Dorset Council’s budget proposals for next financial year, 2022-23, prioritise the continued delivery of vital frontline services for residents.
The budget proposals include more money for:
- adult social care – a 10% increase (equating to £13 million, taking the total budget to £141 million) to fund the rising need for social care in the local population and rising costs
- children’s services – a 4% increase (equating to £2.7 million, taking the total budget to £74.5 million) to fund improvements to support children in care and children with special educational needs and disabilities
- climate and ecological emergency response – £10M capital investment over the next 5 years to help fund the delivery of the council’s action plan
- housing – an extra £0.75 million to support the development of more new homes with our Registered Providers and the supply of better value temporary accommodation from the private rented sector.
This year’s budget setting exercise takes place against a continuing national background of extreme pressures for councils resulting from the COVID pandemic alongside growing demand and price pressures. Social care services represent 59% of Dorset Council’s total net spending.
The Government confirmed in December 2021 that Dorset Council will receive £10.4 million more than originally anticipated for 2022-23. This enables the council to put in place robust contingency funds. However, it is a one-year settlement, and not the multi-year settlement that was hoped for.
The budget proposals include a 3% increase in council tax: 1.998% increase in general council tax and 0.996% increase for the social care precept. For a band D property, this equates to £1.02 extra a week.
Dorset Council’s Cabinet will consider the budget proposals in the meeting on 18 January, and proposals will then be considered and voted on by all Dorset Councillors at the Full Council meeting on 15 February.
Cllr Gary Suttle, Portfolio Holder for Finance, Commercial and Capital Strategy, said:
“These are responsible and carefully considered budget proposals, designed to ensure the council can continue to deliver vital services to meet the needs of our residents.
“We have robust plans to deliver efficiency and transformation savings so we can balance the council’s budget while avoiding cuts to essential frontline services.
“We continue to face an exceptionally difficult period due to the COVID pandemic and growing demand and price pressures. We are grateful to Government for the better than anticipated financial settlement for next year, but we really need multi-year settlements so we can plan for the longer term.
“My colleagues and I are lobbying Government for fairer funding for Dorset. As a big rural council with a large elderly population, we face higher costs than many other councils. Yet we have been historically under-funded by Government. This is something that needs to change so we can reduce the burden on local council taxpayers.”
Pity you didn’t spend the cycle Lane money on things that effect all residents.What a absolute waste of public funds
The money provided from central government via the Transforming Cities Fund is specifically for the installation of active travel measures (like cycle lanes). While we strongly believe it is not a “waste of public funds”, we would have been unable to spend it on anything else even if we wanted to – James
Hi, will Dorset council be considering installation of electric pump central heating systems into your social housing given your 10M climate and ecological emergency response?
We don’t own or operate any social housing Daniel. Housing associations are responsible for these – James
As an 80 year old widower living in my own bungalow and paying all my own bills, including an extortionate amount of Council Tax, for which I get very little in return, I deplore any increase, regardless of any reasons you find to increase it. Perhaps you should look to economise yourselves rather than expect the buck to be passed down to tax payers who cannot pass it on.
As a resident and Council Taxpayer in Dorset , I agree with the priorities of the Council and agree that we continue to make the case to central government for a fairer grant from central funds.
Disappointed only 0.75 million increase in affordable housing budget. A drop in the ocean in tackling the need.