Borough Council achieves zero per cent increase in Council Tax

08 February 2008

Please note: these pages contain archived information. Whilst the details were correct when first published, they may since have 'aged' and some of the information could be out-of-date. For this reason, links in the content of archive news stories have been disabled.

A financial plan, which will mean a zero per cent increase in Council Tax for Borough Council services was given the seal of approval by Woking Borough Council's Executive at its meeting last night (Thursday 7 February).

The move comes at the end of an intensive nine-month process, involving both officers and councillors, to identify a range of savings that could be made without jeopardising essential services for the community.

Provided the Council agrees the plan at its meeting on 25 February, Woking residents will not be asked to find more money for services provided by the Borough Council, such as refuse collection, environmental maintenance, housing, planning services and leisure facilities. However, new charges from Surrey County Council and Surrey Police will still need to be included to make up the final Council Tax bill.

Speaking about the zero per cent increase, Woking Borough Council's Leader of the Executive, Cllr Anne Murray, said: "We are extremely pleased that Woking residents will not have to pay more for the excellent services provided by the Borough Council. It has been an extremely challenging few months for both staff and Councillors but, by identifying savings, thinking of new ways of delivering services, deferring some projects and reviewing our fees and charges we have come up with a solution that will ensure our citizens continue to benefit from the same services without having to pay more for them."

The Council will send out the new Council Tax bills in the middle of March together with an informative booklet which includes an explanation of the bill, a summary of the Council's performance and a comprehensive A to Z guide to both Borough and County Council services.

Council Tax payers who are experiencing difficulties in paying their bill are encouraged to contact the Council for advice by calling 01483 743852 or emailing ctax@woking.gov.uk