How will Stockport Council's budget be spent in 2024/25?
Stockport Council passed its budget for 2024/25 in a town hall meeting last month.
Whilst the council has had to bridge a £10m funding gap and raise council tax, Stockport does not face risk of bankruptcy, and councillors maintain that this year's budget proposals remain ambitious.
The net revenue budget for council services is £336m.
How, then, will this be allocated?
As in most other local authorities, adult social care represents the highest proportion of spending, accounting for around 40pc of Stockport Council's budget at £133m.
Representing the second highest proportion of spending is children's and education services, at 21pc (£71m).
The full rundown can be seen in the council infographic below.
The council adds: "Other significant planned spend includes £31.6m for waste collection and disposal services and £21m on public transport related services."
What's more, following an amendment from the Labour party, the budget will also include a review into Stockport Homes and further maintenance of the borough's drainage network.
Nationally, in 2023/24, local authority spending totalled £117.6 billion. This represents a £6.5bn increase (5.9pc) from the previous financial year, and demonstrates an increase in demand for council services.
Where does council funding come from?
Along with further details of budget allocation, the council has also released information on how this year's budget will be funded.
The majority (57.9pc including precepts) comes from council tax.
Other areas include business rates (27.9pc) and, as aforementioned, additional sources come from council housing rents and from UK government grants.
Supplementing the net revenue budget is an additional £65m for council housing (provided by rent income) and a £264m government grant for school repairs.
Further still, the council also has £263m of capital funding for the next three years. The capital programme is funded by capital grants and contributions from Government and other third parties.
It includes projects such as Stockport Interchange, Weir Mill, and Stockport Exchange, as well as affordable housing.
How did councillors describe the budget?
Cllr Mark Hunter, leader of Stockport Council, said: "We have put ourselves in a strong position- by being prudent with our reserves and continuing our proud record of sound financial management over many years. However, we cannot be complacent [...].
"We find again and again that we are being asked by central government to provide better services that are costing more, with less funding.
"[...] Despite the challenges I've just listed, we have been able to make excellent progress on making our Borough greener and fairer."
Read Cllr Hunter's full statement on the budget HERE.
Introducing the budget at the council meeting on February 22, budget lead Cllr Jilly Julian said: "We have to set a budget that keeps us in a sustainable financial position. [...]
"We've come to this point with collaboration, a shared purpose - despite our varied politics - and strong scrutiny."
Speaking of the 4.99pc council tax increase, Cllr Julian also said at February's meeting: "This is not a choice anyone in this room wants to take. To state what I hope by now is obvious - we have no choice."
Proposing the Labour amendment, Cllr Christine Carrigan said: "We must make difficult decisions. That phrase - difficult decisions - is in fact the only way we can describe the choices we, as elected officials, are having to make. [...]
"The only thing we can do, given these difficult choices, is apply fairness. This amendment seeks to apply that fairness to this budget."
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