Closing Calderdale waste centres in the week part of budget consultations

The proposals will see the council levy a five per cent rise in Council Tax, three per cent of which is ring-fenced for adults social care precept, and the budget is only detailed until March 2022 with the Government only announcing a one-year settlement, said Leader of the Council, Coun Tim Swift.

Coun Swift said the ongoing pandemic and a decade of cuts meant the council still faced “significant” financial challenges.

Estimates given to councillors show the council needs to make savings of around £8 million for 2021-22, £12.4 million for 2022-23 and £13.7 for 2023-24 – totalling around £34.1 million over the next three years.

Coun Swift told councillors the budget focused on what the council needed to do to make sure it was strongly placed to support communities next year and ensure it was in a “robust” position to work towards recovery going forward.

In terms of this year ongoing work to address some long term financial pressures and the Future Council proposals – the latter saving £1.4 million next year and £1.8 million in the two years following – agreed in the autumn have given the council a secure financial footing.

Coun Swift said these decisions – which have been controversial, including proposals to close some libraries and public buildings – had been “difficult and painful”.

The £8 million worth of savings which need to be found in 2021-22 was at the bottom end of savings which needed to be made, Cabinet heard.

In addition to measures Cabinet has already approved through the Future Council process, and the Council Tax rise,the budget proposals outline where savings can be made.

In the autumn Future Council proposals over waste services were particularly controversial with opposition councillors and members of the public voicing concerns that some of Calderdale’s five waste transfer stations would be closed.

The ruling Labour group’s budget proposes that the centres, which are at Halifax, Todmorden, Brighouse, Elland and Sowerby Bridge, should move to winter hours all year round and to make further savings should close two days a week on the quietest days, saving £60,000 this year and £134,000 in each of the following two years.

Capital Programme changes will save £400,000 a year, a cost of £800,000 relating to the council’s pension contributions will contribute to savings, the Government’s decision to order a pay freeze for public sector workers earning more than £24,000 a year will save £2 million, business support efficiency improvements will contribute £150,000 each year, addressing an anomaly in children’s centre contracts £155,000 a year, and savings in youth justice operations £100,000 a year.

Coun Swift (Lab, Town) said the public sector pay freeze was wrong in principal but would produce this saving.

He said the council retained its commitment to supporting community wardens and good quality CCTV to help keep the community safe, support for flood schemes kept, measures to combat climate change would be undertaken and moves to raise the level of the area’s lowest paid care workers, who had been so important in the pandemic, to the level recommended by the Low Pay Council, would be supported.

Final decisions will be taken by Budget Council on February 22 and responses should be returned to the council by February 3.

Full details of the proposals, services the council provides and a form to provide your comments, are available on the council’s website.