Welcome to your
We all use public services. Some are
provided by authorities covering the
whole of Hampshire, others are
provided by local borough or district
councils.
Some of the funding for these
services comes from government grants which include contributions from
business rates. The rest is paid for by income from resources including your
Council Tax and income generated by, for example, rents, investments and service
charges. Information about the authorities funded by your Council Tax is included
in this leaflet to give you an overview of the services provided.
Part of your Council Tax funds services such as waste collection and kerbside
recycling, street cleaning, housing, community and leisure services, provided by
Winchester City Council.
Winchester City Council
£126.27
Hampshire Police Authority
£146.25
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority
£61.38
Hampshire County Council
£1,037.88
2
Council Tax guide 2012/13
Your Council Tax helps fund services
from Hampshire County Council,
such as:
• support for children and families
• street lighting and highways care
• waste disposal
• care and support for older people
and people with disabilities.
ToTal Tax band d
£1,371.78
Hampshire Police Authority, which
is the independent body
responsible for overseeing and
funding the work of Hampshire
Constabulary to ensure effective
and efficient policing in Hampshire
and the Isle of Wight, is also
part funded from Council Tax.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue
Authority also receives a proportion
of Council Tax to prevent fires and
other risks, to protect life and
property and to respond to
emergencies.
The total amount payable for a
property in Council Tax Band D
this year is £1,371.78.
A summary of how your
Council Tax is divided between
these organisations is shown on
your Council Tax bill and on the
chart opposite.
These figures exclude parish precepts, which are shown separately
on pages 4 and 5.
3
Council Tax
banding
information
Most homes are
subject to Council
Tax whether a house,
bungalow, flat,
maisonette, mobile
home or houseboat
and whether owned
or rented.
Properties are placed
in one of eight bands
(A to H) according to
the open market
value at 1 April 1991.
Your Council Tax bill
states which band
applies to your
home.
A
B
up to £40,000
£40,001 _ £52,000
PRECEPTS
Winchester City Council
Hampshire County Council
49,797,960 50,154,337 1,037.88
7,067,360
146.25
2,966,117
61.38
27,900
28,400
28.71
1,400.14 1,400.49
PARISH/AREA
Badger Farm
Beauworth
Bighton
0
0
0.00
1,371.78 1,371.78
3,000
3,500
20.32
1,389.50 1,392.10
3,540
4,000
18.35
1,387.95 1,390.13
335,304
335,776
122.96
1,495.01 1,494.74
15,000
14,000
57.43
1,432.59 1,429.21
Bramdean & Hinton Ampner
5,000
6,000
27.34
1,394.90 1,399.12
Cheriton
9,000
9,000
28.69
1,400.99 1,400.47
Bishops Sutton
Bishops Waltham
Boarhunt
0
0
0.00
1,371.78 1,371.78
132,000
132,340
83.12
1,454.93 1,454.90
27,170
27,170
32.40
1,404.46 1,404.18
9,800
9,800
24.98
1,396.91 1,396.76
Crawley
13,000
13,000
59.07
1,430.66 1,430.85
Curdridge
22,000
25,000
39.22
1,406.49 1,411.00
Denmead
335,665
340,700
121.01
1,492.37 1,492.79
Droxford
10,000
11,500
34.12
1,401.88 1,405.90
Durley
17,500
17,750
37.45
1,408.78 1,409.23
675
675
5.30
1,377.03 1,377.08
20,000
14,000
28.05
1,410.99 1,399.83
Chilcomb
Colden Common
Compton & Shawford
Corhampton & Meonstoke
F
£120,001 _ £160,000 Hursley
£160,001 _ £320,000 Itchen Stoke & Ovington
Exton
Hambledon
Headbourne Worthy
Itchen Valley
3,850
4,350
18.61
1,388.46 1,390.39
29,000
17,000
40.04
1,440.47 1,411.82
2,200
2,500
20.28
