EAST Dunbartonshire Council has imposed a 13 per cent tax hike on residents, one of the largest increases in Scotland.
The measure came as the local authority set its budget, along with a four per cent increase on rent for homes, garages and lockups.
This increase was recommended in a report to to councillors as East Dunbartonshire aimed to narrow a financial gap of almost £24 million.
Introducing his administration’s proposals, council leader Gordan Low said: “Yet again the financial pressures facing local government continue to be incredibly challenging. We continue to face increasing demand for our services and the cost of delivering those services also continues to escalate. That remains the case for capital as well as revenue budgets. With no respite from ever increasing construction costs, our asset development aspirations continue to be impacted.
“We have however brought forward proposals that continue to deliver our essential services and investment and development of our assets and our communities.”
He said the four per cent rent increase was the third lowest of 15 comparable councils, and would lead to improvements in the quality and energy efficiency of housing as well as increased supply of affordable housing throughout the area.
Some £8 million is to be invested in the existing housing estate with £3 million on energy efficiency measures and over £2.8m on housing quality including the replacement of windows, doors, kitchens and bathrooms.
Another £15.4m will be used to increase housing supply with more than 300 new properties across nine sites, built to high standards of energy efficiency with negligible carbon emissions.
Another £4m will be spent purchasing homes on the open market, continuing the established practice of buying around 25 properties each year, especially in areas where it is difficult to build housing.
Low also said he would accept proposals from the Labour group to recognise the housing emergency, establish a housing forum, pilot a decoration programme (subject to full costing being carried out), commit to sustainable technologies, and support new standards from the Scottish Government.
However he rejected an amendment from the Liberal Democrats which called on the council to consider developing housing at a lower standard of energy efficiency as the council had already made a commitment to the higher standard.
Low also explained the reasons behind the council tax increase, which was further inflated by changes to national insurance and borrowing to build a replacement for Balmuidy Primary School in Bishopbriggs.
He added: “Council tax rises of between seven per cent and 15.6 per cent have been reported elsewhere across the country. Our 13 per cent rise will see a Band D property charge increase from £1,415 per year to £1,599, an annual increase of £184. Whilst this would take the Band D cost in East Dunbartonshire to above the Scottish average it remains within the mid range across the country.”
He added that the budget would allow the council to continue with its plans to ensure East Dunbartonshire residents can access the best sports and recreation facilities, highlighting investment in refurbishing sports pavilions, upgrading sports pitches and a feasibility study into upgrading two more facilities, while plans to allow hire of all pitches on Sundays would also increase income for the council.
The capital programme also includes further mechanisation of school crossings, a contract to revitalise Campsie Memorial Hall, detailing options for a new Westerton Primary School, and recommencing the construction of a replacement Balmuidy Primary School, estimated to cost £32m.
With regard to the capital budget Low again accepted a Labour amendment, on the condition that a proposed joint letter to the First Minister and MSPs also be sent to the Prime Minister and MPs.
During the meeting Labour group leader councillor Alan Moir said: “I don’t think it comes as any surprise that development of affordable housing and social housing within East Dunbartonshire is a key policy for this Labour group.”
He thanked Low for adopting his group’s amendments and acknowledging the need to secure further sites for social and affordable housing despite differing views from others within the council. He added that the new housing forum his group had proposed would heighten the status of all related matters within the council including new construction and using sustainable technologies across its estate, especially as young people in particular were finding it extremely difficult to find homes.
The Conservatives tabled no amendments but during debate councillor Billy Hendry (Bishopbriggs North & Campsie) said his group very much supported building more council houses and that many people found it very difficult to get on the property ladder, but that some would be lucky to afford the new council tax bill.
He added that he was “so proud” of what Margaret Thatcher’s government did for the people of Britain through the right to buy, and that his parents were among the first to use it, allowing them to better themselves, but the “politics of envy” exist to this day.
He later added that a 13 per cent tax increase for hard working East Dunbartonshire residents was “unprecedented” and came at a time when the fuel cap was going up, businesses were struggling to retain staff due to the National Insurance increases, and there were increases coming “right across the board”.
He added that many older people in East Dunbartonshire did not get a decent income due to the issues with pension credit and had now also lost their winter fuel allowances, and that those people would be “financially battered” by the third highest council tax increase in Scotland.
An amendment from Liberal Democrats proposed increasing fees and charges relating to roads, and while Councillor Low agreed there was an opportunity to review these he opposed an across the board increase.
Liberal Democrat group leader Vaughan Moody commented: ‘’The consequences of what was nothing more than an election stunt by former SNP First Minister Humza Yousaf last year have now come home to roost.
‘Imposing a council tax freeze last year – in a move which had not even been discussed in advance with his own SNP colleagues – has led to the size of this year’s increase in order to achieve the balanced budget required by law.
‘’Labour’s massive increase in employer’s National Insurance contributions has also had a hugely negative impact, especially as only 60 per cent of the cost has been passed on to councils.’’ He also highlighted reduced numbers of school crossing patrollers, a new charge for food waste bags, reduced opening hours for community hubs and the withdrawal of accreditation for the Food For Life programme which adds healthy options to school menus, although the acceptance of his group’s amendments meant reduced cuts to crossing patrollers and the abandonment of the food waste bag charge.
Moody said: “I am pleased that some of the Lib Dem amendments were accepted, but disappointed that the SNP proposal to scrap the Food for Life scheme will still go ahead. This will not help in the fight against an obesity epidemic.
‘’As for the reduction in opening hours of the Community Hubs, this will impact those residents who may be lacking in IT skills or who prefer a face-to-face service. It is regrettable that the SNP and Labour councillors have voted to push this through."
‘’The new SNP First Minister insisted that local authorities had been given enough funding to keep council tax rises to a reasonable level, but as we have been seeing throughout the country and now in East Dunbartonshire, this is simply not the case, and residents are now quite literally paying the price’’.
