Your guide to council tax and business rates - Elmbridge Borough ...

Your guideto council taxand business rates2012/2013 www.elmbridge.gov.uk

Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 3IntroductionWelcome to ‘Your guide to council tax and business rates’explaining how your bill is calculated and what the local spendingplans are for the coming year. It also outlines the benefit, exemption,discount and other help that is available to some council taxpayers.We thought you might like some information about the Olympiccycle road race and time trial that will pass through Elmbridge andthis is included (it will be more widely advertised).Elmbridge Borough Council, Surrey County Council and SurreyPolice Authority are required by law to provide most of theinformation in this booklet with your first council tax or rate bill eachyear. We work together to produce this joint booklet to save publicmoney and avoid sending three separate booklets.We very much hope you might consider helping this effort by joiningover 5 ,000 other local households already receiving their bill andbooklet by email (you can sign up at www.elmbridge.gov/ebilling).For further information about services please contact the relevantservice provider as shown below:• Surrey County CouncilCounty Hall, Penrhyn RoadKingston Upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 2DNTelephone: 03456 009 009Email: contact.centre@surreycc.gov.ukWeb: surreycc.gov.uk• Surrey Police AuthorityPO Box 412, Guildford, Surrey, GU3 1BRTelephone: 01483 630 200Email: spa@surrey.police.ukWeb: www.surreypa.gov.uk• Elmbridge Borough CouncilPlease refer to your bill(additional information appears on page 7).ContentsIntroduction / ContentsA message from Rob MoranCouncil taxcustomer servicesInformation about EBCservicesDiscounts and ExemptionsPeople with disabilitiesCouncil Tax BenefitHow to appealBusiness ratesOlympic cycle road raceand time trialEnvironment Agency levySummary of where the moneycomes from and is spentCouncil tax charges by bandElmbridge BC spending plansSurrey CC income andspendingPolice income and spending3566-79-11131517-2923-2629313335-3940-4144-47Disclaimer - the commercial advertising in this booklet enables it to be printed without cost to our council taxpayers (saving aconsiderable sum) but should not be taken as an endorsement by the Council of any organisation, service or product advertised.

Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 5A Message from the Chief ExecutiveThis booklet is intended to provide you with helpfulinformation about your council tax or businessrates bill. Elmbridge Borough Council is the “billingauthority” but we also collect the funding from youon behalf of Surrey County Council and theSurrey Police Authority.The last few years have been difficult for everyonewith great pressures on household income and onthe funding for public authorities as we all adjustto the new economic circumstances. ElmbridgeBorough Council has had to find savings of around£6M over the last 4 years. As an organisation weare now about 26% less expensive than we were.This is because our Councillors have tried toprotect frontline services and have ensured that,in the first instance, any savings were takenfrom organisational costs and contract savings.You need to be assured that we are doing all thatwe can to maintain and improve services andincrease our efficiency so that you have confidencethat every pound of your council tax and businessrates is being spent wisely.We will continue to work with others to addressyour priorities in a cost effective way, but we alsowant to ensure that the good things about living inElmbridge such as our parks and commons, ourleisure centre, centres for the community, vibranttown centres and key services for our mostvulnerable residents are all maintained to anappropriate standard.2012 is an important year in Elmbridge. We havethe Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and theOlympics coming to the Borough. As a Council weare also doing some new things, not only helpingto celebrate these events but also ensure thatthere is a legacy for our community. There aredetails of everything we are planning to do onour website or in hard copy upon request.There is information in this booklet from each ofthe three organisations that are funded throughyour council tax and efforts have been made topresent the complex information as clearly aspossible. However, if you find that there areitems which are not clearly explained or youhave follow up questions, please do nothesitate to get in touch with us.Robert MoranChief ExecutiveElmbridge Borough Council

6Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013Council tax customer care serviceWhat if I am blind or having problemswith my eyesight?Please contact us and tell us how we can help.We may be able to offer some of our council taxdocuments in large print or we can talk throughyour bill and other literature with you.What if I have trouble reading, writing orspeaking English?We can arrange to translate our council taxdocuments. If you visit or phone us we will tryto arrange for someone to be available whocan speak your language.What if I cannot leave my house?We will try to provide a home visit to helpwith council tax matters if you cannot leaveyour house.This service is necessarily very limited and whetherwe can call will depend on your needs. We willmake appointments usually within 10 workingdays. Please note that we are unable to collectmoney.What if I have other special requirements?Please tell us if there is anything we can do to helpyou. Although our resources are very limited wewill try to give help and advice in a way that is bestfor you.Contact Us:Local Taxation Office, Civic Centre, High Street,Esher, Surrey KT10 9SDTel: 01372 474030Email: ltax@elmbridge.gov.ukwww.elmbridge.gov.uk/taxation

Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 7Your guide to council servicesYou can access many of our services (includingpaying on line) at www.elmbridge.gov.ukIf the service you want is not shown belowplease ring our switchboard 01372 474474Building controlIncluding building regulations, dangerousstructures and disability access advice.email: bcon@elmbridge.gov.uktel: 01372 474779Environmental health & licensingIncluding licensing for alcohol, gamblingpremises, lotteries and street collections,taxis/private hire vehicles, food hygiene,health and safety at work, contaminated land,infectious diseases notification, noise nuisance,pest control, Elmbridge smokefree andwater quality.email: envhealth@elmbridge.gov.uktel: 01372 474748/50Community support servicesCentres for the community, communitytransport, dial a ride, meals on wheels,taxi vouchers, Cobham help shop,community alarm and telecare, reliefcarers scheme, voluntary sector support.email: commservices@elmbridge.gov.uktel: 01372 474552Council tax and business ratesTo advise us of moving in/out, informationabout discounts, ways to pay, set up directdebits, receive bills by email, discusspayment problems or generalinformation about these taxes.email: ltax@elmbridge.gov.uktel: 01372 474030Environmental careIncluding abandoned vehicles, car parking,fly-tipping, garden waste, graffiti removal,recycling, refuse/waste collection, streetcleaning, Street Smart and stray and lost dogs.email: envcare@elmbridge.gov.uktel: 01372 474775HousingIncluding housing & council tax benefit, benefitfraud investigation, housing register, advice andhomelessness, private sector housing mattersand Care and Repair.email: benefits@elmbridge.gov.ukTel: 01372 474060email: benefitfraud@elmbridge.gov.ukTel: 01372 474291email:housingoptions@elmbridge.gov.ukTel: 01372 474619email: pshousing@elmbridge.gov.ukTel: 01372 474625Leisure and cultural servicesIncluding SHOUT! children’s holiday activities,commons and countryside, parks and recreationgrounds, cemeteries, The Hurst Pool andElmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex.email: leisure@elmbridge.gov.uktel: 01372 474568PlanningIncluding development control, planning policy,investigation and enforcement, heritageconservation and tree preservation.email: tplan@elmbridge.gov.uktel: 01372 474787

Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 9DiscountsThe full council tax bill assumes there are twoadults (18 plus) living in a dwelling as their mainhome. If there is only one adult, the council taxbill will be reduced by a quarter (25%).If a non exempt dwelling (see page 11) isno-one’s main home (for example an emptyhome, second home or a rented home betweenlets) and is unfurnished, there is no discountand the full bill is payable. However, if theproperty contains furniture, the bill will bereduced by a quarter (25%), unless you are alsothe council taxpayer at another UK addresswhere you/your spouse are required to live byyour employer, in which case you may be ableto claim a 50% discount.The following people do not count towards thenumber of adults living in your home:■ full time students (and certain non-UKspouses/ dependants), student nurses,apprentices, youth training trainees andforeign language assistants■ people who are permanently cared for innursing homes, care homes or hospitals■ people who are severely mentally impaired■ people staying in certain hostels or nightshelters■ 18 or 19 year olds who are at or have justleft school■ careworkers working for low pay, usually forcharities■ people caring for someone with a disability(not their partner or child under 18)■ members of visiting forces and certaininternational institutions■ diplomats and their non-UK spouses■ members of religious communities(e g monks and nuns)■ people in prison (except those in prison fornon-payment of council tax or a fine)Please also see notes at foot of page 11Council tax is charged on domestic property (whetherowned or rented) to help pay for local services, includingthe requirements of the County Council and Police Authority.Each dwelling has been allocated to one of eight bandsbased on estimated values at 1st April 1991.Your council tax bill shows which band applies to your home.Council Tax BandsValuation band Range of valuesA up to - £40,000B £40,001 - £52,000C £52,001 - £68,000D £68,001 - £88,000E £88,001 - £120,000F £120,001 - £160,000G £160,001 - £320,000H more than - £320,000

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Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 11Exemptions Council tax is not payable on properties falling into the following classes:Class unoccupied and:A new or requiring/undergoing structural alteration or major repair and for up to six months aftercompletion (Class A exemptions are limited to one year)B owned by a charity (exempt for up to six months)C unfurnished (exempt for up to six months)D left empty by someone who is now in prison (other than for fines or non payment of council tax)E left empty by someone who is being permanently cared for in a hospital or care homeF waiting for probate or letters of administration to be granted and for up to six months afterG empty because occupation is forbidden by lawH waiting to be occupied by a minister of religionI left empty by someone receiving long term care (other than in a hospital or care home -see E above)J left empty by someone who has moved to provide personal care to another personK empty but owned and last used by a studentL repossessedQ the responsibility of a bankrupt’s trusteeR vacant domestic caravan plots and houseboat mooringsT granny annexes etc - separate letting not allowed by planning controlProperties occupied only by:N full-time students (and certain non-UK spouses/dependants)O armed forces’ barracks and married quarters. Their occupants will contribute to the cost of localservices through a special arrangementS persons under 18 years of ageU persons who are severely mentally impaired or such persons who live with a student(s)V diplomats and members of certain international bodies (including their non-UK spouses)W certain dependent relatives in a separate dwelling forming part of a larger property, eg grannyannexes etcNew owners and properties changing from oneclass to another receive only the balance of anyexemption.These notes are for guidance only. To obtaina booklet explaining the rules or to claim adiscount or exemption please see page 15.Please do not delay claiming any discount orexemption or you may pay more than you need.If your bill indicates that a discount or exemptionhas been allowed, you must tell the Council ofany change of circumstances which affects yourentitlement. If you fail to do so you could facecriminal prosecution.

