Lancashire cuts Council Tax by 2%

Congratulations to Conservative-run Lancashire County Council which is reducing the Council Tax by 2%. This follows a freeze not only for 2012/13 and the year before but also in 2010/11 when most councils were increasing the Council Tax.

Savings of over £200 million have been found on management and administration over three years. Lancashire should be particularly proud of sharply reducing the proportion of children in care placed in children's homes rather than with foster carers. Spending on consultants has been cut as has spending on training.

The budget includes extra help for the most vulnerable and also extra funds for policing. They have saved money on education bureaucracy so that more can be passed on to schools.  

Lancashire is an eco friendly council boosting compositing, creating woodlands and reducing the light pollution and carbon emissions of unnecessary street lighting.

Its "reablement" service for the elderly has been award winning.

The Conservatives gained Lancashire in 2009 after 28 years of Labour control.

Keeping control will be a tough fight for the Conservatives. Labour won the Police Commissioner elections in November (and their candidate Clive Grunshaw has yet to resign.)

What is clear is that the Council leader Cllr Geoff Driver and his team have done a great job and deserve to win.