Council Tax Decision 2021/22

Council Tax levels for 2021/22 were confirmed at a meeting of Full Council last night. Dover District Council confirmed the district council part of the bill for 2021/22 for a Band D property will be £197.19, an increase of 2.57%.  The average total Council Tax bill for Band D properties in the district will be £1,986, an increase of 4.84%. 

The total Council Tax bill includes elements of Council Tax for Kent County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent, Dover District Council, Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue, and Town and Parish Councils. The Dover District Council Tax element remains the lowest in East Kent.  

This follows an unprecedented year for everyone, where Dover District Council has continued to provide key services, and plan for the future, while providing a whole range of vital support to communities through the COVID pandemic.  

DDC has also been preparing for the EU Transition, including the need to create an expanded Dover Port Health Function. 

The 2021/22 budget incorporates a fully funded capital programme and a balanced Housing Revenue Account. Housing projects include an ambitious ongoing programme to build up to 500 new affordable homes across the district, including interim housing to help those facing homelessness. 

Forthcoming projects include a range of work to protect the environment, following DDC’s declaration of a climate emergency and our aim for DDC to become a net zero carbon emitter by 2030.  Projects include new EV charging points, reduced emissions from our new waste collection contract, and decarbonisation initiatives at DDC’s Whitfield offices and Dover Museum. 

The general fund budget for 2021/22 forecasts a deficit of around £500K and if required, some of the Council’s reserves will be used to absorb the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on income and expenditure. 

Cllr Chris Vinson, DDC Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “I know just how challenging the past year has been for residents and businesses across our district. However, despite these challenges we’re in a much better financial position than many other local authorities elsewhere in the country. Our years of prudent financial management and significant support from the government during the pandemic have really paid off. This is a carefully considered budget, prioritising key areas like housing, town centre renewal and tackling climate change. It will enable us to continue to provide vital services, while still investing in the future of our local area.” 

Cllr Trevor Bartlett, Leader of Dover District Council, said: “As we move into 2021, we look forward to embracing opportunities ahead. This includes a range of projects across the district, from plans for the regeneration of Dover Town Centre, including the use of provisional funding of over £3.2M from the Future High Street Fund, to works on Sandwich Guildhall Forecourt and the renovation of Deal Timeball Tower.  We have a range of projects to invest in our district and communities, support high streets back to recovery, promote tourism across the area, and protect the environment for future generations. We also look forward to welcoming The Open back to Sandwich this year, and to progressing our Local Plan, setting out the vision and framework for future development in the district to 2040.” 

For more details, please see the Budget report to Full Council on the DDC website at www.dover.gov.uk/meetings

Notes to Editors 

While Dover District Council is responsible for the collection of Council Tax in the district, DDC’s part of the overall Council Tax bill is around 10% of the total collected. 

The total Council Tax charge for a Band D property is made up as follows: 

Town and Parish Council precepts are set by Town and Parish Councils for their areas, ranging from £30.70 to £135.96 for a Band D property.  For illustrative purposes, an average figure for these is taken.