What will the mini budget mean for Calderdale?

In Calderdale we care deeply about future prosperity but we also care about how we provide support for our residents in the here and now. We provide the safety net for local people. A growth society also needs good local government because that’s where people turn to for support when things get tough. We know that our residents and businesses are already feeling the pinch with surging inflation and rising energy prices and that’s even before winter really sets in.

We are getting to grips with the challenge of how we provide that support this year and next when incoming rates revenue is already predicted to reduce as more small businesses are forecast to fail and there is likely to be an increase in council tax arrears as people make difficult choices about the costs of eating or heating.

We also know that there will be increased demand for debt advice, homeless and housing help, food for children as well as extra demand for adults and children’s social care and we are determined to ensure that we respond to those additional pressures from our vulnerable residents. We believe that people who never saw themselves as poor will find themselves really struggling and need our help for the first time.

And the Council has its own pressures, with energy bills going up, affecting everything from children’s school transport to the cost of heating our pools. Luckily we have switched our street lighting to the energy efficient LED system and we are well underway with our plans to install air and heat pumps into our heritage buildings and leisure centres. That foresight is paying dividends.

We know that we are resilient in Calderdale and that communities come together to support each other in difficult times, but we need a balance. We don’t want to see a society where food banks are increasing but at the same time there is a cut in VAT for overseas shoppers. We will be working hard for a better deal for the people of Calderdale.