Stephen Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East
Thurrock, is calling on Thurrock Councils to help local residents this year by
freezing Council Tax.
Mr Metcalfe commented: “Freezing Council Tax has made a
real difference to the people of Thurrock and I want to see this continue next
year. The Government has made the money available for Council’s to do this and
I hope that our local Council will continue to maintain the freeze.”
“Households are facing difficult economic times and need
help keeping the cost of living down. Under the previous Government, council
tax more than doubled to £120 a month and this placed a significant burden on
local taxpayers.”
“It is therefore essential that Thurrock Council listens
to its residents and do the right thing by leaving more of peoples own money in
their own pockets. To do anything else would show how out of touch with the
reality the controlling group are.”
“Over the last two years, the Government has provided
grants of around £2 billion to help freeze council tax. The Government will set
aside an extra £450 million to help freeze council tax bills in England. The
support for local authorities means that taxpayers living in an average Band D
home in England could save up to £72 on a five per cent rise in council tax.”
“A freeze in council tax in 2013-14 would represent a
real terms cut of around two per cent and a fall of nine per cent in real terms
over the past three years.”
“If councils decide to snub the freeze offer and
significantly increase council tax, the Localism Act 2011 now provides a new
right for local residents to veto such excessive rises through a local
referendum.”
