Hyndburn’s share of council tax is set to be frozen for a FOURTH consecutive year after council bosses revealed they are on course to achieve a budget surplus of £440,000.
However, residents could still see their bills rise after Lancashire County Council opened a consultation into a near 2 per cent rise.
Residents pay 71.1 per cent of their council tax to the county council for services such as schools and roads. Overall, it means the majority of Band A residents in the borough could be facing a hike in bills of £14 from £738.
Hyndburn leader Miles Parkinson told councillors at a cabinet meeting last week that its rate is likely to be frozen despite the ‘austere’ financial period.
However, Tory group leader Peter Britcliffe said the £440,000 underspend shows residents have been ‘overcharged’ and called on the council to cut next year’s council tax by 10 per cent.
He told the meeting: “These are remarkable figures, are they not? At the last meeting I predicted the surplus would be half a million and lo and behold it’s £440,000.
“It belies the fact we scream we have no money when we are actually underspending by half a million pounds. My prediction is that will have a surplus of at least £750,000 by year’s end.
“This raises two fundamental questions, the first being are we not overcharging people on council tax by 10 per cent, because that percentage is £400,000?
“As a good opposition leader I should be calling on you to give that money back.”
Coun Britcliffe, whose Tory group led the council in two periods between 2000 and 2011, said the council could also consider increasing local township budgets.
He said: “I think this is the time to invest and I have been saying it for some time – rather than wait until the year end and fritter it away.
“I would rather see an investment plan and what better time to put money to the localities?
“We have been starved of money in Clayton, Rishton, Oswaldtwistle and Great Harwood. You have a golden opportunity to either pay folk back or invest in the future.”
Coun Parkinson responded by saying the 10 per cent council tax cut idea was not a ‘serious option’ and was ‘simple politicking’. He told the meeting: “I don’t even think the public will swallow that. If you look over your 11 years you managed to freeze council tax for only three years, even in the times of plenty.
“This council, over the most austere period, will now aim to freeze it for a fourth year running. Even from the Conservatives I would expect to hear that this is very good.
“Over the last four years our budget has been reduced year on year, and only 35 to 40 per cent of the cuts have been implemented. There is a further 60 per cent yet to come.
“There will be more drastic cuts to local government. I don’t think what you are putting forward is sensible.”
