No clearer on budget savings

As council tax rise of 5% approved

People in Stirling are still in the dark over potential budget cuts, despite councillors approving a council tax rise of almost five per cent this week.

The decision to increase the bills by 4.84 per cent, the maximum permitted without penalty from the Scottish Government, was confirmed by Stirling Council at a special meeting yesterday (Thursday).

The increase means the new rate of council tax for average Band D properties in Stirling is £1,344.29 – a weekly increase of £1.19.

The SNP/Labour administration said the new rate would allow the council to raise an additional £0.916million in comparison to last year’s three per cent increase cap, boosting the total budget by approximately £2.410million.

However, delays in UK and Scottish Government budgets had resulted in the decision having to be made ahead of a special full budget meeting scheduled for March 12 when options for cuts, spending and income generation will finally be debated.

Councillors have been barred from telling their communities just what savings options have been put on the table by council officers, the list having been deemed “exempt” until the agenda is released just days before the meeting.

Yesterday, Tory group leader councillor Neil Benny unsuccessfully argued that not only should councillors be able to talk openly about these in their discussions, but the public should be privy to them well in advance of the budget meeting and not just a few days before.

While council leader Scott Farmer renewed his ongoing argument that needless anxiety could be caused by issuing ideas which ultimately no councillors would vote for or find palatable, Councillor Benny described it as “patronising” to Stirling’s communities.

The Tories also failed to find backing for their amendment that, should the local government finance settlement result in a better financial outcome than expected, officers should identify further ways of using the funding.

Councillor Farmer said later: “Council tax provides the backbone of funding for our services and, when set against a backdrop of continuing uncertainty over the national budget process and the continued reduction in funding for Scottish local authorities, choosing anything other than the maximum increase would mean the additional funding would have to come from our service budgets.

“That wasn’t an option as we will always prioritise service provision over making cuts.”

At the same meeting, councillors also took the decision to increase housing rents by 3.2 per cent for the year ahead.

The Housing Advisory Group and tenants had been asked to choose between a rise of 3.2 or four per cent to fund estimated cost pressures faced by housing services. Of 843 responses received, 77 per cent in favour of the lower figure.

Depute council leader Councillor Danny Gibson said: “A greater increase would have funded the expansion of solar panels and battery storage, which would ultimately reduce tenant energy bills and fuel poverty, as well as address climate and environmental concerns.

“However, the support was not there for that and we are confident the 3.2 per cent increase is sufficient to fund the increasing cost pressures on our housing service in the coming year.”

The 3.2 per cent increase will mean the average rent will increase by £2.35 per week over the 48-week rental period, moving from £73.42 in 2019/20 to £76.36 in 2020/21.