1,389.27 1,392.06
14,250
14,962
20.52
1,391.40 1,392.30
3,600
3,600
26.10
1,398.85 1,397.88
111,845
111,845
60.38
1,433.00 1,432.16
Littleton & Harestock
58,750
60,288
39.62
1,410.43 1,411.40
Micheldever
43,000
45,000
70.51
1,440.57 1,442.29
New Alresford
246,000
248,000
106.59
1,478.07 1,478.37
Kilmeston
Kings Worthy
4
126.27
7,017,142
E
£320,001 and over
2012/13
£
2,945,041
£88,001 _ £120,000
H
6,101,850
2011/12
£
Hampshire Police Authority
D
G
6,058,493
2012/13
£
BAND D TOTAL
COUNCIL TAX
Hampshire Fire & Rescue Authority
£52,001 _ £68,000
£68,001 _ £88,000
C
2011/12
£
*BAND D
AMOUNT OF
PRECEPT
2012/13
£
www.winchester.gov.uk
PRECEPTS
2011/12
£
2012/13
£
*BAND D
AMOUNT OF
PRECEPT
2012/13
£
BAND D TOTAL
COUNCIL TAX
2011/12
£
2012/13
£
Northington
3,380
3,380
26.66
1,398.68 1,398.44
Old Alresford
9,450
9,828
38.34
1,407.92 1,410.12
Olivers Battery
24,600
25,300
33.18
1,404.35 1,404.96
Otterbourne
29,227
30,276
42.79
1,413.86 1,414.57
Owslebury
18,000
20,000
51.32
1,419.12 1,423.10
Shedfield
85,701
74,923
45.33
1,424.07 1,417.11
Soberton
27,000
27,000
32.62
1,404.52 1,404.40
South Wonston
67,626
71,626
59.72
1,429.14 1,431.50
Southwick & Widley
12,700
13,700
47.34
1,416.76 1,419.12
Sparsholt
12,750
13,388
43.32
1,413.68 1,415.10
Swanmore
113,000
161,000
121.86
1,458.26 1,493.64
Tichborne
3,500
3,500
40.03
1,412.50 1,411.81
Twyford
50,000
50,000
68.05
1,440.94 1,439.83
Upham
14,000
15,500
48.26
1,415.36 1,420.04
950
950
8.58
1,380.35 1,380.36
West Meon
21,320
21,320
55.57
1,427.84 1,427.35
Whiteley
75,929
95,164
74.00
1,430.76 1,445.78
Wickham
108,413
114,690
64.01
1,433.02 1,435.79
Wonston
26,000
35,000
57.30
1,415.32 1,429.08
868,165
872,826
61.32
1,433.10 1,433.10
Warnford
Winchester Town
* Band D Amount of Precept – the amount of money to be collected
by the council for its own purposes and for Hampshire County Council,
Hampshire Police Authority, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority and
parish councils.
The Council Tax level
For the second year running, Winchester City
Council has agreed that there should be no increase
in Council Tax; the Band D Council Tax is £126.27 for
2012/13 to meet the estimates of expenditure for
services administered by the council.
5
The cost of services
2011/12
GROSS COST INCOME
£'000
£'000
2012/13
NET COST
£'000
SERVICE
GROSS COST
£'000
INCOME
£'000
NET COST
£'000
25,009 25,009
0
Local Authority Housing (HRA)
26,723
26,723
0
27,394 26,122
1,273
Other Housing Services
29,573
28,623
950
4,061
5,831
-1,770
Highways and Transport
4,228
5,664
-1,436
5,205
3,528
1,677
Planning and Development
5,265
2,428
2,837
3,909
547
3,362
Cultural and Related Services
3,583
518
3,065
6,341
787
5,553
Environment and Regulatory
5,465
829
4,636
2,821
4
2,817
Corporate and Democratic Core
3,208
4
3,204
8,067
6,456
1,611
Central Services to the Public
8,242
6,142
2,100
2,015
4,628
-2,614
Other Operating Income & Expenditure
1,994
4,599
-2,605
84,822 72,913
11,909
Total Operational Expenditure
88,281
75,530
12,751
84,822 72,913
11,564
88,281
75,530
12,816
-345
2,203
13,767
Contributions to and from General Fund Reserves
TOTALS
Parish Precepts
Budget Requirement
65
2,287
15,103
Financed by:
Non-ringfenced Government Grants and
non-domestic rates
-3,543
Non Domestic Rates Redistribution
-1,095
Revenue Support Grant
0
9,129
-868
Winchester Town charge
-82
-1,504
9,261
-873
-2,203
Precepts levied by parishes
-2,287
-6,058
Winchester District charge
-6,102
-9,129
6
Non-Specific Government Grants
Council Tax requirement
-4,256
Taxation
-9,261
www.winchester.gov.uk
£'000
Why is spending
different from last year?
