Council approves budget, increasing investment in housing, brownfield regeneration and tackling climate change for an increase of less than 10p a week.
Published: Friday, 21 February, 2020
Stroud District Councillors approved a revenue budget for 2020/21 of £14.7million with capital investment of nearly £100 million over the next five years at a full council meeting last night.
The approved budget ensures the council can continue to invest in combating climate change and developing new housing for the district as well as new investment pots to encourage development on brownfield sites within the District and encourage the building of strong, sustainable communities.
An average Band D household in the Stroud district will now pay £212.52 per year for the services for Stroud District Council provides in 2020/21; a rise of £5.
Key elements of the budget include:
- Capital investment in key regeneration schemes such as the canal and Brimscombe Port
- A pot of money to tackle the issue of unused brownfield sites across the district
- A fund to develop community building initiatives in partnership with others
- Funding to introduce the real living wage at the Stratford Park Leisure Centre
- A continued commitment to fund action against climate change including a £200k reserve for action on carbon reduction
- Continued funding for the council’s programme of new affordable house building and investment in our existing stock
- Improvements to cycling and walking facilities
- Disabled facilities grants
Councillor Doina Cornell, leader of Stroud District Council said:
"Despite all the uncertainty over future funds, and at the end of a tough decade of cuts to the local government funding, I am pleased that our budget shows we are still investing into our district and preserving essential services.
"I know paying council tax is another burden on working families, but it is important we’ve got local taxes for local services, and the percentage increase this year for the Stroud district is less than the county and police increases, and in fact less than many town and parish councils too.”
Stroud District Council provides a wide range of services including waste and recycling which is rated as the best in the south west, planning services, environmental health, parking, parks and recreation, Selsley Common upkeep, two leisure centres, a museum, sheltered housing, 5,000 council homes, canal restoration, animal welfare, benefits administration and advice, elections, youth work and licensing and flood management.
In its latest annual budget survey, residents and businesses rated Stroud District Council well above the national average as a place to live and work, with 90% of residents reporting that they are satisfied with their local area as a place to live, and 96% of businesses being satisfied with their local area as a place to do business.
Stroud District Council’s Corporate Delivery Plan focuses on five key areas – economy, affordable housing, environment, health and wellbeing and value for money.
Gloucestershire County Council, the Police & Crime Commissioner, and parish and town councils, set their own council tax precepts, with Stroud District Council being the collection authority.