Agenda item

To receive any announcements from the Chair of Council, the Mayor,
Members of the Cabinet or the Head of Paid Service

Minutes:

The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, made the following announcement:-

 

“Colleagues,

 

Today I launch my draft revenue budget proposals to Council and commence the consultation process.

 

It is another prudent financial plan, aligned to the Doncaster Growing Together strategy approved by Council, which focuses on protecting the vulnerable in our communities within the reducing resources we have available as well as investing in Doncaster’s future.

 

In the current climate, that is no easy task.  As everyone in this Chamber knows, we continue to face difficult financial challenges.

 

I have to inform colleagues that there has been no let-up by the Conservative Government.  Their continuing cuts to Council budgets have left us with another significant budget gap.  So much for Theresa May saying that Austerity is over, I can guarantee that Austerity is certainly not over where Local Government is concerned!

 

Government grant cuts, rising demand for services and an increase in costs, will see us face an estimated £21 million budget gap in 2019/20, and a further £13 million in 2020/21 taking into account the impact of using one-off funding in 2019/20.  By 2021, this will take the total budget gap the Council has had to bridge to a staggering £272 million, since Government austerity measures started in 2010/11.

 

A paper to be published shortly states Northern Cities budgets have faced the biggest cuts.  Doncaster is ranked the third hardest hit by Austerity in percentage terms.

 

Through hard work, expertise and the use of one off funding, the proposals set out the plan to balance the books for 2019/20, but within this it is clear that the focus on finance is never ending.

 

In light of the economic challenges we continue to face, it doesn’t get any easier to prepare a budget which invests in our future, protects the most vulnerable and maintains the services that matter most to our residents.

 

This draft budget also includes a Council Tax increase of 2.99% and a further 2% increase through the government’s social care ‘precept’ which contributes towards the pressures for adults social care.  Together these will generate £5.3 million.  The overall increase equates to an additional 82p per week for Band A and £1.23 per week for Band D.

 

These budget proposals continue to deliver the Council’s priorities and the priorities of this Labour Administration to:-

 

  • Increase jobs, apprenticeships, inward investment and grow our economy, including more well paid, high skilled jobs that local people can access;

 

  • Deliver more new homes that meet the needs of everyone;

 

  • Developing our Town Centres and the arts, culture and leisure offer;

 

  • Increase physical activity, including through cycling, to improve population health and well-being;

 

  • Raise education standards, and bring our education system and business community together, to give our young people more opportunities to flourish;

 

  • Deliver vital services for children and vulnerable residents, joining up health and social care, focusing on prevention and support, and transforming our adult services; and

 

  • Supporting and working with our communities, to help keep them clean, green and safe.

 

Doncaster has made great progress in recent years, but we can and will do more.

 

However, we must of course look to the future and there is plenty to look forward to in 2019, including:-

 

  • The return of the Tour De Yorkshire;

 

  • Welcoming the UCI World Championships to Doncaster in September;

 

  • Work continuing on our new library and museum;

 

  • More new house building across the Borough, including new Council housing;

 

  • The progression of our railway station ‘City Gateway’, markets regeneration and quality streets schemes; and

 

  • Work commencing on the new University Technical College, Cinema & Restaurants in the Civic and Cultural Quarter.

 

Residents across Doncaster will benefit from capital investment from the Council of £330 million by 2021 in projects to further improve education, housing, infrastructure, retail, leisure and culture, as well as attracting investors and visitors to the Borough.  All of these will contribute to growing Doncaster’s economy and improving people’s ability to access opportunities.

 

However, I am extremely disappointed at the Government's complete failure to deal with the national funding problems facing local authorities, particularly with regard to adult and children’s social care.

 

Their answer, which is to underfund vital services and yet increase the financial burden on local taxpayers, is wrong.  It places strain on to those who can least afford it, through a regressive tax system that benefits wealthy areas over places like Doncaster and South Yorkshire.

 

Unfortunately, Government policy on Local Authority funding means that Council Tax rises are assumed in order to sustain vital services.

 

But Council Tax increases do not bridge the funding gap; far from it.  So in Doncaster, like elsewhere, people will see their Council Tax rise as the Government squeeze on hard working families continues.

 

Doncaster will still have one of the lowest Council Taxes in Councils of our size in the country.  We were the seventh lowest in 2018/19 and the lowest in South Yorkshire.

 

Our only course of action is to grow our way out of the situation.

 

The good news is that in Doncaster, we are continuing to grow.

 

I want to thank all of the staff, partners and colleagues in this Chamber who have helped us to deliver our successes, in often difficult circumstances.

 

These budget proposals continue our prudent and effective, but ambitious, approach to delivering services and supporting our Borough.

 

I will of course also listen to any budget proposals brought forward by Councillors.

 

If colleagues do wish to bring forward any alternative proposals, I would encourage them to do so at an early stage, so that they can be discussed in detail in advance of the budget meeting in March.

 

Thank you.”