Bath & North East Somerset Council has approved its lowest Council Tax rise this century, along with multi-million pound investment in local priorities. The increase will be 3.95%, bringing the 2008/09 Bath & North East Somerset Council Tax bill for a Band D property to £1,132.88, an increase of £43.05 from 2007/08. The Council provides over 800 services - from education through to highways and social care - all for an average cost of £22 each week to each household. The budget, agreed by Council on Tuesday, 19 February 2008, sets out major investment in key frontline services over the next three years. These investments are in-line with priorities set out in the Council’s Corporate plan.

Highlights include:

• £3.3 million investment over three years in the Council Drug Action Team and for Community Safety;
• £2.3 million investment over three years in adopting same day waste and recycling collections, with kitchen food waste;
• £1.2 million investment over three years in adult care to address the challenges of an increasingly elderly local population;
• £1.8 million investment over three years for Council financed school improvement schemes;
• £16.5 million investment over three years for highways and network management maintenance costs.

Bath & North East Somerset Council also collects the tax required by the Police, Fire Authorities and Parishes, although it has no control over the amount set by these bodies, which makes up the total increase. With a Police Authority rise of 4.86%, accompanied by Fire Authority and parish increases, the average total rise is 4.15%; this additional tax brings the overall average bill for a Band D property to £1,372.76.

Bath & North East Somerset Council has over 40% of its performance indicators – the standard measures all councils are checked against - in the top quarter. The average for unitary councils (those, like Bath & North East Somerset, responsible for all local authority services) is 29%. That makes the Council a high performer.

Last year, the Council improved nearly two-thirds of its indicators and it is among the most improved councils in the country. The Council managed to do all this while spending the fifth lowest amount per head of population of all the unitaries in the country.

Further information and services

• Pay on-line any time you want
• 24 Automated Telephone Payments service - 0845 1204 330
• All methods of payment

• Account Enquiries
• Council Tax Exemptions and Discounts, including Student information
• Council Tax Charges

• Revenues and Benefits Service Standard
• Revenues and Benefits performance monitoring
• Customer Services - how, where and when to contact the Council

Council Tax relief for Armed Forces on operations

This Council Tax relief is being handled directly by the Ministry of Defence. For more information and details please visit the Government News Network website.

The Council's Budget

Details of where the Council's money comes from and on which services this money is spent is listed on the website. If you would like further information about the Council's budget then please write to:

The Strategic Director of Support Services,
The Guildhall,
High Street,
Bath,
BA1 5AW

Or email: finance@bathnes.gov.uk