Conservative Group, Swindon Borough Council
Press Release

Conservative Cabinet Announce Budget Proposals for Consultation.

The Conservative Cabinet of Swindon Borough Council will tonight introduce a proposed budget for 2005/6, to go forward to Members, staff and the public for consultation.

There are various methods through which Members of the Council, staff and the public can contribute to the budget consultation:

A questionnaire will be available on the council’s website, or in hard copy from council offices from early January. There will be two public meetings, chaired by the Leader of the Council, on 4^th and 10^th January at 6.00 p.m. in the Council Chamber.

Other specific consultation methods will include:

• A survey through Swindon People’s Voice, our citizen’s panel
• A Stakeholder Workshop on 14^th January
• A Residents Workshop on 8^th January
• An Equalities Coalition Workshop on 19^th January

Also, of course, Members, staff, stakeholders and residents can write with their views to their respective ward councillor, or to the Leader of the Council.

Key points from Councillor Nick Martin, Cabinet Member for Finance:

The Conservative administration set a target back in August of delivering a Council Tax increase of no more than 3%, and finding efficiency savings of no less than 3%, year on year for the next three years. This administration believes that local residents found Labour’s 42% increase in Council Tax over the last 3 years absolutely unacceptable.

With a general election in mind, Nick Raynsford, Local Government Minister, has demanded efficiency savings of 2.5%, and has threatened to cap any council with a Council Tax rise of over 5%.

Against these targets, we must also deliver an ambitious programme of recovery to address the criticisms in the CGI Report. We are also committed to protecting public services.

At the Cabinet Meeting on 15^th December, the Cabinet agreed to go out to consultation with the public, and with staff, including two figures for an increase in Council Tax:

• 3% - the figure which we have reached having found efficiency savings in the Council
• 19.2% - the figure which would have resulted had the efficiency savings not been found.

There will be the opportunity in the consultation to put your own views forward on the level of Council Tax.

Background of Government Settlement:

Swindon received 5.6% more (£7.1m), against national average increase of 6.2%, and significantly less than the increases received by comparable authorities:

• Wiltshire – 9.4%
• South Gloucestershire – 9.4%
• Milton Keynes – 11.5%
• BANES – 7.3%

Swindon does not get it’s fair share of the Government pot – for example the amount it gets per school pupil is 12% less than average, or £376 per pupil per year in 2004/5.

Swindon receives 23% below the average for youth services and 19% below average for Social Services.

The Government grant [Whitehall’s share of local council costs], in percentage terms, has decreased from 73% to 68% since 1997. 

Cost Pressures:

This year although there has been an increase in central government funding, this does not keep pace with the increased spending demands (approximately £18million) faced by the Council:

• Increasing costs of social services placements
• Increasing pension costs
• Additional responsibilities imposed on local authorities by central government, but with these new responsibilities not being fully funded – e.g. Licensing