Working together for you Your 2012/13 council tax and business rates explained
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Council tax and business rates booklet 2012/2013
Contents
Welcome Now more than ever, people are turning to their local authorities for support. It is therefore vital that we continue to provide those services that are important to you. With a continuing reduction in the funding we receive from central government, we are working hard to ensure that we retain high quality value for money services for our residents.
Page
Who does what?
3
Where does your money go?
4
Facts about your council tax bill
5
Benefit take-up
9
Pay by Direct Debit
10
Lichfield District Council
11
Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Authority
19
Staffordshire Police Authority
23
Staffordshire County Council
27
Non-domestic rates
31
Handy contacts
35
Review of discount
36
This booklet outlines how your local authorities plan to spend the money raised from your council tax this year. Please take a few minutes to read through this information. You may find you are eligible to claim an exemption or discount, which could reduce how much council tax you need to pay. See pages 5-8 for more detail.
Tell us what you think of this booklet www.staffordshire.gov.uk/counciltaxfeedback
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Who does what? Each of the organisations that charge you council tax and/or business rates provide different services. This page highlights the main services provided. More information on each organisation is presented later in this booklet.
Lichfield District Council Waste collection and recycling Collection of council tax & business rates Housing & council tax benefit Support for the homeless Parks & open spaces Planning & building control Maintains car parks
Environmental health Leisure services
Election administration
Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Authority
Prevents fires and improves safety
Staffordshire Police Authority
Helps make Staffordshire safer
Staffordshire County Council
Manages schools, nurseries and children’s centres Childcare help
Provides an effective and efficient emergency response
Helps reduce crime
Provides adult social care Trading standards advice
Promotes fire and road safety
Promotes community safety
Highway maintenance
Promotes regeneration
Prepared to deal with major threats and emergencies
Investigates and detects crime
Works with partners to improve quality of life
Works to reduce the number of casualties on our roads
Provides a range of cultural services Waste disposal
Public health
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Where does your money go? 10p to Lichfield District Council 73p
5p to Fire & Rescue Authority
to Staffordshire County Council
12p to Staffordshire Police Authority If you live in a parish, town or city council area, these councils will charge an additional amount.
The table below shows how much of your council tax goes to each authority.
Who gets your money?
Council tax £
Your bill is divided up like this (Band D) Lichfield District Council Fire & Rescue Authority Police Authority Staffordshire County Council Total amount Payable (Band D)*
Increase this year
146.37
3.4%
67.64
0%
177.61
0%
1,028.81
0%
1,420.43
0.3%
*This is the amount all Band D properties in Staffordshire will pay for their core services. However, parish, town and city councils will charge an additional amount to residents living in their areas to provide extra services. Please turn to the district/borough section to find out more.
The actual amount of council tax you pay will depend on which council tax band your property is in. Almost three-quarters of people in Staffordshire will pay less than the Band D charge. Any discounts and benefits you are entitled to receive may reduce your charge. For more information on council tax bands and discounts see pages 5-8.
Summary of your council tax charge The table below shows you what each authority plans to spend in the coming year and the amount each will raise from council tax. Lichfield District Council £ 000’s
Fire & Rescue Authority
Police Authority
County Council
£ 000’s
£ 000’s
£ 000’s
61,604 51,250
44,948 1,537
191,927 9,195
1,267,300 789,896
10,354
43,411
182,732
477,404
Less Central Government support and other contributions
4,756
18,900
118,749
180,234
Amount to be raised from council tax
5,598
24,511
63,983
297,170
Gross spending Less income Net expenditure
To work out the Band D council tax we divide the amount to be raised from council tax by the number of Band D equivalent properties in Staffordshire.
Facts about your council tax bill Introduction Find out more about your council tax bill, including information on discounts, exemptions and appeals.
How is council tax calculated? Your council tax is based on two adults living in a property. If only one person lives there, they are entitled to a 25% discount. If nobody lives there, the bill may be reduced by up to 50%. See page 6 for more detail. Certain properties could be 100% exempt even if they are occupied. See page 7 for more detail. Please remember, if you are waiting for the outcome of an application for a reduction, you must continue to pay your current bill. If successful, you will be entitled to a refund of any overpaid council tax.
Could I get a discount? This depends on the number of adults in your house and their circumstances. If any of the adults are on the list below, they may not be counted for council tax purposes. If this takes the number of ‘counted’ adults below two, you are eligible for a discount. Full time students, student nurses, apprentices, youth training trainees and foreign language assistants. Young people for whom child benefit is payable and 18/19 year olds who have just left school or college. Patients resident in hospital or being looked after in care homes. Severely mentally impaired people. People in hostels or night shelters. Low paid care workers usually for charities. People caring for a person with a disability who is NOT a partner or child under 18. Members of religious communities such as monks or nuns. People in detention (except for nonpayment of council tax or a fine). Spouses or dependants of students who are non-British subjects and are prevented by immigration regulations from working or claiming benefits. Members of visiting forces, certain international and defence organisations and those with diplomatic privilege or immunity.
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Empty and second homes You may be able to get a discount on your bill for empty or second homes. This will depend on where the property is. In some circumstances a discount may apply, for example if you live in job related accommodation. Contact your local district or borough council to find out more. See handy contacts on page 35. Type of home
Minimum Discount Allowed
Maximum Discount Allowed
Empty
0%
50%
Furnished & 2nd homes
10%
50%
The bill may be reduced to that of a property in the band immediately below the band of your property. If your property is in Band A, a reduction (equivalent to a band) will be given. This reduction is not based on your income or savings.
Council tax valuation bands The Valuation Office Agency, part of HM Revenue and Customs (not your local council) has put every property into one of eight valuation bands. A full list of valuation bands is available on its website at www.voa.gov.uk (see table below). Band
Range of values as at 1 April 1991
Proportion of Band D tax payable
Up to and including £40,000
6/9
B
£40,001 to £52,000
7/9
C
£52,001 to £68,000
8/9
D
£68,001 to £88,000
1
E
£88,001 to £120,000
11/9
F
£120,001 to £160,000
13/9
G
£160,001 to £320,000
15/9
H
More than £320,000
2
A
The council tax team at your district or borough council will give you more information about their charges and may be able to refer you to someone who can give you advice about bringing your property back into use. See handy contacts on page 35.
Reduction for people with disabilities If you, or someone who lives with you, needs a room, an extra bathroom or kitchen, or extra space in your property to meet special needs arising from a disability, your bill may be reduced.
Your council tax bill states which band applies to your home and your home’s valuation is based on an estimate of how much it was worth on 1 April 1991. Price changes since that time won’t affect the valuation.
Could I be exempt from council tax? Some properties may be exempt from council tax.
