Borough Council

COUNCIL TAX INFORMATION 2016/17

Message from Councillor David Ellesmere, Leader, :

Ipswich Borough Council is, like councils across the country, facing major cuts in Government funding over the next four years. By 2019 the Government’s main grant to Ipswich will have been cut from £3 million to zero.

Clearly this presents a severe financial challenge but we are determined to protect frontline services because we believe they are important to the people of Ipswich.

Through our sound management of the council’s finances we will still be able to offer residents the comprehensive range of services they have come to expect such as waste collection, street cleaning, sports facilities, the Regent and Corn Exchange, the Museum and Mansion, cheap car parks, cultural events, CCTV and our superb parks.

Over the past few years we have been investing in our town to secure improvements and to make Ipswich more attractive for redevelopment and refurbishment. That will continue. We have purchased a regional employment site on the edge of Ipswich and other premises in Princes Street and on the Waterfront and gained official Enterprise Zone status for all three areas. We will build a new multi-storey car park at Crown Street to support the town centre.

We have completed the largest development of council houses in 50 years at Bader Close and tenants have moved into new homes off Ulster Avenue. We shall continue building affordable homes.

A major savings and efficiency programme enables us to continue to provide quality services but the Government expects that all councils will increase the level of council tax.

For the majority of households in Ipswich we are increasing council tax by around 9p a week. This represents excellent value for money, especially as it enables us to keep brown bin collections free of charge when other councils in are introducing charges for this of between £35 and £50.

The Borough Council's element is around a fifth of the increase you will see on your bill. The rest is from and the Police & Crime Commissioner.

Find out more at: www.ipswich.gov.uk/council-tax Message from Cllr , Leader of Suffolk County Council

Over the last year, we have continued our we’ve still achieved a great deal; school transition into a much leaner organisation, exam results are improving at a faster rate saving £38 million whilst prioritising the than in other areas of the country; needs of our most vulnerable residents superfast broadband continues to be and ensuring everyone can access the rolled-out across the county and we are services they rely on. pressing BT to connect more of our I am clear that we should be living within communities and businesses as quickly as our means and remain committed to is possible. Also residents have told us freezing the county council’s element of that they regard our delivery of vital public council tax bills. However, we continue to services as good and I want to ensure that face financial challenges and with that we continue to deliver these. comes difficult decisions; not ones we Last year, I visited towns across Suffolk to want to take, but have to take. listen to the things that affect you. I For the coming year, we have committed found your feedback to be invaluable and a large amount of our reserves to meet the additional costs (estimated I will be out and about again this year. It’s mitigate reduced government funding around £8 million) generated by having important to me to hear first-hand the and meet the increased demand for to meet the costs of the new national issues affecting the residents of Suffolk. services. But this cannot be a long-term living wage and rising costs of residential We are listening and your solution. and home care. It’s important to realise opinions matter, so we will be putting a Therefore we’ve taken the difficult, but however, that even with the levy, our survey on our website necessary decision to introduce the funding will be less than in previous years to allow everyone to express their views. national adult social care levy as set out due to reduced government grants. Please get involved via in the Government’s Autumn Statement But with all that has been thrown at us www.suffolk.gov.uk/consultations at 2%. This provides around £5.5 million of extra funding to ease the pressure on Find out more at: www.suffolk.gov.uk/counciltax our adult social care services, helping to Message from Tim Passmore, Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk

enhanced investigation teams. average of just under 7p a week Full detail of this review is (based on Band D property). available on my website I’d like to reassure you that Suffolk www.suffolk-pcc.gov.uk. remains one of the safest counties in In view of the enormous demand the country. We have continued to that the Constabulary is facing, I invest in the areas that you have told have decided to increase the policing me are important to you. In 2015/16 part of the precept by 1.958%. we increased roads policing to include a new roads policing unit and Before making the decision I held a four motorcycles. We have also public consultation and was expanded the rural crime unit to reassured that the majority of the cover the west of the county and A major part of my role as your PCC is people that responded to the survey increased the investigation resource to distribute the policing grants from were prepared to pay a little extra for in the cyber-crime unit in . government and set the policing part their police service. of your council tax. My role as PCC is to provide a more Raising the precept will add £830K to public voice to policing; if you have Suffolk Constabulary does a great our budget in the next financial year, an issue that you would like to raise, job; it’s a low-cost force which offers which will help fund 20 police officers please e-mail: good value for money but we face to focus on protecting vulnerable [email protected] financial challenges and savings still people and support the county's or write to the Office of the PCC, need to be made. cyber-crime investigations and three Suffolk Police HQ, Martlesham Heath To meet these challenges, a PCSOs to carry out a liaison role in IP5 3QS. comprehensive review of local policing schools right across the county. www.suffolk-pcc.gov.uk has been carried out but I want to By increasing the precept the average reassure you that Suffolk Constabulary payment will increase from £170.10 @timspcc will continue to respond to you in an to £173.43 per year in 2016/17, an 01473 782773 emergency and your safer neighbourhood teams will continue to serve you locally, supported by the Find out more at: www.suffolk-pcc.gov.uk neighbourhood response teams and SRP_IPSWICH_LEADER_AB16