Cambridge Independent, 31st January 2025
12th Year Council Tax Freeze Proposed at East Cambs District Council
I was delighted to propose the 12th year of a Council Tax freeze last week for East Cambs residents at the Council’s Finance Committee.
Although the motion was not supported by the Liberal Democrat and Independent Group, the Conservative administration voted in support, meaning that freezing the District Council’s part of Council Tax bills will now go forward as a recommendation to Full Council in February. The proposed budget also includes retaining free parking in the Council’s town and city centre car parks and freezing the fees at the commuter car parks near the railway station in Ely.
Also included in the budget for 2026 is money for the new waste service, including retaining the free garden waste collection and expansion of the service with a separate weekly food collection, free additional green and blue wheelie bins, and the provision of black wheelie bins for residual waste.
The Council has a corporate objective to only increase its part of Council Tax bills as a last resort; I want to thank all our staff at the Council who work so hard to make this happen. We have achieved this through hard work, innovation and a laser-like focus on our residents.
Back in 2016 we formed East Cambs Trading Company which is wholly owned by the Council and has a mantra of “commercial for community”. The company took over the running of the hugely popular Ely Markets, which has a long waiting list of traders wanting to trade and has received national recognition for how it is run; it provides a modest profit to the company. Palace Green Homes, which is the building arm of the company, builds new and affordable homes, often in association with our Community Land Trusts, where the affordable homes are reserved for local people with the strongest ties to the community. It too has delivered huge financial benefits to the Council. The Parks and Open Spaces team also runs from the company, allowing them to offer their services to other organisations. They have developed a particular expertise and reputation for their tree services. This not only provides a great service to their customers but has also reduced the cost to the Council to maintain our own parks and open spaces. It really is a “win win”.
Alongside a culture that runs throughout the Council, of looking after every single pound and always driving value for residents, all of this has enabled us to keep costs down and 12 years of frozen Council Tax.
The Council also has a proud history of having zero external debt, so we are not having to spend tax payers’ money on servicing debt interest payments.
This makes the prospect of local government reorganisation hard to accept. All our neighbouring Councils are carrying debt. In some cases the level of debt in Councils with whom we are likely to be merged is absolutely eye-watering, not far off £0.5billion in more than one instance.
I don’t want East Cambs District Council to be abolished by the Labour Government; frankly, given the finances of our neighbouring Councils I can see no good outcome for our residents. But while other Councils and their leaders go into darkened rooms to talk about what they want from local government reorganisation and spend time arguing about lines on maps to suit their own agendas, I have instituted a large-scale programme of engagement with our residents. I make them a promise; tell us what matters to you about your local Council and I will fight for your interests, in whatever future structure we end up with.
Anna Bailey
East Cambs District Council, Member for the Downham Ward
Leader of the Council
Deputy Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough
Chairman of East Cambs Community Land Trust
Deputy Chair Political of Ely & East Cambridgeshire Conservative Association