Net revenue expenditure on services
provided by Winchester City Council
will increase next year by £1.252m as
shown here.
Net budgeted expenditure 2011/12
11,564
Growth - increase in net expenditure
1,367
Savings - reduction in net expenditure
-1,226
Inflation on gross expenditure
550
Change in Reserve Contributions
410
Other
151
Net expenditure 2012/13
12,816
Town and Parish Councils Precept Requirements
The table below details local councils with precept requirements of more
than £140,000 in 2012/13. Requests for further information should be made
to the appropriate local council clerk.
2011/12
GROSS EXPD INCOME
£
£
Bishops
Waltham
Parish Council
Denmead
Parish
Council
New Alresford
Town Council
Premises
124,152
75,250 48,902
GROSS EXPD INCOME
£
£
NET EXPD
£
120,422
73,052
47,370
Recreation & Tourism
148,278
7,520
140,758
148,991
7,600
141,391
Other
148,347
2,703
145,644
148,843
1,828
147,015
335,776
420,777
85,473
335,304
418,256
82,480
Highways
25,280
0
25,280
24,975
0
24,975
Recreation
154,805
4,430
150,375
158,994
4,600
154,394
Grants to local organisations 2,600
0
2,600
4,350
0
4,350
3,500
157,410
160,621
3,640
156,981
Other
160,910
343,595
7,930
335,665
348,940
8,240
340,700
Environment
14,700
1,800
12,900
15,568
1,817
13,751
Premises
54,700
7,600
47,100
53,100
5,897
47,203
Recreation & Tourism
48,600
6,402
42,198
46,467
5,967
40,500
0
8,000
8,000
0
8,000
Grants to local organisations 8,000
Other
Swanmore
Parish
Council
2012/13
NET EXPD
£
133,571
0
133,571
138,524
0
138,524
259,571
15,802
243,769
261,659
13,681
247,978
Highways
14,705
570
14,135
11,758
1,600
10,158
Recreation
113,010
81,515 31,495
97,942
37,642
60,300
Other
84,537
Transfer to/(from) Reserves 0
212,252
520
84,017
91,612
720
90,892
0
(16,647)
0
0
0
82,605
113,000
201,312
39,962
161,350
If you would like any further information on parish precepts please contact the relevant parish
council. Contact details are shown on the council’s website – www.winchester.gov.uk.
7
Appeals
Council Tax valuations are based on the
value of a property if it had been sold on
1 April 1991. You may appeal against
the valuation if:
you believe there has been a
material increase or reduction in the
value (see below);
you start or stop using part of your
home for business, or the balance
between business and domestic use
changes;
the Listing Officer has altered the
banding;
you become the new Council Tax
payer for a property.
You must appeal within six months, but
if the same appeal has already been
heard by a Valuation Tribunal it will not
be considered again.
A material increase in value may result
from building, engineering, or other work,
carried out on the property. Revaluation
takes place after a sale, so the appellant
would usually be the new owner or
resident.
A material reduction in value may be
caused by demolition of any part of the
property, any change in the physical
state of the local area or an adaptation
to make the dwelling suitable for
8
someone with a disability. Revaluation
should take place as soon as possible.
Appeals should be sent to:
Listing Officer, Valuation Office Agency,
2nd Floor, Overline House, Central
Station Blechynden Terrace,
Southampton, SO15 1GW.
You may also appeal to Winchester
City Council if you believe:
you are not liable to pay Council Tax
because your property is exempt;
there has been a mistake in
calculating your bill.
You must still pay Council Tax while an
appeal is pending. If the appeal is
successful you will receive a full refund.
People with disabilities
You may be entitled to a reduction if you,
or someone who lives with you, needs a
room, an extra bathroom, kitchen or extra
space to meet special needs because of
a disability.
The bill will be reduced to the band
immediately below your property’s band.
Band A properties also qualify for this
reduction which will be equal to one-sixth
of the Band A charge.
