Roll of Honour: The Conservative councils cutting Council Tax

Congratulations to Conservative-run East Staffordshire Borough Council who have announced a 1% cut in their Council Tax bill.

Yesterday the 1.2% cut in the Greater London Authority's Council Tax precept was confirmed.

Labour, Lib Dem and Green London Assembly members sought to block this Council Tax cut from Boris Johnson. But they didn't have the two thirds majority required. At one stage it looked problematic as Victoria Borwick, Conservative member of the London Assembly was late. But she made it in time. Well done Victoria!

These are the Conservative councils that I know of that are cutting the Council Tax (or their share of it.) Apologies for any I have missed out.

Counties:

• Lancashire 2%
• Staffordshire 0.1%

London

• Greater London Authority 1.2%
• Hammersmith and Fulham 3%

Unitary authorities

• Windsor and Maidenhead 3%
• Bournemouth 0.7%

District councils

• Braintree 1%
• East Staffordshire 1%
• South Oxfordshire 2.5%
• South Holland 0.25%
• Tendring 0.5%
• Uttlesford 1%

The vast majorities of councils will be freezing the Council Tax - so far 219 such councils have been identified. Often the choice is presented as between a freeze and an increase. But millions of people in the country will be getting a Council Tax cut this year due to Conservative principles being applied at local level.

This is something we should be very proud of.

UPDATE

I learn from Melton Blue that Melton Borough Council is cutting Council Tax by 0.36%.

There is also he excellent news of a 5% cut in Council Tax by Consevative-run Cotswold District Council.

The Council leader Cllr Lynden Stowe says:

“This 5% Council Tax reduction has been achieved by focusing on efficiency in everything we do.  We are one of a limited number of Councils who share many of their senior managers, including a Chief Executive, with another authority. In our case, our main partner is West Oxfordshire District Council – working together we have developed many shared services and we are on target to realise total savings of £4 million by 2014 between us - £2m each. Additionally in Cotswold, we have established a joint local authority company with Cheltenham
Borough Council to provide our waste and recycling services and this should bring the total shared service savings for Cotswold up to £3 million by 2014."