Council Tax level for Stratford District

Stratford-on-Avon District Councillors have set the district element of the Council Tax at a meeting of the Council on Monday 24 February.

The amount residents will be asked to pay for a band D property is £144.12.

This means that all the services provided by the District Council cost £2.77 a week for a Band D household for a wide range of services including recycling and waste collection, planning, street cleaning, housing, housing benefits, leisure services and children's play areas.

The Council Tax from Stratford-on-Avon District Council for residents for 2020/21 for each of the valuation bands is:
 
A        £96.08                        
B        £112.09                  
C        £128.11                                              
D        £144.12
E        £176.15                
F        £208.17
G        £240.20                      
H        £288.24

The Council's budget includes provision for:

1. Financial Support for the Fred Winter Project - £60,000 ongoing 
   A partnership of public, private and voluntary sector agencies in Stratford-upon-Avon has been established to create an innovative solution to rough sleeping and homelessness. The Fred Winter Housing Plus Centre will offer, for the first time, high quality affordable accommodation and 'joined up' services for people who are homeless or for those who at risk of becoming homelessness.
   
   
2. UBUS Contract Extension - £107,000 then £109,000 ongoing
   The Cabinet resolved to support the enhanced scheme to provide a bus service within the District, and to include the costs in the revenue budget from 2020/21 onwards.The funding is split into two elements, approximately £89,000 which contributes towards Warwickshire County Council vehicle procurement and the balance £20,000 which will fund the booking centre and registration provision.
   
   
3. Core Strategy Review - £1.6m one-off over the next three years
   The Council is obliged to assess every five years whether its strategic policies require reviewing. If it concludes that they are out of date, then a review of those policies will need to be undertaken.
   The current Core Strategy was adopted in July 2016. It will require a review assessment to be complete by July 2021 at the latest. This review needs to be undertaken in good time. The Portfolio Holder for Place has expressed a desire to commence a review of the Core Strategy. This will enable the Council, amongst other things, to fully embed climate change mitigation and adaptation into the Council's future planning policies.
   
   
4. Housing Register IT Platform Upgrade - £35,000 one-off 
   The current Abritas platform supporting the Council's Housing Advice, Homelessness & Homelessness Prevention, Housing Register and Choice Based Lettings IT Platform has been in place since 2007. This was the year when the Council joined the Home Choice Plus Partnership (HCPP) in a sub-regional housing register and allocations scheme. The IT underpinning this can now be further developed to enhance customer interaction, to offering self-serve functionality, and to eliminating human validation and data entry.
   
   
5. Waste Contract Renewal - Consultancy Advice - £50,000 0ne-off
   In order to support the process of re-tendering the Council's major contracts, a suitably qualified and experienced external consultant is required to lead on the procurement of a new contract for waste collection, recycling and street cleansing services. The consultant will be required to provide the expertise and market knowledge. He/she will be part both of the project team and a member of the evaluation panel for the new contract.
   
   
6. Climate Change Strategy Funding - £500,000 one-off
   At its meeting in July 2019, the Council declared A Climate Emergency as a pledge to take local action to contribute to national carbon neutral targets through the development of its own practices and policies with an aim to be carbon-neutral in Stratford District by 2030. The Council also agreed to ask the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to convene a Task and Finish Working Group, to consult with and invite input from representatives of local environmental groups, residents and businesses, and to report back to The Cabinet and Council by January 2020. The budget includes a one-off amount in order to facilitate the work of the Climate Change Panel and the implementation of its proposals.

Cllr Tony Jefferson, Leader of the Council, says: "Frustratingly, we were due to have the benefit of a four year settlement review, but events have made us wait for another year. We do know, however, that local government at district council level is not one of the Government's highest priorities.  Support from central government has declined over recent years, with the exception of the New Homes Bonus, which will disappear over the next three years.

"Whatever comes out of the next four year spending review, district councils are likely to receive less and there will be an increasing need for the cost of local government at district level to be met locally. The long term soundness of the Council's financial positon is the bedrock of its ability to meet residents' expectations.  This budget agreed protects the Council's capacity and capability to provide the level and quality of services that our residents need. 

"There is little room for manoeuvre with the constraints we work under. We are limited in the increase we can make in Council Tax and we have to maintain reserves of at least £2.5million with the Section 151 Officer being satisfied that we have a sustainable budget.

"Today's budget provides a realistic forecast and a sound basis to respond to the spending review. Deferring tough decisions now means even tougher decisions will need to be made in the future."

Council Tax Resolution 2020/21

Total Band D Council Tax