Surrey Heath tops council tax collection rates

Released on 09 July 2012

Surrey Heath has been named as the top performing local authority in the country for domestic council tax collection rates.

Latest figures released by the Department for Communities and Local Government show that payments by Surrey Heath residents from April 2011 up to the end of March 2012 were almost 100%, at 99.5%. The national average is 97.3%.

Finance portfolio holder for Surrey Heath, Councillor Richard Brooks, said: "Topping the list for the highest collection rates in the country is a great achievement for the borough. Minimising debts helps keep council tax as low as possible and means funds are available towards running all our local services, from waste collection, street cleansing to looking after parks and community services.

"Praise must go to residents for paying their bills on time and we have a range of methods in place to do so such as by Direct Debit, via our website, or our 24 hour automated payment line."

Almost 73% of residents already pay their council tax by Direct Debit which is the easiest method for residents and the most cost effective for the council.

Surrey Heath Borough Council is responsible for collecting council tax from more than 35,000 households, not only for the services it provides, but also on behalf of Surrey County Council, Surrey Police Authority and local parish councils.