CAMDEN KEEPS COUNCIL TAX RISE DOWN AGAIN

23 February 2006

Camden residents will for the third year running benefit from a low Council Tax rise. Camden Council’s Executive agreed on Wednesday (22 February) night to propose a budget that will keep the increase in the council’s element of Council Tax to below 2 per cent (1.92%) and only 36p a week for a band D property.

The council has achieved this small increase by working to ensure that all the services it provides to Camden residents are provided as efficiently as possible. The authority was recently rated as one of the top performing councils in the Government’s annual assessment of how well it serves the local community including the value for money it provides.

Residents’ bills also include the Greater London Authority (GLA) tax bill, which rose by 13.35 per cent or 65p a week for residents living in Band D properties. The increase in the GLA element includes an extra £20 a year contribution to the 2012 Olympics.

The total bill to residents, including Camden Council Tax and GLA elements, will go up by 4.28 per cent. That represents a bill of £1,285.25 for Band D properties, an increase of £1.01 a week. The final decision on the council’s budget and Council Tax will be made at the Full Council meeting on 1 March 2006.

Cllr Anna Stewart, Executive Member for Resources, Camden Council, said: “I am pleased that we are again setting a very low council tax rise for Camden residents. Over the years we have ensured low, steady increases in Council Tax. This year Camden residents will once again benefit from one of the lowest rises in London whilst putting extra money into projects for young people and making our borough safer.

“This has been achieved through our commitment to providing value for money to residents, and focusing the budget on the key priorities for Camden - children and young people, community safety, and tackling inequality.

“We are investing nearly £4.4 million in services for Camden’s children and young people. This includes £200,000 to continue the Sure Start programme that aims to give children the best start in life and £595,000 in additional support for our most vulnerable looked after children.

“We are also putting £176,000 into the extremely successful Families in Focus project, which works with hard-to-reach 4-16 year-olds and their families, helping to prevent youth offending and anti-social behaviour.

“£931,000 has been earmarked for projects to continue our work to improve community safety. This includes funding our legal work around the use of ASBOs, nearly half a million invested into the Street Warden scheme in Camden Town and Bloomsbury, and Kids Clubs to tackle anti-social behaviour. We are also spending £218,000 to continue the Safe as Houses project which aims to help older people improve security and fire safety in their homes.

“This is a growth budget with £12.4 million of new money going into front line services to make a difference to Camden residents. We are also committed to finding better and cheaper ways of providing services and we have already achieved £6.5 million in savings next year, mostly through increased efficiency. Auditors have praised us for providing good value for money and we are committed to delivering more efficient services year in year out.”

Camden already has some of the best schools in London, with over 97 per cent pass rate at A-Level and Camden primary schools ranked fourth most effective nationally. In the year ahead the council is planning to invest £12 million in building projects at over 60 Camden schools and early years centres. The council will also to distribute over £2.5 million in Big Lottery and Football foundation money to improve sports facilities in schools and other centres.

Crime remains Camden residents’ top concern and the council is working with the police and other local partners to make the borough safer. Crime in the borough has fallen 14 per cent in three years. The fear of crime is decreasing year on year and last year stood 12 per cent lower than the London average. Next year the council will continue to target the overt drugs market in Camden Town and invest in innovative schemes, like Prison Me No Way!!, which aims to deter young people from crime and anti-social behaviour.

Camden is already one of the cleanest and best-kept boroughs, with residents’ satisfaction with street cleaning 22 percentage points above the London average. The council is also working to improve the borough’s open spaces and the environment as a whole. In the year ahead it will invest over £350,000 in landscaping parks and open spaces and improving its doorstep recycling service. The council is also spending £450,000 on upgrading children’s play areas on four housing estates.

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