General council tax freeze recommended for final approval
Telford & Wrekin Council’s budget for 2023-24 has moved another step towards final approval at a meeting of the council’s cabinet today.
The draft budget, which includes feedback from the public and partner organisations following recent public consultation, has been approved by cabinet members and will now go for final approval at the full council meeting in March.
The budget proposals include a freeze in the level of general council tax for the second year running. This sees the borough’s residents keep the lowest council tax in the Midlands for the services the council provides for the sixth year in a row. The council will also have the second lowest council tax of all unitary councils across the country.
Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, Councillor Shaun Davies (Labour) said: “In a cost of living crisis we are not prepared to increase the level of general council tax. We know that times are tough for many residents and want to keep the bill as low as possible.
“Our commitment to keeping council tax low already saves households living in a Band D property around £228 a year compared to the Midlands average and we expect this saving to be even greater in the new financial year.
“It’s only because of the strong and robust management of the council’s finances since 2011 that we can do this.”
Budget papers also set out a proposal to increase the government’s adult social care charge by 2%. The increase could raise around £1.6 million towards the extra £7.26 million needed for adult social care next year
Cabinet Member for Finance, Governance and Customer Services, Councillor Rae Evans (Labour) said: “Next year, we’ll need over £61 million to care for some of our oldest and most vulnerable adults. The government have assumed that all councils will charge a 2% increase in the adult social care levy. In the absence of a long-term plan for social care funding from the government, councils across the country have little option but to impose this on local council tax bills.
“In Telford and Wrekin, the increase would cost households an extra 43 pence per week.”
Other proposals in the budget include:
•£40 million for transport and highways schemes to ensure roads and footpaths are clean and well maintained
•£12 million to help people through the cost of living crisis – including extra money for things like the council’s crisis assistance fund, local foodbanks and warm spaces
•£7 million into leisure and culture to support things like free swimming for under 25s and swimming lessons for the borough’s children
•£3.7 million for environmental improvements including the borough’s parks, nature reserves and green guarantee sites
Budget proposals will now be considered by elected members at a meeting of Full Council on 2 March.
More information on budget proposals is available at www.telford.gov.uk/budget
