Council tax will be cut, charges for school meals frozen and costs for vital care for vulnerable people will be abolished in plans announced by Hammersmith & Fulham Council today.
The council’s new administration pledge to make good on the promises they made last May to slash or freeze charges on essential services.
At a time when households are feeling the pinch as bills and food prices rise, the council is offering some relief to domestic budgets by cutting council taxes by 1%.
Council leader, Cllr Stephen Cowan, said: “These are tough times for our residents and we wanted to put money back into their pockets just as we said we would last May.
“In addition to cutting council tax, we will be freezing hundreds of council charges.
“We have balanced the books and are even putting extra police on the streets by slashing wasteful expenditure, negotiating more effectively with suppliers and developers and making the council more efficient.
“We will continue to deliver ever better value to our residents.”
Hammersmith & Fulham Council propose to end the £12 hour charge for crucial home care for elderly and disabled people, as well as cutting meals on wheels charges by 33%.
They also intend to freeze other council charges including parking and school meals as well as cut bulky waste collection charges by 10%.
These measures come despite a government announcement last month that central funding to Hammersmith & Fulham Council will be cut by 4.7%.
This translates to an actual cut of more than 10% if ring-fenced budgets and new statutory obligations are added onto the council’s financial commitments.
The council have made a wide range of savings across their administration to supplement these benefits for residents, including scrapping senior managerial staff, magazines and its PR budget.
Final decisions on the council’s budget will be made at an annual meeting on February 25.
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