If special fixtures have been added for a
disabled resident and reduce the value of
your home contact the Listing Officer.
www.winchester.gov.uk
Council Tax Discounts
and Exemptions
If you receive a discount or an exemption
on your Council Tax you have a duty to
advise the council of any change in your
circumstances that affects your
entitlement. Discounts or exemptions
which have been incorrectly claimed
affect the level of the Council Tax and the
Council’s entitlement to a grant from
Central Government. Because of this the
Council has a duty to review the
entitlement of discounts and exemptions.
As part of the Council’s reviews on ‘single
person discounts’ an exercise in crossmatching Council Tax records with the
Electoral Register is carried out by the
Audit Commission on data held by this
Council every two years. The data
matching exercise forms part of a large
National Fraud Initiative and any mismatches between Council Tax and the
Electoral Register data is provided to the
Council for further investigation.
The Council will be reviewing the data
from this exercise between May and
September 2012.
Exempt properties
Some dwellings, including empty
properties and those occupied only by
students, are exempt. These include
empty properties that are:
Class A undergoing or in need of
structural alteration or major repair
(exempt for up to twelve months)
Class B owned by a charity (exempt for
six months)
Class C unfurnished (exempt for six
months)
Class D left empty by someone who
has been sent to prison
Class E & I left empty by someone who
is receiving care in a hospital, residential
home or elsewhere
Class F waiting for probate or letters of
administration to be granted (and for up
to six months afterwards)
Class G empty because occupation is
prohibited by law
Class H waiting to be occupied by a
Minister of Religion
Class J left empty by someone who is
caring for another person
Class K left empty by students
Class L repossessed
Class Q the responsibility of a
bankrupt’s trustee
Class R empty caravan pitches or boat
moorings
Class T empty granny annexes
Properties can also be exempt when
occupied
Class M & N only by students,
including halls of residence
Class O as Armed Forces barracks and
married quarters. These are also exempt,
but occupants will contribute to the cost
of local services through a special
arrangement
9
Class P by visiting forces
Class S only by persons under eighteen
Class U by persons who are severely
mentally impaired
Class V by diplomats
Class W and it forms part of a single
property and is occupied by a dependent
relative of a person who is resident in that
property.
10%. If the dwelling is job-related then
please contact the Local Taxes Section
of the council for further information.
Some people will be disregarded when
counting the number of resident adults:
full-time students, student nurses,
apprentices and those on various
government training schemes;
patients resident in hospital;
residents of care homes;
people who are severely mentally
impaired;
people staying in certain hostels or
night shelters;
18 and 19 year olds who are at, or
have just left, school;
care workers on low pay, usually
charity workers;
people caring for someone with a
disability, who is not a spouse, partner
or child under 18;
Discounts
The full Council Tax bill is based on two
adults (18 years and over) living in a
property. If one adult lives alone they will
be entitled to a reduction of 25%.
If a property is empty (no one’s main
home and unfurnished) the bill will be
reduced by 50%. If a property is a
second home (no one’s main home and
furnished) the bill will be reduced by
10
members of visiting forces and
certain international institutions;
members of religious communities
(monks and nuns);
prisoners (except those in jail for nonpayment of Council Tax or a fine).
www.winchester.gov.uk
What action is taken if I do not pay my Council Tax?
Council Tax payments are due on the 1st of each month unless you have
chosen to pay by direct debit on the 5th, 15th or 25th of the month. Your bill
will detail your chosen method of payment and instalments. You must pay by
the instalment dates shown on your bill to avoid recovery action being taken
against you. If you are having problems paying on time it is advisable to
contact us immediately to discuss this.
A Reminder notice
is issued 1st time you miss, pay late
or pay part of an instalment
Not paid within 7 days, Costs added
and Court Summons issued for whole balance
(any right to instalments is lost)
Not paid by court date,
Further costs added A liability order is
obtained allowing the Council to take
further action if not paid within 14 days.
Debt will be sent to Bailiffs if no payment
is received within 14 days
Council Tax Benefits
There are two main forms of Council Tax
Benefit.
Main Council Tax Benefit is normally
available to people on low incomes and
there are extra allowances (up to 100%
reduction) for:
one-parent families;
families with children;
pensioners;
people with disabilities.
