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Forest Heath District Council

Council Tax information 2016/17

Message from Cllr James WatersLeader of Forest Heath District Council

Forest Heath’s priorities are around creating jobs, providing homes and building strong communities because we believe these make the most difference to your lives. We can’t do this alone however, which is why we rely on the support of part-ners and, most importantly, our residents and businesses.

At the last election we committed to no increase in Council Tax and our traditional Government grant is being cut to zero over the next few years. Both of these are tou gh financial challenges, especially when added to the usual rises in costs that we all experience, in our personal lives as well as when it comes to delivering council services. And that is why our challenge is to keep looking for al ternat ive ways of funding your services.

One way we do this is through exploring commercial opportunities where we could spend some of your money to invest in projects that will bring in a steady income, which in turn we can then spend on your services. In other cases we are asking only those who want a specific service to pay for them.

There are other challenges such as making sure Government decisions about RAF Mildenhall’s future benefit our local communities, including jobs and infrastructure as well as housing. We need consensus on where new homes will be built across the district for our future generations. And we need strong, supportive families and communities deciding what’s most important to you and how you would like to work with us.

With Forest Heath’s councillors, I am looking forward to working with you all over the next year.

Find out more at: www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/counciltax

Message from Cllr Colin NobleLeader of Suffolk County Council

Over the last year, we have continued our transition into a much leaner organisation, saving £38 million whilst prioritising the needs of our most vulnerable residents and ensuring everyone can access the services they rely on.

I am clear that we should be living within our means and remain committed to freezing the county council’s element of council tax bills. However, we continue to face financial challenges and with that comes difficult decisions; not ones we want to take, but have to take.

For the coming year, we have committed a large amount of our reserves to mitigate reduced government funding and meet the increased demand for services. But this cannot be a long-term solution.

Therefore we’ve taken the difficult, but necessary decision to introduce the national adult social care levy as set out in the Government’s Autumn Statement at 2%. This provides around £5.5 million of extra funding to ease the pressure on our adult social care services, helping to meet the additional costs (estimated around £8 million) generated by having to meet the costs of the new national living wage and rising costs of residential and home care. It’s important to realise however, that even with the levy, our funding will be less than in previous years due to reduced government grants.

But with all that has been thrown at us we’ve still achieved a great deal; school exam results are improving at a faster rate than in other areas of the country; superfast broadband continues to be rolled-out across the county and we are pressing BT to connect more of our communities and businesses as quickly as is possible. Also residents have told us that they regard our delivery of vital public services as good and I want to ensure that we continue to deliver these.

Last year, I visited towns across Suffolk to listen to the things that affect you. I found your feedback to be invaluable and I will be out and about again this year. It’s important to me to hear first-hand the issues affecting the residents of Suffolk.

We are listening and your opinions matter, so we will be putting a survey on our website to allow everyone to express their views.

Please get involved via www.suffolk.gov.uk/consultations.

Find out more at: www.suffolk.gov.uk/counciltax

Message from Tim PassmorePolice and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk

A major part of my role as your PCC is to distribute the policing grants from government and set the policing part of your council tax.

Suffolk Constabulary does a great job; it’s a low-cost force which offers good value for money but we face financial challenges and savings still need to be made.

To meet these challenges, a comprehensive review of local policing has been carried out but I want to reassure you that Suffolk Constabulary will continue to respond to you in an emergency and your safer neighbourhood teams will continue to serve you locally, supported by the neighbourhood response teams and enhanced investigation teams.

Full detail of this review is available on my website www.suffolk-pcc.gov.uk.

In view of the enormous demand that the Constabulary is facing, I have decided to increase the policing part of the precept by 1.958%.

Before making the decision I held a public consultation and was reassured that the majority of the people that responded to the survey were prepared to pay a little extra for their police service.

Raising the precept will add £830K to our budget in the next financial year, which will help fund 20 police officers to focus on protecting vulnerable people and support the county’s cyber-crime investigations and three PCSOs to carry out a liaison role in schools right across the county.

By increasing the precept the average payment will increase from £170.10 to £173.43 per year in 2016/17, an average of just under 7p a week (based on Band D property).

I’d like to reassure you that Suffolk remains one of the safest counties in the country. We have continued to invest in the areas that you have told me are important to you. In 2015/16 we increased roads policing to include a new roads policing unit and four motorcycles. We have also expanded the rural crime unit to cover the west of the county and increased the investigation resource in the cyber-crime unit in Halesworth.

My role as PCC is to provide a more public voice to policing; if you have an issue that you would like to raise, please e-mail: [email protected] or write to the Office of the PCC, Suffolk Police HQ, Martlesham Heath IP5 3QS.

www.suffolk-pcc.gov.uk Find out more at: www.suffolk-pcc.gov.uk@timspcc 01473 782773

Where your Council Tax goesIn 2016/17 people who live in Forest Heath will pay £26.59 million in Council Tax. This money goes to the following.

