District council approves budget for 2022/23 despite ongoing uncertainty around future funding
Forest of Dean District Councillors have approved the budget for the coming financial year as the Council aims to tackle the financial pressures of ongoing local government funding uncertainty.
Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr Richard Leppington, said,
“I am pleased to announce we have delivered a balanced budget that not only continues to deliver high quality services but also allows us to tackle some of the key issues we know matter to you.
“Financial pressure has increased this year for the District Council. This is due to ongoing uncertainty around the funding we receive from the Government, rising inflation and increased service costs as we recover from the pandemic.
“Despite these pressures we remain confident that we can continue to deliver the high quality services that you have come to expect from your District Council. We are confident that we can continue to help make the Forest of Dean an even better place to live, learn, do business and enjoy.
“We receive less than 10p from every £1 of the Council Tax bill that you pay, with the majority going to the County Council and other public organisations, however we are still able to deliver over 50 services for residents including waste collections, planning, supporting local communities and businesses, and much more.
“To tackle the financial pressures we have worked hard to make our services more efficient, last year this helped us save over £569,000 and this year we are expecting to save over £240,000”
Forest of Dean District Council’s budget is funded through Council Tax paid by residents, a share of business rates, income from services like parking and government grants. Less than 10% of the full Council Tax bill paid by residents is given to Forest of Dean District Council. The majority goes to Gloucestershire County Council and Gloucestershire Police, with local town or parish councils receiving the remainder.
Forest of Dean District Council is responsible for a number of local services such as waste collection, planning, licensing, housing, parking and leisure with Gloucestershire County Council delivering other services such as maintaining roads, adult social care, education, children’s services and public health.
The Forest of Dean District Council part of this year’s Council Tax bill will rise by 10p a week, or £5 a year for the average band D household.
To find out more about what the District Council delivered in 2021 and see what it has planned for 2022/23, visit https://www.fdean.gov.uk/ourbudget/
Cllr Leppington continued,
“It is always a difficult decision when it comes to setting the bill for our council tax, and with the savings we have made we are able to keep the rise in cost as low as possible. Despite this, we understand that the rise in price may be challenging to some residents.
“If you need support with your Council Tax bill please visit our website or call our customer services team to see if you are eligible for our Council Tax Support scheme.”
To find out more about the support scheme, visit: https://fdean.gov.uk/counciltaxsupport