Second Adult Rebate applies if you are
Paid within 7 days,
2nd Reminder issued the next time you miss,
pay late or only pay part of an instalment
Paid within 7 days,
Final Notice issued the next time
you miss, pay late or only pay part of an
instalment. The whole balance becomes
due for that period of charge.
the only liable person for Council Tax in
a household, but share the home with
one or more persons. You may be able
to claim a rebate if someone over 18
shares the home and is:
not paying you rent;
not your spouse or partner;
not liable for Council Tax;
on a low income.
If you would like to apply for benefit,
please ask for an application form and
complete and return it as soon as
possible.
11
Modern, high quality and affordable services
Over the past twelve months, Hampshire County Council has responded to the
challenge of reduced government funding with an ambitious programme of savings
and modernisation. We have kept down day-to-day running costs, merged
departments and cut one in four senior manager posts. These efficiencies have
allowed us to protect frontline services for those who need them most. Residents
will also benefit from our decision to freeze our part of the Council Tax again,
keeping it at the same level for the third year running.
County Council priorities
• Safeguarding child protection and
services for the most vulnerable
• Maintaining the current eligibility
criteria for adult social care
• Maximising resources through
increased partnership working
• Supporting Hampshire’s economy,
transport infrastructure and businesses
• No cuts to core road maintenance
Measures taken to protect
frontline services
• Securing savings of £55 million
to cover budget gap for 2011/12
• Releasing £14 million by
reducing office space
• Sharing services and generating
income, for example by selling our
IT expertise to other councils
• Placing the County Council in a
strong starting position for 2012/13,
when spending needs to be reduced by
a further £45 million
12
A more modern focus
Transforming the way we work means
you may experience our services
differently – perhaps delivered in a new
way or in a different setting. Some of the
changes include:
• targeting our youth support services
to the most vulnerable and helping
community organisations set up youth
services for all;
• merging
Children’s
Centres’
management
structures, run
by third-party
organisations;
• preserving
our library
service, by
varying opening
times, using self service technology and
local volunteers;
www.hants.gov.uk
• revising rural bus timetables to cover
essential services and encouraging
more community-run transport;
• enabling increased capital investment
in key services such as £45 million, over
eight years, in ‘Extra Care’ housing
alternatives to residential care, giving
older people a home of their own with
24-hour help at hand;
• offering a wider choice of day care
opportunities for people with learning
disabilities.
Where the money
comes from
Budget for 2011/12
£'000
715,585
Funding and function changes
13,161
Adjusted budget for 2011/12
728,746
Inflation and contingencies
30,712
Social care pressures
12,500
Efficiencies and other savings
-47,100
Council Tax freeze grant
-13,245
Budget for 2012/13
711,613
Which is financed by:
General government funding:
• national business rates
173,882
• government general grant
3,371
Surplus on collection funds
4,191
Council Tax requirement for 2012/13
530,169
The Council Tax requirement in 2011/12 was
£526.427 million. New house building is one of
the reasons we will receive more income from
Council Tax in 2012/13.
Budget breakdown
We expect to spend £1,752 million on
services in 2012/13, compared with
£1,913 million in 2011/12. To help with
this cost, we get service-related grants
from the Government, including a grant
to cover the full cost of Hampshire
schools, and we receive £168 million in
income, mainly from fees and charges.
Allowing for these grants and income,
we have set a net spending budget of
£712 million. Council Tax will fund £530
million of this. There will be no increase
in the County Council’s portion of the
Council Tax in 2012/13. It will be frozen
again, funded by a one-off government
grant.
13
Managing Hampshire’s
finances wisely
The Government is continuing to cut
funding for councils. Our general
government funding will reduce by 10.4
per cent in 2012/13. This is the joint
highest percentage cut for any English
county council.
We already receive a low amount of
government funding per person,
compared to many other councils. Apart
from services funded by specific
grants, fees and charges, general
government funding provides only
£25 of every £100 needed to provide
all our other services, so the rest has
to come from Council Tax.
Financial pressures from government
funding cuts are increased further by
inflation and increasing demand for
services, such as care for the elderly.
Despite all these pressures, the Audit
Commission (which independently
assesses how councils spend money)
reported that, in response to government
funding cuts, we "anticipated the scale of
reductions needed and took early action
to deliver the service changes and
savings required".
14
We are on track to make the savings
required. Capital and one-off money
have been used to fund initiatives that
will secure significant long-term and
continuing cost reductions.
