Wandsworth residents look likely to remain among the luckiest in London as the council is expected to announce a freeze in council tax in the next few weeks.
On March 5 councillors in Wandsworth will discuss freezing council tax, which is already the lowest in the country and about half of the London average. If given the go ahead, those living in Band D properties would have to pay £681.77.
Cllr Ravi Govindia, Leader of Wandsworth Council, said that more of the council’s work is being outsourced to achieve better value for money.
“These steps have ensured we can freeze council tax while continuing to have some of the best parks and cleanest streets in London as well as weekly bin collections,” he said.
“The last year has also given us grounds to look ahead with optimism as local unemployment tumbled by 20% and new investment flowed into the borough, bringing with it new jobs, apprenticeships and more affordable homes.”
Hammersmith and Fulham are aiming to cut council tax by 3% from April 2014 by reducing debt and sharing services with other boroughs, including Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea.
Cllr Nicholas Botterill, Hammersmith & Fulham Council Leader, says he is delighted that the borough tops the table for the biggest council tax cut this year.
“I believe this council has done more to reduce the cost of living than virtually any other organisation in the country,” he said.
“By relentlessly rooting out unnecessary costs and cutting debt, we have become a much leaner council where the focus is solely on the front line services that matter most to residents.”
The 3% cut this year means that council tax bills in Hammersmith and Fulham will have fallen by 20% in cash terms over the past eight years.
Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles said: “Cutting council tax by 20% is a phenomenal achievement that Hammersmith & Fulham should be rightly proud of and one their residents will heartily welcome.”
Hammersmith & Fulham residents are now paying only £735 while the national average is £1,439.
Picture courtesy of Images_of_Money, with thanks
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