the diverse communities we
serve.
We will strive to improve further the level
of satisfaction with our services through
our policing style, which is responsive,
accessible and puts the citizen first.
16 | A guide to your Council Tax 2011/12
The full Policing Plan for 2011/12, which
says more about policing priorities and
targets, will be on the Essex Police
website at www.essex.police.uk after
31 March 2011.
Funding the plan
The budget below shows how Essex
Police Authority will fund the policing
services in 2011/12. Its commitments are
shown in the Essex Policing Plan.
Summary of performance
against our 2010/11
Policing Plan priorities
All crime recorded in Essex (April to
December 2010 compared to the same
period the previous year) fell by 2.5%,
while incidents of anti-social behaviour
fell by 11% and dwelling burglary by
6.4%. At the same time we have
increased overall victim satisfaction in
our policing to 85.3%.
We have increased the number of Class
A drug offenders brought to justice by
95% against last year. Over the same
period the force has seized funds and
assets from criminals worth £3.3 million,
exceeding the target of £1.75 million.
We have continued to make the best use
of our resources and have made savings
of £11.2 million, exceeding the target of
£8.6 million.
Budget for policing
Essex Police Authority has approved a
budget of £269 million for the force.
There will be no rise in Council Tax
this year.
Rising costs of contracts
and unavoidable cost
pressures
The 2011/12 revenue budget includes a
rise of £1.1 million in the cost of existing
contracts and new cost pressures.
Budget savings
In 2011/12, budget savings of £17 million
are needed to meet cost increases and a
reduction in a number of Government
grants. At the time of setting the budget,
savings of £12 million had been found,
leaving £5 million to be found during
the year.
www.essex.police.uk | 17
Essex Police Authority planned spending
2010/11
(£ million)
Net Expenditure
Less Use of Balances
Budget Requirement
Financed by:
Home Office Grant
Revenue Support Grant and Business Rates
Council Tax
Surplus on Collection Fund
2011/12
(£ million)
275.48
-7.61
267.87
284.08
-15.13
268.95
111.63
71.40
84.80
0.04
117.61
65.69
85.32
0.33
Cost per head
of population
(in £)
152.87
Loans
As at 31 March 2011, Essex Police Authority will have no external debt.
Council Tax 2011/12
Band D is used as the base for calculating the tax. The equivalent number of Band D
properties in Essex is 645,771. To raise Council Tax income of £85.32 million a Council
Tax (Band D) of £132.12 is needed. The other seven bands are fixed in direct
proportion to Band D:
Band A £88.08
Band B £102.76
Band C £117.44
Band D £132.12
18 | A guide to your Council Tax 2011/12
Band E
Band F
£161.48
£190.84
Band G
Band H
£220.20
£264.24
Staff numbers (full-time equivalent)
Estimated provision in budget
Police Officers
Police Community Support Officers
Police Staff*
Special Constables
2010/11
2011/12
3,636
461
2,134
600
3,494
436
1,675
600
The staffing figures for 2011/12 reflect the estimated budget provision by 31 March 2012.
*Subject to partner agencies continuing to contribute towards jointly funded posts.
Equality scheme
Essex Police Authority and Essex Police have equality schemes that set out:
I how we will promote equality
I how we will work to eliminate discrimination and harassment.
For details please contact the Equality and Diversity Manager on 01245 452988.
www.essex.police.uk | 19
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
“Local decisions may
be unpopular but we
cannot compromise
the safety of people
in the county. We
have a duty to
provide services that
in our professional
judgement enable us to keep
families throughout Essex safe,” says
Chief Fire Officer David Johnson.
Saving jobs, saving lives and
still making savings
The fire service has always had an excellent
relationship with the Essex public.
Families expect us to be there when they
need us and we always are.
But it’s not just in emergencies that we
prove our value to the community – our
protection and preventative work is
reducing the number of people who die
in fires. Working with partners, we are
also dramatically reducing the number of
people killed and seriously injured on
our roads.
It’s difficult to balance a first-class
emergency response service with
ensuring a good level of prevention and
protection. And this year it’s been more
difficult than most.
The Government’s Comprehensive
Spending Review has meant the fire
20 | A guide to your Council Tax 2011/12
service has had to take some tough
decisions to save several million pounds.
To cut some £10m from our budget over
the next two years, we inevitably have to
examine our frontline services. This is
where most of our money goes, with
firefighters’ salaries taking about three
quarters of it.
We have looked hard at how we can
meet our financial targets with minimal
impact on the Essex public. In our survey
last summer, 1,500 local people said they
would find changes to our crewing
arrangements acceptable.
But they would be unhappy if we had to
remove an appliance from their local fire
station or close it altogether.
We therefore conducted one of the most
radical reviews of fire cover in Essex.
Professional statisticians worked
alongside our senior fire officers to
thoroughly examine all aspects of our
service. Their aim was to ensure that
changes would have minimal impact on
fire appliance response times and
maintain a strong service county-wide.
In February, Essex Fire Authority
approved plans that will be implemented
over the next four years. Members
agreed to do the following:
I No compulsory redundancies, no
forced retirements and no job losses.
I No recruitment of wholetime
firefighters for the foreseeable future.
I Change crewing arrangements at
Canvey Island Fire Station. There will
be two fire appliances crewed by
retained (part-time) firefighters.