The Audit Commission also found that,
"in comparison with other county
councils in England the Council
provides services at a lower cost". This
has enabled our Council Tax rate to be
one of the lowest for a county council
in England.
Some of
the things
we do
• Champion
excellence in 540
Hampshire schools
• Provide
and arrange
services that
support
95,000
vulnerable
adults
• Maintain more than 5,200 miles of
roads
• Provide over 50 libraries and
Discovery Centres
• Handle 800,000 tonnes of household
waste
www.hants.gov.uk
Putting the lowest
proportion of
waste into
landfill of any
county council
for five years
running
Hampshire’s
best ever
GCSE results
in summer
2011
Three of
Hampshire’s
country parks
voted amongst
the best in the
country
An excellent
Ofsted rating for
our Children’s
Services
Resurfacing over 77
miles of roads in just
six months to improve
their condition as part of
the award winning
‘Operation Resilience’
Accolades for our
Trading Standards team
who recouped £385,000
for vulnerable adults
targeted by scams
Our budget for services:
total £711.6 million.
To find out more about Hampshire
County Council and how your
Council Tax is spent, visit our
website www.hants.gov.uk/budget
See the back of this leaflet for
more contact details.
Claim the benefit
For information on Council Tax Benefit
see your Council Tax bill or contact your
district council. For information about
Pension Credit please ring 0800 99 1234.
15
Hampshire Police Authority - ensuring efficient and
effective policing for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
We are all continuing to face very challenging times during this
period of austerity. This year again brings the challenge of
working within a reduced budget to provide a more efficient and
effective police service for the future which will continue to
deliver an excellent service for the people of Hampshire and the
Isle of Wight.
During the first year of the policing
budget reductions we have
managed to provide the same level
and quality of service as previous
years by adapting our delivery. We
will continue to make the most of
our resources to provide best value
for money for the taxpayer.
Your Police Authority
Hampshire Police Authority is the
independent body responsible for
overseeing the work of Hampshire
Constabulary and ensuring
effective and efficient policing in
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
This includes setting the policing
budget, local policing priorities
and representing the voice of the
public.
The 17 members of Hampshire
Police Authority, comprising nine
local councillors and eight
16
independent members, work hard
to ensure Hampshire and the Isle of
Wight are even safer places in
which to live, work and visit.
www.hampshirepoliceauthority.org
Policing priorities
Police funding
Our priority is to protect the funding
of as many frontline services as
possible, including targeted patrol,
safer neighbourhood and local
crime investigation teams.
The majority of funding for policing
comes through Government
grants, with around one third
coming from Council Tax. The
comprehensive spending review
meant the Government grant paid
to Hampshire Police Authority was
reduced by 5.1 per cent last year
and will be reduced by a further 6.7
per cent for 2012/13 as a part of a
20 per cent saving in real terms
between 2011 and 2015.
Hampshire Police Authority and the
Chief Constable jointly agree on
three-year policing priorities, and
these are published in the Policing
Plan. The priorities are informed by
results of consultation exercises with
the public, local authorities and
other agencies, along with the latest
crime statistics.
A full copy of the Policing Plan is
available by visiting
www.hampshirepoliceauthority.org
The priorities are underpinned by a
set of values which aims to secure
the trust and confidence of our
communities.
In everything we do, we CARE:
Common sense and sound
judgement
Act with integrity, courage and
compassion
Respect people and keep our
promises
Experiences used to learn and
improve
We are pleased to tell you we are
able to freeze our part of the
Council Tax precept for another
year, meaning that properties in
bands A to H will not have any
increase in their Council Tax. By
freezing the Council Tax Hampshire
Police Authority will receive a
government grant equivalent to
3 per cent of Council Tax.
BAND
ANNUAL
COST £
A
97.50
B
113.75
C
130.00
D
146.25
E
178.75
F
211.25
G
243.75
H
292.50
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Hampshire Police Authority budget
£’000
£’000
2011/12
2012/13
286,325
270,465
Other net costs
32,458
33,084
Contributions to/(from) reserves
(4,687)
2,063
314,096
305,612
Grant funding
(212,256)
(203,594)
Council Tax
(100,798)
(101,433)
(1,042)
(0,585)
Employees
Total
Funded by:
Council Tax collection fund surplus
Making the savings
Due to reductions in the grant last
year the authority had to make
savings of £16 million. The
authority has to save a further £20
million in 2012/13. The savings
have been identified through a
change programme which has
reviewed all workings of the
authority and constabulary.
