Council Tax Frozen for 13th Year in East Cambridgeshire
At a time when other Councils are increasing the financial burden on households, East Cambs District Council has frozen its share of Council Tax bills for the thirteenth year, with no cuts to services. We are the only Council in the country to freeze Council Tax for this length of time.
It means the District Council’s share of Council Tax bills remains at £142.14 per year for a Band D property – the same as it was in 2013. I am hugely proud of our Council for this significant achievement.
Underpinning this, the Council agreed a balanced budget for the next two years with zero external borrowing (we are one of only two Councils in the country to remain debt free), whilst maintaining unearmarked reserves at a healthy 10% of operating expenditure.
Importantly, the budget has been set without the need for cuts or efficiency targets, and staffing levels are fully funded. We have retained free parking in our town and city centre car parks and frozen charges in the commuter car parks. We have also provided a 7.5% increase in funding to our Internal Drainage Boards which play such a vital role in keeping our land dry and productive. We have also set aside funds to support Parish Councils that wish to develop a Neighbourhood Plan following central Government cuts to this funding.
We also continue to provide financial backing for East Cambs Trading Company which has played such an important role in supporting the Council’s financial success and has delivered 190 new homes, 55 of which are affordable, including £100k Homes, and 44 of which have been delivered in partnership with our Community Land Trusts where the homes are reserved for local people with the strongest ties to the community. The Company is currently completing a new 27 home development in Ely where 100% of the homes are affordable.
The budget also included a focus on our new waste and recycling service. East Cambridgeshire residents are already the best recyclers in Cambridgeshire and one of the top 20 performing in the country, but we think new investments into the service will help us be even better.
The new service includes retention and enhancement of our free garden waste collection service. At a time when around 70% of councils across the country now charge residents for this, East Cambridgeshire continues to provide it at no additional cost. In a bid to improve recycling even further, the Council is also removing charges for additional green (garden waste) and blue (recycling) bins with no cost for delivery or emptying. New items can also now be placed in the recycling bin such as cling film, carrier bags, plastic trays and tubs.
Together with the roll out of black wheelie bins and the new weekly food waste collection service these changes are designed to deliver environmental benefits and reduce waste going into landfill. I am asking residents when placing items in their black bins to really think about the fact that they will be buried in landfill, and to carefully consider if there is something better they can do with them instead!
Black wheelie bins, kitchen caddies and kerbside food caddies are currently being delivered to over 40,000 households across the district, with the new service set to begin on 1st June.
We know that residents highly value their services in East Cambridgeshire and we thank them for their part in helping the Council to thrive. As the Government moves forward with its plans for Unitary Authorities, we will work hard to ensure our record of strong financial management and our focus on residents continues to benefit local people.
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
Phone: 01353 663 253
Mobile: 07850 521 590
Council email: anna.bailey@eastcambs.gov.uk
Personal email: annabailey@hotmail.co.uk
