Telford & Wrekin Council approves budget and freeze in council tax
Telford & Wrekin Council has approved its budget for 2011/12, which will see no increase in council tax bills with the Council continuing to have the lowest level of council tax for equivalent services in the Midlands.
A meeting of the Council on Thursday evening approved the budget which will see the council close a £20 million funding gap through a mixture of savings and use of one off money it has set aside.
This follows a £13.6 million reduction in Government grant next year, more than half the expected reduction over the next four years due to the national public funding deficit. This is on top of a £3m reduction in Government funding earlier this financial year.
Further savings are needed to meet the costs of growing demand for services and other pressures such as inflation and national insurance increases which bring the total savings the Council must find up to £20 million.
As well as a continued programme of efficiency savings, the Council is using a range of one-off monies to limit the impact on frontline services and staff.
This will allow the planned programme of service reviews and restructures to continue which are key to closing the ongoing shortfall in 2012/13 when the Council faces more grant reductions.
A number of changes were made to the budget following public consultation. Feedback from residents showed that 85% of those questioned supported the budget proposals, while 7% opposed them. Three out of four people also said that the Council’s budget strategy would benefit the community.
Services that will be affected by budget reductions from April include:
- Extending switching off street lightings in non-residential areas between midnight and 5am only
- Reviewing transport services including changes to subsidised bus services and Wrekin Connect
- Changing concessionary travel – offering free bus travel from 9.30am, instead of from 9am as the Council does now, except on four rural bus routes where there is no alternative bus service before 11am. This will bring the Council in line with national levels
- Reducing shrub-bed maintenance and the regularity of grass cutting and road sweeping
- Charging for pest control services which had previously been free
- Charging for delivery of new and additional grey bins only. Stolen, vandalised or damaged bins would not be charged.
- Introducing an annual charge for Flex cards (£7.50 for residents), which give discounts at leisure facilities and other services.
The budget also outlines key investments in social care services, a priority for the Council, plus one off funding for existing capital programmes that are being sustained over the next three years including:
- Creating new Sports and Learning Communities and continuing Building Schools for Future programme (£144m)
- Regeneration of the Southwater area in Telford Town Centre (over £51.7m)
- Regeneration through the Borough Towns Initiative (Dawley, Hadley, Newport, Oakengates Wellington - £17.3m)
- Maintaining roads and pavements (£19.8m)
- Improving Woodside and Sutton Hill (£5.2m)
- Improving Telford Town Park (£3.2m)
- Providing specialist, extra care housing for disabled adults and older people (£2.2m)
- Helping vulnerable people to stay in their own homes (£2.1m)
- Extra funding for Children’s Social Care to protect vulnerable children (£1.4m ongoing) and Adults’ Social Care (£1.6m ongoing)
Council leader Andrew Eade said: “For the first time in 12 years there will be no rise in council tax, already the lowest in the Midlands for services we provide, helping to ease the pressure on every home in the borough.
“Our priority has been to focus our resources on the services that the community tell us are most important – such as new schools, continuing the massive regeneration we have begun across the borough and boosting services for the most vulnerable members of our community.
“The national public sector deficit and the scale of resulting grant reductions leaves us with no choice but to make some savings from services to the public.
“But by using one-off savings and the early measures we have taken to restructure the Council, such as halving our senior management saving £1.75 million a year, we have successfully limited the effect on front line services next year.
“Our budget settlement from Government will unfortunately see our grants reduce again in 2012/13 and we will continue to consult with the community throughout the year to help us prepare for another difficult budget next March.”
Further consultation will follow on proposals for 2012/13 budget savings through the coming financial year.
