Burnley Council propose 2% council tax rise

Residents of Burnley borough are set to see their council tax rise by two per cent next year – below the maximum three allowed by the government without a referendum.

This will increase the bill for a typical semi-detached family house in Band D by £6.76 a year to £344.58 a year.

The proposed below inflation increase is included in budget papers to be debated by the authority’s executive on Wednesday February 19.

They also recommend that councillors allowances are frozen for this year and next.

The executive’s recommendations will go to the authority’s Full Council meeting on Tuesday March 4 for confirmation.

The proposed council tax increase follows the confirmation that there will be the maximum permitted increase of 5.31 per cent on council tax bills to pay for policing in Lancashire.

And the proposal to freeze councillors allowances is a rejection of the 8.5 per cent pay rise over the three years from the council’s Independent Remuneration Panel.

The proposed budget focuses on addressing priorities including enhanced town centre safety, environmental enforcement, resources to further tackle anti-social behaviour and maintenance of green spaces.

Key growth proposals include:

* new enforcement officers to target dog fouling and waste, while mobile CCTV will support a further crack down on fly-tipping;

* two Saturday community clean-up events this year for each ward utilising a spare refuse collection vehicle to provide residents with an opportunity to dispose of unwanted waste easily;

* three new gardeners to maintain the high standards of Burnley’s green spaces;

* continued support for Burnley town centre wardens;

* a one-year ‘Ward Opportunities Fund’ for local community initiatives supported by local councillors; and

* earmarking £500,000 towards a new 3G pitch in Padiham or Hapton.

Burnley Council’s resources boss Cllr Margaret Lishman said: “”We have taken a careful and balanced approach to setting the budget.

“We have listened to residents and are proposing growth in the areas they tell us matter which are street cleanliness, dog fouling and anti-social behaviour.

“We are working to create safer and cleaner public spaces.

“Council tax is increasing by two per cent.

“We have taken the decision and worked hard to keep it below the current rates of inflation and not increased it by the three per cent assumed by the government in deciding their contributions to our council’s budget.

“This budget aims to tackle the things residents want improving and to still keep the council financially sound.”