South Holland District Council has ratified its budget for the next financial year, including many higher charges and an increase in council tax.
Coun Paul Redgate, portfolio holder for finance, told a meeting of the authority, that voted in favour of it, that 46 per cent of the £7.11 increase in its share of the tax would go straight to internal drainage boards.
He said that the cost of the boards had increased by 36 per cent since last year.
The council is also making £255,000 of savings as part of the budget.
“This does not mean cutting services, but reshaping and transforming them to be more efficient, effective and greater value for money for our council tax payer,” he told the meeting. “We’re determined as a cabinet to tackle these issues head on so they’re not consistently going from one financial cliff edge to another.
“The leader and myself are working with officers to achieve the efficiencies we have identified.
“I’m also pleased to add we’re not using reserves to support our account and will use them sparingly in the next year.”
Coun Redgate credited the creation of the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership as having provided savings.
“At £38.25m we’re on target to deliver the £42.5m of savings in the business case earlier than anticipated,” he said. “Much of this is achieved by removing duplication, generation of economics of scale, access to a pool of staff, resilience and recognising the additional political waste the partnership generates.”
As reported in last week’s Voice, the budget includes a host of price increases for services, including raising the cost of parking in district council owned car parks.
It also includes a three per cent pay increase for council staff in 2025/26 and a 2.5 increase annually going forward.
South Holland District Council is set to pay the ‘Real Living Wage’ to its lowest paid workers.
“It’s vitally important we pay that even though we’re not part of the Real Living Wage foundation,” said Coun Jim Astill. “To the small number of employees it’s paid to it makes a difference.”
Coun Redgate continued that he and the authority as part of the special interest group of local councils that have drainage boards would continue to lobby to enable the organisations be able to set their own council tax levels, rather than the council having to foot the bill.