Additional options for savings
continue to be developed in order
to offset further reductions in
Government grant in 2013/14 and
2014/15.
Despite the savings needed in
2012/13 the authority will maintain
frontline personnel numbers at the
same level as at April 2011.
Reductions have focused on
18
reducing costs through improved
processes and different ways of
working, which do not adversely
impact on performance.
The authority has taken a
considered and structured
approach to delivering savings over
many years. The biggest budget
reduction planned for 2012/13 is in
support functions (£6.5 million)
which includes introducing a new
centralised service centre. A further
£3 million will be saved through
more efficient ways of gathering
and distributing intelligence along
with other changes. The
constabulary is seeking to improve
access to its service by placing
local officers within local
communities, allowing frontline
policing services to be at the heart
www.hampshirepoliceauthority.org
of the communities they serve.
This will result in some police
stations being sold, however, safer
neighbourhood policing teams will
not be leaving local areas but
moving to new locations within the
same communities.
The investment in our website will
also give greater access to
information, such as crimes in
specific locations, and access to
more services, including crime
reporting. This investment, along
with other changes, will save £3
million.
Further savings will be made
through merging units and
improving criminal investigations
and Criminal Justice processes
(£4 million). In addition £1 million
will be saved through collaboration
with Thames Valley Police on
operational policing, which includes
roads policing, and firearms and
operation support, which contains
elements such as dogs and training.
Frontline numbers will be
maintained and additional funds
have been included for more
technology that will improve
efficiency and improve the quality
of the services we deliver. For
example, funding for additional
mobile information devices will
allow more officers and staff to
update and access information
without the need to return to a
police station.
Where your money goes
The future
Hampshire Police Authority has
been praised for the way its
finances have been managed. The
Audit Commission independently
assesses public sector bodies in the
way money is spent, and has
This will be the last year Hampshire
Police Authority will decide on the
precept level for policing. From
November, a directly elected Police
and Crime Commissioner for
Hampshire will oversee policing.
concluded that “the authority has a
good track record of sound
financial planning”. Hampshire has
the sixth lowest cost per head of
population out of the 43 forces in
England and Wales.
By 2015 we will be a top quartile
force in key performance areas and
a bottom quartile force in cost.
A combination of low cost and high
achievement will make the
constabulary one of the best value
for money forces in the country.
19
We make life safer
We want to be the best fire and rescue service in the country and make
life safer for everyone by reducing risks in our local communities. In
addition to responding to fire calls and road traffic collisions, the
Service also works with the community to promote fire safety and to
encourage people and businesses to take measures to protect them
from harm.
Our five priorities set out the areas
we will focus on to achieve this:
People
Property
Community
Environment
Resources
Our achievements in
2011/12
Despite the financial challenges of
2011/12, we have made significant
progress this year towards achieving
our vision to make life safer for
everyone who lives in, works in or
visits Hampshire.
The Service has continued to
perform well across a number of key
performance indicators and after
achieving exceptional performance
in reducing the number of fires
started deliberately during 2010 this
has remained a top priority.
Working with Hampshire Police, our
Joint Arson Task Force has one of
the most successful prosecution
levels in the country, five times the
national average.
Another partnership initiative with
Hampshire Constabulary achieving
successful results is the innovative
joint charitable project The Blue
20
www.hantsfire.gov.uk
Lamp Trust. Designed to promote
community safety and security, the
scheme includes practical help for
vulnerable victims of crime and
road safety promotion.
During the past year, we also set up
projects utilising the skills and
enthusiasm of community
volunteers who are helping to
enhance the community safety
work we deliver. These volunteers
are involved in delivering
community safety advice to homes
and businesses across the county.
A separate 4x4 volunteer team of
‘off road vehicle’ owners has also
been formed to assist Hampshire
agencies and residents in times of
adverse weather.
Opening the new Winchester Fire
Station was a significant
achievement this year. The
purpose-built facility is the first
completed UK fire station to be
rated "excellent" against industry
standards for its environmental
impact.
These projects have all been
introduced while continuing to keep
costs under tight control. To help
meet future financial challenges, the
Service has also introduced a
number of efficiency programmes.
