Council tax to rise in Gloucestershire

Council tax is set to rise in Gloucestershire by 3.99 per cent, according to new plans being drawn up by the county council.

The authority wants to increase the bill residents pay to raise an extra £12.6million for services such as adult social care.

In total these changes will result in an increase of under £1 per week for the average Band D taxpayer.

More than £70million for schools and children and family services, including £20m towards a £30m new secondary school in Cheltenham, £6.5m for a new special school in Brockworth and £3.2m towards the expansion of The Cotswold School.

The draft budget for next year shows the county council’s money pot will be increased by £31m, totalling £468m.

An initial £1m will be spent to help tackle climate change, and an additional £12.9m will go towards protecting the county’s vulnerable children.

The county council will also make £9.58m in cuts, including reducing the cost of the adult single programme which supports the strategic direction of keeping people safe and independence, ideallywith in their own home.

Council leader Mark Hawthorne said the council tax rates will still be “one of the lowest levels in any county”.

The authority’s cabinet is expected to approve the budget this Friday and full council will vote to give final approval in early 2020.

The new budget will include:

• £73.6m for schools and children and family services, including £20m towards a £30m new secondary school in Cheltenham, £6.5m towards a new special school, £3.2m towards the expansion of The Cotswold School, £6.2m towards increasing the number of primary school places in the Bishops Cleeve area and £2.5m towards the expansion of Leckhampton Primary School
• An additional £12.9m into children’s services
• In the region of £14.5m into Gloucester South West Bypass, Arle Court, Junction 11, Honeybourne cycle route extension, Gloucester to Quedgeley and Cheltenham to Bishop Cleeves cycle tracks.
• £1.5m to ensure GFRS’ firefighters have new and improved life saving equipment and to increase the services’ prevention and protection work
• £700k towards flood alleviation work. This forms part of investment over the coming years of more than £5.3m, which will significantly reduce the risk of flooding to hundreds of homes in the county.
• £3.1m to ensure delivering broadband across the county
• Almost £5.0m to upgrade street lights and traffic signals
• In excess of £500k for councillors to invest in their local area

Councillor Mark Hawthorne (C, Quedgeley) said: “This budget sees significantly more money for the most vulnerable children and adults in Gloucestershire, whilst still charging one of the lowest council tax levels of any county.

“We are tackling the big issues facing us; fighting climate change, flood protection schemes, building new schools and improving the state of our roads.

“We’re not complacent – there is much still to do – but we are working hard, and working efficiently to deliver the priorities Gloucestershire people identified.”