In 2013/14 and 2014/15 DCLG has paid Billing Authorities a combined total for each financial year of £3.3 billion to officially pass on to parish councils in their areas to minimise the impact of the reduction in revenue following the diminution of average council tax bases in parished areas. In 2014/15 most Billing Authorities passed on the Localisation of Council Tax Support Scheme (LCTSS) mitigation grant to parishes in their areas, but 15 did not.
NALC lobbied the Government very hard to ensure that it put pressure on Billing Authorities to pass on to all parishes in their areas the maximum amount of LCTSS mitigation grant in 2015/16.
Thus the impact of the average 10% reduction to parish council tax bases over the last two financial years has been minimised so that services can continue as seamlessly as possible in parished areas.
Despite uncertainty as to how much capital funding the current Coalition Government is referring on to Billing Authorities in 2015/16 due to the intervening General Election, the National and County Associations will continue to lobby Government as hard as they possibly can to ensure that maximum LCTSS funding is passed on to Billing Authorities and that the Government communicates its expectation that the monies should be passed on to parish councils in their areas. NALC will know the Government's intentions by the Local Government Finance Settlement in December, 2014 and the sector will be advised accordingly.
If your council feels sufficiently strongly that your unitary authority is not passing on the support grant then you may wish to send your comments directly to DCLG here or lobby your own MP:
Bracknell Dr Phillip Lee
Maidenhead Theresa May
Newbury Richard Benyon
Reading East Rob Wilson
Reading West Alok Sharma
Slough Fiona Mactaggart
Windsor Adam Afriyie
Wokingham John Redwood
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