A proposed Council Tax rise of 1.9%, together with a 3% rise for the Adult Social Care precept, will be put before the B&NES Council Cabinet, which meets this Wednesday, 7th February.

This will mean an increase of £63.56 per Band D property to cover both precepts for the 2018/2019 financial year.

Included within the Council’s budget proposals are plans to increase funding for Adult Social Care services by £3.9 million a year, as well as a further £3.1 million for children’s care services and an extra £2.2 million for highway resurfacing.

Defending the rise, B&NES Council says it continues to have one of the lowest Council taxes in the South West, despite facing complex challenges and increasing costs.

Councillor Charles Gerrish (Conservative, Keynsham North), cabinet member for Finance and Efficiency, said: “These are challenging times, and difficult decisions are required to balance the budget, but our aim is to make the Council financially self-sufficient so that in future we can invest in local priorities, without having to rely on grant funding from Government.

“And despite the financial pressures facing the Council, we are continuing to protect the vast majority of front-line services and invest in the priorities of residents, such as highway maintenance, street cleaning and affordable housing.

“As part of this, we are investing in infrastructure projects that support economic growth, create new jobs, improve local transport and generate a long-term income for the Council that can then be reinvested back into local services.

“The level of Council Tax proposed will help us to protect more of the services that residents value and increase funding for services that support our most vulnerable residents, with an additional £3.9 million for Adult Social Care.”

Some of the investments contained within the Council’s budget proposals include:

• An extra £3.9 million for Adult Social Care.

• An extra £3.1 million for Children’s Services, including children’s social care and SEND services, together with £8.7 million for new school buildings and primary school places.

• A £19 million investment in road and transport improvements, including an extra £2.2 million for highway maintenance.

• £70,000 to support continued measures to tackle local gull problems, including a successful nest-removal programme and protection of the Council’s street cleansing budget.

• £3 million to support the Council’s modern libraries programme to bring together library and customer services in Bath and Midsomer Norton and to develop a network of community libraries.

• £4.2 million expected by the end of this financial year to support local affordable housing projects, with a further £3 million from 2018 onwards.

• Continued investment in the Bath and Somer Valley Enterprise Zones, including the flagship regeneration of Bath Quays to create jobs and generate new income from business rates.

The Council will also continue to work with the West of England Combined Authority to attract investment for improvements to transport and housing and to promote adult education and skills.

Councillor Tim Warren (Conservative, Mendip), Leader of the Council, said: “By increasing efficiency and generating more of our own income, the proposed budget will ensure that the Council lives within its means whilst continuing to deliver on our key aims of improving transport, delivering new homes and jobs, investing in young people, supporting cleaner, greener and healthier communities, and promoting choice and independence for older people. We want to protect the most vulnerable, support our unique built and natural environments, while also investing in those areas that will make us financially self-sustaining in years to come.”

The Council is already in the process of saving £27 million, and announced £15 million of savings in last year’s budget. However, it now has to save a further £16 million by 2020.

Part of the changes already announced includes the reduction of 300 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in the Council’s 2,000 FTE workforce. Consultation on these changes, including a management restructure, will start shortly and will be implemented over the first six months of the next financial year.