On Monday the 15th January 2018 Calderdale Council’s Cabinet met and agreed its budget plans to 2020/21.

The budget sets out how much money is available for the Council to deliver its priorities and services over the next three years, and how that money will be spent. On top of the savings plans already in place, the Council has to reduce expenditure by a further £2.6m in 2018/19 and £8m in from 2019/20 onwards. This will mean making difficult decisions on how to deliver services with less money so we need your help.

You can read the overall consultation budget report, growth & savings proposals and initial Equality Impact Assessments (EIA) by clicking on the links below:

• Cabinet Budget Proposals for Consultation 2018-19 to 2020-21 [PDF 234KB]
• Directorate Growth and Savings Proposals/Initial Equality Considerations [PDF 435KB]

In summary we are proposing to:

• raise Council Tax by 2.99% next year and add a 3% Social Care Precept on top to pay for care for our vulnerable adult residents
• reduce the number of managers and other staff by merging teams and moving more services online
• fund different priorities from the public health budget
• increase the charges for some services that the Council provides, such as bereavement services
• reduce some of the money we pay to West Yorkshire Combined Authority
• spend less on IT, staff training and other internal support services

But, we also are putting new investment into some key areas:

• Winter maintenance/gritting our roads
• homelessness and destitution
• deferring planned savings in Waste Services
• an additional Fire Safety post to enhance Calderdale’s resilience to tragedies, like Grenfell Tower
• extra funding to continue the Emergency Living Scheme

Your comments and views are important to us. To give yours:

• complete and email the Budget Consultation Feedback form to budget@calderdale.gov.uk ;
• or send it to: RTJK-SCKU-XGCL, FREEPOST – BUDGET CONSULTATION, TOWN HALL, HALIFAX, HX1 1UJ. (No stamp required).

Alternatively, public meetings are currently being organised and these will be publicised when the final arrangements have been made. We are also planning to consult with partner organisations in the voluntary/community sector, bodies representing vulnerable groups and the business community.

Consultation on the budget proposals will run for four weeks and end on Monday 12th February 2018. We would urge as many stakeholders as possible to comment on the proposals set out. If you can see better ways of balancing the books, then of course we want to hear your views and ideas. Final decisions will be made at the Annual Budget Council meeting on Monday 26th February 2018 (6pm start).