Class
Unoccupied properties which are:
A
Undergoing or require major repair work or undergoing structural alteration (allowed for up to one year or six months from completion of the works, whichever is sooner)
B
Owned by a charity (allowed for up to six months)
C
Unfurnished (allowed for up to six months)
D
Left empty by someone who has gone to prison
E
Previously occupied by a person in permanent residential care
F
Waiting for probate or letters of administration to be granted (continuous for up to six months after being granted)
G
Empty because occupation is forbidden by law
H
Waiting to be occupied by a minister of religion
I
Left empty by someone who has moved to receive personal care by reason of old age, disablement or illness
J
Left empty by someone who has moved to provide personal care to another person
K
Owned by a student and last occupied by a student
L
Subject to a Repossession Order
Q
The responsibility of a bankrupt person’s trustee
R
A site for a caravan, mobile home or mooring
T
Unable to let separately because it is linked to, or in the grounds, of another property
Class
Occupied properties where:
M/N
All the residents are students
O
They are used for UK armed forces accommodation, whether occupied or not
P
At least one liable person is a member of a visiting force
S
All residents are less than 18 years old
U
All residents are severely mentally impaired
V
At least one liable person is a foreign diplomat
W
It is annexed to a family home and occupied by that family’s elderly or disabled relatives
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Can I appeal against my council tax band? Yes, you may appeal against your council tax band. There are several situations where you can appeal against the band in which your house has been placed: Within six months of becoming the new tax payer for the property. Within six months of the Valuation Office Agency making a change to the band. If there have been specific material changes in the property value.
resident or owner, or because your property is exempt or you are entitled to a discount. You should not withhold payment if you are making an appeal. You should pay as normal and a refund will be made if you are successful.
Changes in circumstances If you have been granted a reduction you must tell the council of any change in circumstances which will affect your entitlement within 21 days. If you fail to do so you may be faced with a penalty of £70. For more details about council tax discounts see pages 5-7.
Any queries about appeals and bandings should be made direct to the Valuation Office Agency. See handy contacts on page 35.
What if I don’t think I should be paying council tax? You can appeal to your district or borough council if you think you are not liable to pay council tax e.g. because you are not the
How we collect and use information The district or borough council is required under section 6 of the Audit Commission Act 1998 to participate in the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) data matching exercise. Council tax data is provided to the Audit Commission for this purpose and will be used for cross-systems and cross-authority comparison for the prevention and detection of fraud. We advise council tax payers that the data held by the council in respect of your council tax liability will be used for comparison purposes. The eight district and borough councils within the Staffordshire area are also working in partnership with Staffordshire County Council to conduct a review of council tax discounts. The council may share
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the information you have provided to the council tax team, with private organisations employed to conduct data matching for the prevention and detection of fraud. Data matching helps to identify fraud but it may also identify claims and payments which are erroneous. Where a match is found it may indicate that there is an inconsistency which requires further investigation. No assumption is made as to whether there is fraud, error or another explanation until an investigation is carried out. If you are currently in receipt of a council tax discount that you are not entitled to, or require further information, please contact your local district or borough council tax team. See handy contacts on page 35.
Struggling to pay your rent or council tax? Could you be one of the 35% of people who are entitled to money off their council tax bill but haven’t claimed it?
ncial Do you need fina nefits? advice about be
If you are worried about paying your council tax bill, we can reduce your bill where: You live alone You are disabled and your property has been adapted because of this You are being cared for somewhere other than your main home The property we billed you for is a second home or is empty There is someone living in your home that is over 18 and severely mentally impaired
www.lichfielddc.gov.uk or phone 01543 308900
Would you like to know if you can get rent help to pay for your and council tax? Remember - welfare benefits such as housing benefit and council tax benefit are legal rights. Many people do not know about these benefits, some others may think they will not be entitled because they have a retirement pension and a few savings. Why not find out if you are one of these people by contacting your local district or borough council.
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Pay the easy way Sign up for Direct Debit over the phone
n o s u e n Pho 308900 3 4 5 1 and 0 l l i b . our y y d e a v e a r H tails e d k ban
Choose which date suits you best Council tax
Business rates
8th 18th
8th
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We’re proud to deliver good value local services to you We provide a wide range of local services for around £2.81* a week. Find out how we spent your money to make a difference last year… *Based on an average Band D property.
People and communities We dealt with more than 7,000 housing and council tax benefit claims in 2011. www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/benefits Our community safety team worked with families to reduce anti-social behaviour across the district.
From lantern parades and summer fetes, to IT courses and fencing lessons, we worked in partnership to host lots of community events. Our volunteer drivers took 7,548 people on 613 local journeys in our community transport mini buses. Overall they clocked up 19,667 miles! We helped to develop and support six work clubs across the district. These offered information and advice on employment and training to more than 100 local people. We invited not for profit organisations to apply for a share of £588,000 to spend on key services over the next three years. We also gave out £31,000 in grant aid to 39 local community groups. We donated £25,000 to help launch the We Love Lichfield Fund that will provide small grants to local community groups. www.staffsfoundation.org.uk/welovelichfield
Pigs Parade - The Lichfield Festival
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Keeping local areas green We look after 16 play areas and manage more than 100 parks and open spaces, which altogether cover about 606 hectares of green space! We planted around 65,000 bedding plants across the district. We restored three of Lichfield’s important historic parks, including the Garden of Remembrance, Minster Pool & Walk and Beacon Park. www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/ historicparks
Creating a cleaner and greener environment We removed litter from roughly 903,134 metres of roads, streets and green areas. We also cleaned graffiti off five areas and investigated 27 abandoned cars. We continued to work in partnership with Tamworth Borough Council to collect waste and recycling from across Lichfield and Tamworth, recycling even more at a lower cost.
From searching for bats to history walks, we held 28 events to help people get up close to nature. We unveiled a second wooden boardwalk at Chasewater Country Park to protect the wet lowland heathland, which was being damaged by people’s footsteps. We launched the Countryside & Parks Conservation Group, which meets on the first Wednesday of every month, and helps us to conserve the district’s parks, open spaces and protected habitats. Waste & recycling shared service We investigated more than 250 reports of dumped waste across the district. We’re working to cut the amount of litter and dog fouling in our district. In 2011, we fined five people for littering and not cleaning up after their dogs, and prosecuted someone for a fly-tipping offence and another for noise pollution. We visited 42 commercial premises to make sure they are not damaging the environment, and took a factory to court for emitting a high level of dangerous solvents. We picked up 148 lost dogs and worked to reunite them with their owners. We also launched a £5 dog micro-chipping service. www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/dogchip Conservation work at Gentleshaw Common
Getting fit, fun and creative
Developing our district
Around one million people enjoyed great value activities at our three leisure centres.
Last year our planning team determined 807 planning applications. We launched the Southern Staffordshire Building Control Partnership, which works to provide a safe built environment across southern Staffordshire, and will help us to make savings. We awarded more than £400,000 section 106 funding to 27 Lichfield projects – from refurbishing a village hall, to creating a community café.
