Council tax freeze bid for Chorley
8:00am Friday 22nd February 2013 in News
Chorley has joined other Lancashire boroughs in seeking to freeze their council tax.
The authority has confirmed its intention to peg its ‘rates’ on households.
Chorley joins Lancashire county, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and Rossendale boroughs in freezing council tax subject to confirmation at special budget meetings next month.
Lancashire’s new police commissioner Clive Grunshaw intends to add two per cent to his portion of the household bill for public services but the fire authority is seeking to peg their precept.
Chorley’s Labour authority plans to freeze its £158.39 council tax portion of a total £1,515 for a Band D property, and has found an extra £2.8 million to invest in services.
If approved by cabinet, the proposals will be debated and decided at full council on February 28.
Deputy leader Peter Wilson said: “Despite being hit tremendously hard by large cuts in our grant funding from the Government we are looking to invest almost £3 million more in our local community while not asking for a penny more in council tax.
“There are still very tough times ahead but the hard work of our staff and the willingness of local people to get involved and make a difference means we are one of the few local authorities in the country that will be able to freeze council tax while making significant investment in the local community.”
The investment part of the budget includes £1m on economic regeneration, £75,000 to implement a revised parking tariff system and £110,000 on a support service to those that have been trading for more than three years.
