Barnsley Council warns of tax collection shortfall in latest performance report
Barnsley Council is forecasting a shortfall in council tax and business rates collection, according to its first-quarter performance report.
Between April and June, council tax collection was 0.46 per cent below target and 0.43 per cent lower than the same period last year. Business rates collection is projected to fall 1.54 per cent short of target, 1.43 per cent below last year’s position.
The authority said the dip was linked to cost-of-living pressures facing households and businesses, alongside delays at the Valuation Office Agency which have slowed recovery. New measures, including data sharing with HMRC to obtain employment details from non-payers, are being introduced.
The report also showed that more than seven in ten complaints were upheld during the quarter, up from 60 per cent last year. Growth and Sustainability and Adult Social Care services fell short of their targets, while Core Services and Public Health fared better.
Elsewhere, staff sickness rates fell compared with the previous quarter, with fewer days lost to stress and anxiety-related absence. Town centre anti-social behaviour also dropped by 21 per cent, which the council credited to joint patrols by wardens.
The report was discussed at Barnsley Council’s cabinet meeting on Wednesday, 17 September.