We would like to thank everyone who took part in the consultation, without whose valuable input the consultation would not have been possible.
All the responses from the consultation were taken into account and a final decision was made at Full Council on 7 March 2017.
The outcome of this meeting was that the council agreed the budget for 2017/8. As with previous years Members also took the decision not to increase in Council Tax to fund general services, and instead agreed to apply a 3 per cent social care precept to Council Tax bills in 2017/18 which will be spent exclusively on helping to provide support and take care of our elderly and vulnerable adult residents.
Overview
This has been updated to reflect the additional flexibilities relating to the Adult Social Care Precept on 15 December 2016
The council faces an estimated budget gap of £61.5million which we need to close by 2020. This is a result of reduced funding from Government, as well as increasing pressure and demand for our services due to a growing and ageing population.
In 2017/18, the council will need to save £22.2million, as part of our wider financial plan for 2017- 2020, called the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). Some of the proposals in the 2017/18 budget consultation will save money, or generate income, beyond next year. Making changes gradually over several years is how we successfully saved £112million between 2011 and 2016, while protecting frontline services. It also gave us time to fully explore the options for savings required to 2020, and monitor how the changes may affect residents, particularly more vulnerable people.
We want to close the budget gap while still delivering the commitments for the borough set out in our Corporate Plan and continuing to invest in the things that matter most, such as schools, transport and housing.
We want to hear your views on the overall budget for 2017/18, options for Council Tax, and the savings being proposed. These savings are divided across the portfolios of the council’s Theme Committees, including Adults and Safeguarding; Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding; and Environment. This will help to inform the final decision on our 2017/18 annual budget.
This consultation does not replace separate consultations on service changes that will affect particular service users or groups of residents in 2017/18. These have already happened, or are currently taking place – giving you an opportunity to comment on these specific proposals in detail. Links to our current service specific budget consultations are provided at the bottom of this page.
For more information on how we are meeting the challenge, options for Council Tax, and the savings we are proposing to make in 2017/18, please take the time to read our consultation document in full. This has been updated following the Government’s Local Government Finance Settlement announcement on 15 December 2016.
Alternatively, in the consultation document you can read about the areas you are interested in (listed below), and you will then be given an opportunity to answer the relevant questions within the questionnaire:
- Our Financial Challenge and Opportunity to 2020
- Your views on Council Tax options
- Policy and Resources Committee
- Adults and Safeguarding Committee
- Children’s, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding Committee
- Environment Committee
- Assets, Regeneration and Growth Committee
- Community Leadership Committee
- Housing Committee
You can also view the full Policy and Resources Committee report on the council’s Business Planning Process, which sets out the council’s proposed budget for the period 2017/18 here.
Why we are consulting
We are keen to give everyone – residents, businesses, and local community groups – the opportunity to have their say on our proposals.
We want to know your views on:
- the overall budget for 2017/18
- options for Council Tax
- the proposed savings we have identified for 2017/18.
We also want to give you an opportunity to suggest alternative ways that the council could meet the challenges ahead.
The findings of this consultation will be considered before the final budget is agreed by Full Council on 7 March 2017.
