General Budget Consultation 2020/21

We would like to thank the 185 residents who took part in the consultation. The findings and recommendations were reported to Policy and Resources Committee on 19 February and Full Council on the 3 March 2020. You can also read the Consultation Report

Overview

Barnet has taken a long-term approach to financial planning in difficult circumstances. We have saved over £174million between 2010 and 2019 and protected frontline services as far as possible. However, with funding decreasing and increases in the demand and costs of services, the next few years will continue to present further challenges.

Looking forward we face an anticipated budget gap of £71.9million to 2024/25, this includes a £17.3million budget gap for the next financial year 2020/21.

Despite these challenges we remain ambitious for Barnet and the people who live and work here. We must now prioritise our limited resources effectively and develop plans to deliver the best outcomes for residents within these financial constraints.

For more information on how we plan to meet these challenges please take the time to read our consultation document. You can also read the Policy and Resources Committee Business Planning Report which sets out in full the council’s proposed budget for 2020/21 here.

What are we seeking your views on?

We are keen to give everyone – Barnet residents, residents who live outside the borough and who use our services, businesses, and local community groups – the opportunity to have their say on our proposals. In particular, we are seeking your views on:

• the overall budget, and our savings and income generation proposals for 2020/21
• our proposal to increase General Council Tax by 1.99%
• our proposal to apply an Adult Social Care Precept on Council Tax of 2% to help pay for adult social care.

Give us your views

Please take the time to read our consultation document before completing our questionnaire.

If you require a paper copy of the consultation document and questionnaire, or another format, please email budgetconsultation@barnet.gov.uk or telephone the Consultation Team on 020 8359 7016.

The findings from the consultation will be reported to Policy and Resources Committee on the 19 February 2020 and will then be considered by Full council on 3 March 2020 before final approval of the 2020/21 budget.