Good News as Pendle Council Agrees a Nil Increase to Council Tax

Over the past 12 months the Council has worked hard to deliver high quality services while being even more efficient. In 2008/09 it made budget savings of £850,000.

This means it's starting the new financial year in a strong position. And residents will continue to see major improvements, despite the economy's challenging financial downturn.

Councillor John David , Leader of Pendle Council, described the nil council tax increase as 'a fair deal for Pendle people in difficult times'. 

He said: "We'll do our utmost to save residents from the ravages of the credit crunch, while continuing to improve and invest in services.

"Our budget is a zero budget - zero increase in council tax and zero cuts in services.

"We're able to do this despite the Government's apparent ignorance of the pressures local government is experiencing as a result of the economic downturn.

"Our grant is effectively being frozen just at a time when we need real financial support.

"We've also seen a dramatic decline in income from fees and charges. And we're now seeing an increase in demand for services, particularly from those receiving benefits and the homeless.

"But despite these setbacks, we're in a strong position and we'll carry on fighting for Pendle and transforming our area for the better."  

The Council has received an indication from external assessors that it's managing its resources well.

The Audit Commission says it's on track to get top marks for the second year running. This means that the services are excellent value for money.

Councillor David stressed that despite making fantastic savings, the Council has continued to make significant improvements. These include:

• revival and transformation of Nelson town centre, such as the opening of the £4.5m bus and rail interchange, work to reintroduce the road through the centre of Nelson and the refurbishment of Scotland Road
• massive investment from other public sector organisations, with the Primary Care Trust's new £10m health centre in Colne and Lancashire County Council's investment in new schools
• record multi-million investment from the private sector, with major new stores opening in Pendle (such as Sainsbury's in Colne which will be opening soon), a new Discover Pendle centre at Boundary Mill, Colne and a new Arts, Community and Enterprise (ACE) Centre underway in the heart of Nelson.

  And in 2009/10 this immense investment will continue.

• The borough's leisure facilities will receive a funding boost. And as part of the Council's commitment to encourage people to exercise, there will be free swimming for those 60 and over and 16 and under.
• Substantial investment will also be made to support Area Committees and the Town and Parish Councils. This will ensure that money is used to deal with those local issues which really matter to residents.
• The Council's commitment to being a cleaner, greener, safer Pendle means more money will go into improving parks and children's play areas. It also means money will be ploughed into an exciting new scheme, making it much easier to recycle. The new method will reduce costs, be better for the environment and increase recycling rates.
• An extensive programme of work will continue to regenerate areas of Pendle, including Brierfield, Bradley and Whitefield. This will see housing transformed to fit the borough's needs.
• Massive investment to boost the economy will carry on. For example, the Council will continue to tackle worklessness (get people back into work or training) and encourage new businesses to start up or grow in Pendle.

Councillor David added: "These achievements, and our plans for 2009/10, demonstrate our commitment to investing the maximum possible amount in our services - making a genuine difference for everyone.

"At the same time we're squeezing every penny from every pound spent."

Read the leader of the Council's budget speech 2009

Council tax bandings for 2009/10

Note to editors

• The Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives and the Labour party came together to vote through the budget proposals.
• The Audit Commission awarded the Council with Level 4 - the top score - for its use of resources. A formal announcement will be made at the end of February.