Partnership with Olympic Borough headlines in flagship IRRV magazine

Rundles success in securing a further 4-year contract with the London Borough of Newham earlier this year has been reported on by leading IRRV magazine Insight in the December edition of the monthly publication.

The full-page article covers ‘Newham’s tough approach to council tax evaders to complement the Olympic Host Borough’s high profile,’ which includes information on the Rundles partnership and a quote from Managing Director Chris Rundle.

The Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation produces a full range of publications targeted at practitioners working in the fields of local taxation, local authority administered benefits, non domestic rating and public and private sector valuation.

The flagship magazines are Insight, which goes monthly to all members of the IRRV, and bi-monthly Benefit, read by subscribers primarily within local authority benefits departments.

The full article on Rundles and the London Borough of Newham reads as follow…

The London Borough of Newham is continuing its campaign of clamping down on council tax evaders after recently re-appointing Rundles to recover outstanding debt for the next five years, further extending a long standing relationship between the two parties.

The Newham area itself has embarked on a major phase of development in recent years, particularly since being chosen as the host borough for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The new Westfield Shopping Centre, which opened in September, is the largest urban shopping centre in Europe, and shares its postcode with the Olympic Park. These two introductions alone, along with a number of other impressive developments, have led to a vast increase in jobs and visitors to the area.

Talking about a campaign to get tougher on council tax evaders however, the council’s website warns residents of their approach by stating it is “letting council tax dodgers know we will no longer put up with them not paying”.

The Olympic host borough admitted to having taken a “more hard line approach” since 2007, recognising that collection of outstanding debt is necessary to further improve the services provided by the borough. Warrants of arrest and committal order applications have both been made through the courts against non-payers since that time, and tougher actions have resulted in several suspended prison sentences for persistent evaders.

Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, supports the message to residents that they could be looking at bankruptcy, losing their home or even a prison sentence if they fail to pay their council tax. “While the majority of our residents pay their council tax on time, a number persistently avoid paying it, despite receiving numerous summonses, liability orders and even bailiff action,” he notes on the council website.

“While none of us enjoys paying bills, council tax is necessary – it means that we all have the services that improve our lives such as cleaner streets, staff in our schools and meals on wheels for our elderly. Those people who do not pay put a greater burden on those who do pay.”

A further improvement in the area is the Enterprise Zone status, which was awarded to Newham as part of the 2011 budget. Sir Robin Wales urged the Chancellor to grant the zone to Newham, allowing looser planning rules and discounts on business rates, in order to encourage yet more investment in the area. “We have already had success in getting people into work through our Workplace model, but it’s vital we create more jobs for people over the coming years,” said the elected Mayor earlier this year. “It is also vital that these new zones do not repeat the mistakes of the past and deliver benefits to our workless community. We will now focus on working closely with government on the detail of the zone, to ensure it meets the needs of Newham and gets the maximum benefit for new and existing businesses.”

Debt recovery is still critical however, and this latest contract award covers the recovery of council tax, business rates and sundry debts until 2016, continuing a long standing partnership that will have spanned for at least a decade at the conclusion of the term. Rundles has provided impressive recovery rates for Newham since 2004, and this new contract further strengthens the company’s growing portfolio of clients in London and the south east.

“We are delighted to be re-appointed as a service provider to the London Borough of Newham,” said Managing Director Chris Rundle. “The Borough is living in exciting times, and we are proud to have been a partner during this rapid period of development and beyond.

“Improving existing client relationships is of great importance, as it is testament to the services we provide over a consistent and sustained period. We never rest on our laurels however, and we will continue to improve our services provided to Newham by evolving our latest enforcement techniques and technologies as part of this contract. I am delighted that the long standing partnership between Rundles and Newham will continue for more than ten years and hopefully long after that.”

As for Newham, the Borough is about to embark on arguably the most important and exciting 12 months in its history, which it is keen for its residents, businesses and visitors to embrace and enjoy. But judging by its impressive stance on council tax evaders you’d be wrong to think the local authority is merely focussed on the Olympic Games and not on its services.

If you are interested in any of the services provided by Rundles, please contact our Business Development Manager Mike Harkins on 08456 585040 or at mharkins@rundles.org.uk.