Council Tax 2008/2009

andrewb · 07-06-2008, 23:19

Doing some more research into council tax and thought I’d post the results. I compared all band A taxes in the local area:

Ribble Valley: £937.68
Hyndburn: £995.22
Pendle: £1,009.04
Burnley: £1009.10
Rossendale: £1012.96

So what does this show? Well it shows that the authorities with most Band A housing are generally more expensive. This can be attributed to the fact that authorities with lots of high band housing can afford to have cheaper council tax as they have more money to deliver the same services.

So how can we measure how 'efficiently' citizens money is spent in return for services?
Lets take the budget divided by the amount of households to give the average amount per household for services provided.

Ribble Valley: £7,335,467 / 24,367 = £301.04
Rossendale: £11,509,000 / 29,868 = £385.32
Hyndburn: £15,097,845 / 36,194 = £417.14
Pendle: £17,268,000 / 39,097 = £441.67
Burnley: £18,035,652 / 40,292 = £447.62

As you can see Hyndburn is slap bang in the middle in terms of performance, with Burnley and Pendle being the most expensive per household and the Ribble Valley being the best performing.

garinda · 07-06-2008, 23:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewb

Ribble Valley: £7,335,467 / 24,367 = £301.04
Rossendale: £11,509,000 / 29,868 = £385.32
Hyndburn: £15,097,845 / 36,194 = £417.14
Pendle: £17,268,000 / 39,097 = £441.67
Burnley: £18,035,652 / 40,292 = £447.62

As you can see Hyndburn is slap bang in the middle in terms of performance, with Burnley and Pendle being the most expensive per household and the Ribble Valley being the best performing.

It may be slap bang in the middle of your little list, but Hyndburn appears to have a difference of £116.10 from the Ribble Valley figure, yet only a £30.48 difference from Burnley, which you say is the most expensive per household.

andrewb · 07-06-2008, 23:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

It may be slap bang in the middle of your little list, but Hyndburn appears to have a difference of £116.10 from the Ribble Valley figure, yet only a £30.48 difference from Burnley, which you say is the most expensive per household.

Indeed it appears the Ribble Valley is very high performing. I suspect this is probably a reflection of the lack of benefits etc which gives them a lower budget.

garinda · 07-06-2008, 23:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewb

Indeed it appears the Ribble Valley is very high performing. I suspect this is probably a reflection of the lack of benefits etc which gives them a lower budget.

Good, so you agree, financially Hyndburn isn't in the middle of your list, and our council tax is relatively high, which isn't much of a suprise to those who are already paying it.

andrewb · 07-06-2008, 23:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

Good, so you agree, financially Hyndburn isn't in the middle of your list, and our council tax is relatively high, which isn't much of a suprise to those who are already paying it.

If Burnley and Pendle are high then yes Hyndburn is quite high. Unfortunately council tax is very high across the country because of all the burdens placed on councils in recent years.

garinda · 07-06-2008, 23:54

Good, we agree.

Council tax in Hyndburn is relatively high.

Well researched.

Bonnyboy · 08-06-2008, 00:05

Hardly a wonder there is a burden on the country when you have MP’s fiddling expenses left right and centre.

Who actually pays for the Shadow MP’s expenses ? Does it come out of party funds or us… I ask because I don’t know.

I know on a national level that the measure of Council Tax is band D. Hardly applicable around here, thanks for looking that up Andrew.

andrewb · 08-06-2008, 00:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bonnyboy

Hardly a wonder there is a burden on the country when you have MP’s fiddling expenses left right and centre.

Who actually pays for the Shadow MP’s expenses ? Does it come out of party funds or us… I ask because I don’t know.

I know on a national level that the measure of Council Tax is band D. Hardly applicable around here, thanks for looking that up Andrew.

All MP's, including opposition MP's are paid by the tax payer. Simply because they still form the government even though they might not have the overall majority in the House.

However as far as council tax is concerned, the MP's are not paid out of that.

Bonnyboy · 08-06-2008, 00:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewb

All MP's, including opposition MP's are paid by the tax payer. Simply because they still form the government even though they might not have the overall majority in the House.

However as far as council tax is concerned, the MP's are not paid out of that.

Thanks for clearing up my question

blazey · 08-06-2008, 06:02

I think it makes sense for us to pay for every parties MP's, unless of course we want nobody with a half decent brain to oppose government and end up with Hitler-like politicians being at the top uncontended.

Bit off topic but it's early and I thought I would add something to the thread since council tax isn't really something I am knowledgeable of

g jones · 08-06-2008, 08:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewb

Doing some more research into council tax and thought I’d post the results. I compared all band A taxes in the local area:

Ribble Valley: £937.68
Hyndburn: £995.22
Pendle: £1,009.04
Burnley: £1009.10
Rossendale: £1012.96

So what does this show? Well it shows that the authorities with most Band A housing are generally more expensive. This can be attributed to the fact that authorities with lots of high band housing can afford to have cheaper council tax as they have more money to deliver the same services.

So how can we measure how 'efficiently' citizens money is spent in return for services?
Lets take the budget divided by the amount of households to give the average amount per household for services provided.

Ribble Valley: £7,335,467 / 24,367 = £301.04
Rossendale: £11,509,000 / 29,868 = £385.32
Hyndburn: £15,097,845 / 36,194 = £417.14
Pendle: £17,268,000 / 39,097 = £441.67
Burnley: £18,035,652 / 40,292 = £447.62

As you can see Hyndburn is slap bang in the middle in terms of performance, with Burnley and Pendle being the most expensive per household and the Ribble Valley being the best performing.

My wages have gone up 23% (UNITE/AMICUS) in 8 years. My Council Tax has risen 45%. We know the Government has flooded Hyndburn and Hyndburn Council with £millions of extra subsidies and grants so in reality my Council Tax should not have gone up at all and no where near my wage increases, yet it has doubled.

Have I got value for money?

Are these dramatic increases a symptom of a failing Council, or a high Council Tax or both, or just we have lots more extra services we can cheer about that previous Councils chose not to do and not to raise taxes to do?

polly · 08-06-2008, 08:46

You missed the cheapest Band A in the area, Blackburn with Darwen is just £920.07
Considerably cheaper than most of the others

garinda · 08-06-2008, 08:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by polly

You missed the cheapest Band A in the area, Blackburn with Darwen is just £920.07
Considerably cheaper than most of the others

I wondered why our nearest neighbour, and one with probably the most similar housing stock, wasn't on the little list.

I do hope it wasn't left off on purpose.

jaysay · 08-06-2008, 09:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

I wondered why our nearest neighbour, and one with probably the most similar housing stock, wasn't on the little list.

I do hope it wasn't left off on purpose.

Quite simple Rindi Blackburn is a unitary authority and don't have LCC as a monkey on its back

lancsdave · 08-06-2008, 09:18

Wasn't it Blackburn where all the council staff were going on strike because of the pay ?. Maybe thats how the money is saved as well ?