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Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 13People with disabilitiesIf anyone living in your home has a disability andneeds a room, an extra bathroom or extrakitchen to meet their special needs or uses awheelchair in your home we may be able toreduce your bill (see page 15). If we can, you willbe charged at the rate for the band immediatelybelow that shown for your home. If your home isin band A a reduction (equivalent to a band) willbe given. This relief is not dependent on yourincome or savings.Council tax benefitIf you, or others who live with you, are on a lowincome and liable to pay Council Tax you may beable to reduce your bill by claiming Council TaxBenefit.Unfortunately, if your capital exceeds £16,000 youwill not qualify for Council Tax Benefit unless youare entitled to Guaranteed Pension Credit.To find out if you can qualify for Council TaxBenefit, you can use our online benefit calculatorat www.elmbridge.gov.uk/WBC/default.aspYou can make an online application atwww.elmbridge.gov.uk/housing/benefits/benhow.htmAlternatively you can call our Customer ServiceTeam on 01372 474060 to make a new claimappointment. The team will also be able to adviseyou about Housing Benefit if you are liable topay rent to a private landlord or housingassociation.If you want advice about other welfare benefits,please call the Welfare Advisor on 01372 474284or you can contact the Citizens Advice Bureauon 01932 248660 for the Walton area or 01372464770 for the Esher area. If you want to findout if you can get pension credit, please call0800 99 1234.Council Tax Benefit will be changing from April 2013. The national scheme is going to be replaced witha local scheme of assistance. The council will publish more information about this later in the year.Fraud and information sharingWe must protect public funds and may use the information you give us to prevent and detect fraud.We regularly check existing claims. We may also share information within the Council and withorganisations approved by the Information Commissioner, including credit reference agencies andthe National Fraud Initiative, for the purpose of detecting and preventing council tax or benefit fraud,other statutory responsibilities of the Council (such as investigating anti social behaviour)and for the administration of these services.If you suspect someone is falsely claiming a discount or exemption, please tell us atwww.elmbridge.gov.uk/taxation/ctax or(for benefit fraud) email benefitfraud@elmbridge.gov.uk or, in either case, ring 01372 474291(your contact will be treated in complete confidence).

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Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 15How to claim a reductionFor discounts, exemptions or disability please visit www.elmbridge.gov.uk/taxation(where you can apply online) or ring the helpline 01372 474030.For benefits, please visit www.elmbridge.gov.uk/housing/benefitsor ring the helpline 01372 474060.AppealsAll council tax banding and business ratevaluation matters are dealt with by the ListingOfficer (not the Council). Advice and an appealform can be obtained by contacting:The Listing Officer, Valuation Office Agency,1st Floor, Warwick House, 67 Station Road,Redhill, RH1 1DL (Tel: 03000 501 501).You should bear in mind that all council taxvaluations are based on the price the propertywould have fetched if it had been sold on 1stApril 1991. Any increase or fall due to generalchanges in the housing market since then willnot affect its valuation.The grounds for appeal about banding are restricted to the following cases:■ an increase in value as a result of building or other work carried out on the dwelling. In thesecases revaluation does not take place until after a sale - so the person appealing would usuallybe the new owner or resident■ a reduction in value as a result of building work eg demolition/conversion, local changes affectingthe long-term valuation of your property or adaption to make your home suitable for use bysomeone with a physical disability■ you start or stop using part of your dwelling to carry out a business, or the balance betweendomestic and business use changes■ the Listing Officer has altered your band without your agreement■ you become the taxpayer for the first time (your appeal must be made within six months but ifthe same appeal has already been considered and decided by a Valuation Tribunal, it cannot bemade again)Other appeals (non valuation)You may appeal to the Valuation Tribunal (whichalso deals with non valuation matters) if youconsider that you are not liable to pay counciltax, eg because you are not the resident orowner, your property is exempt or the Councilhas made a mistake in calculating your bill.If you wish to appeal on these groundsyou must first write to the Council sothat we can consider your case.Concerning all appealsAppeals must be made within a set period oryou may pay more than you need. Time limitsvary according to the type of appeal.Making an appeal does not allow you to withholdpayment of tax owing in the meantime. If yourappeal is successful you will be sent a refundof any overpaid tax.Further details of the appeals procedure(including the role of Valuation Tribunals)and appeal deadlines may be obtainedfrom the Council Tax Office.

Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 17Business ratesThe business rates collected by local authoritiesare the way that those who occupy nondomesticproperty contribute towards the costof local services. Except in the City of London,where special arrangements apply, the ratesare pooled by central government andredistributed to local authorities as partof the annual formula grant settlement. Themoney, together with revenue from council taxpayers, revenue support grant provided by theGovernment and certain other sums, is usedto pay for the services provided by ElmbridgeBorough Council and other authorities in yourarea. Further information about the businessrates system and a fuller explanation of thefollowing schemes may be obtained atwww.businesslink.gov.ukRateable valueApart from properties that are exempt frombusiness rates, each non domestic property hasa rateable value which is set by the valuationofficers of the Valuation Office Agency (VOA),an agency of Her Majesty’s Revenue andCustoms. They draw up and maintain a fulllist of all rateable values, available on theirwebsite at www.voa.gov.ukThe rateable value of your property is shown onthe front of the bill. This broadly represents theyearly rent the property could have been let foron the open market on a particular date. For therevaluation that came into effect on 1st April2010, this date was set as 1st April 2008.The valuation officer may alter the value ifcircumstances change. The ratepayer (andcertain others who have an interest in theproperty) can appeal against the value shownin the list if they believe it is wrong. Furtherinformation about the grounds on which appealsmay be made and the process for doing so canbe found on the VOA website (above) or fromyour local valuation office (tel 03000 501 501).National non-domestic rating multiplierWe work out the business rates bill by multiplyingthe rateable value of the property by theappropriate multiplier. There are two multipliers:the standard non-domestic rating multiplier andthe small business non-domestic rating multiplier.The former is higher to pay for small businessrate relief. The Government sets the multipliersfor each financial year for the whole of Englandaccording to formulae set by legislation. Betweenrevaluations the multipliers change each year inline with inflation and to take account of the costof small business rate relief. In the year ofrevaluation the multipliers are rebased to accountfor overall changes to total rateable value and toensure that the revaluation does not raise extramoney for Government. Your multiplier is shownon the front of your bill.

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www.elmbridge.gov.uk19Business rates (continued)Revaluation 2010 and transitionalarrangementsAll rateable values are reassessed every fiveyears at a general revaluation. The current ratinglist is based on the 2010 revaluation. Five-yearlyrevaluations make sure each ratepayer paystheir fair contribution and no more, by ensuringthat the share of the national rates bill paid byany one ratepayer reflects changes over timein the value of their property relative to others.Revaluation does not raise extra money forGovernment.For those that would otherwise see significantincreases in their rates liability, the Governmenthas put in place a £2 billion transitional reliefscheme to limit and phase in changes in ratebills as a result of the 2010 revaluation. To helppay for the limits on increases in bills, therealso have to be limits on reductions in bills.Under the transition scheme, limits continue toapply to yearly increases and decreases untilthe full amount is due (rateable value times theappropriate multiplier).The scheme applies onlyto the bill based on a property at the time of therevaluation. If there are any changes to theproperty after 1st April 2010, transitionalarrangements will not normally apply to the partof a bill that relates to any increase in rateablevalue due to those changes. Changes to your billas a result of other reasons (such as because ofchanges to the amount of small business raterelief) are not covered by the transitionalarrangements.The transitional arrangements are appliedautomatically and are shown on the front ofthe bill. Further information about transitionalarrangements may be obtained from the Councilor the website www.businesslink.gov.ukUnoccupied property ratingBusiness rates will not be payable in the firstthree months that a property is empty. This isextended to six months in the case of certainindustrial properties. After this period rates arepayable in full unless the unoccupied propertyrate has been reduced by the Government byorder. In most cases the unoccupied propertyrate is zero for properties owned by charitiesand community amateur sports clubs. Inaddition, there are a number of exemptionsfrom the unoccupied property rate (e.g. smallproperties with a rateable value below £2,600).Full details on exemptions can be obtained fromElmbridge Borough Council. If the unoccupiedproperty rate for the financial year has beenreduced by order, it will be shown on the frontof the bill.

