Value for Money
Our aim is to provide best quality public services, which represent real value for money for local people. We know that, in order to decide whether something is value for money, you need to understand what you are spending, and what you get in return. We have produced this page to give you that information.
What do you get for your money?
The money you pay in Council Tax goes towards the cost of everything from running our schools and providing home care, to repairing the roads and cleaning the beaches.
This is what a Band D property will pay for our services in 2008/09:
|
Service |
Weekly
Cost (£) |
Annual
Cost (£) |
|
Social care for children, families and adults |
10.35 |
538.38 |
|
Education for all ages |
1.17 |
61.04 |
|
Planning advice, applications and enforcement |
0.28 |
14.33 |
|
Environmental health |
0.21 |
10.67 |
|
Marketing the Town for conferences and tourism |
0.25 |
12.98 |
|
Trading standards and consumer protection |
0.18 |
9.22 |
|
Housing for those in need |
0.32 |
16.85 |
|
Economic development and improving the town's wealth |
0.41 |
21.50 |
|
Running and maintaining leisure centres |
0.17 |
8.80 |
|
The registration of births, deaths and marriages |
0.03 |
1.63 |
|
Housing and Council Tax Benefits |
0.28 |
14.69 |
|
Roads and pavement maintenance |
0.68 |
35.53 |
|
Refuse collection, disposal and recycling |
1.74 |
90.43 |
|
Maintaining parks and open spaces |
0.67 |
34.99 |
|
All your other Council services |
5.89 |
305.53 |
|
Sub Total: Bournemouth Borough Council |
22.61 |
1,175.94 |
|
Dorset Police |
3.16 |
164.25 |
|
Dorset Fire & Rescue Service |
1.07 |
55.80 |
|
Total |
26.84 |
1,395.99 |
Do you need help with your Council Tax and Rent?
If you pay Council Tax or Rent, or both, you may be eligible for help if:
- you receive income support, job seeker's allowance (income based) or pension credit.
- your income is low and your capital and savings are less than £16,000 in total (deferred state pension lump sums or associated compensation are ignored when calculating this total).
If you think you might qualify for help, please make an application for benefit as soon as you can. Benefit application forms are available from:
Revenue and Benefits Services, Town Hall, Bournemouth, BH2 6EB, or by phoning (01202) 451592
email: revenue&benefits@bournemouth.gov.uk
Minicom users ONLY should use 454728
If you delay making a claim you may lose benefit as entitlement is normally calculated from the Monday after your form is received.
Help us STOP fraudulent claims
If you know anyone who is claiming benefits and failing to declare their full income or family circumstances, please contact the Benefit Fraud Hotline on (01202) 451536. Calls will be treated as confidential.
Concessionary travel for Bournemouth residents
Bus passes are available to anyone of pensionable age and the disabled, giving half fare bus travel in the Bournemouth and Poole area. The blind and those aged 80 or over are entitled to free bus travel. Call (01202) 451584 for more information. Minicom users ONLY should use 454728.
Council Tax - how your Band is calculated
The District Valuer has put every domestic property into one of eight Valuation Bands and the Council has set the amount of Council Tax for each Band. This amount may be reduced to show a discount, benefit or other relief dependent on your circumstances. The amount per Band D is set as follows:
|
|
2007/2008
£m |
2008/2009
£m |
2008/2009
Amount per Band D
property
£ |
|
No. of Band D Equivalent properties
|
62,976 |
63,131
|
|
|
Borough Net Expenditure |
119.087 |
127.207
|
|
|
Environment Agency Levy |
0.184 |
0.193 |
|
|
Budget Requirement
|
119.271 |
127.400 |
|
|
Less
Government Grant
