COUNCIL TAX for Liverpool City Council services is to go up by 3.3 per cent from April.

It means a 49p a week rise for Band A properties - paid by the vast majority of tax payers in Liverpool.

The increase is substantially below the average tax rise being levied nationwide - expected to be 4.5 per cent.

City council leader Councillor Warren Bradley said: "We have listened very carefully to local people before agreeing this rise. They want to see improvements to services they have seen over recent years continue, but they also want to see a tight rein kept on the council's finances.

"We have achieved this. We have kept the council tax increase to a minimum, we are saving £6.3 million through an efficiency drive and at the same time protecting services such as educating our children and looking after the elderly. 

"We are investing extra cash to improve services that the public have told us are a priority. All youngsters under 17 will be able to apply for a FREE pass to use the city's sports, leisure and fitness centres. This will help young people keep fit, develop their talents and give them something positive to do with their time.

"Recycling is another priority. We will be piloting a comprehensive doorstep collection service to vastly improve our recycling rates, with the aim of rolling out the new service throughout the city.

"And we are launching a radical new plan to give local communities a greater say in the services that affect their lives. In future, local people will decide the priorities for their area - from everything from community safety measures, and street cleansing to highway repairs and maintenance of parks and open spaces.

"This will mean over the next three years millions of pounds being spent by local neighbourhood committees, made up of local councillors and community representatives. They are the best people to decide on local priorities."

The improved recycling service will cost an additional £250,000 and free leisure passes for young people £170,000.
The city council is also increasing its contribution to the Liverpool Culture Company by a further £1 million to a total of £9.6million next year, as the city gears-up to the Capital of Culture celebrations in 2008.

£253 million is to be paid directly to the city's 184 schools.

In a prudent measure recommended by the Audit Commission, the council has again increased its working balances, which will be at their highest ever level of £7million at the end of the financial year.

The levy for Police services is to rise by 5 per cent for 2006/07, and 3.6 per cent for Fire and Rescue services. The total increase for all council services and levies next year is 3.6 per cent.

Councillor Keith Turner, the executive member for resources, said: "We have worked incredibly hard to keep the council tax rise down to a minimum. Our grant settlement from the government went up by just two per cent - one of the lowest in Britain - and did not even cover the increase in our wage bill. But we have looked very hard at the budget to come up with the savings needed to keep our number one pledge to the people of Liverpool: To keep the Council Tax down as low as possible.

"Over half of our budget - a massive £364 million - is spent on children. Our education and services for young people have been recognised by Ofsted and the Audit Commission as some of the best in the country. We are proud of this record. We have been able to transform these services with record levels of investment - and this has only been achieved by the excellent management of the council's finances.

"We have cut costs and reduced waste by a massive £120m million in recent years - enabling that cash to be reinvested in services and to keep the council tax down.

"Seven years ago we had the highest council tax in the land and the third worst services. Today, we are plummeting down the council tax list of shame - and are now well outside the top 100 highest council tax. Many of our services are now recognised as being among the best."

In addition to the council's revenue budget, the Council has also approved its capital programme for next year. More than £200 is being invested in major projects, including the new Kings Dock arena, the new Olympic-sized pool at Picton and improvements to roads and pavements.