ROADS CASH
SO the Cheshire East Council budget has been set, billing residents another 2.99 per cent council tax and describes which services will be delivered.
But the legal obligation of councils to deliver a balanced budget, inevitably results in the annual turbulence of political opinion.
Money is tight, adult and children’s social care is desperately pressured and infrastructure needs investment.
It’s great news that after three years of minimal highways investment (just £4.7m), by the LabourIndependent coalition, the Conservative amendment to front-load £19m of highways capital investment over the next three years was accepted; funded by prudent borrowing and extra Government New Homes Bonus funding. It will provide significant repairs that will last years rather than a few weeks.
It’s recognised that all residents are experiencing rising bills. A further 2.99 council tax rise (on top of last year’s maximum 4.99 rise), will impact most on those only just coping.
Conservative proposals to reduce council tax by 1 per cent (£2.4m) were rejected first on a constitutional technicality and secondly because such a reduction would require a reworking of non-social care finances.
We are used to this administration’s selective memory when blaming national government for pretty much everything (despite all Covid costs having been met by government).But this administration established a new reserve in 2019, referred to as the ‘smoothing’ fund, to ease budget variations over the life of the budget.
It currently holds nearly £8m. Last year’s council tax rise has added nearly £12m to the base budget year on year, £7m was saved by the move to home working during lockdown and the council received an additional, unexpected £6.2m from the December’s government settlement.
This administration needs to understand the difference between taking from residents because they can and what will be indirectly saved if, quite simply, we protect residents by not taking too much. Councillor Janet Clowes, Conservative group leader, CEC