Council tax freeze agreed by Horsham District Council

All councillors bar one voted for the freeze at a full council meeting last night (Wednesday February 26).

George Cockman (Independent, Ashurst and Steyning) said: “If we had raised the tax that it was possible to raise, by an extra 0.5 per cent, we would in the last three years collected just less than half a million pound every year.

“How can we be anything other than totally serious about a very major source of income particularly when we have evidence of our parent company currently trying to sell us deals that in the long run end up to their advantage rather than ours.”

He said residents would have forgotten about the extra cost by now, which would have amounted to around £8 a head over that period.

Councillor Peter Burgess (Con, Holbrook West) said: “I’ve never been able to understand the need to raise council tax.

If you have a low income and the council tax is increased by one or two pounds, for the people who are poor it means they don’t eat, and if you go along to Age UK you will see for yourself.

“It doesn’t matter to myself or Brian [Donelly (Con, Pulborough and Coldwaltham)] it just means we get a bit less scotch or brandy but it does mean people will have to go short on essentials.”

Jim Rae (Con, Holbrook East) welcomed the freeze and added it will put more money in the pockets of those who need it most.