Zero Council Tax increase
The cost of providing our services in
2011/12 will be £75.365 million. There
will be no Council Tax increase from
Essex Fire Authority this year.
The Government has provided a
specific grant to compensate for the
Council Tax freeze.
The Fire Authority charges a separate
amount of Council Tax for properties
covered by Essex County Council
and the two unitary authorities of
Southend and Thurrock.
To raise the money we need we will
charge a Council Tax of £66.42 for an
average band D property. This means
households will pay about £1.27 a
week in 2011/12 for fire services. We
believe this gives excellent value for
money. What do you think? Visit our
website: www.essex-fire.gov.uk and
complete our customer survey.
Band
£
Band
£
A
44.28
E
81.18
B
51.66
F
95.94
C
59.04
G
110.70
D
66.42
H
132.84
www.essex-fire.gov.uk | 21
I Change arrangements at Brentwood
Fire Station from two wholetime
crewed fire appliances to one
wholetime crewed and one retained
crewed fire appliance.
I The number of firefighters on watches
at Orsett, Clacton, Loughton and
Rayleigh Weir Fire Stations will be set
at 12 instead of 13.
I We plan to phase out the day crewing
system at Waltham Abbey, Dovercourt,
South Woodham Ferrers and Great
Baddow Fire Stations, where crews are
on station during the day but respond
by pager at nights and weekends.
Instead, we’ll use a ‘low-level activity
and risk’ crewing system that gives a
better balance between risk and cover.
Several UK fire and rescue services
already do this. We will apply a
method that is best for the county.
I Finally, we will change the current
crewing system at Great Dunmow Fire
Station from two retained crewed
appliances to one wholetime and one
retained crewed appliance. This will
remove some retained posts but
introduce some wholetime posts.
Before recommending these changes,
we had already made £3.3m of savings
and identified a further £1.6m of savings
in our support services.
In the next two years, there will be no
compulsory redundancies, forced
retirements or station closures. Nor will
there be a reduction in frontline fire
appliances serving the county or the
number that attend emergency
incidents.
The changes will enable us to meet our
commitments to our staff and ensure we
do not reduce the level of protection we
give the public.
22 | A guide to your Council Tax 2011/12
Help us to help you
The best way you can protect
your family is to fit a smoke
alarm.
It’s a life-saving device that gives
you valuable early warning and
enables you and your family to
flee before you are overcome by
toxic smoke.
Essex County Fire and Rescue
Service planned spending
The Essex Fire Authority has approved the
following budget.
£ thousands
2010/11
2011/12
77,299
-2,272
78,066
-2,701
75,027
75,365
4,105
28,266
27
42,629
7,630
24,685
158
42,892
75,027
75,365
Gross expenditure
Income
Budget requirement
Essex County Fire and Rescue
Service makes home fire safety
visits free of charge for
vulnerable people, such as the
elderly or families with young
children. You can recommend a
friend, neighbour or family
member for a visit and you could
be saving their life.
To see if you qualify, call
0845 601 2495.
Financed by:
Revenue support grant
Business rates
Collection fund surplus
Council Tax
Total financing
Changes in the budget requirement
for 2011/12
£ thousands
2010/11
75,027
Inflation
663
Other changes
-325
2011/12 budget requirement
75,365
Want to be a firefighter?
We are recruiting retained
firefighters across the county,
particularly in Canvey Island and
Brentwood, to support changes
in our crewing arrangements.
Interested? See our website for
details: essex-fire.gov.uk.
www.essex-fire.gov.uk | 23
More information
Want to know more about our services?
Write to:
Essex County Council
Freepost CL3636
Chelmsford CM1 1LX.
Write to:
Uttlesford District Council
Council Offices, London Road
Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 4ER.
Email: [email protected]
Phone:
I 01799 510335 for Council Tax and
Housing Benefits
I 01799 510349 for business rates
I 01799 510510 for general enquiries
I 01223 849755 for the out-of-hours
emergency service
Email: [email protected]
Phone:
I 08457 430 430, or
I 08457 585 592 if you are hard of hearing.
For more information about Uttlesford District
Council and the services it offers, look out for our
residents’ magazine Uttlesford Life, published
four times a year and distributed to homes
across the district.
Our main office is at:
County Hall
Market Road
Chelmsford CM1 1LX.
Follow the link for Council Tax and Benefits from
the homepage of our website.
For more information about the services we
provide visit our website.
essex.gov.uk
www.uttlesford.gov.uk
For further information about
Essex Police and Essex Police
Authority please visit
www.essex.police.uk and
www.essex.police.uk/authority.
Or call the Essex Police 24-hour non-emergency
number 0300 333 4444 but always call 999 in an
emergency.
If you want to get more detailed financial
information, please contact the Financial Services
department at police headquarters:
PO Box 2
Springfield
Chelmsford
Essex
CM2 6DA.
Phone: 01245 452615
Fax: 01245 452568
Email: [email protected]
www.essex.police.uk
24 | A guide to your Council Tax 2011/12
Write to:
Essex County Fire and
Rescue Service
Kelvedon Park, Rivenhall,
Witham, Essex CM8 3HB.
Email: [email protected]
Phone:
I 01376 576000.
Firefighters currently visit homes for
free to give you advice about fire
safety and to fit smoke alarms. Phone
0845 601 2495 to see if you qualify or
for more safety information.
You can find out more about our services by
visiting our website.
www.essex-fire.gov.uk
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