Borough Council

COUNCIL TAX INFORMATION 2018/19

Message from Councillor David Ellesmere, Leader, Ipswich Borough Council:

This Council is continuing to face large cuts in funding from the Government. Despite this, we are still managing to make big improvements to the town and to people’s lives and this will continue in the future.

Over the last year we have brought more empty homes back into use, given the green light for businesses and jobs at the Sproughton Enterprise Park, invested in jobs and skills at the university, installed a sprinkler system at Cumberland Towers along with other improvements, supported community groups, started work on a new multi-storey Crown Car Park and town centre improvements, saved bus services and supported an unrivalled cultural and events programme.

Over the coming year we will increase the amount we spend on preventing homelessness including opening a new homeless people’s unit, fund new anti-gang crime initiatives, make improvements to our CCTV system, improve street cleaning in the town centre, build more council homes and help provide a new home for the FIND foodbank.

Ipswich will continue to keep brown bin collections free of charge when all other councils in are charging up to £50.

Providing services does cost money and we are benefitting not only from careful financial management and making big savings ahead of our targets, but we are also achieving a substantial income from our commercial property investments. Without these investments we would have been faced with making unprecedented cuts in services.

Ipswich’s increase in council tax of 15p a week for most residents is less than the rate of inflation and forms only a small part of the increase you will see in your bill this year.

In contrast are increasing their share of the bill by 88p a week for most residents and the Police & Crime Commissioner by 17p a week.

Find out more at: www.ipswich.gov.uk/council-tax spent. our county, and decidinghowitshouldbe to paythrough yourcounciltaxfor policing which includes how muchyouwillbeasked I amresponsible forsettingthebudget, policing partofyourcounciltax. Thismeans policing grantsfrom and setthe government and CrimeCommissioneristo distribute the A majorpartofmyrole asSuffolk’s Police Police and Crime Commissioner forSuffolk Message from TimPassmore, Leader ofSuffolk CountyCouncil Message from CllrColinNoble, to helpcare forolderpeople andpeoplewith Borough Council’s 3%)andanadditional2% basic counciltax(exactlythesameasIpswich B. Thisismadeupofa3%increase inthe common typeofproperty inSuffolk -band equivalent to88pextraperweekforthemost of counciltaxweaskyoutocontribute, But wealsoneedtoincrease theamount reserves, togethertotalling£26.8million. gap, includingmakingsavingsandusingour We’ve foundwaysofclosingthatbudget actually havetospend. in Suffolk andtheamountofmoneywe money itwillcosttoprovide essentialservices significant difference betweentheamountof tax thisyear. In2018/19,we’re facinga millions ofpounds,wecan’t freeze council Unfortunately, despitecontinuingtosave services. finding newwaysofdeliveringessentialpublic by makingover£236millionofsavings,and by careful andprudentuseofourreserves, 2010. It’s notbeeneasy, butwe’ve doneit bit byfreezing ourshare ofcounciltaxsince Suffolk CountyCouncilhastriedtodoits incomes. especially thecaseforpeopleonfixedorlow monthly outgoingscanbeareal worry. Thisis the country, soanychangestopeople’s that. Moneyistightinhouseholdsacross planning toputupcounciltax.Iunderstand of talkabouthowmuchlocalauthoritiesare Around thistimeofyear, there’s usuallyalot additional funding, generatedbya6.8% Chief Constable hasadvisedmethatthe on youasaresident ofSuffolk butthe I understandtheimpactthatthis willhave in Ipswich. equates to17paweekformost households £1 amonth(basedonBandD property), this per yearin2018/19,anaverageincrease of average paymentfrom £176.85to£188.82 by thefull6.8%whichwillincrease the property. Ihaveelectedtoraisetheprecept Suffolk isa6.8%increase foraBandD precept byupto£12peryear–whichin upwards toallowPCCsraisethepolicing hasrevisedGovernment theprecept limit raise thecounciltaxprecept tocoverthis. additional policingcosts,soIwillneedto into accounttheimpactofinflationnor the bottomlineisthisdoesnottake fundingasin2017/18, government will receive thesame amountofcore for thenextfinancialyearandwhilstwe made hisannouncementaboutfunding On December19ththePolicingMinister the nextgeneration.Thatmoneyalsogoes children inneedandeducationskillsfor is usedtoprovide care forelderlypeople, under £500millionayear, over60%ofwhich society. Suffolk CountyCouncilspendsjust the tremendous goodthat moneydoesfor and budgetsavingsleadsustolosesightof Often, thedebateaboutcounciltaxincreases for thepeopleofSuffolk. frontline servicesanddeliverasbestwecan for less.Ourapproach meanswecanprotect cost residents lessbecausethey’re responsible have. OfcourseIpswich’s 3%increase will important responsibilities thatcountycouncils difficulties–oneofthemanybigand learning Find outmore at: Find outmoreat:

www.suffolk.gov.uk/counciltax www.suffolk-pcc.gov.uk • • • • • Constable thenecessaryfundingheneedsto: of theConstabulary, itwillalsogivetheChief reserves andmaintain thefinancialviability 2018/19, thiswillallowusprotect our £2.9 milliontothepolicingbudgetfor The precept increase willaddafurther the Constabulary. increase, willgivemuch neededstabilityto I knowthiscanbedifficult,butmypromise is to striketherightbalance. to listenwhatpeopleare saying.We have how muchsupportweaskfor, andweneed clear thatwehavetobeverycareful about our localresidents, forsupport.ButI’mvery so wehavetomakesavingsandlookyou, councils are receiving lessnationalfunding, money todoeverythingwewantdo.Local I’ll befrankwithyou.No-there isn’t enough 2018/19. designed todeliveragainsttheseprioritiesin services. We haveabusinessplanspecifically and deliveringefficienteffective public improving people’s health,care andwellbeing economy inawaythatbenefitseveryone, Our prioritiesforSuffolk includegrowing our roads. resurface andrepair 1000milesofSuffolk we’ve agreed isa£21millionprogramme to Ipswich. Themostrecent majorinvestment creating newrivercrossings inLowestoftand speed broadband, buildingnewroads, and projects likeimproving Suffolk’s accesstohigh invested indeliveringmajorinfrastructure to livehealthierlives.Additionalmoneyis fire and rogue tradersandsupportingpeople on repairing ourroads, protecting usfrom in themostcost-effective way. to deliverourservicesthepeopleofSuffolk your hard-earned moneywillbeusedsensibly Neighbourhood Teams and youthgangviolence Constabulary tohelpcombatdrug misuse the changingprofile ofcriminality county andkeeproad userssafe roads toprevent criminalaccesstothe enhance theeffectiveness oftheSafer improve ouremergencyresponse improve theproactive capabilityofthe further investintechnologytohelptackle maintain policevisibilityonthecounty's

SRP_IPSWICH_LEADER_AB18