By Earlier this week councillors voted to approve an ambitious budget to support economic growth and tackle the rising costs of social care.
At a meeting of the full council at Grimsby Town Hall, elected members approved a budget including a 2.98 per cent increase in council tax following a continued reduction in funding from the government.
The increase is about 56p extra per week for a Band A property.
Councillors pledged to press ahead with plans to continue the successful Skip It scheme, offering houses across the borough a convenient way to dispose of their unwanted household goods.
Local placements for vulnerable children.
The budget also includes capital investment of over half a million pounds to create further local placements for vulnerable children, with millions also set aside for local investment, including the SHIIP project, the Great Grimsby Town Deal and Cleethorpes townscape works.
The investment comes at a critical time for the Council as it prepares for funding reform and the extension of the business rate retention scheme.
Councillor Dave Watson, portfolio holder for finance, governance and resources, said:
“Since 2010 our overall budget has been cut by more than 35%. The money we get from the government is getting smaller, and the costs of things like adult social care and children’s services are increasing.
“We continue to make millions of pounds worth of savings every year, and we’re also making some smart investments.
“We’re developing the land in Stallingborough for the South Humber Industrial Investment Project and we’ve been working with government and private sector figures to make the Great Grimsby Town Deal a reality, bringing more money, jobs and infrastructure to our area.
“The future is looking really positive for our area, and we’re continuing to focus on making our money go further whilst maintaining services to help the most vulnerable in our society.”
What is the Council’s budget spent on?
The Council’s £124-million revenue budget is spent in several areas, the biggest being adult social care with more than a third of the budget being allocated to helping older people, people with disabilities and the vulnerable.
About £22m is spent on supporting children and young people, making sure local residents get the best start in life.
The remaining figure goes towards services such as cleaning and lighting the streets, emptying bins, fixing roads and maintaining parks and open spaces, as well as dealing with planning applications, providing sport, leisure and cultural activities, and supporting businesses.
Contact Gi Grimsby
Email us: news@gi-media.co.uk
Follows us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest local stories, breaking news and to join the conversation
