LEADING councillors have agreed budget proposals which will deliver on Cumberland Council’s key priorities over the next year.
The Council’s Executive have agreed the proposals at their meeting in Whitehaven today [13 February]. These will now be considered by Council in March.
Central to the plans is spending on health and wellbeing initiatives to help the council deliver on the main priority area in its Council Plan and Delivery Plan. Initiatives which will be rolled out over the next 12 months include anti-smoking and Live Longer Better campaigns, and the setting up of the Health Determinants Research Collaborative in the area which will look to understand the health issues locally.
The budget proposals also include spending in areas which meet the other key commitments. The first of these is to address inequalities across Cumberland through initiatives like the Food Cumberland Partnership and a programme to transform its children and family wellbeing services.
Another commitment is ensuring the local economy works for local people through the delivery of regeneration projects across the area and looking at the council’s approach to procurement. Amongst the initiatives improving the environment and tackling climate change, are the rolling out of more electric vehicle charging points and pursuing active travel opportunities.
The council is also focussed on delivering excellent services through its council-wide transformation plan and the introduction, and better use, of technology. The plan also includes taking a more preventative approach to services and using the council’s assets and buildings more effectively to realise the opportunities of local government reorganisation.
The council is also committed to develop its Community Panels which aims to bring decision making to the heart of the communities of Cumberland.
This is the first time that councillors on the Executive have had the opportunity to fully shape the budget, having inherited the spending plans of the former local councils when Cumberland Council came into existence on 1 April 2023.
Since that time a lot of work has been going on to understand the budget position of the council and shape spending to focus on the council’s ambitions. This process included consulting with the public and stakeholders on some proposals.
Some 536 residents and groups responded to the consultation which ended on 12 January. Of those who provided an answer, just over 51% agreed that the core element of council tax should rise by 2.99%, and more than 52% agreed that the social care levy should increase by a further 2%. Over 70% of respondents said that council tax should increase on second homes by 100%.
To help those on low incomes, the council’s budget includes funding for the council tax reduction scheme which can help reduce the cost of a bill.
The council has already identified over £37m in savings which have been included in the budget. However, a predicted budget gap of just over £10m remains which will be funded through the use of capitalised resources and the council’s reserves.
Speaking on the plans, Cllr Barbara Cannon, Executive member with responsibility for Financial Planning and Assets, said:
“A lot of work has gone into developing this budget for next year, which is really our first opportunity to develop a budget which reflects the commitments made to our communities and our priorities outlined in the Council Plan.
“Like many other councils up and down the country we find ourselves in a very challenging situation with regards to our finances which is why we will introduce our transformation plan which seeks to put us on a more stable financial footing whilst also ensuring every penny we spend works for the people of Cumberland.
“I’d like to thank everyone who has worked on it but also all those residents who responded to our consultation and provided their feedback.
“We have listened and looked at all the responses, and I’m pleased to say that there was much support for our ideas to transform our council and make it more effective in dealing and supporting our residents.
“Proposing to put council tax up is never an easy decision to make, but I am pleased that many people recognise how important this is to ensure we can continue to deliver the essential services that many people rely on. We do what we can to support those on low incomes through our Council Tax Reduction Scheme, which is one of the country’s most generous, and I’d encourage anyone who is eligible and who hasn’t applied to contact us.”
The budget also outlines over £276m in capital investments across the Cumberland areas. This includes investment funding for the Carlisle Southern Link Road, as well and funding for regeneration schemes in Millom, Cleator Moor, Carlisle, Maryport and Workington.
The agenda for the meeting on 13 February can be found on the council’s website. The agenda for the Council meeting in March will be published nearer the time.
Key points:
- The full budget report can be found on the council's website.
- The net budget after service specific grants and fees and charges are removed is £319m.
- More than 50% of the council’s net budget is funded through Council Tax, with about 30% from business rates and less than 20% from government grants.
- Council tax provides more than 50% of the council’s net budget. To continue to provide the services residents need, the budget proposes a rise in its portion of council tax from 1 April 2024. This would be a 2.99% rise in council tax with a further 2% rise for the Adult Social Care levy. This would see a band D bill rise by £86.35 a year, or £1.66 a week.
- The 3,000 second homes in the Cumberland area puts an extra pressure on housing. The council is therefore also proposing a 100% council tax premium on second homes to double their bill from 1 April 2025. This will provide a further £4m to help fund services and help it tackle the affordable housing crisis.
- More details on the Council Tax Reduction Scheme can be found on our website.