Just before Christmas the government announced a provisional local government finance settlement for the coming financial year. This is the money that central government sends to local councils and also affects council tax levels. If you want a full statement you can find it at http://www.gov.uk under the local government spending page.
Very very briefly the implications for local Council Tax Payers are as follows:-
a) Council Tax increases will be limited to 2% but a special additional Adult Social Care precept of up to an extra 2% will be permitted. This additional precept can only be spent on Adult Social Care and is needed to pay for the growing numbers of older people who need care and for the increasing frailty of this cohort of the population.
b) New Homes Bonus which is a payment for new homes built in each area to pay for the additional cost of funding public services to these homes. It remains a matter of great regret to me that Cheshire West and Chester Council decided to remove the amount previously allocated to Tarporley that would have made a very great difference to the development of the Sports and Recreation area on Brook Road.
New social care funding of £1billion will be added to the £410 Social Care Support Grant set out last year. This fund is not ringfenced; it is for local councils to determine the best way to spend this.
There will, apparently, be further announcements in the Budget around pothole funding and the Future High Streets fund. In the meantime please continue to report all potholes, fly tipping, street lights not working and blocked gulleys on http://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov where there is a page for reporting faults.
I believe that there will soon be another app especially for reporting these quickly and conveniently from a smartphone. I will keep you updated on this.
Happy New Year. May 2020 bring you peace, contentment and a better neighbourhood
Tarporley Ward 