Offering children a summer of fun
We invited groups with plans to improve Fazeley, Bonehill or Mile Oak, to apply for up to £175,000 section 106 funding, and offered £37,000 to projects in Armitage with Handsacre.
We helped children to have a summer of fun, and provided nearly 3,000 places on our playschemes. Our leisure centres and parks also offered holiday clubs, activities and courses.
More than 4,500 people gave us their feedback on our future development plans for the district, and 755 people came to our rural exhibitions to give their views on local housing, jobs, services, transport and more.
Almost 4,000 children joined our play rangers to build dens, try cooking, skateboarding and more.
Hundreds of people came to see the revised plans for the new Friarsgate shopping centre, when they went on display in early 2012.
Hundreds of people of all ages showed off their creative flair at our Big Draw events in October.
Helping people in their homes
In the last year, more than 100,000 people attended performances at the Lichfield Garrick.
We gave more than 1,400 people housing advice and around 2,780 people registered with the online social housing register, UChoose. In partnership with Energy Saving Trust, we helped more than 400 people to install energy saving measures in their homes. www.warmandgreen.co.uk Through the government sponsored Mortgage Rescue Scheme, we helped five families to stay in their homes. We helped older and disabled residents to adapt their homes by giving out around £530,000 in grants to 97 households.
A Christmas Carol at the Garrick
We’re proud to still be among the lowest council tax charging district councils in the country.
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Boosting our town, city and rural villages We helped to organise Think Local 4 Business. The event showcased local business talent and gave companies a chance to ‘meet the buyers’ and to network.
We published a range of visitor and what’s on guides to encourage more people to visit our district. www.visitlichfield.co.uk We helped bring the summer’s Staffordshire Hoard on Tour to Lichfield Cathedral. Nearly 15,000 people saw the display of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver. www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk
We manage 27 car parks that offer 2,116 parking spaces across Lichfield and Burntwood. We worked to bring the 2012 Olympic Torch Relay through our district on Saturday 30 June. We’re working with our partners to organise a day of celebration, including community games and races, performances and more across the district. www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/olympictorch We helped organise Lichfield’s popular Heritage Weekend and Christmas Festival. Thousands of people came to our free Lichfield Proms in Beacon Park. It was an opportunity to enjoy a late summer outdoor concert and fireworks.
Staffordshire Hoard on Tour We carried out 444 inspections of cafés and restaurants to make sure they are hygienic and safe. www.ratemyplace.org.uk
Serving you well Our customer services team, Lichfield Connects, dealt with around 135,000 enquires last year. We launched a Staffordshire Cares customer services point in our main reception, and offered advice on a range of issues, such as coping with a disability. The Olympic Torch Relay is passing through the district!
We helped over 20,000 people with advice, training, local information and more at the Old Mining College Centre in Chasetown.
About your bill We are among the lowest charging district councils in the country and, on average, charge £20 less a year than other district councils. To make sure we can continue to deliver first class services, we have increased our part of the council tax bill by 3.4%. This will mean you will pay 9p extra a week on average for the services we provide - such as emptying your bins, cleaning streets and parks, and running leisure centres. *Based on an average Band D property.
Did you know? Lichfield District Council keeps just under 10% of the total council tax you pay. We give the rest to Staffordshire County Council, parish councils, and the police and fire services.
Where else do we get money from? Council tax funds only 9.1% of the services we deliver. We also get government grants and use income from other sources to fund local services.
Lichfield District Council Meeting the challenge This has been another challenging financial year for local government, with large cuts in central government funding. Our savings programme has meant we are in a good position to meet the challenges we’re facing. In the last six years, we’ve cut our budget by nearly £12.415 million. We have continued to join our services with other local councils to make sure we offer good value for money.
Just some of our shared services… Joint waste and recycling service - with Tamworth Borough Council Southern Staffordshire Building Control Partnership - with South Staffordshire Council and Tamworth Borough Council Human resources and payroll - with Stafford Borough Council Out of hours call monitoring - Cannock Chase District Council Shared health and safety service - with Stafford Borough Council and Tamworth Borough Council Shared information computer technology - with Staffordshire Moorlands, High Peak District Council and High Peak Housing Business support services - with Tamworth Borough Council Shared internal audit - with South Staffordshire Council
42.3% - Income 9.1% - Council tax payers 0.2% - Interest on investments 7.7% - Central government grants 39.8% - Housing and council tax benefit grants 0.9% - Revenue reserves (amounts set aside for service spending)
Contact us To contact us, visit www.lichfielddc.gov.uk or call us on 01543 308000 Monday to Friday, from 8.45am to 5pm.
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Parish council precepts How much parish council tax do you pay in your area? Each parish receives an amount (precept), to help them deliver services in the local area. Find out what your parish council receives, and how much you will pay for the services where you live, using the table below.
Find your parish from the list below
2011/12 (last year) Parish council council tax (£)
Parish council council tax (average home Band D) (£)
2012/13 (this year) Parish council council tax (£)
Parish council council tax (average home Band D) (£)
Alrewas
34,000
27.34
34,000
27.53
Armitage with Handsacre
63,368
37.19
68,508
38.80 29.74
Burntwood
251,380
29.15
256,142
Clifton Campville with Thrope Constantine
14,767
39.64
15,480
41.89
Colton
10,920
34.56
12,012
37.60
Curborough & Elmhurst + Farewell & Chorley
3,100
11.96
3,100
11.98
Drayton Basset
21,629
46.66
21,629
47.32
Edingale
11,330
40.83
11,330
40.08
Elford
14,710
48.72
12,500
41.28
Fazeley
57,872
38.85
57,872
38.63
Fradley & Streethay
51,000
36.30
51,000
36.18
Hammerwich
20,000
14.28
20,000
14.02 21.47
Harnstall Ridware
3,250
21.37
3,250
Harlaston
6,000
30.53
6,000
31.12
Hints and Canwell
5,685
29.17
7,000
36.82
Kings Bromley
12,880
22.70
12,880
22.59 51.61
Lichfield
630,500
51.61
634,300
Longdon
13,650
17.10
13,650
17.23
Mavesyn Ridware
14,000
31.59
14,000
31.26
Shenstone
129,000
36.05
129,000
35.80
2,600
17.52
3,600
24.39
Swinfen & Packington Wall
4,750
23.55
4,750
23.80
Weeford
1,540
16.40
1,540
16.38
Whittington & Fisherwick
43,225
37.40
44,090
37.99
Wiggington & Hopwas
14,000
29.94
19,000
40.31
Parish councils that receive more than £140,000 to deliver local services are Burntwood Town Council and Lichfield City Council. Parish councils who receive over £100,000
Expenditure £’000
2011/12 (last year) Income Precept £’000 £’000
Expenditure £’000
2012/13 (this year) Income Precept £’000 £’000
Burntwood Town Council
253
-2
251
256
0
256
Lichfield City Council
923
-292
631
892
258
634
Council tax: What you will pay? Use the table below to find out how much your council tax charge will be this year. The amount you pay depends on where you live (your parish area) and the value of your home (your valuation band). If you have any questions please call 01543 308900. The figures do not include any discounts or benefit entitlement that you may receive. Proportion of Band D
Your house is placed in one of eight council tax bands (A to H), using the valuation carried out by the District Valuer in 1991. The amount of council tax you pay will depend on the value of your property. Band D (shown below) is used to calculate the council tax for each property and to compare ourselves to others. The bands are worked out as a proportion of the Band D amount.
