Borough council announces 1.8 per cent increase in its council tax charge

At Dacorum Borough Council’s full council meeting on Wednesday, councillors agreed a 1.8 per cent increase to its portion of the charge.

For the average Band D household the increase amounts to £3.18 each year, or less than 1p more per day.

Leader of the council, Councillor Andrew Williams, said: “Our budget plans not just to protect and maintain services today, but to invest in the borough’s future while keeping costs low for our residents.

“It is always a tough decision to increase council tax, but as local government funding continues to decrease it is clear that if we need money for our local area we need to raise it locally. This modest increase will allow us to maintain important services, invest in our services and assets, boost the economy of the borough and support the aspirations of our communities.”

It means that all the borough council’s services - including refuse collection and recycling, street cleaning, environmental health, planning, licensing, housing advice and benefits – cost residents a total of 49p a day.

Herts County Council has already agreed the first increase in its charge since 2009 – which equates to 43p per week for the average band D council taxpayer.

The 1.99 per cent rise was decided in response to financial pressures.

Within the borough council’s budget funding has been set aside in the 2015/16 budget for improvement projects that include:

>Continued funding to increase car parking through a planned programme of verge hardening, refurbishing council car parks and investment in a multi-storey car park to support Berkhamsted’s town centre.

>More than £1 million has been set aside this year to enable around 150 new affordable homes with a further £1.4 million in 2016/17. This is in addition to £14 million being invested this year from housing income to build new council homes towards the council’s aim to deliver 400 new council homes by 2020.

>£100k investment in Tring Town Council’s development plans for town centre improvements.

>Continued investment in the Hemel Evolution major town centre regeneration project amounting to £24 million over three years. Provision is made in this budget for work to restore the Jellicoe Water Gardens and develop a new bus interchange, along with a new public service hub in the town centre.

Dacorum Borough Council keeps around 12 per cent of the overall council tax charge. For an average (band D) property the charge is £1,468.74 which breaks down as follows:

£179.83 for Dacorum Borough Council’s services

£1,141.09 goes to Herts County Council to pay for services such as highways, education and care services

£147.82 goes to the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire.