Council tax frozen - but at a heavy cost

OLDHAM Council confirmed it will freeze council tax for the next financial year.

The approval was given by full council last night at Oldham Civic Centre as part of the local authority’s £24million in savings for 2012-13.

Council leader Jim McMahon said the budget, which includes cutting up to 400 jobs, comes with “a heavy heart”.

Councillor McMahon said: “You hear council leaders saying how pleased they are to present a budget and I am not really, but I am confident we have achieved a sound, robust budget where front line services have been protected.

“But let’s be under no illusions, cuts on this scale — £24 million, taking into account cuts in previous years — is never going to be easy.”

A Government grant of £2.1 million has made the council tax freeze possible. All councils were offered a grant equivalent to a 2.5 per cent increase in council tax, so council tax could be frozen for taxpayers.

A final £2.38 million of savings was agreed on Monday, through slashing red tape and bureaucracy, better procurement and using council-owned buildings more efficiently — leaving £225.355 million to spend in the next financial year.

Councillor Abdul Jabbar, cabinet member for finance, said the cuts would have major and profound implications for some vulnerable residents in the borough.

He said: “This budget has been produced during a time of huge cuts in local funding — it is the most challenging budget settlement since the Second World War. We have balanced the budget with fewer job losses than originally feared.

“The one-year grant for the council tax freeze will inevitably create pressure in future years and I worry about the future cuts on staff and services in this country.”

Councillors spent two and a half hours debating the Lib-Dem opposition’s alternative “citizens-driven budget”, which included keeping Central Library and Gallery Oldham open on Sundays, a summer blitz on potholes and a litter-enforcement project.

Councillor Howard Sykes, opposition leader, said: “We have dirtier streets, important performance targets being missed and only last week Oldham emerged as the sixth unhappiest town in the country.

“Unlike the administration, we set out a responsible and affordable investment programme, and spell out where we would find the tens of millions of further savings needed in 2013-14 and 2014-15.”

The opposition party’s budget was criticised by Labour councillors for not being run through the council’s scrutiny committee.



What you will pay. The extra in Saddleworth and Shaw accounts for the parish council precept:



Oldham

Band A 1,028.55

Band B 1,199.98

Band C 1,371.40

Band D 1,542.83

Band E 1,885.68

Band F 2,228.54

Band G 2,571.38

Band H 3,085.66



Saddleworth

Band A 1,041.45

Band B 1,215.03

Band C 1,388.60

Band D 1,562.18

Band E 1,903.33

Band F 2,256.49

Band G 2,603.63

Band H 3,124.36



Shaw/Crompton

Band A 1,038.24

Band B 1,211.29

Band C 1,384.32

Band D 1,557.37

Band E 1,903.45

Band F 2,249.54

Band G 2,595.61

Band H 3,085.66