2019
Council budget proposals
Date Posted: 11:49 AM on Tue, 12 February 2019Gedling Borough Council to freeze council tax, boost Neighbourhood Warden service and step up efforts to keep the borough clean
Gedling Borough Council is set to freeze council tax and announces plans in its budget for investment in the borough to tackle knife crime, anti-social behaviour, fly tipping, dog fouling and street cleanliness.
At the Full Council meeting on 4 March, Leader of the Council, Cllr. John Clarke and his Cabinet will recommend plans which include a council tax freeze. For a typical household in Gedling, the amount they pay in council tax to Gedling Borough Council will remain at £2.42 per week.
The budget also includes plans for investment in frontline services in the borough, including the introduction of a new Rapid Response Cleaning Team to further strengthen efforts to deal with litter, dog fouling and fly tipping as well as plans to employ an additional Neighbourhood Warden to help tackle knife crime and anti-social behaviour in the borough. A £20,000 investment in knife crime prevention work with younger people will also be provided to assist the borough’s local policing team.
A new Empty Homes Officer post will be created to support the work done by the existing officer who, in the last year, has brought over 80 empty properties back into use, reducing the number of ‘eye-sore’ properties in the borough and creating much needed available homes for people to live in.
A new Town Centre and Markets Manager post will be created to help lead and coordinate work on Arnold Market and Carlton Square regeneration and investment projects in the town centres. 50 new bins will also be installed across the borough’s towns and villages to help reduce street littering.
Improvements are also planned at Redhill Leisure Centre with a £70,000 investment in new gym equipment. Free two hour car parking at all council owned car parks will also continue and there will be a substantial car park extension provided at the popular Gedling Country Park.
A £10,000 budget will be set aside to help the council continue to be a plastic clever council. The money will be invested in new public water fountains to go alongside the recently installed ones at Gedling Country Park and Arnot Hill Park.
The 2019/20 budget will contain plans to deliver £2.6m of efficiency savings over the next four years. These savings are expected to come from improved use of digital technology for services, management review and a reduction in corporate costs. In terms of Government defined ‘spending power’ Gedling Borough Council is now the 2nd worst affected Council in the country. Gedling Borough Council has received a 66% cut in its core funding as a result of cuts from central Government since 2010.
The budget proposals come after the announcement that 91% of the 9,364 Gedling residents who took part in the ‘super council’ survey said they wanted Gedling Borough Council to continue to provide services and did not want it to be abolished.
Councillor John Clarke, Leader of Gedling Borough Council said:
“This budget will help residents by freezing the amount of council tax they pay to Gedling Borough Council as well as improving the services that matter most to them.
This ambitious budget will see investment to reduce crime, anti-social behaviour and dog fouling, bring forward the plans to revitalise our town centres and step up efforts prevent knife crime.
We are proud to be investing in our borough and freezing council tax despite being the 2nd worst affected council in the country by government cuts.
We will continue to serve people, improve lives and make Gedling a great place to live.”