Band A Band B Band C Band D Band E Band F Band G Band H (6/9) (7/9) (8/9) (1) (11/9) (13/9) (15/9) (2)
Alrewas
965.30 1126.19 1287.08 1447.96 1769.73 2091.50 2413.26 2895.92
Armitage with Handsacre
972.82 1134.96 1297.10 1459.23 1783.50 2107.77 2432.05 2918.46
Burntwood
966.78 1127.91 1289.05 1450.17 1772.43 2094.69 2416.95 2900.34
Clifton Campville with Thorpe Constantine
974.88 1137.36 1299.85 1462.32 1787.28 2112.24 2437.20 2924.64
Colton
972.02 1134.02 1296.03 1458.03 1782.04 2106.04 2430.05 2916.06
Curborough & Elmhurst and Farewell & Chorley
954.94 1114.10 1273.26 1432.41 1750.72 2069.03 2387.35 2864.82
Drayton Bassett
978.50 1141.58 1304.67 1467.75 1793.92 2120.08 2446.25 2935.50
Edingale
973.67 1135.95 1298.24 1460.51 1785.07 2109.62 2434.18 2921.02
Elford
974.47 1136.89 1299.30 1461.71 1786.53 2111.36 2436.18 2923.42
Fazeley
972.70 1134.83 1296.95 1459.06 1783.29 2107.53 2431.76 2918.12
Fradley & Streethay
971.07 1132.92 1294.77 1456.61 1780.30 2103.99 2427.68 2913.22
Hammerwich
956.30 1115.68 1275.07 1434.45 1753.22 2071.98 2390.75 2868.90
Hamstall Ridware
961.26 1121.48 1281.69 1441.90 1762.32 2082.74 2403.16 2883.80
Harlaston
967.70 1128.98 1290.27 1451.55 1774.12 2096.68 2419.25 2903.10
Hints and Canwell
971.50 1133.42 1295.34 1457.25 1781.08 2104.91 2428.75 2914.50
Kings Bromley
962.01 1122.35 1282.69 1443.02 1763.69 2084.36 2405.03 2886.04
Lichfield
981.36 1144.92 1308.49 1472.04 1799.16 2126.28 2453.40 2944.08
Longdon
958.44 1118.18 1277.93 1437.66 1757.14 2076.62 2396.10 2875.32
Mavesyn Ridware
967.79 1129.09 1290.40 1451.69 1774.29 2096.88 2419.48 2903.38
Shenstone
970.82 1132.62 1294.43 1456.23 1779.84 2103.44 2427.05 2912.46
Swinfen & Packington
963.21 1123.75 1284.29 1444.82 1765.89 2086.96 2408.03 2889.64
Wall
962.82 1123.29 1283.77 1444.23 1765.17 2086.11 2407.05 2888.46
Weeford
957.87 1117.52 1277.17 1436.81 1756.10 2075.39 2394.68 2873.62
Whittington & Fisherwick
972.28 1134.33 1296.38 1458.42 1782.51 2106.60 2430.70 2916.84
Wigginton and Hopwas
973.82 1136.13 1298.44 1460.74 1785.35 2109.96 2434.56 2921.48
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District services you help to fund 2011/12 (last year)
2012/13 (this year)
We spent £’000 on services
We made £’000 income
Our net We will spend We project spend £’000 on £’000 was £’000 services income
Collecting and disposing of waste and recycling
5,019
-2,896
2,123
5,192
-2,915
2,277
Sports activities, leisure centres, playschemes and more
5,616
-2,580
3,036
5,384
-2,537
2,847
The services we deliver include
Cleaning streets and roads
Our net spend is set to be £’000
758
-154
604
787
-155
632
Environmental health: inspecting restaurants, bars and clubs for food hygiene, noise, and more
1,194
-277
917
1,011
-259
752
Planning and building control: processing planning applications and ensuring developments meet required standards
3,216
-1,625
1,591
4,060
-2,675
1,385
Housing and welfare services
1,939
-1,070
869
2,167
-611
1,556
Providing council tax and housing benefits
28,170
-27,218
952
26,263
-25,356
907
Boosting our economy through economic development and tourism
1,736
-1,434
302
1,419
-1,241
178
General cultural and commercial services
5,030
-4,204
826
5,030
-4,208
822
Corporate activities
3,311
-441
2,870
3,071
-357
2,714
Service spend/income
7,337
-7,338
-1
7,207
-7,164
43
Capital, pension reserves
0
-2,155
-2,155
0
-3,108
-3,108
Interest receipts/payments
12
-136
-124
13
-129
-116
Use of reserves
0
-1,550
-1,550
0
-535
-535
Government grants
0
-4,867
-4,867
0
-4,756
-4,756
Collection fund
0
-4
-4
0
0
0
63,338
-57,949
5,389
61,604
-56,006
5,598
Total Lichfield District Council budget requirement
We hope you have found the information on these pages informative and easy to read. If you have any views on how we could improve the information we provide, please email nina.dawes@lichfielddc.gov.uk or michael.wilcox@lichfielddc.gov.uk
Local levy The Environment Agency manages local flood defences through the Severn Trent Regional Flood Defence Committee. Along with other statutory bodies, Staffordshire County Council contributes towards the cost of this work through a local levy. Severn Trent Regional Flood Defence Committee 2011/12 2012/13 £’000 £’000
Gross expenditure Levies raised Total council tax base
£51,066 £3,000 £2,924
£43,004 £3,000 £2,939
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Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Authority Making Staffordshire the safest place to be Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service is an ambitious, forward thinking organisation that is widely acknowledged as one of the top performing, yet lowest costing fire and rescue authorities in the country.
Our corporate aims Prevent and Protect Our communities from loss of life and injuries resulting from fires and other emergencies.
Respond Effectively to fires and other emergencies.
Engage With our communities, partners and our people.
Deliver A continually improving service ensuring value for money with staff that understand and reflect the diversity of our communities.