• Suffolk County Council gets £19.77 million (74.4% of the total).• Suffolk Police Authority gets £2.98 million (11.2% of the total).• Forest Heath District Council gets £2.36 million (8.9% of the total).• Parish and Town Councils gets £1.47 million (5.5% of the total).

Under new regulations introduced from 1 April 2013, the council collects business rates locally and retains a proportion to spend on local services.

The District Council collects the money on behalf of all the authorities.

What you pay for services

Suffolk County Council

Suffolk Police

Authority

Forest Heath District Council

Total

Band This year This year This year This year Each weekA £751.02 £113.40 £91.62 £956.04 £18.39

B £876.19 £132.30 £106.89 £1,115.38 £21.45

C £1,001.36 £151.20 £122.16 £1,274.72 £24.51

D £1,149.03 £173.43 £137.43 £1,459.89 £28.07

E £1,376.87 £207.90 £167.97 £1,752.74 £33.71

F £1,627.21 £245.70 £198.51 £2,071.42 £39.84

G £1,877.55 £283.50 £229.05 £2,390.10 £45.96

H £2,253.06 £340.20 £274.86 £2,868.12 £55.16

If you have a parish or town council in your area, your final bill will also include a contribution for them. Council Tax bills for Band D properties will vary from £1,459.89 to £1569.90 depending on where you live, because of the variation in parish council taxes. The average bill for a Band D property will be £1517.33.

Where the money comes from

2016/2017 2015/2016

£ (figures in millions)

Council Taxpayers (3.84) (3.72)Interest and investment income (0.35) (0.38)Fees, Charges and Other Income (5.95) (5.42)Housing Benefits Subsidy (16.54) (18.07)Transfer from Reserves (0.83) (0.88)Business Rates & Government Grants (5.68) (6.00)Total (33.19) (34.47)

Fees, Charges and Other Income£5.95 million

Interest and investment income£0.35 million

Business Rates and Government Grant£5.68 million

Housing Benefits Subsidy£16.54 million

Transfer from Reserves£0.83 million

Council Taxpayers£3.84 million

Other housing services£16.86 million

Highways and Transport services£0.36 million

Planning and development services £2.07 million

Environmental and Regulatory services£1.72 million

Culture and related services£1.06 million

Other costs£0.30 million

Parish and town spending

£1.47 million

Central Services to the Public£0.18 million

Transfers to reserves£3.11 million

Corporate and Democratic services

£6.06 million

How we spend the money

2016/17 Total spending

2015/16 Total spending

Increase/ (Decrease)

£ (figures in millions) %

Cultural and Related services 1.06 1.14 (7.02)

Environmental and Regulatory services 1.72 1.62 6.17

Planning and Development services 2.07 2.18 (5.05)

Highways and Transport services 0.36 0.35 2.86

Other Housing services 16.86 18.28 (7.77)

Parish and Town spending 1.47 1.43 2.80

Central Services to the Public 0.18 0.26 (30.77)

Corporate and Democratic services 6.06 5.80 4.48

Other costs 0.30 0.30 -

Transfers to reserves 3.11 3.11 -

Total 33.19 34.47 (3.71)

Changes in spending between 2015/16 and 2016/17The following is a summary of the main increases and reductions

£ (thousands)

Council Tax Requirement 2015/16 (including Parish spend) 3,716

Decrease in investment interest 30

Increase in fees, charges and other income (408)

Decrease in cost of service provision 62

Decrease in net cost of benefits granted 147

Changes in the amount transferred from Reserves & Balances (58)

Increase in Parish/Town Council spend 44

Decrease in Business Rates & Government Grants 308

Council Tax requirement 2016/17 (including Parish spend) 3,841

Parish PreceptsListed below are the Parish Council precepts. The table shows the total amount of the Parish Precept, the Taxbase and resulting Parish Council Tax charge for 2015/16 and 2016/17 for a dwelling in valuation band D.

PARISH

2016/17 2015/16

Parish Precept

Tax Base

Band D Parish

Council Tax

Parish Precept

Tax Base

Band D Parish

Council Tax

£ £ £ £

Barton Mills 19,868 338.86 58.63 19,389 344.78 56.24

Beck Row 33,669 873.69 38.54 30,864 808.15 38.19

Brandon (and Wangford)