This means the amount we spend
per head of the population remains
consistently well below the national
average, and so does our Council
Tax.
If you want to know more about our
plans for the next three years please
take a look at our latest Hampshire
Fire and Rescue Service Plan on our
website www.hantsfire.gov.uk/plan
Or you can call us on 023 8064 4000
21
Good value
for money?
Our budget for 2012/13
We think so, and hope you
will agree.
Here is how we arrived at our budget
for the year ahead:
The budget for 2012/13 is £70.5
million. This is 1.2% more than the
equivalent budget last year with
most of the increase arising from
the cost of inflation.
The Authority is committed to
keeping Council Tax increases as
low as possible so we constantly
review how our services are
delivered to make them more
efficient. Government grant
reductions are expected over the
next two years so we are planning
for the future to ensure we use the
money we have to greatest effect.
The cost to you
We are pleased to tell you we are
able to freeze our part of the Council
Tax this year. This is due to
efficiency measures we have put in
place, and a Council Tax freeze grant
from the Government. It is important
£’000
Budget for 2011/12
68,674
Changes in funding arrangements
Adjusted Budget for 2011/12
Inflation
973
69,647
449
Efficiency improvements
-1,506
Council Tax freeze grant
-1,173
Increase in reserves
3,051
Budget for 2012/13
70,468
Which is financed by:
National business rates
30,471
Government grant
591
Surplus on collection funds
253
Balance from Council Tax
39,153
that you know what this means in
cash terms. For a Band D property
the cost of your fire and rescue
service is just £1.18 per week, which
is the same as last year.
The table below shows you exactly
how much you will pay for your fire
and rescue service in 2012/13.
Band A
£40.92
Band C
£54.56
Band E
£75.02
Band G
£102.30
Band B
£47.74
Band D
£61.38
Band F
£88.66
Band H
£122.76
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www.hantsfire.gov.uk
Where your money goes
Over 75% of our budget is spent on
employing staff - our most valuable
resource. The remainder is spent
on essential supplies and services,
transport, property and information
and communications technology,
as well as funding our capital
programmes.
Every year we spend about £2.5
million on our vehicle replacement
programme, to ensure we have a
modern, well-maintained fleet of
vehicles. We invest £400,000 in
improvements to our buildings and
maintaining our 51 stations.
Budget 2012/13
£’000
Preventing incidents
3,601
Protecting life and property
2,711
Responding to emergencies
58,226
Capital financing costs
2,183
Council Tax freeze grant
-1,173
Contribution to reserves
4,920
Total
70,468
Full budget details and
information about how your
Council Tax is spent are
available on our website:
www.hantsfire.gov.uk
If you have any questions
our contact details are on
the back of this booklet.
Picture credit: Paul Murphy photography
23
Winchester City Council
Local Taxes Section
City Offices
Colebrook Street
Winchester SO23 9LJ
For Council Tax enquiries
Tel: 01962 848288
For all other enquiries
Tel: 01962 840222
E-mail: [email protected]
www.winchester.gov.uk
Hampshire County Council
Budget and Council Tax
www.hants.gov.uk/budget
For questions on our budget contact:
County Treasurer’s Department
Hampshire County Council
The Castle, Winchester SO23 8UB
E-mail: [email protected]
For more about our services, go to:
www.hants.gov.uk
Tel: 0845 603 5638 *
Textphone: 0845 603 5625*
E-mail: [email protected]
Hampshire Police Authority
Westgate Chambers
Staple Gardens
Winchester SO23 8AW
Tel: 01962 871595
E-mail:
[email protected]
www.hampshirepoliceauthority.org
Hampshire Fire and
Rescue Authority
Tel: 023 8064 4000
E-mail: [email protected]
www.hantsfire.gov.uk
For questions on our budget contact:
Financial Services
Hampshire Fire and Rescue
Service Headquarters
Leigh Road
Eastleigh SO50 9SJ
Tel: 023 8062 6867
E-mail: [email protected]
* Calls to 0845 numbers are free on some BT call
plans but will cost between 4p (local rate) and 6p
(national rate) per minute for BT customers not
on a plan. Calls made using other service
providers or mobiles may cost more. Alternatively
call 01329 225398 - standard and local call rates
may apply to this number.
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