H&F Council Plans to Freeze Council Tax Again in 2018

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And says it will be the only London council to cut and freeze tax over last four years

Hammersmith & Fulham Council is planning to freeze council tax in 2018 - and says this will make it the only council in London to have cut and then frozen the tax over the last four years

The council will formally decide on at a full council meeting on 21 February to:

freeze its share of council tax bills for 2018/19
freeze parking charges for a fourth year in a row
continue to offer older and disabled people free home care
maintain the extra £3.4million it put into adult social care services last year.

The council claims its record has been achieved against a backdrop of massive financial pressure from the government, including a 54% cut in real terms in government grant since 2010.

It says the Government has also removed the council tax freeze grant specifically given to councils to subsidise council tax cuts or freezes.

"We’re reforming every aspect of the way our council operates, to modernise and improve services and put money back into our residents’ pockets," says Cllr Stephen Cowan, Leader of H&F Council.

"That’s how we’ve been able to freeze council tax bills while also funding more local police officers than ever before; abolishing charges for adult social care in 2014; and reducing the majority of council charges in real terms.

"Government funding cuts put unprecedented pressure on local services, particularly on care for elderly and disabled residents. But it is exactly those people who are hit hardest by council tax rises."

The freeze means the council is set to fix the standard Band D charge at its current level of £727.81 - £1,007.83 including the GLA precept - and says bills in H&F are likely to remain the third lowest in the country.

February 9, 2018