Cabinet considers budget plan
News release issued:
Additional funding for litter picking and tackling illegal parking are among Wyre Forest District Council’s Cabinet budget proposals.
The budget plans are being discussed by the Cabinet next week (Wednesday 18 November). They are also looking to invest more in tackling environmental issues like flytipping and dog fouling as well as installing more inclusive play equipment in parks across the district.
The Cabinet will be considering the draft Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2025-2028. The budget proposals are to help the authority deliver its priorities which are ‘economic growth and regeneration’, ‘a clean, safe and green district’ and ‘securing financial sustainability for services that local communities value.’
The proposals also include increasing the District Council’s portion of Council Tax by three per cent. This would mean an additional £7.29 for the year or 14p a week for Band D properties. The majority of householders in the district will pay less than this because almost three quarters of homes in Wyre Forest are in Bands A to C.
Councillor David Ross, Wyre Forest District Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for Finance and Capital Portfolio said:
“Like councils across the country, Wyre Forest is facing significantly increased costs to provide services and rising demand. We also have a legal requirement to balance the council’s budget each year. Residents will know that while we collect Council Tax only 11 per cent of it is kept by the District Council. The rest goes to other organisations. We are currently proposing to increase our share by 14p a week for a Band D property.”
Councillor Marcus Hart, Leader of Wyre Forest District Council said:
“We are facing funding pressures, but we are still proposing to invest in the priorities in our corporate plan. These are things which residents have told us are important to them, for example additional funding for litter picking and tackling fly tipping and littering. Our budget proposals focus on what we need to do right now to make sure that we can continue to deliver essential services and progress work on our priorities.”
The fees and charges for the next financial year will be discussed at the meeting. This includes car parking fees. The majority of ticket prices look set to be increased but the Cabinet is proposing to freeze the evening parking rate and the senior citizens’ season ticket.
The Cabinet meeting starts at 6pm on Wednesday 18 December and will be available to watch on the Council’s website.
A public consultation on the Cabinet’s spending proposals is due to be launched on Thursday 19 December and run for four weeks. It will be available on the Council's website.