Residents could face 2.9% council tax rise

EXCLUSIVE: Possible increase for Dundee as the cost-of-living crisis grows

Dundee residents could face a 2.9% increase in council tax next year, with the SNP administration saying it would use the rise to tackle poverty and climate change, and spark an economic recovery.

Finance bosses at Dundee City Council said the hike was equivalent to an extra 77p a week, and would bring in more than £1.6 million to tackle fuel poverty and the attainment gap.

The full draft budget, which will be presented to councillors next Thursday, will also allow for a further £3m of borrowing to fund improvements to parks, open spaces, playparks, environmental initiatives and a city improvement fund. Dundee City Council’s finance spokesman Willie Sawers, pictured, said: “This budget sets out our priorities very clearly.

“We have sought to minimise any increase in the council tax, keeping it to the equivalent of 77p per week and under 3%, while using any monies generated in a targeted way to help those most in need. In that sense, our budget is redistributive.”

The administration faces having to balance the books after being met with a £4.5m repair bill for the Olympia swimming pool and more than £4m for a blunder that saw roofs installed on more than 400 homes that were below safety standards.

Cash-strapped Dundee residents face being hit by a 2.9% council tax increase next year, we can exclusively reveal.

The city’s SNP administration says the rise, which will bring in more than £1.6 million extra for the local authority, will be earmarked to tackle fuel poverty and the attainment gap.

It will also be used to support child poverty initiatives and mental health services.

Scottish Government Finance Secretary Kate Forbes announced in December the council tax freeze would be lifted.

Extra cash raised in Dundee through the increase will be part of an additional spend next year of nearly £3m, with the rest of the money coming from savings in other areas.

Spending will be focused on “tackling social inequality, climate change, improving the environment and communities and driving economic recovery”.

The full draft budget, which will be presented to councillors next Thursday, also allows for a further £3m of borrowing to fund improvements to parks, open spaces, play parks, environmental initiatives and a city improvement fund.

Among the major announcements will be:

● £1.6m to tackle social inequality – poverty, fairness, mental health, educational attainment and the energy crisis;

● £450,000 to support economic recovery initiatives – funding for businesses and events, and support for roles that bring in external funding;

● £400,000 to enhance communities and the natural environment – environmental improvements, increased staffing and funding to tackle anti-social behaviour;

● £210,000 for the city’s approach to tackling climate change, including further development work on active travel (supported by £750,000 of capital investment), addressing air quality and supporting Dundee’s Climate Leadership Group.

Council finance spokesman Willie Sawers said: “This budget sets out our priorities very clearly.

“We have sought to minimise any increase in the council tax, keeping it to the equivalent of 77p per week and under 3%, whilst using any monies generated in a targeted way to help those most in need.

“In that sense, our budget is redistributive.”

Councillors in Dundee face having to balance the books after being met with a £4.5m repair bill on the Olympia swimming pool and more than £4m for a blunder that saw roofs installed on more than 400 homes below safety standards.

Mr Sawers said tackling poverty, climate change and driving economic growth are “key priorities” for the administration.

“We know that actions speak louder than words and we believe that this budget provides the actions that the city needs right now,” he said.

“Despite the backdrop of more than a decade of Westminster austerity, cuts to welfare support and Brexit, our administration has sought to minimise the impact on our citizens.”

Changing winter gritting schedules could result in savings of £75,000.

However, implementing this would mean there will be fewer vehicles able to treat category two roads, which would have an impact on some school transport routes.

In conjunction with the proposal to cut coverage, the council says this would mean the number of gritters and snowploughs being deployed dropping to 23, with “reduced resilience in times of severe weather and no breakdown cover”.

A total of £150,000 could be saved by reducing the spending on modern apprenticeships by onethird, meaning from 12 to 16 fewer opportunities available each year.

The council says: “The reduction would require our workforce planning proposals in some hardto-fill areas to be fundamentally reviewed and will limit choices,” adding that this “could limit opportunities for young people from more disadvantaged background to start a career”.

Councillors previously agreed to a provisional council tax rise of 4.25% for 2022-23.

Elsewhere, the council has unveiled a revised capital budget for the years ahead – which includes a rise of £23.5m in the combined spending on

Perth High School, Blairgowrie Recreation Centre, the primary school at Bertha Park, the schools audio visual programme and priority flood protection schemes.

There is also a recommended £90m investment in the PH20 project, which would provide a replacement for Perth Leisure Pool and Dewars Centre with a major new leisure facility.

Mr Glen said: “Like all councils in Scotland, we are facing difficult decisions regarding our budget this year.

“Rising inflation means many services and projects are costing more to deliver.

“In addition, demand for services and the changing needs of our residents is adding further pressure to the council budget.

“I am pleased that the budget report also outlines an organisational wide transformation and change programme that will help address the significant financial, economic, social and environmental challenges the council and local communities face.

“These officer proposals underline investment in our economic wellbeing strategy, ambitious climate change priorities agreed by the council and ongoing support to our ambitious capital programme.

“To redirect our limited resources to these priority areas, officers have had to identify a number of options to make budget reductions in other service areas.

“These include areas such as internal administration costs, winter maintenance and community green space while seeking to minimise the impact on our communities, and in particular, the most vulnerable individuals.”

The Courier contacted several councillors, but most have been unavailable.

Those we have spoken to – Chris Ahern (Conservatives), Bob Brawn (Conservatives), Stewart Donaldson (SNP) and

Richard Watters (SNP) – have declined to comment until the budget is set. So, what happens next? Councillors will meet virtually from 9.30am on February 23 to discuss the budget proposals and agree on spending plans for 2022-23.

Although the ideas for cuts have come from council officials, the final decisions will lie with elected members – who will either have to impose the cuts suggested or find other ways to save or raise cash.

The position is made more complex by the fact the council is run by a minority Conservative administration.

PRIORITIES: Dundee finance spokesman Willie Sawers. Picture by Kim Cessford.

DIFFICULT CUTS: To achieve the desired savings of £4.5m from the council’s budget, councillors will have to consider scrapping all school crossing patrollers, reducing winter road and footpath gritting and maintenance, and ending free swimming lessons for primary school pupils, among other difficult choices, at their meeting next Wednesday.