Our corporate objectives Our eight corporate objectives set out what we do to achieve our aims. 1. Prevent fires and improve safety. 2. Reduce deaths and injuries from fires, road traffic incidents and other emergencies. 3. Provide an effective and efficient emergency response with resources targeted to risk. 4. Be prepared to deal with major threats and emergencies. 5. Improve communication and increase our understanding of the diverse needs of our communities. 6. Work with our communities to improve quality of life. 7. Deliver a service that is committed to providing value for money. 8. Provide a continuously improving and high performing organisation.
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Investment in our communities Construction on the Authority’s first Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project has now finished and has provided ten new Community Fire Stations at Rising Brook, Sandyford, Tamworth, Uttoxeter, Cannock, Hanley, Burslem, Newcastle, Kidsgrove and Tamworth Mercia. Our stations, at Cheadle, Wombourne, Longnor, Biddulph and Gnosall, have also been fully refurbished and now include community facilities.
Transforming how we work We are a modern, forward thinking organisation that is rising to the challenges ahead. We are on track to make the £4 million savings we need by 2015 with approximately two thirds of the savings already identified through new ways of working. Importantly, these savings have been made without compromising firefighter or community safety and by maintaining the level of service the people of Staffordshire expect.
Construction is due to start on our second PFI project at the end of 2012 and will provide state of the art facilities at Burton, Rugeley, Chase Terrace, Leek, Ashley, Penkridge, Lichfield, Kinver, Codsall, Stone and Longton. We have purchased a new engine that comes complete with animal rescue equipment to be based in the north of the county in Leek, which will be sent to incidents involving animals that need rescuing. This new equipment is all designed for safe, efficient animal rescues which are humane to the animal. Having this vehicle means that instead of sending one or even two fire engines to animal rescues, we can send this appliance and it has all of the equipment we’ll need on board.
Our commitment to transparency This year we have been praised for being well positioned to meet the financial challenges ahead. The Audit Commission’s annual audit identified that as a service we continue to manage our finances well, have arrangements to ensure good value for money and have a clear plan to deliver the necessary savings required over the next four years. We continue to publish monthly spends over £500 and salaries over £50,000 on our website, the first fire and rescue authority in the country to do so. We intend to release as much information as early as possible to remain as transparent to the communities we serve. All information can be found at www. staffordshirefire.gov.uk/ourfinances.asp
Community safety campaigns
lost their lives as a result of fire in their homes in the last two years. Older people are the most likely to die in house fires. Preventing these incidents from happening becomes our main focus as the weather gets cold.
We are running a number of initiatives to ensure older people are as safe as possible in their homes. One of the most successful, ‘Olive Branch’ involves training home visitors, such as care workers, to identify fire hazards in the home and make referrals to the fire and rescue service. Over 2,500 people have now received the training and they have identified nearly 900 vulnerable individuals who are at risk of fire. We have then visited these properties and carried out free Home Fire Risk Checks.
Reducing community risk
In October we re-launched our popular ‘Push the Button’ campaign, which promotes the importance of weekly smoke alarm testing. We linked up with partner organisations and local businesses such as Alton Towers, Fox’s Biscuits and Stoke City Football Club to push our message even further. During the week of the campaign launch we saw an increase of over 40,000 views of our ‘Push the Button’ video on You Tube, a fantastic achievement. Each winter we communicate the importance of Home Fire Risk Checks for the elderly and vulnerable. Tragically ten elderly people have
Our dedicated risk reduction teams continue to work alongside their local communities and with partner organisations to keep our communities as safe as possible. They focus on those target groups at risk and prevent accidents through education and intervention. For example Tamworth’s risk reduction team worked alongside young people to create a DVD aimed at preventing grass fires. The DVD has been created by ten young offenders aged between 14 and 16 who have a history of starting small fires deliberately and other antisocial behaviour offences. The film was written and produced by the group and will be used in this year’s grass fires prevention campaign to get this important prevention message out to our communities.
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Our performance and expenditure What the money delivers
What the money is spent on
80%
67%
3% 4% 19%
5% 3% 9%
9% 1%
Employees £29.0m
Transport £1.3m
Other employee costs £1.9m
Supplies and services £3.8m
Premises £2.3m
Capital financing £4.1m
Emergency response £34.9m
Reserves £1.0m
Other £0.3m Community fire safety £8.2m
Total £43.4 Million
Total £43.4 Million
Council tax level for all bands Band Council tax Proportion of Band D
A
B
C
D
E
F
45.09
52.61
60.12
67.64
82.67
97.7
6/9
7/9
8/9
9/9
11/9
13/9
Contact us Director of Assets & Resources Tel: 08451 221155 E-mail: finance@staffordshirefire.gov.uk Address: Freepost RRHA-KXUA-GTST, Pirehill, Stone, Staffordshire ST15 0BS Website: www.staffordshirefire.gov.uk Find us on Facebook Staffordshire fire and rescue Follow us on Twitter @staffsfire
G
H
112.73 135.28 15/9
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Delivering quality services To deliver quality services we will: ensure at least 89 per cent of victims of crime are satisfied with the overall service they receive
Your Local Policing Summary
ensure at least 87 per cent of anti-social behaviour victims are satisfied with the overall service they receive.
Reducing crime and disorder To reduce crime and disorder we will: r educe the number of violent crimes with injury (including those related to domestic abuse) by five per cent ensure no increase in the number of serious acquisitive crimes. Serious acquisitive crime includes household burglary, vehicle crime, personal robbery and business robbery.
Protecting the public from harm To protect the public from harm we will: Staffordshire Police Authority is responsible for ensuring that there is an effective and efficient police service for the people of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. The 17 members of the Authority work with the Chief Constable to ensure that the policing service provided meets the needs of local people and deals with the things that matter to them. In November this year, that responsibility will pass to a new Policing and Crime Commissioner. This person will be elected by the voters of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent and will be responsible for setting the budget and agreeing the strategic direction of the force, through challenging objectives and targets.
a chieve a sanction detection rate of at least 60 per cent for priority violence with injury. The sanction detection rate is the percentage of crimes for which someone is charged, summonsed, receives a caution or other formal sanction a chieve a sanction detection rate for serious acquisitive crime of 21 per cent a chieve a sanction detection rate of 31 per cent for rape and other serious sexual offences a chieve a resolution rate for hate crimes of at least 57 per cent. Resolutions include sanction detections or community resolutions
Policing priorities for 2012/13
e nsure no increase in the number of people killed and seriously injured in road collisions.
Our focus
Value for money
Staffordshire Police’s mission is to keep our communities safe and reassured. This is supported by an overarching strategic priority of ensuring that local police are dealing with the things that matter to their community. This important indicator is measured through an independent survey.
To ensure efficient and effective services we will: m aximise staff availability by reducing sickness absence rates e nsure that the force is affordable and efficient in line with the medium-term financial strategy.
