Details of how it will overcome the challenges brought on by the pandemic – including setting aside a £4 million fund over four years to support market towns recovery from the pandemic, were set out in Wiltshire Council’s budget for 2021/22.
The budget was signed off at a council meeting on February 23, and the previous year’s budget for 2020/21 was confirmed as balanced, “despite the unprecedented challenges of the past year”, according to a council report.
The proposals agreed to include a 1.99% general increase in basic council tax and a 3% council tax levy specifically for adult social care; £6.6 million for children’s social care and a £1.5 million for special educational needs service
Waste service cost rise by £2.6 million to a total of £42.3 million and the discretionary hardship fund is up £300,000, to assist families who need extra support
An increase of nearly £2 million will help fund the planned £214 million spending on maintaining the road network: £23 million in schools, including replacement of the lower block at Stonehenge School: more than £20 million in the council’s health & wellbeing centres: carbon reduction initiatives of £3 million for LED streetlights and more than £4 million for energy efficiency projects for its buildings, and more than £50 million in housing, with about 1,000 new council houses planned over the next 10 years.
The £4 million fund set aside – £1 million a year for the next four years, will support the market towns bounce back.
The council estimated the direct impact from COVID-19 in the coming year’s budgets for services is about £5 million from loss of income from services such as leisure, libraries, and car parking but not loss of council tax.
The council said it would receive significant one-off funding support from Government in 2021/22 “in recognition of the ongoing response to the pandemic.”
The council claims the budget was rigorously scrutinised by various groups, including members, group leaders, trade union representatives and the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee. The report and a replay of the meeting is at Agenda for Council on Tuesday 23 February 2021, 10.30 am.