231,557 2,417.20 95.80 226,835 2,325.82 97.53

Cavenham 478 49.23 9.71 471 45.69 10.31

Dalham 5,964 130.28 45.78 5,843 128.21 45.57

Elveden 1,087 98.56 11.03 1,074 97.40 11.03

Eriswell 6,484 160.74 40.34 5,608 140.36 39.95

Exning 53,116 702.72 75.59 51,533 686.25 75.09

Freckenham 11,189 132.01 84.76 9,523 129.40 73.59

Gazeley 10,177 246.82 41.23 10,168 244.48 41.59

Herringswell 3,949 103.34 38.21 3,398 97.48 34.86

Higham - 71.11 - - 70.75 -

Icklingham 7,274 140.17 51.89 7,348 139.08 52.83

Kentford 6,652 169.94 39.14 6,555 149.54 43.83

Lakenheath 140,164 1,274.07 110.01 137,497 1,249.91 110.01

Mildenhall 270,629 2,660.80 101.71 260,555 2,587.33 100.70

Moulton 34,815 520.59 66.88 34,630 510.95 67.78

Newmarket 524,174 5,358.09 97.83 504,194 5,231.58 96.76

Red Lodge 83,052 1,320.72 62.88 86,521 1,235.09 70.05

Santon Downham 6,025 86.38 69.75 5,831 85.68 68.06

Tuddenham St Mary 10,666 153.04 69.69 9,315 149.42 42.34

Worlington 10,829 199.57 54.26 10,525 193.97 54.26

Total precept 1,471,818 1,427,677

Total taxbase 17,207.93 16,651.32

Average parish precept 85.53 85.74

Parish and town council spending more than £140,000Regulations say that we must show details of service spending if a parish or town council’s precept is more than £140,000.

Brandon Town Council

2016/17 2015/16

Expenditure Income Net spend Expenditure Income Net spend

£ (thousands) £ (thousands)

Administration 124 - 124 122 - 122

Cemetery 15 (7) 8 21 (6) 15

Leisure Services 28 - 28 27 - 27

Village Hall / Property 20 (1) 19 18 (1) 17

Street Lighting 45 - 45 55 - 55

General Services 17 - 17 5 - 5

Other Expenses 3 - 3 2 - 2

Local Council Tax Support Grant

- (11) (11) - (34) (34)

Total 252 (19) 233 250 (41) 209

Lakenheath Parish Council

2016/17 2015/16




Cemetery 26 (3) 23 26 (3) 23

Disused Churchyard / Memorials

7 - 7 7 - 7

Leisure Services 13 - 13 9 - 9

Village Hall / Property 1 - 1 1 - 1

Street Lighting 18 - 18 18 - 18


Other Expenses 39 (12) 27 37 - 37


- (3) (3) - (9) (9)

Transfer to/from Reserves 2 - 2 - - -

Total 157 (18) 139 147 (12) 135

Mildenhall Town Council

2016/17 2015/16



Administration 97 (10) 87 105 (1) 104

Cemetery 27 (5) 22 28 (7) 21


15 - 15 11 - 11

Leisure Services 47 (5) 42 - - -

Village Hall / Property 91 (59) 32 147 (67) 80

Street Lighting 44 - 44 37 (5) 32


Other Expenses - - - - - -


- (10) (10) - (30) (30)

Total 360 (89) 271 361 (110) 251

Newmarket Town Council

2016/17 2015/16




Cemetery 41 (55) (14) 35 (30) 5


4 - 4 8 - 8

Leisure Services 87 (9) 78 68 (4) 64

Memorial Hall 120 (39) 81 114 (36) 78

General Services 178 (11) 167 159 - 159

Transfer to/from Reserves

- - - 14 (13) 1


- (14) (14) - (41) (41)

Total 654 (128) 526 612 (124) 488

Council Tax informationWho has to pay Council Tax?

There is one Council Tax bill for each home whether it is owned or rented. In most cases, the person (or people) aged 18 or over nearest the top of the following list is responsible for paying the tax:

• Owner occupiers• Leaseholders• People who pay rent• Residents who have a licence to occupy the property, for example, people

who lived in tied cottages • Residents with no legal interest in the property• Non-resident owners

Council Tax banding

Depending on the band that your property has been put into by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA). The VOA puts each property into one of eight valuation bands based on open market values at 1 April 1991

Band Value at 1/4/91 Proportion of band D

A Up to £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

Council Tax appeals Banding

Council Tax payers may appeal to the Valuation Office against the banding of their property:

• When a property is demolished• When physical changes in the area affect the value of the property• When a property is split into more than one dwelling• When there is a change in the balance between domestic and business

use of your property

You can appeal within six months of:

• A valuation change to your property made by the Listing Officer• A valuation band change to a similar property to yours as a result of a

Valuation Tribunal decision• Becoming the new tax payer

ContactIf you have any queries regarding the valuation or banding of your property, or wish to appeal, please contact:

The Listing OfficerCouncil Tax East, Valuation Office Agency,Ground Floor, Ferrers House, Castle Meadow Road Nottingham, NG2 1ABEmail: [email protected]: 03000 501 501 ~ Fax: 03000 500 975 Website: www.voa.gov.uk

LiabilityYou can appeal against the council’s decision that you are liable for Council Tax, that a property should or should not be exempt, whether a discount should or should not be allowed, or any decision taken by the Council in respect of the amount of Council Tax Reduction applied to your bill.

