This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
£5 band D Council Tax rise and parking fee increase in budget proposals
07/12/2021
A consultation has begun as Cherwell seeks to make savings of £2.6m
An annual car parking fee increase of 10pence per hour and ending funding for the CCTV system in Banbury town centre are two of the ways Cherwell District Council is seeking to make savings of £2.6 million in their 2022/23 budget. Other measures include no longer providing free dog fouling bags, increasing pre-application planning and building control fees and freezing the amount of the grant given to the Mill Arts Centre.
Cherwell’s proportion of the Council Tax is set to rise by £5 for a band D property – the maximum increase they can request without needing to undertake a public referendum.
Last year a combination of national and local factors, together with the pandemic, led to a need to make savings of £4.4 million. This year the Council says the challenge remains, meaning new savings of £2.6 million are being proposed.
They say further challenges could be faced with the government’s plans on resetting business rates remaining uncertain and the New Homes Bonus Scheme winding down. COVID-19 is also continuing to have an impact in areas such as the income generated by car parking.
A consultation on the budget proposals has now begun.
It is estimated that an extra £100,000 could be brought in each year by increasing car parking charges by up to 10 pence annually. Currently one hour in a Council operated car park costs £1. Under the proposals the hourly costs could be set to rise to £1.10 next year, then £1.20 in 2023 and £1.30 in 2024.
In an explanation in the budget papers it is noted that “Whilst raising car parking charges can be unpopular, the approach taken by the Council is fair and equitable. Similar changes were made in August 2021 and in Bicester in August 2020 with limited adverse reaction.
“Car parking charges are in line with local competitors and with surrounding towns but are still relatively low compared to many areas of the country.”
Savings of £99,000 are planned by ending financial support for the public space CCTV system, which is a jointly funded initiative with Thames Valley Police. The CCTV network consists of 80 cameras in Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington which are connected to a central control room staffed by four Thames Valley Police employees, who operate and monitor the cameras and provide evidential material to support Police investigations.
The budget explanatory papers note that “The impact of this decision depends on the response of Thames Valley Police. [They] could choose to meet the funding shortfall and take over the entire management of the CCTV system which would then lead to no overall impact of the change in funding arrangement. However, this is unlikely.
“It is more likely that the reduction of funding available to support the system will lead to operational hours of the system being significantly reduced and potentially all live monitoring of the system ceasing.”
Amongst other savings proposals include no longer providing free dog fouling bags and stopping the annual increase in grant funding to the Mill Arts Centre.
The Council would intend to bring in around £25,000 extra money by increasing the planning pre-application and building control charges and £35,000 by selling more pitches at the market and increasing the number of markets.
Councillor Barry Wood, Leader of Cherwell District Council, said: “We remain an ambitious authority despite COVID-19 and the budget pressures we are facing. We have invested in the long-term sustainability of the district through our redevelopment of Castle Quay in Banbury, which has continued throughout the pandemic, and our investment in Graven Hill in Bicester.
“Protecting those in need will always be our priority. But with continued budget pressures, we will need to continue to find new ways to deliver services differently and more efficiently – saving money overall, including the running costs of the council – and generating more income, all while protecting as many frontline services as we can.
“To deliver a balanced budget for 2022/23, we are planning ahead carefully and responsibly. Having careful and measured forward planning means we can be a resilient and sustainable council in the future.”
Councillor Tony Ilott, Cherwell District Council’s Lead Member for Finance and Governance, said: “Despite the chancellor’s announcement of additional funding for local government in the autumn budget, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding many elements of it and how it will be allocated. As we move through the winter, the situation may change as our knowledge of financial support available from central government increases.
“For 2022/23 we are proposing to increase council tax by £5 per year for the average Band D property. This works out at less than 10p per week and is the maximum amount the government will currently allow.”
The budget also proposes an investment of £79,000 in the installation of solar panels at their four commercial properties and £15,000 on new canopies and other market equipment to increase the attractiveness of Banbury town centre and support the vibrancy of the market and town centre economy.
The public consultation on the budget proposals is open now and runs until January 4. It can be accessed here.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam
Debbie Stuchbury On 07/12/2021 at 7:13 pm
Removing cctv should not be even be an option. We have no choice of stores in town to support the remaining few . Castle quay 2 was purchased with no consultation and will no doubt fail if no companies are brought in to support it .Parking .. really a few weeks ago parking was 80p per hour now all of a sudden it’s £1 and it’s going up by 30 p , get some decent shops in town !!!