Teignbridge budget builds resilience for future
Final budget decisions outline how Teignbridge District Council will continue to face up to increased demand for services and reduced central funding.
At a meeting of the Full Council on Tuesday 23 February it was agreed to increase its share of the council tax by an extra £5 per year. This means the Teignbridge share of the bill will be £155.17 in the coming financial year - an increase of 3.33%. This represents an increase of just 9.6p per week on a Band D property.
It is the first time since 2010 that Teignbridge has increased its share of the council tax.
Currently councils receive their funding from three main sources, central government grants, council tax and fees and charges. Of the council tax that Teignbridge council collects, only 9% is retained and the rest goes to the county council, the emergency services and towns and parishes.
Like many other authorities, Teignbridge is dealing with a changing financial landscape and the main government grant, revenue support grant, will be gone completely by 2019/2020.
Teignbridge District Council’s budget details how the council will continue delivering public services, taking into account current demands, but also looks to building the financial and civic resilience needed for the future.
Teignbridge has a proven track record in identifying cost savings and increasing income to help off-set the reductions in central grant funding. The council’s purchase of Market Walk Shopping Centre in Newton Abbot, supported unanimously by Full Council at its meeting on 8 December 2015, will help improve the overall budget outlook for Teignbridge and keep council tax levels low for residents.
A councillor car parks review group has identified a series of improvements and machine upgrades for car parks across the district. Changes in pricing structures will bring in an extra £142,000 per annum in income and allow for this work to take place. Teignbridge will maintain the popular free Sunday parking scheme in its own car parks.
The council has preserved the infrastructure delivery plan investment which contributes to education, transport links, sports and open spaces.
Rural Aid, which supports projects that make a positive difference to community life in small towns and villages remains at £40,000. An ongoing contribution of £25,000 will go to the Dartmoor Communities Fund, which helps Teignbridge villages within Dartmoor National Park.
All councils need to keep sufficient sums of money in reserve so that they have a financial cushion to meet sudden unexpected costs. Teignbridge will have a small increase in general reserves to just over £1.5million.
Cllr Stuart Barker, Teignbridge District Council’s Executive spokesman for Corporate Resources said:
“Central government is reducing the support grant it gives to councils to zero. This means that setting budgets to maintain essential services becomes ever harder.
“At Teignbridge we have set ourselves a course which invests in our residents, our towns and villages and one which provides us with an income to offset the cuts we are having.
“The budget this year supports our ambitious housing development plan, will create extra employment opportunities, will increase our recycling rates and support more energy saving. At the same time it maintains street cleaning, litter clearing and the popular weekly recycling and food waste collections.
“Our budget maintains extensive leisure and recreation facilities as well as supporting resorts and the important tourist industry. Car parking charges in Teignbridge remain amongst the lowest in the South West and the budget includes over £1 million to support those who need help with housing or become homeless.
"We are the only Council in Devon to still offer full council tax support to working families on low incomes.
“With this budget we have been able to do all of this and more with a Council Tax which will still be less than £3 per week.”
The report and agenda for Full Council can be found here: www.teignbridge.gov.uk/article/22099/23-February-2016
