‘Sustainable’ budget approved as council errs on cautious spending
CALDERDALE COUNCILLORS have passed a “robust, balanced and sustainable” budget following a near four-hour and at times acrimonious meeting.
Leader of the Council, Coun Tim Swift (Lab, Town), whose ruling Labour group successfully pushed through the measures, made the claim and said their proposals included some growth but they had to be cautious.
Some of the measures approved are controversial, including budgeting £150,000 to help increase salaries for drivers who work for contractor Suez, in the light of the HGV driver crisis, which opposition groups attacked.
Council Tax payers will see a 2.99 per cent increase in what they pay for services – a 1.99 per cent increase which the Government allows councils to levy without a local referendum and an extra one per cent specifically earmarked for social care.
Other measures passed in the budget, which will see the council spend around £177 million, includes extra money to fund social care, statutory duties which now take up 71 per cent of the council’s annual budget.
Also included is funding to drive forward projects in North Halifax, development of the new leisure centre at North Bridge, Halifax, and a new heating system for the pool at Todmorden Leisure Centre, with Cabinet member for Climate Change and Resilience, Coun
Scott Patient (Lab, Luddenden Foot) confirming that Government funding has been granted for this project.
Funding to tackle planning issues, to overhaul the council’s security system and additional staffing for the IT service desk have also been approved.
Savings which have to be made to compensate include a seven per cent rise in the cost of bereavement services, maximum care charges increasing by £50 per week by 2024-25, and cuts found by reconfiguring some services and losing or redeploying staff.
Coun Swift said significant money was being put into social care against a background which included recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, a doz
en years of cuts in grant from Government and uncertainty for the future with only a one year settlement given to local authorities.
“It’s time to end this nightmare of stopgap funding, cut out the endless stream of competitive bidding for pots of money and make sure that every council has a long-term sustainable settlement that meets the needs of of our communities, that addresses the challenges of funding social care and allows us to make long-term plans for
the services and investment that Calderdale and our communities need and deserve.
“Against that background our first priority is to ensure that we have a robust, balanced and sustainable budget,” he said.
Coun Swift said it was not the time to put at risk the “excellent” track record of the administration and its officers for sound financial management.