Bracknell Forest bosses plan 4 per cent council tax rise

As the News revealed earlier this week, Bracknell Forest Council (BFC) chiefs need to plug a £2.5 million gap in their spending plans for next year.

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The funding gap comes as the budget predicts £6.5 million will be spent on providing social care support for vulnerable residents.

Stuart McKellar, BFC’s finance director, said at a meeting of the authority’s top team the spending pressures were “significantly higher” than what bosses would normally expect.

He continued: “The big context behind this year’s revenue proposals is the unprecedented position we are facing about the level of demand in both children’s and adult’s social care services this year.

“To have it in both services at the same time is very unusual for us.

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“Members will need to give consideration between now and February about what the level of council tax increase may be.

“We have the ability to increase council tax by 2 per cent general purposes, and up to 2 per cent for social care demands and there are clearly social care demands in the budget proposals.”

A report for BFC’s top team suggested the council could plug the gap by cutting services to the tune of £2.5 million, or use reserve money - funds used for emergency situations - instead of raising council tax.

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But councillor Peter Heydon said due to future funding “uncertainties”, the council would “like to protect and use the reserves as little as possible.”

He added: “I have to stress the unprecedented demand on social services.

“It looks, subject to agreement, we will have to take the maximum amount of council tax increase we can do, which will be 4 per cent and bearing in mind every one per cent generates about £600,000.”

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BFC’s draft budget indicates £4.6 million of savings from council services are planned but Cllr Dale Birch said this reduction in spending would not affect the support residents receive.

He said: “I can assure residents, particularly our vulnerable residents, is that no one will get any less than they are assessed as needing.

“That’s the commitment we have made throughout.

“We need to make sure the way we deliver services is efficient, effective and as safe as they have been in the past.”

Capital spending plans - which involves money used for building or maintaining council-owned properties and sites - show almost £4 million is set to go on BFC projects and developments.

Cash totalling £5 million will come from selling council properties and community money, meaning BFC will not have to borrow to invest in its sites.

Another £14 million of capital spending will come from developers’ contributions and government grants.

Residents can now have their sayon BFC’s spending plans for 2020/2021 after the cabinet approved a consultation on the draft budget at a meeting on Tuesday, December 17.

Budget plans are currently only draft proposals and are subject to change as BFC has not received its financial settlement from the government as of yet.