National Non-Domestic Rate
Collection Fund (surplus)/deficit |
(7.027)
(41.874)
0.203 |
(6.517)
(46.814)
0.169
|
|
|
Net budget requirement |
70.573 |
74.238
|
1,175.94
|
|
Dorset Police Authority |
9.856
|
10.369 |
164.25
|
|
Dorset Fire and Rescue Service
|
3.350
|
3.523 |
55.80 |
|
Council Tax Requirement |
83.779 |
88,130 |
1,395.99 |
Council Tax for each Band
|
Band |
2007/2008
Amount per Property |
2008/2009
Amount per Property
|
Band Relationship |
|
A* |
£739.07 |
£775.55 |
5/9 |
|
A |
£886.89 |
£930.66 |
6/9 |
|
B |
£1,034.70 |
£1,085.77 |
7/9 |
|
C |
£1,182.52 |
£1,240.88 |
8/9 |
|
D |
£1,330.33 |
£1,395.99 |
1 |
|
E |
£1,625.96 |
£1,706.21 |
11/9 |
|
F |
£1,921.59 |
£2,016.43 |
13/9 |
|
G |
£2,217.22 |
£2,326.65 |
15/9 |
|
H |
£2,660.66 |
£2,791.98 |
2 |
A* = Band A property qualifying for reduction for disability
Budget Movements
The following table highlights the reasons for the change in the Council's budget:
|
|
Budget Requirement £m |
|
2007/08 Budget |
119.271 |
|
increased contribution to General Balances |
1.172 |
|
Non-recurring items |
(0.334) |
|
Changes in funding arrangements: |
|
|
Transfers from specific to general grant |
3.287 |
|
Add increased cost of service provision: |
|
|
Inflation on existing services (excluding schools) |
4.872 |
|
Budget pressures |
6.769 |
|
This has been offset by: |
|
|
Reduced cost of borrowings |
(0.219) |
|
Contribution from earmarked reserves |
(1.519) |
|
Increased interest earnings |
(1.400) |
|
Budget reductions and efficiency savings made |
(4.499) |
|
2008/09 Budget |
127.400 |
Services provided by Bournemouth Borough Council
The following table shows the estimated costs and income of the services to be provided by the Council for 2008/09, including a comparison with 2007/08.
|
|
Expenditure
£m |
Income
£m |
Net Costs
£m |
|
2007/08 |
2008/09 |
2007/08 |
2008/09 |
2007/08 |
2008/09 |
|
Schools |
97.3 |
100.5 |
97.3 |
99.4 |
0.0 |
1.1 |
|
Other Children's Services |
34.6 |
36.0 |
10.4 |
10.9 |
24.2 |
25.1 |
|
Adult Services |
69.5 |
76.9 |
29.5 |
29.7 |
40.0 |
47.2 |
|
Highways |
16.7 |
17.3 |
5.6 |
5.7 |
11.1 |
11.6 |
|
Housing and Benefits |
79.4 |
81.6 |
73.3 |
74.9 |
6.1 |
6.7 |
|
Environmental Health |
5.7 |
5.7 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
4.2 |
4.2 |
|
Refuse Collection and Disposal |
11.3 |
12.1 |
1.9 |
2.1 |
9.4 |
10.0 |
|
Leisure and Tourism |
29.6 |
30.4 |
16.1 |
16.8 |
13.5 |
13.6 |
|
BIC and Pavilion |
19.9 |
20.1 |
18.3 |
18.8 |
1.6 |
1.3 |
|
Planning and Development |
4.7 |
5.4 |
2.6 |
2.9 |
2.1 |
2.5 |
|
Other Services |
58.1 |
62.5 |
47.5 |
49.4 |
10.6 |
13.1 |
|
TOTAL |
426.8 |
448.5 |
304.0 |
312.1 |
122.8 |
136.4 |
|
Contribution to Capital |
2.3 |
2.1 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
2.3 |
2.1 |
|
Non-service operating items* |
0.0 |
(6.6) |
0.0 |
0.0 |
(6.7) |
(6.6) |
|
Gross Expenditure/Income |
|
|
|
|
118.4 |
131.9 |
|
Contribution to/(from) funds |
0.9 |
3.6 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.9 |
3.6 |
|
Budget Requirement
(before Area Based Grant) |
|
|
|
|
119.3 |
135.5 |
| Area Based Grant |
|
|
|
|
|
(8.1) |
|
Budget Requirement |
|
|
|
|
119.3 |
127.4 |
*The presentation of the above table varies as a result of changes in recommended accounting practice.
Proposed Capital Spend
The Council is planning to spend £39.2 million on capital projects during 2008/09, analysed as follows:
|
|
£m |
|
Adult Services |
1.4 |
|
Economy and Tourism |
10.5 |
|
Education and Children's Services |
10.3 |
|
Environment and Transport |
4.2 |
|
Housing and Procurement (including Council Housing) |
10.7 |
|
Resources - corporate & customer support |
1.4 |
|
Council wide - asset management |
0.7 |
|
TOTAL |
39.2 |
| |
|
