Have your say in Sheffield City Council Budget Review Consultation

Sheffield City Council have opened up consultation on their budget proposals for 2021/22.

Sheffield City Council Budget Review Consultation

Local people are being asked for their say in the city’s 2021/22 budget through a new consultation.

The council say they need to “close the gap” on a £60million overspend this year due to Covid impacts.

Proposals include an increase to Council Tax of around £1.04 per week.

“Covid-19 has placed unprecedented financial pressure on all services, the rising costs are extremely difficult to manage and without further support from Government the position is very challenging.

“Responding to the impact of Covid-19 has left us with a budget gap of more than £60million, a gap that we must now plan how to reduce. We’ve set out our budget proposals for the coming financial year, but we want the people of Sheffield to be involved in these decisions so that we can be confident their needs are represented.”Councillor Terry Fox, Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Governance

Consultation on Sheffield City Council’s Running Costs

The budget consultation asks people their views on how the council collects and spends money, including:

• Revenue: day-to-day running costs of council services (schools, adult and children’s social care services, planning and leisure)
• Capital: paying for buildings, roads and housing and for their maintenance
• Fees and charges: for services such as social care, building control, parking, bereavement, hire of facilities, licensing, sport and leisure, libraries, waste services, planning and more

“It’s really important that we hear from people in all areas of the city, from all backgrounds, of all ages. We want to know what is important to you and whether you have other ideas on how we can continue providing essential services while moving the city forward.”Councillor Terry Fox, Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Governance

£60million+ Coronavirus Shortfall

Sheffield City Council estimates the response to the pandemic has cost £92million.

The government has provided a one-off payment to help cover some costs of dealing with Covid, but this covers just a small amount of the actual spend by by Council.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

With this in mind, the Council estimates a budget gap of £61million.

4.99% increase to Council Tax proposed

One of the key proposals is a 4.99% increase to Council Tax.

The Government’s Spending Review allowed for a 1.99% increase to Council Tax, with an additional precept of 3% for Adult Social Care costs.

This would mean most households will be paying around £1.04 more per week to raise an extra £11million in revenue.

Have your say in Sheffield City Council’s Budget Consultation

Local residents are invited to have their say in the consultation.

The consultation runs until Tuesday 19 January and can be accessed via the Council’s website.

Final budget proposals will be considered by the Council’s Cabinet in February and then put to Full Council in March.

“I want to reassure people that protecting the most vulnerable and supporting strong recovery and growth for the city remains our priority. We will always manage Sheffield’s financial position rigorously to make sure we are prepared, and we will continue to fight for fair allocation of funding from the Government.”Councillor Terry Fox, Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Governance

Discover the very best of the Steel City with The Sheffield Guide Newsletter!

Sign up now to receive occasional updates from The Sheffield Guide. All the latest Steel City information direct to your inbox!

Free to subscribe. No-spam guarantee. Unsubscribe at any time.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.