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Our Spending Plans for 2012/13 In agreeing this year’s budget, the Authority has had to make some difficult decisions, given the testing financial situation all of us currently face. The Authority is acutely aware of the need to protect neighbourhood policing, and as such, the budget detailed here reflects that desire. Unfortunately however, given the significant reduction in government funding, changes have had to be made, but the Authority has worked closely with the Chief Constable to ensure that, wherever possible, this does not impact on the effectiveness of policing services. The Authority continues to seek greater efficiencies in the way policing is delivered, to ensure that we deliver the maximum value for money for taxpayers, about a third of which comes from the local council tax. We have supported the Chief Constable’s ‘Communities First’ programme of transformational change as we believe this is how policing should be delivered in the future. In addition, we will strive to work with the force to explore further opportunities, through collaboration with other police forces and service providers, to find better ways of providing organisational and operational support functions. Above all we will strive to ensure that we have the right people with the right skills and investment in place to provide a level of policing which protects you and is there when you need it. If you would like to read our policing plan for 2012/13 in full, (‘Policing Staffordshire - Strategy and Plan’) please log on to www.staffordshire. police.uk and go to the publications pages of the ‘about us’ section.
Overview The Police Authority has agreed its budget for 2012/13 and accepted the government offer of a one year only tax freeze grant which means that the standard Band D council tax will remain at £177.61. The Authority was concerned that, in view of the fact that this grant is for one year only, it reduces the base funding in future years thus increasing the scale of savings that will be required from 2013/14 onwards. The Authority is committed to the need to protect local neighbourhoods and, in conjunction with the Chief Constable, is doing all that it can to protect front line policing. This will be the final budget set by the Authority as there will be elections for the new Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) on 15 November 2012. As well as setting the budget the PCC will hold the force and Chief Constable to account, consult the public and victims of crime and monitor complaints.
Introduction In 2012/13 we are planning to spend £191.927 million in comparison to the £198.321 million that we are spending in 2011/12. This is a reduction of £6.394 million and has been met by savings of £5.175 million on pay, net price reductions of £1.121 million and lower capital financing costs to the value of £0.098 million.
Government support Funding from the government in the form of police grant, revenue support grant and business rates will reduce by £8.252 million or 6.7 per cent to £114.850 million. The specific grant in support of neighbourhood policing will stay at the same level as for 2011/12.
Council tax In 2012/13 the police precept (the council tax for police services) will stay at the same level as 2011/12. For a standard Band D council taxpayer this figure is £177.61.
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Analysis of 2012/13 budget
£111.6m
£46.3m
£30.1m
£3.9m Police Officers
Police Authority Budget (including finance charges)
Capital
Running Costs
Police Staff and Community Support Officers
The Police Authority is planning to spend £9.9 million in 2012/13. This is mainly on vehicles, new IT systems and the refurbishment of buildings.
Our staff These figures are the FTE (full time equivalent) budgeted numbers of staff. Police Officers
1,915
Police Staff
1,154
Police Community Support Officers
213
Special Constables
525
Employee numbers are forecast to fall by 139 in 2012/13 as a result of the need to identify the savings required. It should be noted that around 86 per cent of our budget is related to pay costs. However, we remain committed to protecting front line services to our communities.
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Crime down, satisfaction up How we performed in 2011* Over the past year overall crime in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent has fallen. Violent crime with injury has fallen by more than 20 per cent which is nearly 1,800 fewer incidents. Also, serious sexual offences have reduced by more than eight per cent. We have also increased our sanction detection rate for serious violent crimes by more than 15 per cent. The sanction detection rate is the percentage of crimes for which someone is charged, summonsed, receives a caution or other formal sanction.
Your local policing unit commander is:
Feedback from victims of anti-social behaviour (ASB) shows that nearly nine out of ten are satisfied with the overall service we provide them and a similar number of crime victims in the force area are satisfied with the overall service we provide. Crime, on the whole has been reducing over the past five years and more crimes have been detected. The numbers of serious acquisitive crimes have been reduced by nearly five per cent, which is around 450 fewer incidents and the sanction detection rate for serious sexual offences has increased by more than two per cent. For the last ten years we have been working hard with our partners to make our roads safer. The numbers of people killed or seriously injured fell steadily during that time. Despite the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads last year rising from 284 to 286, we remain committed to working, as part of the Safer Roads Partnership, to reduce that number. If you would like to help shape policing in Staffordshire, why not become a member of our Citizens’ Panel? Find out more by visiting the ‘Information zone’ section of the force website www.staffordshire.police.uk. * All data relates to the period January to December 2011 and is correct at time of printing. For latest information see www.staffordshire.police.uk
Follow us on social media
Lichfield District Insp Jed White You can contact him by dialing 101 or email: lichfielddistrictpolice@ staffordshire.pnn.police.uk
the kn
We have put maximising value for your money at the heart of everything we have done over the past 12 months. Despite the tough global and national financial climate we have been innovative, creative and efficient in how we work while maintaining vital services for the people of Staffordshire. Furthermore, we are committed to a continuous three year council tax freeze up to 2014. Your council tax goes towards running and maintaining a huge range of services throughout the county, for people of all ages; care for the elderly, looking after children, public health, roads, libraries, countryside, trading standards to name just a few.
ot unites
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Plans to create the largest combined social care and health trust in the UK Staffordshire is leading national changes to health and community care with a new service that joins up health and hospital care with community based social care. This is a significant step in joining up wider healthcare services and transforming the experience and quality of care for patients. Showing Staffordshire Cares
Our achievements for you Zero tax rise and on track for savings We are on target to save £75 million over three years, while keeping council tax frozen until 2014, helping to take the pressure off stretched household budgets. We are delivering more for less, through design, innovation and change and not through cuts, protecting vital, valued services. 2012/13 charge Band A
£685.87
Band B
£800.19
Band C
£914.50
Band D
£1,028.81
Band E
£1,257.43
Band F
£1,486.06
Band G
£1,714.68
Band H
£2,057.62
Increasing prosperity and bringing jobs to Staffordshire The county council has been working hard behind the scenes with partners to bring a new Jaguar Land Rover Plant to the area. This will create over 900 new jobs with further jobs in the supply chain and an improved transport network. With Amazon and Nestlé also joining the list of global brands that call Staffordshire home, our county is now seen as the place businesses locate, grow and prosper.
The new Staffordshire Cares service is giving people practical solutions and advice for a healthier and more independent life. It’s an easier way to information and advice if you’re coping with a disability, changing health issues or simply getting that bit older. A website, face to face contact points and a dedicated phone line are helping people get the advice and support they need. Supporting young people with the Your Staffordshire Card Over 25,000 young people aged 11-19 can now get around the county by bus for just £1 per bus journey thanks to the innovative and national award-winning Your Staffordshire Card. While many other local authorities across the country have cut back on subsidised services, Staffordshire County Council is investing in the card to help young people get around, support their local economy and get easily to school, college or work.
