Councillors to debate budget and council tax increase

Proposals to increase council tax in Oldham which will see residents’ annual bills rise by at least £47 are set to be debated by councillors.

Under budget plans due to go before full council on Wednesday (March 1), the borough’s portion of council tax would rise by 3.99pc – with two per cent specifically ring-fenced for adult social care.

This would increase a Band A property’s annual bill by £47.65, while for a Band D property the annual tax bill will rise by £71.48, before Mayoral precepts and any parish council element are added on top.

Once Greater Manchester Mayoral precepts which cover police and fire services are included, a Band A bill will rise by £60.98 and Band D by £91.48.

The complete budget proposals were agreed by the cabinet earlier this month.

They include a programme of £16.3m of budget cuts which will see the loss of seven roles at the town hall – all of which are currently empty.

The remaining gap of £12.9m will be found by using council reserves.

The proposals include a ‘variable lighting trial’ whereby street lighting in some areas would be dimmed by 50pc from dusk to dawn, and lights would go on ten minutes later and switch off ten minutes earlier.

If the trial is successful it would save around £800k for the authority, budget documents state.

Crematorium fees, and the cost of booking for council-owned sports pitches are also set to increase.

One of the cuts includes the ending of council teas on the days of full council for elected members to save £6.9k and changing the catering provision at annual council to save £3.1k.

Local ward budgets for the 60 councillors for schemes and grants in their communities would each be reduced from £5,000 to £4,000.

Cabinet member for finance, and deputy leader Councillor Abdul Jabbar said that preparing the budget had been ‘very challenging’ as a result of government cuts in the last decade.

“On top that we have had additional significant pressure from the cost of living crisis, this includes of course record inflation, pay increases, cost of energy increasing,” he said, adding there was also a spike in the demand for adult’s and children’s social care.

“We’re very conscious that a lot of people are struggling and if we had enough resources we wouldn’t be increasing council tax at all.

“But because we need the funding to continue key services locally we are proposing that we increase the council tax by 3.99pc.”

This would be split between 1.99pc for the general precept and 2pc specifically ring-fenced for adult social care.

Coun Jabbar added: “The rest of the funding comes from the budget cuts that we have had to make to our services.”

However, director of finance Anne Ryan told councillors: “With regards to financial resilience which is of course a very important factor at this point in time given some of the issues that have been facing the local government sector I can advice that the authority remains financially resilient going into 2023/24 and future years.”

Council leader Amanda Chadderton said putting this year’s budget together had been a ‘robust’ but ‘difficult’ process.

She told councillors: “Taking £29m out of this budget is not an insignificant sum, there will undoubtedly be an impact – we’ve tried to limit that impact and focus on things that this administration prioritises, such as supporting our residents through the cost of living crisis and prioritising children and young people and some of our regeneration programmes.

“But that does come at a cost, we have to be honest about that.”

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