Calderdale residents urged to have their say on four per cent Council Tax rise

Leader of the Council, Coun Tim Swift unveiled proposals which will include a 1.99 per cent rise in Council Tax – in line with the limit applied by the Government.

There will also be an additional two per cent precept, also green-lighted by Government, which will be added to the Council Tax to help pay for social care services for vulnerable adults and children.

In a separate agenda item, Cabinet members heard social care costs, for care packages which the council has a statutory duty to provide, form the bulk of 2019-20’s overspend for which measures to eradicate it are in place.

Coun Swift (Lab, Town) said the council’s initial proposals for next year concentrated on protecting services which helped it deliver on long term aims and priorities for Calderdale, its communities and its citizens.

“Going forward our priority is managing spending pressures, making sure we protect the vulnerable, and continuing to do what we can to sustain early intervention ,” he said.

In 2020-21 the council is budgeting to spend a net £159 million and Coun Swift says the proposals aim to address current spending pressures to ensure a “balanced and sustainable” budget for next year and future years.

In order to help protect the most vulnerable, additional resources will be targeted on children’s social services and adult social care but at the same time the council will transform the way it provides services.

Protecting and sustaining prevention and early intervention services where possible would avoid short term savings that only led to long-term increases in demand on services, he explained.

Building on measures to help local people facing the effects of austerity, particularly the homeless or those facing destitution, tackling the climate emergency, improving supply of affordable housing and overhauling and improving youth services would all be key aims.

Coun Swift said there were only a small number of budget changes proposed at this stage pending Government announcements about future funding for local government.

In summary these savings, in addition to actions already being taken, include the council reducing contributions to its pension fund in recognition of need to protect front line services, accepting one-off Transport Fund savings put forward by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, and replacing proposed council funding with Government funding announced for the purpose for Market Town improvements at Elland, Halifax, Sowerby Bridge, Todmorden and Brighouse.

"It was not easy balancing the books: “The pressures are really great and substantial. I emphasise we welcome any resources from Government but it is quite clear there remain very real issues about how councils fund social care,” said Coun Swift.

He told Cabinet the picture after 2020-21 is still unclear and there is still a lot of uncertainty for budgeting for years following, including impacts of Brexit.

“The Government made a one-off spending announcement that gives us the position for the next financial year but we are still waiting for a three or five year spending review.

“Without a budget it is difficult to see what the ball park figure for any service might be,” he said.

Coun Swift said the Government’s main review was likely to be some time in the summer after which it would be possible for the council to undertake a fuller spending review.

He said he welcomed any practical alternatives others might want to suggest to balance the books, with the four-week consultation period now under way and the council scheduled to set its budget for 2020-21 on Monday, February 24.

Citizens are again encouraged to have their say about what kind of services they want the council to provide and can email feedback on the budget to [email protected] or by writing to the council at Budget Consultation, Town Hall, Halifax, HX1 1UJ.