Staffordshire place The completion of the county council’s new buildings in Stafford means staff have been moved from 17 outdated, expensive to maintain buildings into two efficient offices. The move is already enabling council staff to work more effectively together and is re-enforcing positive new ways of working for all staff county-wide. Staffordshire Place will save an average of £250,000 of taxpayers’ money each year.
Our plans We know that you want more for your money, high quality services and up to date information on what your county council provides. We will continue to be innovative in the coming year, finding new, better and more efficient ways to deliver services, give you the best value for money and help ensure better outcomes for all.
Our fresh and innovative approach will deliver more savings and efficiencies through redesign and improvement of services, removing outof-date processes and sharing services and buildings with other organisations. We will also continue to improve how you access services, information, advice and support through our new customer contact centre, website and via venues throughout Staffordshire.
Get involved You can let us know your views on our services by: Joining the Staffordshire People’s Panel Contacting us on 0300 111 8000 Visiting us online as www.staffordshire.gov.uk
Where do we get our money from?
Our key initiatives in 2012-13 will include:
22%
An investment in Staffordshire’s fostering service. Reviewing all our contracts with outside organisations to ensure you and the county council get the best value for money. Continuing to look to business investment opportunities which will bring great returns for the county’s economy and will generate and secure jobs. Continued investment in Staffordshire’s roads which keeps the county and its economy moving.
Find out more
Council tax
General Grant
12% 43% 23%
Other Income
Dedicated Schools Grant
Our total income £1,267.3 million
Contact us: 0300 111 8000 visit www.staffordshire.gov.uk/counciltax write to Staffordshire County Council, St Chad’s Place, Stafford, ST16 2LR
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Where we spend the money The table below shows how much we plan to spend on each of our services. 2011/12 £ millions Gross
Income
2012/13 £ millions Net
Gross
Income
Net
Schools*
593.7
593.7
-
593.5
593.5
-
Children’s services
101.7
27.7
74.0
101.5
28.0
73.5
45.7
1.6
44.1
42.4
2.3
40.1
265.5
72.2
193.3
266.9
73.8
193.1
Environmental and regulatory services
44.1
16.0
28.1
44.5
16.2
28.3
Highways and transportation
65.6
16.9
48.7
61.7
17.0
44.7
Planning services
27.9
20.3
7.6
29.1
20.8
8.3
Cultural and related services
15.8
3.0
12.8
14.9
3.0
11.9
Other services
70.7
34.5
36.2
64.3
35.3
29.0
Capital financing
45.9
-
45.9
46.5
-
46.5
2.0
-
2.0
2.0
-
2.0
1,278.6
785.9
492.7
1,267.3
789.9
477.4
Other education services Adult social care
Contingency Total spending
* Dedicated Schools Grant, which funds school budgets and associated costs, is a provisional allocation which will be adjusted once final pupil numbers are known. Other services include such areas as Property, Finance, HR, Organisational Development, ICT. It also includes a levy from the Environment Agency (£0.3m).
How do we decide where our spending priorities are? The county council is committed to making sure Staffordshire communities are places where people are involved in decision making to help shape the delivery of public services. Over the previous twelve months the county council has undertaken a variety of consultations relating to different elements of service delivery and this customer knowledge was brought together into a single report as an evidence base to inform future policy and decision making. For further information about the consultations we undertake and opportunities to have your say about the county council and the services we provide please see the ‘Get involved’ pages on the county council website www.staffordshire.gov.uk
Rateable value
Non-domestic rates explanatory notes Non-domestic rates Non-domestic rates, or business rates, collected by local authorities are the way that those who occupy non-domestic property contribute towards the cost of local services. Except in the City of London, where special arrangements apply, the rates are pooled by central government and redistributed to local authorities as part of the annual formula grant settlement. The money, together with revenue from council tax payers, revenue support grant provided by the Government and certain other sums, is used to pay for the services provided by your local authority and other local authorities in your area. Further information about the business rates system, including transitional and other reliefs, may be obtained at www.businesslink.gov.uk
Apart from properties that are exempt from business rates, each non-domestic property has a rateable value which is set by the valuation officers of the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), an agency of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. They draw up and maintain a full list of all rateable values, available on their website at www.voa.gov.uk The rateable value of your property is shown on the front of your non-domestic rates bill. This broadly represents the yearly rent the property could have been let for on the open market on a particular date. For the revaluation that came into effect on 1 April 2010, this date was set as 1st April 2008.
The valuation officer may alter the value if circumstances change. The ratepayer (and certain others who have an interest in the property) can appeal against the value shown in the list if they believe it is wrong. Further information about the grounds on which appeals may be made and the process for doing so can be found on the VOA website or from your local valuation office.
National non-domestic rating multiplier The local authority works out the business rates bill by multiplying the rateable value of the property by the appropriate multiplier. There are two multipliers; the standard
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non-domestic rating multiplier and the small business non-domestic rating multiplier. The former is higher to pay for small business rate relief. Except in the City of London where special arrangements apply, the Government sets the multipliers for each financial year for the whole of England according to formulae set by legislation. Between revaluations the multipliers change each year in line with inflation and to take account of the cost of small business rate relief. In the year of revaluation the multipliers are rebased to account for overall changes to total rateable value and to ensure that the revaluation does not raise extra money for Government. The current multipliers are shown on the front of your non-domestic rates bill.
Revaluation 2010 and transitional arrangements All rateable values are reassessed every five years at a general revaluation. The current rating list is based on the 2010 revaluation. Five-yearly revaluations make sure each ratepayer pays their fair contribution and no more, by ensuring that the share of the national rates bill paid by any one ratepayer reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. Revaluation does not raise extra money for Government. For those ratepayers who would otherwise have seen significant increases in their rates liability, the Government has put in place a ÂŁ2 billion transitional relief scheme to limit and phase in changes in rate bills as a result of the 2010 revaluation. To help pay
for the limits on increases in bills, there were also limits on reductions in bills. Under the transition scheme, limits continue to apply to yearly increases and decreases until the full amount is due (rateable value times the appropriate multiplier). The scheme applies only to the bill based on a property at the time of the revaluation. If there are any changes to the property after 1 April 2010, transitional arrangements will not normally apply to the part of a bill that relates to any increase in rateable value due to those changes. Changes to your bill as a result of other reasons (such as because of changes to the amount of small business rate relief ) are not covered by the transitional arrangements. The transitional arrangements are applied automatically and are shown on the front of your non-domestic rates bill. More information on revaluation 2010 can be found at www.voa.gov.uk
Unoccupied property rating Business rates will not be payable in the first three months that a property is empty. This is extended to six months in the case of certain industrial properties. After this period rates are payable in full unless the unoccupied property rate has been reduced by the Government by order. In most cases the unoccupied property rate is zero for properties owned by charities and community amateur sports clubs. In addition, there are a number of exemptions from the unoccupied property rate. Full details on exemptions can be obtained from the local authority. If the unoccupied property rate for the financial year has been reduced by order, it will be shown on the front of your non-domestic rates bill.
