Torquay town Hall. Image: Guy Henderson
Torbay Council has set its budget for the next year, and it looks as if council tax will increase by 4.75 per cent.
The cabinet has now published its revenue and capital budget proposals for 2025/26 and is inviting those who live and work in the Bay to take a look and give feedback.
The Council currently delivers £380million worth of services to those who live and work in Torbay as well as to those who visit us throughout the year.
Along with the population living longer and cost of living pressures, the Council is continuing to experience an increase in the demand for its services as well as an increase in the costs of providing them.
The local authority says, like any business or organisation, it is seeing wage and utility costs continue to increase.
This is also seen in other areas, like the regeneration schemes, as costs for building materials and labour continue to rise.
In last year’s budget, the Council put in long-term plans that focused on specific service areas where budgets were under significant pressures. These areas are also the ones where actions can make the biggest difference, both in terms of the community and financial sustainability.
These financial sustainability plans agreed upon last year are having an impact. However, more work can be done in these areas so they will remain in place. These plans will continue to focus on children’s social care placements, home-to-school transport, and housing needs. While it is proposed that new plans will be put in place to ensure the long-term sustainability of the cultural assets of Torre Abbey and Cockington Court.
The council says ensuring that residents are put at the heart of everything the Council does, the Cabinet is looking to focus on the following areas in 2025/26:
Children’s Services
Children’s Services budget to increase by £1million to meet the ongoing service demand and the higher-than-inflation costs for placements.
Continued focus on early help, prevention, and Family Hubs, ensuring more children and young people stay within a family-based environment.
Continue the work started last year on delivering improved home-to-school transport provision while supporting the needs of those who use the service.
Adult Social Care and Community Services
Increase the contract fee to Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust to support the pressure they are experiencing in delivering services to vulnerable adults.
Following the investment to directly purchase some properties, this has helped to stabilise the costs for temporary accommodation. A further investment of £50,000 to this budget will be added to meet the pressures of inflation.
Commit £100,000 to the work in preventing homelessness with a focus on helping people to maintain stable, sustainable, self-funded housing through the right targeted intervention.
Pride in Torbay
Operation Brighter Bay will continue, with a further investment of £200,000 per year, which will be on top of the £300,000 already committed. This is to bring the three towns of Torquay, Paignton, and Brixham up to a standard to be proud of. Like last year, this includes increases in grass cutting, keeping kerbsides weed free, improving road marking, cleaning of town centres, and repairing of potholes. A team of lengthsmen will be created.
Like Brighter Bay, Operation Town Centres will see a further investment of £200,000 per year, along with the £300,000 already committed, to continue the work in tackling anti-social behaviour and its causes. This will be used to widen the work of the enforcement team, enhance CCTV operations, and bring forward a new Town Centres Manager, who will work in all three towns.
Allocate a further £400,000 to the repairs and maintenance budget to help address the identified needs across our portfolio of assets.
The Capital plan includes:
Continue working with our Regeneration Partner to deliver priority outcomes for Town Centre regeneration and affordable housing.
Projects underway include Paignton and Preston Promenade, Oldway Mansion, Hotels to Homes, and St Kilda’s.
The Council will continue to use its resources to best effect. This will include investing in services like the Legal Services team, increasing fees and charges to reflect the cost of service delivery, and increasing the budget for insurance and IT licenses to meet the higher-than-inflation costs.
The council says this draft budget is proposing to increase Council Tax this year. The reason is that, like any business or organisation, the cost-of-living crisis is also having a significant impact on the Council as a whole. The costs for providing services that all Torbay residents benefit from on a day-to-day basis continue to increase.
The Town Hall says that to ensure it can continue to deliver services in the future, Cabinet, like many other councils across the UK, is looking to increase Council Tax. Torbay, though, won’t be increasing it by the maximum level set by the government. Like last year, it recognises the financial burdens that households are continuing to face.
At the moment, the government has capped the maximum increase that councils can increase Council Tax to 2.99 per cent. In Torbay, though, the increase proposed is 2.75 per cent. In recognition of the pressures in adult social care, it is proposed that the two per cent adult social care precept is charged and passed directly to the Foundation Trust. This makes the proposed total Council Tax increase 4.75 per cent.
The council says it isn’t a decision that has been taken lightly. The income from Council Tax though is vital and supports the services that the Council delivers and that are valued by the community.
Each one per cent increase in Council Tax generates £840,000 of income and it is the only means that the Council has to raise additional funding for place-based and housing services.
Council leader David Thomas said: “As we present our second set of budget proposals, our approach follows the same as last year. We will continue to focus on the ongoing revenue pressures and delivering against our financial sustainability plans and our Capital Investment Plan. We will be doing this while ensuring we concentrate on the things that our residents have told us matter to them. Our Children and Adult Social Care budgets continue to dominate our attention and this budget provides, where necessary, increased resources to maintain these vital services.
“There has been a regular drumbeat across the country over the past few years of councils reporting financial difficulties and having to drastically reduce services. Thankfully, because of our thorough and careful financial management, we have a strong grasp on our finances and are in a secure financial position. We continue to be committed to delivering the best services that we can within our means.
“For another year there are no significant changes to the services we provide in this draft budget. The Financial Sustainability Plans which we introduced last year are helping to make sure that our high-cost budget items remain on track and innovative solutions are explored and delivered so we provide the best outcomes we can.”
The consultation on the budget will run from midday on Wednesday November 27 until midnight on Sunday January 12
Have your say on the budget proposals at www.torbay.gov.uk/consultations
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