Council budgets: Rise in council tax, service cuts and increased parking charges on cards as Calderdale Council sets new budget

Senior councillors unveiled a suite of proposals at a meeting of the council’s cabinet including an almost five per cent rise in council tax, some reductions in services and rises in some charges including for removing bulky waste and garden waste.

Further increases, depending on conclusions reached in an ongoing review of each Calderdale town, are likely for parking too.

Leader of Calderdale Council, Coun Jane Scullion said high costs of providing social care, a continuing legacy from Covid and high inflation had taken a toll but the council remains ambitious.

It is committed to building a new leisure centre on the site of the old one at North Bridge, she said,

She added 2024-25 had been a difficult year where, although savings targets had been met, these were outstripped by rising demand for social care packages for all ages, which councils legally have to provide and now account for 70 per cent of the authority’s day-to-day spending.

But an uplift in support from the new Labour government has seen Calderdale awarded a 7.4 per cent increase in its base funding - higher than the six per cent average nationally.

This means that while Calderdale was looking at having to make savings of around £10m next year, that has reduced to £3m.

Budget proposals are now open for consultation and, if accepted, will mean the maximum council tax rise allowed without recourse to a referendum – 4.99 per cent.

To save £3m, cabinet are recommending reviewing level of social care need to reduce cost of packages and focusing services on what it statutorily has to provide including over mental health provision.

There will be some council job losses but the aim is to achieve these by not filling vacant posts and by retirement or reductions to part time working.

Reductions in investment to Shibden Hall and Halifax’s Victoria Theatre are proposed but senior councillors say these are possible because of their success.

More visitors to the former are expected to bring in more income, and more seats sold at the latter mean they do not need as much support.