Householders pay average of £1,412

From the archive, first published Thursday 8th Mar 2007.

BILLERICAY householders are set to pay an extra 15p a week this year for services provided by their local authorities.

Councillors have voted to increase the district's share of council tax bills, which will rise by 3.5 per cent from April.

The increase brings the total bill for an average Band D property in the district to £1,412 (see pie chart, right).

Billericay town, South Green and the Bursteads all have a town or parish council, and so will pay an extra precept on top, to fund these authorities' spending.

The ruling Tory group on Basildon Council is blaming the Labour government for local increases.

And they are warning that even bigger rises will be on the cards in future years, again "because of the Government".

Council leader Malcolm Buckley said: "We have had to forecast further potential increases at 4.9 per cent a year. This is higher than I would wish and I will be working with colleagues to identify ways to set lower increases."

Mr Buckley said, despite low government subsidies, the district council still planned investment in several key areas.

He explained: "We are investing in the future of the district. We are investing in areas our residents tell us are their priorities."

Mr Buckley claimed this would be the district's first "balanced" budget since 1988 - the first time since then the council's £1 million financial reserves have not been tapped to support spending.

However, leisure services will face cutbacks.

A vacant arts development officer's job will not be filled and the Band Train young people's music scheme will be axed.

There will also be cutbacks to grants that subside local arts groups' use of the Towngate Theatre.

Basildon Labour group leader Nigel Smith had strong views about the spending.

He responded to criticism of the Government by pointing to investment in local health services, schools and housing, adding: "There is no evidence in this budget of community benefit at all."

Mr Smith was especially critical of reduced investment in the arts. And he claimed that there was an excessive reliance on the use of costly external consultants.

Labour would have done things differently, he declared, explaining that his party would have hired the arts officer and would not have increased the charge for residents' and carers' parking permits.

Lib Dem group leader Geoff Williams did praise the Conservatives for re-opening the Towngate.

But he was also critical about the specifics of the Tories' policy locally.

"These are really hollow words when the administration has deleted the

post of art support

officer and the Towngate support grant scheme, upon which local performance groups rely," Mr Williams said.