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Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 21Business rates (continued)Partly occupied property reliefA ratepayer is liable for the full non-domesticrate whether a property is wholly occupied oronly partly occupied. Where a property is partlyoccupied for a short time we have discretion incertain cases to award relief in respect of theunoccupied part. Full details can be obtainedfrom the Council.Small business rate reliefThere are two elements to this scheme• From 1st April 2012 all ratepayers who arenot entitled to another mandatory relief andoccupy a property with a rateable value whichdoes not exceed £17,999 (unoccupied propertiesdo not qualify) will have their bill calculated usingthe lower small business non-domestic ratingmultiplier, rather than the higher national nondomesticrating multiplier. This is now automatic -you do not need to apply.• In addition, provided the sole or mainproperty is shown in the rating list with arateable value of up to £12,000, the ratepayercan receive a percentage reduction in their ratesbill for this property (up to a maximum of 50%for a property with a rateable value of£6,000 or less).The government temporarily doubled this relief forthe period to 30 September 2011 but furtherextended the period to 31 March 2013 in theautumn budget 2011 (e.g. the maximum relief istemporarily 100% not 50%).This additional relief is available to ratepayerswho occupy either:(a) one property with a rateable valueunder £12,000, or(b) the main property in a) above plusadditional occupied properties providedeach additional property has a rateablevalue of less than £2,600 and theaggregate of all the occupied propertiesis under £18,000If the rateable value, or aggregate rateablevalue, increases above those levels relief willcease from the day of the increase.Certain changes in circumstances will need tobe notified to the council by the ratepayer (otherchanges will be picked up by the local authority).The changes which should be notified are:(a) the ratepayer taking up occupation of aproperty they did not occupy at the time ofmaking their application for relief, and(b) an increase in the rateable value of aproperty occupied by the ratepayer in an areaother than the area of the local authority whichgranted the relief.Notification of these changes must be given tothe Council within 4 weeks of the day after theday on which the change happened.If you qualify but are not currentlyreceiving this extra relief, please tellus using the form you can find atwww.elmbridge.gov.uk/taxation orby contacting Elmbridge Borough Council.

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Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 27Business rates (continued)Charity and Community AmateurSports Club (CASC) reliefCharities and registered CASCs are entitled to80% relief where the property is occupied bythe charity or the CASC, and is wholly or mainlyused for the charitable purposes of the charity(or of that and other charities), or for thepurposes of the CASC (or of that and otherCASCs).We have discretion to give further relief on theremaining bill. Contact Elmbridge BoroughCouncil for details.Non profit making organisation reliefWe have discretion to give relief to non-profitmaking organisations. Contact ElmbridgeBorough Council for details.Hardship reliefThe local authority has discretion to give relief inspecial circumstances. Contact ElmbridgeBorough Council for details.Businessrates deferralscheme 2012/2013The scheme will start with the 1st July 2012instalment (previous instalments must be paidin full). Ratepayers can apply at any time up to31 March 2013 (as long as they have someof their 2012/2013 bill to pay and the amountis not in arrears). Shortly before July (or afterreceipt of your application if later) we willreissue the 2012/2013 rate bill showing 3.2%of the full year’s bill as deferred and you willnot need to pay that amount in 2012/2013.Instead, half will be added to your next year’sbill (2013/2014) and the balance to the bill forthe year after that. If you vacate the propertyor recovery action is taken you will have to paythe amount due including any deferred amount.An application form and full details of thescheme are available on our website businessrate pages at www.elmbridge.gov.uk/taxation

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Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 29Business rates (continued)Rating advisersRatepayers do not have to be represented indiscussions about their rateable value or theirrates bill. Appeals against rateable values canbe made free of charge. However, ratepayerswho do wish to be represented should be awarethat members of the Royal Institution ofChartered Surveyors (RICS - websitewww.rics.org) and the Institute of Revenuesand Rating (IRRV - website www.irrv.org.uk)are qualified and are regulated by rules ofprofessional conduct designed to protect thepublic from misconduct. Before you employ arating adviser, you should check that they havethe necessary knowledge and expertise, as wellas appropriate indemnity insurance. Take greatcare and, if necessary, seek further advicebefore entering into any contract.Environment Agency levyThames Regional Floodand Coastal Committee(Included in Surrey County Council’s precept)2012/13 2011/12£’000 £’000Gross Expenditure 86,484 86,484Levies Raised 10,000 10,000Total Council Tax Base 5,081 5,081The local levy is shared on the basis of Band Dequivalents between all contributing bodieswithin the committee area. The total local levyhas remained the same at £10m since2008/2009.For more information about the role of theEnvironment Agency and how the money raisedis spent please contact the local office atKings Meadow House, Kings Meadow Road,Reading, Berks RG1 8DQCustomer helpline 08708 506506Incident hotline 0800 807060Floodline 08459 881188

www.elmbridge.gov.ukSummary of where the money comes from and how we plan to spend it in 2012/201331

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Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 33Council tax in Elmbridge 2012/13Whole BoroughAdditional amountCouncil Tax Bands (excluding Claygate) for homes in ClaygateElmbridgeBorough Surrey County Surrey ParishCouncil Council Police Total Amount TotalA 132.79 766.44 135.66 1,034.89 9.27 1,044.16B 154.93 894.18 158.27 1,207.38 10.82 1,218.20C 177.06 1,021.92 180.88 1,379.86 12.36 1,392.22D 199.19 1,149.66 203.49 1,552.34 13.91 1,566.25E 243.45 1,405.14 248.71 1,897.30 17.00 1,914.30F 287.72 1,660.62 293.93 2,242.27 20.09 2,262.36G 331.98 1,916.10 339.15 2,587.23 23.18 2,610.41H 398.38 2,299.32 406.98 3,104.68 27.82 3,132.50How much has the Band “D” council tax changed from last year?2012/13 2011/12 Change£ £ £ %Elmbridge Borough Council 199.19 199.19 0.00 0.00Surrey County Council 1,149.66 1,116.36 33.30 2.99Surrey Police 203.49 198.54 4.95 2.50Total (excluding Claygate Parish) 1,552.34 1,514.09 38.25 2.50Claygate Parish Council 13.91 14.00 -0.09 -0.60Total (including Claygate Parish) 1,566.25 1,528.09 38.16 2.50

