Views on Bath and North East Somerset Council’s spending plans including Council Tax levels, savings and ways to raise income, are being sought as the council faces escalating costs in its Children’s and Adult services.
The council today launched its budget consultation on the draft proposals for the next financial year 2025 to 2026. The consultation runs until 5pm on Monday 20 January 2025.
The consultation is on the operational spend of the council’s day-to-day services, known as the revenue budget. It does not refer to one-off spending on infrastructure such as transport projects, known as capital schemes, which form separate budget proposals. The council’s proposed capital programme will be included in the budget papers being presented to cabinet and Council in February.
There are two types of growth proposals being consulted on with a total value of £13,764,000. This is to address increased costs and demands primarily due to growth pressures as a result of the cost of social care including placements for children and young people with special needs and Home to School Transport.
To address the increased costs ambitious projects are already under way which in the long-term will reduce the impact of rising costs in Children’s and Adult Services – particularly on what are called out-of-area placements.
Image: Guildhall and Bath Abbey
Schemes at Culverhay, Charlton House, in Keynsham, and a development in Englishcombe Lane, Bath, will provide local specialist education and purpose-built accommodation for vulnerable children and adults. However, these do not address the immediate budget challenges.
The council agreed its 2024/25 budget in February and at the same time set out savings and income generation plans, as well as funding requirements, to achieve a balanced budget for 2025-26. However, since then it has faced escalating costs and has had to look again at additional savings and ways to raise income. These were set out in the Medium Term Financial Strategy which was reported to cabinet in September.
In order to help meet the additional funding requirement in 2025/26, and subject to confirmation through the funding settlement, £3.8m of funding, estimated as a result of the autumn budget, has also been identified.
Given that this still leaves a funding gap, the council is therefore now consulting on Council Tax, savings, and income measures designed to deliver a balanced budget, as required by law. Even with these proposed changes the council would have the fourth lowest council tax in the South West unitary councils.
The proposals include increasing Green Bin charges from £57 to £70 a year, a rise in charges for residents’ parking permits and a Council Tax rise totalling 4.99% including the Adult Social Care precept.
Each of the saving and income items set out impacts and Equality Impact Assessments which the cabinet and Council will consider when decisions are made on the budget in February.
The final budget proposals for 2025 to 2026, which will be considered by cabinet on 13 February and Full Council on 25 February, will also reflect any other changes to the council’s finances, including the level of central government funding, which should be confirmed later in December.
Proposals will be scrutinised by the Corporate Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel on 28 January, before going to cabinet and Council.
To view our savings and income proposals and to respond to the consultation, go to our budget consultation pages on our website.
The consultation will close at 5pm on 20 January 2025.
The detailed budget proposals will be drawn up and presented for consideration by councillors at the following meetings:
- Children, Adults, Health and Wellbeing Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel on 13 January 2025
- Corporate Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel on 14 January 2025
- Climate Emergency and Sustainability Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel on 16 January 2025
- Corporate Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel on 28 January 2025
If you need support, a printed survey, information in another format including audio, braille, large print or in another language, or you would like to feedback on any other aspect of this consultation, please contact budget@bathnes.gov.uk or call 01225 396053.
Completed forms can be returned to Budget Consultation, Lewis House, Manvers Street, Bath, BA1 1JG.
Information about all budget meetings is listed on the council's meeting calendar web page. Meetings will also be available to view on the Council's YouTube channel.
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