Partly occupied property relief A ratepayer is liable for the full non-domestic rate whether a property is wholly occupied or only partly occupied. Where a property is partly occupied for a short time, the local authority has discretion in certain cases to award relief in respect of the unoccupied part. Full details can be obtained from the local authority.
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Small business rate relief Ratepayers who are not entitled to another mandatory relief or are liable for unoccupied property rates and occupy a property with a rateable value which does not exceed £17,999 outside London or £25,499 in London will have their bill calculated using the lower small business non-domestic rating multiplier, rather than the national non-domestic rating multiplier. In addition, if the sole or main property is shown on the rating list with a rateable value which does not exceed £12,000, the ratepayer will receive a percentage reduction in their rates bill for this property of up to a maximum of 50% for a property with a rateable value of not more than £6,000. This percentage reduction (relief ) is only available to ratepayers who occupy either: (a) one property, or (b) one main property and other additional properties providing those additional properties each have a rateable value which does not exceed £2,599. The rateable value of the property mentioned in (a), or the aggregate rateable value of all the
properties mentioned in (b), must not exceed £17,999 outside London or £25,499 in London on each day for which relief is being sought. If the rateable value, or aggregate rateable value, increases above those levels, relief will cease from the day of the increase. An application for small business rate relief is not required. Where a ratepayer meets the eligibility criteria and has not received the relief they should contact their local authority. Provided the ratepayer continues to satisfy the conditions for relief which apply at the relevant time as regards the property and the ratepayer, they will automatically continue to receive relief in each new valuation period. Certain changes in circumstances will need to be notified to the local authority by a ratepayer who is in receipt of relief (other changes will be picked up by the local authority). The changes which must be notified are: (a) the ratepayer taking up occupation of an additional property, and (b) an increase in the rateable value of a property occupied by the ratepayer in an area other than the area of the local authority which granted the relief.
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Charity and community amateur sports club (CASC) relief
Cancellation of backdated rates liabilities
Charities and registered CASCs are entitled to 80% relief where the property is occupied by the charity or the club, and is wholly or mainly used for the charitable purposes of the charity (or of that and other charities), or for the purposes of the club (or of that and other clubs).
The Government has through the Localism Act 2011 taken a power to allow for the cancellation of certain backdated rates bills that accrued on the 2005 rating list only. Information on the type of backdated rates liability that can be cancelled is available with business rates information letter titled Cancellation of Backdated Rates www.communities.gov.uk/ localgovernment/localgovernmentfinance/ businessrates/busratesinformationletters/
The local authority has discretion to give further relief on the remaining bill. Full details can be obtained from the local authority.
Non-profit making organisation relief The local authority has discretion to give relief to non-profit making organisations. Full details can be obtained from the local authority.
Local discounts and hardship relief The local authority has discretion to give relief in specific circumstances. Full details can be obtained from the local authority.
Rate relief for businesses in rural areas Certain types of properties in a rural settlement with a population below 3,000 may be entitled to relief. The property must be the only general store, the only post office or a food shop and have a rateable value of less than £8,500, or the only public house or the only petrol station and have a rateable value of less than £12,500. The property has to be occupied. An eligible ratepayer is entitled to relief at 50% of the full charge whilst the local authority also has discretion to give further relief on the remaining bill. In addition, the local authority can give relief on certain other occupied property in a rural settlement where the rateable value is less than £16,500. Full details can be obtained from the local authority.
Rating advisers Ratepayers do not have to be represented in discussions about their rateable value or their rates bill. Appeals against rateable values can be made free of charge. However, ratepayers who do wish to be represented should be aware that members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS – website www.rics.org) and the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation (IRRV – website www.irrv.org.uk) are qualified and are regulated by rules of professional conduct designed to protect the public from misconduct. Before you employ a rating adviser, you should check that they have the necessary knowledge and expertise, as well as appropriate indemnity insurance. Take great care and, if necessary, seek further advice before entering into any contract.
Information supplied with demand notices Information relating to the relevant and previous financial years in regard to the gross expenditure of the local authority is available at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/performance. A hard copy is available on request by writing to the council or by calling 01543 308900.
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Handy contacts This information can be produced on request in other formats and other languages. Call 01543 308000 Lichfield District Council Lichfield District Council, District Council House, Frog Lane, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6YX www.lichfielddc.gov.uk General customer services (Lichfield Connects)
01543 308000 enquiries@lichfielddc.gov.uk
Council tax enquiries
01543 308900 revenues@lichfielddc.gov.uk
Housing & council tax benefit
01543 308900 benefits@lichfielddc.gov.uk 0800 783 1030
Benefit fraud hotline
Valuation Office Agency 03000 501 501 www.voa.gov.uk
Listing Officer, Valuation Office Agency Valuation Office website
Fire Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue, Pirehill, Stone, ST15 0BS www.staffordshirefire.gov.uk Fire HQ
08451 22 11 55
In an Emergency Dial 999
Police Police Headquarters, PO Box 3167, Stafford, ST16 9JZ www.staffordshire.gov.uk/policeauthority Police single non emergency number
101 In an Emergency Dial 999
Staffordshire County Council St Chad’s Place, Stafford, ST16 2LR www.staffordshire.gov.uk Main reception
0300 111 8000
Tell us what you think of this booklet www.staffordshire.gov.uk/counciltaxfeedback or call 01785 276829
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Living with someone, but claiming single occupancy discount? If so, let us know If you have been claiming a council tax discount for living alone, but your circumstances have changed, you must let us know.
Why? We are reviewing all the households in the county that claim the discount. We know most claims are legitimate, but some aren’t. The review will identify households claiming where they shouldn’t.
ith w g n i k r o W istrict D d l e fi h c Li Council view on this re
We are making it fair to residents who claim the discount legitimately, targeting those who are committing fraud, and making sure your council tax is going straight to providing services for your families and communities. Tell us now and we can help you with a re-payment plan for any back dated amounts that you might owe.
If you don’t tell us You may incur penalties of up to £280 You could even face a criminal prosecution You will still have to pay back any back dated amounts Don’t let it get that far; tell us now so we can update your records.
Cancel your single person discount Call Lichfield District Council on 01543 308900 or visit the website at revenues@lichfielddc.gov.uk. Find out more about the review at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/singlepersondiscount The information you provide may be shared with others for the prevention or detection of fraud/crime or as required by law. 62202/12