4 - Budget and council tax proposals announced

Dudley Council’s cabinet has today announced details of its preliminary budget proposals for the next financial year.

There will be additional resources to maintain the highly successful green waste collection scheme, which now reaches virtually all homes in the borough, more drain and gully emptying and improvements to parks, the environment and the street scene. Extra funds have also been found to kick start the regeneration of Dudley town centre.

Faced with increasing numbers of both children and adults needing council care and support, there will be more for children’s services, support to schools and services for the frail elderly and adults with learning difficulties.

It is expected that the council tax increase will be less than £1 per week for most households in the borough.

Councillor David Caunt, leader of the council said:

“As the various inspection reports and awards we have received this year show, this council is committed to providing high quality services and excellent value for money for local people.

“This, however, has been a difficult budget to set. Our services are at the frontline and with limited resources we have had to make some hard decisions about where our priorities lie.

“But, following much deliberation, we believe we have come up with a budget proposal that is well balanced and linked to priorities expressed by residents in a recent survey.”

Councillor Anne Millward, cabinet member for finance said:

“We want to improve services which local people say are important, but there are also increased costs over which we have little or no control.

“Although the council’s arguments for a fairer share of government funding have been partially successful, our overall grant is still the lowest in the Black Country and £6 million less than the government itself says we need.

“We have, therefore, had to strike a careful balance between the service improvements residents say they want, what needs to be spent dealing with increased service demands and costs, and what it is reasonable to ask local council tax payers to pay.

“The overall council tax increase will be less than £1 per week for most households and our council tax will still be the lowest in the west midlands.”

Note to Editors

	2008/09 £’000	2009/10 £’000	2010/11 £’000
Urban Environment · Green Waste pressures · Increased Waste Disposal Costs inc. Landfill Tax · Highway and environmental improvements · Dudley Town Centre regeneration · Lighting Column replacement programme · Other initiatives inc. park improvements · Support for LAA targets Total – Urban Environment	618 440 300 140 120 310 218 2146	618 590 300 140 120 320 218 2306	618 740 300 140 120 330 2248
Children’s Services · Ongoing pressures mainly due to further increases in the number of looked after children. Includes invest to save initiatives in 2008/09 and 2009/10 which will reduce pressures from 2010/11 onwards. · School Improvement Partners & other initiatives. Total – Children’s Services	3000 407 3407	3000 407 3407	2000 407 2407
Adult, Community and Housing · Increased Residential and nursing fees. · Increasing number of elderly clients with dementia · Increasing numbers of Adults with learning difficulties · Neighbourhood Management Costs · Support for LAA targets. · Increased provision for DFGs and other initiatives. Total - DACHS	300 392 1900 100 265 300 3257	600 619 3500 100 265 300 5384	900 935 4000 100 300 6235
Chief Executive’s · Increased support to Black Country Consortium · Support to DCVS Total – Chief Executive’s	100 100	100 60 160	100 60 160
TOTAL PROPOSED GROWTH	8910	11257	11050

2. Following a detailed budget review process, the following efficiency and other savings have been identified from existing budgets:-

	2008/09 £’000	2009/10 £’000	2010/11 £’000
Finance · Revised Staffing Arrangements · Efficiency Savings from Homeworking · Effect of Revised Zoo Governance Arrangements · Review of DC+ Operations · Other savings and efficiencies inc. Benefits Shop Relocation	199 75 274	213 50 250 200 86 799	266 125 250 400 96 1137
Chief Executive’s · Revised PCSO Funding Arrangements · Other Savings and Efficiencies	150 50 200	150 50 200	150 50 200
Law and Property · Increased Delegations – Efficiency Savings · Revised Staffing Arrangements · Increased Income · Property Related Savings inc. Rates · Other Savings and Efficiencies	30 25 6 60 15 136	72 67 27 85 105 356	92 109 63 105 180 549
DUE · Review of Leisure Facilities · Revised Staffing Arrangements · Other savings and Efficiencies	148 50 198	297 376 50 723	297 376 50 723
Adult, Community and Housing · Revised Meals on Wheels Provision · Further development of Extra Care Housing provision · Update Community Care charging policy. · Transfer to Supporting People grant funding · Reconfigure Equipment & Occupational Therapy service. · Other Savings and Efficiencies.	250 75 200 150 150 775 1600	350 280 200 150 250 370 1600	400 560 200 150 250 360 1920
Children’s Services · Further Review of EMAS, including direct funding by schools · Cease Interest on School Balances. · Management and Administration. · Other Savings and Efficiencies	306 240 100 153 799	306 240 100 182 828	306 240 100 182 828
TOTAL	3207	4506	5357

News Release Contact Information

Name:	Mike Williams
Telephone:	01384 814800

Name:	Kathjerine Finney
Telephone:	01384 815232
Email:	katherine.finney@dudley.gov.uk

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4 - Budget and council tax proposals announced

Children’s Services

Chief Executive’s

TOTAL PROPOSED GROWTH