Council Tax and Business Rates September Payment

A large number of payments that were due on 30 August and 1 September were unfortunately taken twice due to a processing error within the banking system. Please note that this was entirely a banking system mistake and not caused by the Council or its staff. 

The error was first noticed very late on Friday when we immediately published a brief statement on our website and began working with our bank to reverse the duplicate transactions. 

Whilst we pushed for a rapid resolution, the process was not straightforward, and we were reliant on the bank to refund individual accounts. 

I am pleased to note that they have confirmed that all duplicate payments were refunded on Tuesday 2 September. 

We are very sorry that this incident occurred and apologise for the inconvenience it has caused. We hope that our prompt actions helped to cause as little disruption as possible for residents and businesses. 

Many residents contacted us as soon as they noticed the duplicate payments and we thank them for their diligence in doing so. Our Customer Services and Council Tax teams have dealt with hundreds of phone calls, emails, and a significantly higher number of in-person visits than usual. Staff have been working to support those affected and minimise any disruption or stress. While our immediate priority has been ensuring the correct refunds are in place, the team is now working through processing payments that were not successfully collected. 

If residents or businesses have incurred charges as a direct result of this banking error, they should contact their bank in the first instance. If, however further support is needed, then please contact our Customer Services team for additional advice on 01594 810000 or email [email protected]. 

We recognise the concern this incident has caused and remain committed to supporting those affected and working with the bank to ensure that such an error cannot happen again. 

Nigel Brinn 
Chief Executive Officer