In the first instance, appeals of this nature must be made in writing to the address on your bill.

Making an appeal does not mean you can withhold payment of Council Tax. If your appeal is successful, future payments will be reduced and any overpayments refunded.

Exemptions and Discounts Is my property exempt from Council Tax?

You may be entitled to an exemption from Council Tax if your property is:

UnoccupiedB Empty and owned by a charity (exemption up to 6 months only)D Left empty by a person in prison or other form of detentionE Left empty by a person permanently resident in a hospital or care homeF Left empty where the liable person has died and the deceased’s executors

or personal representatives are now liable (up to 6 months after grant of Probate)

G A property where occupation is prohibited by law

H Empty and held for occupation by a minister of religion from which to perform his / her duties

I Left empty by a person receiving careJ Left empty by a person providing careK Left empty by a student who owns the propertyL Unoccupied and in the possession of the mortgageeQ Left empty by a bankrupt where the Trustee in bankruptcy is liableR An empty caravan pitch or boat mooringT An unoccupied annexe unable to be let separately

OccupiedM Halls of residenceN Occupied by full-time students and non-British spouses of studentsO Occupied by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for armed forces

accommodation (e.g. forces barracks or married quarters)P Occupied by a member of a relevant visiting force (For example, the

United States Air Force) S Occupied only by persons aged under 18U Occupied only by persons who are severely mentally impairedV A property which is the main residence of a person with diplomatic

privilege or immunityW An annexe occupied by certain dependant relatives or the resident(s)

living in the main property. Annexes occupied by people related to the person liable to pay the tax on the main property can claim a 50% discount.

Do I qualify for a discount?The full Council Tax assumes that there are two or more adults living in a property. If only one adult lives in a property, the Council Tax is reduced by 25%. People in the following groups may not be liable for Council Tax and may not count towards the number of adults resident in a property:

• Full-time students and non-British spouses of students, student nurses, apprentices and Youth Training trainees

• Patients resident in a hospital or care home permanently• People who are severely mentally impaired• People who are staying in certain hostels for the homeless or night

shelters• 18 and 19 year olds who are at, or have just left school and Child Benefit

is in payment• Certain types of care workers, usually working for charities• People caring for someone with a disability who is not a spouse, partner

or child under 18

• Members of religious communities• People in prison or other forms of detention• People with diplomatic privilege or immunity• Members and dependants of International Headquarters and Defence

Organisations• Members or dependants of visiting forces

Reductions for the disabledThe Council Tax bill may be reduced for properties which have a special room set aside for the needs of a resident disabled person. An additional bathroom or kitchen required by the disabled person or sufficient floor space to allow the use of a wheelchair indoors may also qualify.

The relief is the equivalent to reducing the valuation band to the one below, and ensures that disabled people do not pay more because of a need for extra space.

The reduction includes band A dwellings.

Circumstances where other discounts may applyThe following types of property may be eligible for the discount shown.

• A property which is empty and unfurnished (100% discount for 1 month)• A vacant property which is uninhabitable or undergoing major structural

repair work (30% discount for 12 months)• Annexes which are being used by a resident of the main dwelling as part

of their home, or is the sole or main residence of the person liable to pay Council Tax in respect of the main dwelling.(50% discount)

Long term empty propertiesIf a property remains unoccupied and unfurnished after 24 months a premium of 50% will be payable in addition to the full charge. However, a premium will not apply to a dwelling which would be the sole or main residence of a person, but which is empty while that person lives in accommodation provided by the Ministry of Defence by reason of their appointment. A premium will also not apply where the dwelling is an annexe which is being used as part of the main residence.

The Council Tax Reduction SchemeEach Council has a scheme called the Council Tax Reduction Scheme. If you are on a low income, you may qualify for help.

Any Council Tax Reduction you are awarded will be shown on your Council Tax bill and will reduce the amount you have to pay.

You could receive help, even if you are working. However, if you have more than £16,000 in savings or investments you will not usually qualify. The reduction awarded will depend on:

• The amount of Council Tax you are liable to pay• The needs of your family• Your income• Your savings• Anyone else who lives with you

Any changes in your circumstances must be reported to the Council. Do not rely upon any other agency to tell us.

Single person discountWe regularly review the discounts awarded by carrying out data matching exercises with other relevant data sets. If you have forgotten to advise us that your single person discount should have been cancelled, please telephone the number on the front of your bill.

Please remember that if your circumstances change, you must tell us within 21 days. If you do not, you may receive a fine.

If you would like more information or to make a claim, please go to: www.angliarevenues.gov.uk

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