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Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 35Elmbridge Borough Council spending plansServices provided 2012/13 2011/12Cost of Less Amount Cost of Less Amountservices income needed services income needed£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000Community development 719 271 448 615 229 386Corporate development 1,966 24 1,942 2,173 24 2,149Environment and economy 7,751 1,937 5,814 7,549 1,901 5,648Highways and transport 1,936 2,437 (501) 1,969 2,486 (517)Housing 47,973 46,117 1,856 44,750 42,796 1,954Leisure and culture 5,593 1,063 4,530 5,332 1,047 4,285Regulatory affairs 864 292 572 835 265 570Resources 4,409 1,629 2,780 4,443 1,583 2,860Social affairs 3,894 1,457 2,437 3,811 1,394 2,417Planning 2,905 1,453 1,452 2,830 1,390 1,440Licensing 580 332 248 571 324 247Total for services 78,590 57,012 21,578 74,878 53,439 21,439Less internal charge adjustments 1,860 0 1,860 1,535 0 1,535Less income from interest/investments 0 1,209 1,209 0 1,055 1,055Less use of reserves 0 581 581 0 760 760Less council tax freeze grant 0 313 313 0 312 312Add capital finance charges 62 0 62 62 0 62Amount Needed 76,792 59,115 17,677 73,405 55,566 17,839(for a Band 'D' home this equals) 1,201.85 925.19 276.66 1,168.55 884.58 283.97Information relating to the relevant and previousfinancial years in regard to the gross expenditureof the local authority is available athttp://www.elmbridge.gov.uk/Council/finance.htmA hard copy is available on request by writing tothe council or by telephoning 01372 474474 andasking for our finance team.

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Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 37Elmbridge Borough Council spending plans (continued)Main changes in our spending plansAmount needed 2011/12Add increased costs:Inflation and spending pressuresReduction in external fundingLess reduced costs:Budget reductionsEquals amount needed 2012/13£’000 £’00017,8391,02142 1,06318,9021,22517,677Capital spendingIt is estimated that capital spending in 2012/13 will total £5,915,200 as follows:£’000Private sector housing grants 1,498Information technology 905Recreational facilities 777Community centres and transport 287Walton community hub for the voluntary sector 600Other council buildings 961Enhanced street lighting 150Other 737Total 5,915This compares with estimated spending of £4,946,100in setting the 2011/12 budget.Staff numbersWe expect to employ 369 (full time equivalent)staff this year, compared with 366 last year.Loans outstandingAt 31st March 2011 we had external loans outstanding of £1,500,000

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Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 39Elmbridge Borough Council spending plans (continued)How we work out the council tax for 2012/13Council tax needed by:Elmbridge Borough CouncilClaygate Parish CouncilWhole BoroughClaygateParish Council AreaAmount For a band “D’ Extra amount For a band ‘D’needed home this equals needed home this equals£’000 £ £’000 £17,677 276.6648† 13.91Less money received from:Government grantsSurplus from last year’s taxElmbridge (balance needed)4,72023012,72773.873.60199.19Plus amounts needed by:Surrey PoliceSurrey County CouncilTotal council tax neededNo. of homes in each area(adjusted to make all homesequivalent to band ‘D’)Amount due from a band ‘D’home in each area13,00273,45899,18763,895203.491,149.661,552.34483,4511,552.341,566.25† Claygate Parish Council requires 48,000. The estimated resident population in January 2012 was 133,300

40Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013Council tax reflectsinvestment in care,school places and roadsSupporting older people and children with severeand complex needs is at the heart of the counciltax set by the county council for 2012/13.Improving the condition of Surrey’s road network(a major concern for residents and businesses)is also high on the council’s agenda.This year the level of council tax for countycouncil services will rise by 2.99% (thisappears on your bill as 3.0% as the lawrequires increases to be shown but to only onedecimal place), an extra 64 pence a week(or £33.30 a year), for a band D household.The rise is significantly below inflation,which has been running well above 4%.At the same time government grant to Surreyis reducing by a further £15m.More than 35% of the council’s overall budgetfor 2012/13 goes directly to schools. Othersignificant areas of investment are aroundservices for vulnerable adults and supportfor children, schools and families.A 20% rise in Surrey’s birth rate over the lastdecade means the council is committed to its£250m classroom building programme toprovide 14,000 more school places over afive-year period. And over the next five yearsthe council is investing £149m to improveroads and tackle the backlog of repairs.The combination of reduced Governmentfunding, inflationary pressures and growingdemand for services for vulnerable childrenand adults will continue to pose seriouschallenges for the future.For example, the number of residents agedover 85 is projected to double to 60,000 overthe next 20 years - putting extra pressureon our care services.Our efficiency drive has enabled us to makesavings of about £130m over the last two yearsand we are on course to save over £330m by2016. Efficiencies alone will not be enough, butthe council is committed to working with residentsand communities to find solutions and open upnew opportunities to do things differently.The figures below represent Surrey CountyCouncil’s portion of your council tax bill.Council Tax BandsValuation band Council TaxA £766.44B £894.18C £1,021.92D £1,149.66E £1,405.14F £1,660.62G £1,916.10H £2,299.32

Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 41How Surrey County Council uses its budget2011-12* Expenditure - our spending2012-2013£ Million £ Million283.4 Children and Young People - includes special educational needs, 286.8early years, children’s social care and youth service616.2 Schools - includes funding directly to schools**536.6324.9 Adults Social Care - includes care and support for adults across a 331.5broad range of services68.3 Customers & Communities - trading standards, libraries, fire and 70.3rescue services and adult education121.1 Environment & Infrastructure - includes roads, public transport, 124.2disposal of waste and countryside88.7 Change and Efficiency - includes finance, information management 84.8and technology, procurement, property and HR15.9 Chief Executive’s Office - includes performance management,15.1communications and support to the voluntary sector70.2 Central income and expenditure - includes capital financing, land 75.0drainage precept and contingency funding1,588.7 Total spending1524.3-36-116.5-868.3-11.7-2.8-553.4-1588.7Where our money comes fromGovernment formula grantContribution from business ratesOther Government revenue grantsRaised from reserves and balancesCollection fund balanceSurrey Council Tax - the number of properties in Surrey hasincreased by just under 0.9%Total income-2.8-145.8-780.4-15.2-5.3-574.8-1524.3* The budget now shows all expenditure funded by government grants, as well as the contributionfrom Surrey council taxpayers.** The amount to schools has decreased due to about 20 schools becoming academies.If you would like this document in large print, on tape or in another language, please contact us on:03456 009 009 or www.surreycc.gov.ukIf you have a question about your own council tax bill, contact your local district or borough council.

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44Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013About your PoliceAuthorityOn 15th November 2012, Surrey residents willhave the chance to go to the polls to elect thecounty’s first Police and Crime Commissioner.This influential figure will be responsible foroverseeing the work of Surrey Police on behalf ofresidents.The Commissioner:- will hold the Chief Constable to account forthe performance of Surrey Police- will be elected for four-year terms of office- will set the police budget, the police share ofcouncil tax and the local ‘Police and CrimePlan’ which sets out the overall strategy forpolicing in the area- will be scrutinised by a ‘Police and CrimePanel’ involving local Councillors andmembers of the publicThe Commissioner will replace Surrey PoliceAuthority, the group of nine County Councillorsand eight independent Members of the publicthat currently oversees Surrey Police.The Police Authority will continue to work asnormal until the election, with the Policing Planand budget for next year being set as before.The Authority’s support staff will be working overthe next year to make the necessaryarrangements to make the transition to thePolice and Crime Commissioner as smooth aspossible. Watch out for announcements in thenews as candidates begin to come forward andmore information about the elections is released.You can also find out more at the Police andCrime Commissioner page of Surrey PoliceAuthority’s website: www.surreypa.gov.uk/PCCHow is Surrey Police performing?The priorities set for the force for 2011/12 areset out below, along with the force’s currentperformance in achieving them. The statisticscited below are based on the most up-to-dateperformance information available at the time ofwriting (January 2012)• Keep public confidence in Surrey Police high- currently 89.7% of residents surveyed areconfident in Surrey Police, above the target setfor the year of 80%.• Provide a good service to victims of crimeand anti-social behaviour - 84.6% of victims ofserious crime and 78% of victims of anti-socialbehaviour have been satisfied with the servicethey have received from the police. This isabove the target set for victims of serious crime(79%) and the target for victims of anti-socialbehaviour (76%)• To stop criminal gangs from operating inSurrey - to date this year the force has stopped10 criminal gangs from operating and isconfident it will meet the end of year target ofstopping 15 gangs operating• Deal with people who sell harmful drugs -Surrey Police has so far charged or cautioned532 people for supplying drugs. This exceedsthe annual target of 450.• Keep levels of serious crime low in Surrey -to date serious crime such as burglary, car theftand violence have reduced in Surrey overall by10.4%, against a target of recording no morecrimes than in 2010/11.

Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 45• Catch people who commit serious crime- this year to date 20.5% of people committingsuch crimes have been caught and dealt withby the police, above the target set of 18.6%.• To recruit more Police Constables bymaking savings in other areas - the force hasmet its target of increasing the number ofSurrey Police Constables from the 09/10baseline of 1345 to 1545 by April 2012• To make optimal use of our officer and staffresource - Surrey Police is currently achievingan officer and staff availability rate of 91.3%,above the target of 90%.latest performance available (mostly April toDecember 2011). After the end ofMarch 2012 we will publish thefinal force performance for theyear on our websitewww.surreypa.gov.uktogether with a moredetailed explanationof targets andmeasures set andperformanceachieved.As we publish this booklet before the end of ourperformance year to coincide with the CouncilTax notifications, the figures shown above showThis year’s budgetThe major cut in the funding given to policeauthorities by the Government has been wellpublicised. In Surrey, we reacted early anddecisively, beginning a series of reforms in2009 to help us manage the anticipatedreduction in our funding whilst releasingadditional money for investment in front linepolicing. The financial information in this leafletillustrates how those changes have affected ourbudget.Around half of our budget comes from ourshare of locally-raised council tax. This year,after two years at the same level, the PoliceAuthority has decided to increase by 2.5% whatit asks for in council tax from each household tohelp pay for policing. For a Band D property, thisequates to an increase of around 10p per week.the same level foranother year. Whilstaccepting this grant wouldhave kept our share of council tax atthe same level as last year, because the grantis for one year only, on its removal Surrey Policewould have been left with significantly lessmoney in each subsequent year, whereas anincrease in our share of council tax builds theadditional money it raises permanently into ourfunding. After careful consideration, theAuthority agreed that a small increase in ourshare of council tax was the better option toprotect the level of service Surrey Police canprovide to the public over the long-termThe alternative was to accept a one-off grantequivalent to around £3m offered by theGovernment in return for freezing council tax at

46Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013Surrey Police Authority BudgetSurrey Police Authority has a net budget requirement of £200.9m for 2012/13.This compares to a figure of £204.2m for 2011/12.How the money is spentEmployeesPremisesSupplies & servicesTransportIncomeGross expenditureTo/from(-) balancesNet revenue budgetCommunity Support Officers GrantPrecept Compensation Grant 1Net budget requirement2012/13 2011/12£m £m182.7 183.48.5 8.924.9 26.84.8 4.6(12.1) (11.4)208.8 212.3(1.0) (1.2)207.8 211.1(4.4) (4.4)(2.5) (2.5)200.9 204.2Note: The 2011/12 comparative dataabove shows the revised budget as atJanuary 2012, reflecting changesmade in the year.What you will pay for policingin Surrey in 2012/13Supplies & Services TransportPremisesACouncil Tax payable per property £135.66B158.27C180.88EmployeesValuation BandDEF203.49248.71293.93Employee information 2012/13 2011/12Police officers 1,940 1,967Operational police staff 1,803 1,914Support police staff 469 365Specials 345 375Total 4,557 4,621Note: The 2011/12 comparative data above has beenadjusted to reflect changes in the year.GH339.15406.98Surrey Police is legally required toproduce this information under TheCouncil Tax (Demand Notices)(England) Regulations 2011 - SI2011/3038 which prescribe theminimum requirements for financialinformation to be provided withcouncil tax bills.

Your guide to council tax and business rates - 2012/2013 47How spending has changed2011/12 Gross expenditureFront line officer expansionService improvementModernising the estateCollaborationSupport & Operational Services restructuringProcurement, Police Authority & other savingsNon-staff efficiency gainsInflation, economic changes and pay2012/13 Gross expenditureWhere the money comes fromNet budget requirementLess :Police GrantBusiness RatesRevenue Support GrantGross Council Tax requirementShare of Collection Fund surplusesNet Council Tax requirementTaxbase i.e. number of equivalentD Band properties£m212.31.61.0(1.5)(0.6)(2.7)(0.6)(2.2)1.5208.82012/13 2011/12£m £m200.901 204.207(65.022) (70.029)(32.533) (26.947)(0.678) (8.316)102.668 98.915(0.933) (0.502)101.735 98.413499,945 495,684As at 31 March 2012 Surrey Police had £10.6m investedwith Surrey County Council. There was no externalborrowing outstanding at this date.Contacting usFor more details about the performanceof Surrey Police in the previous year,please visit our websitewww.surreypa.gov.ukor contact our office on01483 630 200For more details about the Policebudget for the year from April 2012 orto obtain a copy of our most recentStatement of Accounts, please write,giving your address, to:Surrey Police Authority, PO Box 412,Guildford, Surrey GU3 1BRor email: spa@surrey.police.ukor call Ian Perkin, Treasurer to thePolice Authority, on: 01483 630200.www.surreypa.gov.ukCall 999 (Minicom users:01483 539999) if you have a genuineemergency requiring the attendance ofthe police or if a crime is in progress.Call Surrey Police on101 for non-emergency policingmatters only.Call your local council for abandonedvehicles or noise problems.Call Crimestoppers on0800 555 111 if you have informationabout a crime and don’t want to leaveyour name.

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