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Wiltshire Council's budget proposals get cabinet green light - now due to be discussed and debated at Full Council on 21 February

Wiltshire Council's 2023/24 budget proposals have been formally approved by its Cabinet, and they will now go forward for discussion and debate at Full Council later this month (21 February).

Published 1 February 2023

Wiltshire Council's 2023/24 budget proposals have been formally approved by its Cabinet, and they will now go forward for discussion and debate at Full Council later this month (21 February).

The council's proposed budget for 2023/24 stands at £465m. Cabinet also confirmed its proposal to put forward a 2.99% general increase for the council's element of council tax, plus a 2% levy to be spent solely on adult social care. If agreed at Full Council, this will mean an increase of £1.57 per week of the Wiltshire Council element of the council tax for households in the average Band D property. This is as a result of the Government allowing councils greater flexibility in how they set their council tax and helps to fund the continuation of vital service to the vulnerable.

The council's last reported budget gap for 2023/24 to 2025/26 in November stood at around £45m, but following confirmation of the Government's financial settlement, this was brought down to around £33m. However, through careful planning the Cabinet is proposing a balanced budget for this three-year period, which critically does not require the council to use reserves to fund ongoing service delivery. The council is also in a position to release £13m of reserves to spend on business priorities, particularly in supporting housing provision during the cost of living crisis.

More information on the council's budget proposals can be found at Wiltshire Council's proposed budget for 2023/24 and beyond is published as council plans for a sustainable future. The council held a public webinar last week (25 January) which was hosted by Cllr Richard Clewer, Leader of Wiltshire Council, and Cllr Nick Botterill, Cabinet Member for Finance. It gave residents the opportunity to find out more about the proposals and to ask questions. A replay of the session can be found at Catch up on public budget webinar.

At its meeting on 31 January, Wiltshire Council's Cabinet also provided an update on its revenue and capital budgets for the quarter three period (July to September 2023). With mitigations in place the council is currently forecasting a net overspend for the year of £5m, the equivalent to 1.25% of the overall net budget. However, Cabinet has agreed that this overspend will be met from the inflation reserves that were prudently set aside to cover the anticipated cost of inflation during 2022/23. Therefore, the council is confident that the 2022/23 budget will be balanced at the end of the financial year.

The council has also provided an update on its capital programme spending. Capital funding is spent on projects to improve and maintain the county's infrastructure. The overall capital budget is around £191m following a review, some of the projects that form part of the council's capital programme include the redevelopment of Melksham House, the Salisbury and Trowbridge Future High Streets projects, highways maintenance, and the Silverwood School construction for learners with SEND.

Cllr Richard Clewer, Leader of Wiltshire Council, said: "I really welcome the constructive and transparent discussions we've had since our budget proposals were published. Setting a budget involving an increase in council tax is never easy and it is really important that we explain to residents what we are asking for and more importantly why.  

"Now that my Cabinet has formally approved the budget we now look ahead to Full Council for a full debate and discussion as we seek to get it formally approved."

No final decisions on the proposals have been made, and prior to being discussed and debated at Full Council on 21 February, they would have been scrutinised by various groups including members, group leaders and trade union representatives.

The papers discussed at the Cabinet meeting, as well as a video replay, can be found at Cabinet - 31 January (opens new window).

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