Council tax is set to increase for people in West and North Cumbria after a new budget was agreed on.
The Shadow Authority for the new Cumberland Council agreed on its financial budget for 2023 to 2024 after holding a meeting in Carlisle this week.
As part of the wider local government restructure, the new unitary authority is set to start providing all council services in the current Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland areas on April 1.
The budget aims to make sure that the new council can continue to provide services to residents from vesting day – such as waste collections, planning, and adult and children’s care services.
As part of the budget meeting, councillors voted on an average 4.99 per cent rise in council tax from 1 April which will be split 2.99 per cent on core council tax and two per cent on adult social care.
It will result in an extra £1.58 cost a week for an average band D council tax bill.
Over 750 people and organisations shared their thoughts on the tax rise in a budget consultation held in January through the council’s online portal or by using the paper-based forms.
While the council said the majority of people were in favour of the rise – a total of 57 per cent of those who responded to the consultation said they did not support the 4.99 per cent rise.
Councillor Barbara Cannon, portfolio holder with responsibility for finance and assets, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to our consultation – either though our website or by post. We do consider these views when making these decisions.
“By law we have to harmonise council tax levels, and there are different ways to approach this. On balance we believe it is important to ensure that all residents in the Cumberland area pay the same, per council tax band, for the services that Cumberland delivers, which is why we have gone for a weighted average.
“Choosing to go with the lowest council tax would cost a substantial amount of income and would result in a squeeze on front line services that protect the most vulnerable.
“As an Executive we do recognise that the cost-of-living crisis is having an impact on every household – and disproportionately on those with low incomes, but we have little choice but to propose council tax rises this year.
“The alternative…would be cuts in services at a time when we believe those most affected by the cost of living crisis need us and these services to be there for them.
“We can mitigate the impact on households with the lowest incomes via the Council Tax Reduction Scheme. The scheme is one of the most generous in the country. In addition, other measures are being put in place to help people on lower incomes such as the school clothing grants.”
Those in receipt of Universal Credit will have any successful application for council tax support backdated to the same date they received Universal Credit – meaning they will receive their full entitlement to council tax support.
The council said recent annual price rises of more than 10 per cent had put further pressure on local authority budgets and that the council is keen to address the issues, and growing demand, within the social care market.
Plans to provide free school meals for all children
Councillor Lisa Brown, the deputy leader of Cumberland Council, also announced a new aim for the council to provide free school meals for all school children.
The council is also currently working with the government on £40 million of additional support for the council changeover.
The funding aims to cover the extra costs for a smooth transition to the new council and allow the managed transformation of services over the coming years.
Such costs include contractual changes and investment in ICT as the four councils’ services are brought together with the ultimate aim of developing a high-performing council providing excellent, efficient and enterprising public services.
The transformation programme will mean the council is able to start delivering on the other aspirations of the Cumberland Council Plan including working more closely with local communities, tackling environmental issues and climate change, and building an economy that works for local businesses and residents.
Councillor Cannon added: “This budget has been set with a strong focus on a safe and legal transition from the four sovereign authorities.
“But it is more than just that. It also sets the foundations for a new, modern, organisation and culture that is more effective and efficient and serves the needs of the people in Cumberland in the years to come.
“I always say that the budget of a council underpins the Council Plan. That plan makes it clear that we wish to improve the health and wellbeing of all our residents and this budget provides the resources to start work to achieve this goal.”
Millions of pounds of investment into North and West Cumbria
The budget also brings together the approved capital programmes in the Cumberland area of the four councils for the years 2023 to 2024 to 2026 to 2027.
This amounts to a total of £283 million in investment over the coming years for schemes in Carlisle through to Workington and Whitehaven and down to Millom.
Councillor Mark Fryer, leader of the new council, said: “I want the new Cumberland Council to enable the potential that the people of Cumberland have. And I want us to do whatever is needed to support people to unleash that potential.
“Be it by putting health and wellbeing at the heart of everything we do, by providing brilliant public services, or by supporting our most vulnerable children and adults.
“Inequalities are the biggest blockage to potential, so for Cumberland I want to see us with our cross-cutting approach to tackle inequalities as one. That is why our community led approach is so important. We don’t want to waste scarce resources on top down prescriptive services.”
The council said the job of putting the budget together has been challenging as it uses the financial management and forecasting of four separate organisations.
Councillor Fryer added: “I’m confident today that this initial budget gives us the launch pad that is pragmatic and flexible enough to see us through the coming months. And bring on 1 April, because the work on the next budget starts then.”
