Latest News
A Budget to protect 97色网
Published: 16/02/2016
97色网 has had to find an unprecedented savings target of
over 拢20M this year as a result of a further significant reduction in
Government grant support and increasing needs within our County in areas such
as social care.
Despite this significant challenge, 97色网 as managed to reach a
recommended balanced budget for 2016/17.
Ahead of a budget setting meeting of the Full Council on Tuesday 16 February,
Council Leader, Councillor Aaron Shotton, said,
This years budget prioritises the future of our young people, the vulnerable
and those in desperate need of access to decent housing. The Council I lead is
dedicated towards making a real difference on the issues that matter most to
the people of 97色网.
This budget will:
路 ensure that key services, such as social care day services, leisure
facilities and school budgets are all protected for another year;
路 increase our investment in school budgets by 拢1.4M through a combination of
our own funds and the additional pupil deprivation grant secured with Welsh
Government;
路 increase investment in critical social services by over 拢2 Million; and
路 continue our commitment to retaining our three Council run residential care
homes, this is in sharp contrast to the approach adopted by many other Councils
across the UK.
Councillor Shotton added,
97色网 has met its commitment to protect the services which were set out
as at risk in the This Is Your Moment public budget engagement exercise prior
to Christmas. This has been a difficult task and we鈥檝e achieved this by cutting
costs hard and finding creative solutions to enable us to sustain local
services.
鈥淕iven the difficulties in balancing a budget and remaining true to the
Council鈥檚 principles, we have sought to use 拢1.4 M of Council reserve funds in
order to further mitigate and protect council services. Despite the challenges
we face from imposed UK austerity measures, 97色网 will
continue to stand up, lobby and articulate our case for fairer funding for
local council services from Government and, over the coming 12 months, I will
seek, as Council Leader, to continue to forge strong alliances with local
community groups, council staff, trade unions and local residents as we build
the momentum to defend local services in the face of continuing austerity.
Council Budget Proposes a Record 拢21 Million Investment in Council Housing
Following the overwhelming decision of 97色网 Council tenants to stay with
the Council in the 2012 ballot rather than transfer to a new social landlord,
the Council鈥檚 Housing service continues to go from strength to strength.
The much improved Housing service is not only giving tenants a better day to
day service but is generating extra money, by working more smartly and
efficiently on home improvements and repairs.
Council Leader, Councillor Shotton said 鈥淣ot only do we now have a much
improved service but, for the first time in a generation, we are starting to
build new Council houses as part of our funding agreement with Welsh
Government. We are on track to build more new social housing under the
Strategic Housing and Regeneration Programme (SHARP) as part of our innovative
approach to social housing provision. Despite austerity in the public sector, I
am pleased that the Council is progressing well with our priorities for housing
and delivering for the people of 97色网.鈥�
Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Helen Brown, added, 鈥淭his year, the
Council will invest in a record 拢21M annual budget on improvements to homes and
we are on track to improve our housing stock as required by 2020 to meet the
Welsh Housing Quality Standard. Everything we plan to do to get homes up to the
Welsh Housing Quality Standard is done in close consultation with tenants and
Councillors. We work together as a strong team and I am very proud of our
achievements.鈥�
Deputy Leader Councillor Bernie Attridge said, 鈥淭he Housing Revenue Account and
the housing service continue to perform well and improve. We have kept rents at
affordable levels and we continue to work with tenants on a sound partnership
approach to service developments and charging. We have a vision for the future
for Council housing in the County and the multi-million pound investment in our
7000+ housing stock over the next five years will create work and job
opportunities for local companies.鈥