Council Tax letter to residents

Dear Resident,

I am proud to call Sutton my home, a place full of hardworking, caring people, great parks, excellent schools, clean streets, and busy town centres.

We look after those who are made homeless, our older people and children and young people including those with special educational needs. Many of these essential services are paid for by your council tax. This letter is to explain how we spend your council tax and why it is having to increase.

This year, the government has changed the way it supports all councils in England. For Sutton, this has resulted in cuts to our funding.

In making this cut, the government has assumed that even more of our essential services will be funded by council tax.

Increasing council tax is not a decision we make lightly. We know that people in Sutton are still struggling with the cost of living, but to continue to deliver these essential services to the most vulnerable we must increase council tax. This alone will not be enough and the Council will also be making £13 million in savings this year.

From April, on average you will pay an extra £1.71 per week in council tax. The Mayor of London is also asking for an extra 39 pence via the Greater London Authority Charge. This makes a total increase of £2.10 per week.

Despite the challenges, this has been an important year for Sutton. Ofsted have rated us good for the support we provide to our children, as has the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for our care for adults. We also achieved the highest rating for our social housing services.

Last month, a landmark moment happened when the London Cancer Hub, in Belmont was given the green light. Once completed, the London Cancer Hub will be a world-leading site for cancer drug discovery and research. This will bring more businesses, investment and jobs to all of Sutton.

I love Sutton, it’s always been my home and I am committed to its success. Over the next few years, we will be working even harder to make sure that we spend every penny wisely. We will continue to build our local economy, keep our streets clean, look after our environment and support our local communities, all of which help to make Sutton such a great place to live.

Yours faithfully,

Councillor Barry Lewis
Leader of Sutton Council